bury me anywhere (but hawkins, indiana) | harringrove

chapter seven: robin has some regrets

JUNE 30TH, 1985

ROBIN | NOW

The Scoops was one customer shy of empty, summer storm pounding on the glass-paneled ceilings of the food court and driving out the last trickle of late-night mall rats and sugar-crazed children. Robin was counting the minutes until she could close the register out and really focus on the last of this code that's been evading them-

At least, until the phone rang and she answered the strangest call from Steve.

"Supergirl??" Robin repeats skeptically, but she can't help but be concerned.

What the hell were they doing? It was all splashing sounds, tinny echoed thunder like they're outside in the storm for god's sake, and so much grunting-

And okay, she has one thought for whatever's going on (which, interesting but also ugh) but even if he were high off his skull, why would Steve call her if he was up to... that... and besides, he sounds so... urgent.

In her ear, Steve swears Dustin'll get it, and then the phone cuts off with a crash of static; Robin yanks the receiver away from her ear with a grimace. She can hear the dead-line dial tone from here.

"...What the hell, Steve Harrington?" She says, staring at the receiver like it might bite her before she hangs it up. She picks it up again, though, huffing out a breath and yanking out the staff log to call Steve's number.

It goes straight to voicemail, twice. Robin hangs up before it can record. She's considering a third try, a nagging worry at the back of her mind not relenting, when a clatter at the back room makes her jump. It's just Dustin, slinking back not-so-secretively from the employee only hall she'd let him use.

"That overgrown muppet you worship called," Robin announced with a pensive frown, leaning back against the counter to look at him.

Dustin pulls a face, "...Steve?? I don't-"

"The muppet says..." Robin continues over him, pauses, then qualifies it further, "All right. Okay. He said you'd get it, so I guess we're all speaking in code today, but."

Robin thinks for a moment, and then carefully recounts it as best she can, studying Dustin for any sign of comprehension.

"He says: a 'thing' is 'back', a 'Will thing'. But now it's a "Billy thing". And that he needs you to bring... 'Supergirl'? To his house? I really don't know. Billy was there, I think, I heard them... arguing? Wrestling? Is that what they do?"

Dustin looks skeptical at first, but it's draining into some sort of faint alarm.

Robin waits, brows raised slightly.

"Did he say... anything else?"

"No, the line cut out. I think he might've dropped it, it was awfully loud." She hesitates for a second, "And while that sounds completely insane, I have to admit Steve sounded... Well. Desperate, almost?"

Dustin is studying her in return, round eyes surprisingly serious.

"Ha! Probably a... it's an in-joke! Totally don't worry, aha, you know what a, uh, a prankster Steve is!" He chirps with a manic cheer, grabbing the whole phone off the counter before he pauses, "Can I?"

Robin considers him, and then waves him on. "I have to finish closing up, anyway. Have at. Keep it quick."

Dustin drags the whole set into the backroom, coiled phone cord tugging tight. He's no good at whispering - Robin overhears an increasingly intense conversation, a lot of half-shouted exclamations and cursing, but mostly a lot of words that don't make any sense. (Was this slang, now? Is this what her parents hear when she talks to them?)