The Book Club

Chapter Four

Nancy sat at the table in her kitchen, scanning through pages of a book. She used a pen to mark different quotes in the book. Her focus was set on it as she scanned the pages. "What are you reading?" A voice she found so annoying spoke. She ignored Mike for a moment hoping he would go away but he didn't.
"A journal." Nancy looked up at Mike. He smiled. Nancy knew the smile all too well. He wanted something. "What?"
"Can you drive me and Dustin to Kmart?" He tapped his hands against the table. He was old enough he could get his drives license but he didn't. He was scared to take the test but he told the family that he just didn't have time.
"Why? I'm busy." Nancy refused to take her eyes off the book. It was a fascinating book so her eyes would have been locked on it regardless. 
"Mom is busy with Holly and Steve said he had plans. Please? There's a new watch that we love and-" Nancy shot a look to him which stopped him from talking.
"Fine." She stood up as she set down her book on the table. Mike jumped up and ran to the front door, waiting for her to follow. She walked to the door, grabbing her purse off the hook that held their coats.
"You're the best big sister."
"Shut up and walk."
Nancy parked in front of Kmart. Dustin and Mike chatted in the back seat. She turned around and sighed. "Do you guys have money for the watch?" Dustin nodded but Mike remained with the smile he had given her earlier.
"I'll pay you back!" He added to help his case. She kept a frown on her face. She got out of the car and followed the two boys into the store. While the two looked at watches she remained in the clothing section. She picked up a tweed jacket, giving it a gross look then put it back on the rack. She turned, seeing a brown flannel on one of the shelves. She smiled and took the flannel off the rack, tossing it into a cart that was nearby. It was an empty car, unattended so it was hers now. She pushed it down the aisle, scanning the shelves for clothes. Nancy was never really the type to go shopping for clothes. Karen always picked out the clothes she wore so she never got to dress herself. Now that she's an actual adult she can start doing it herself. She stopped in front of a large display. Pairs of blue jeans lined the wall, a display of belts not too far away. There were so many different types of jeans. She took her size in a pair of loose fitting blue jeans and threw them into the cart. She pushed further until she saw socks. She grabbed a pair of frilly lace socks and added them into the basket. She had no idea what she was doing but she felt like it had to be something good. She looked around the store, the boys still somewhere in the store. She stopped in front of a mannequin. It was a tall white mannequin wearing a matching bra and underwear set. She looked around then took the lace undergarments off the shelf and put them in the cart, hiding them under the flannel. She looked down at the purple set she had gotten then also took a pale yellow set and a baby pink set. She turned a corner and saw the boys walking towards her. Mike and Dustin each held a box in their hands. Mike opened the box and showed Nancy. It was a black digital watch with a small green screen. She furrowed her eyebrows. He remained smiling hoping his sister would buy it for him.
"That looks exactly like your other one." Nancy took the watch in her hands, scanning the box and the contents.
"And you have a cart full of clothes that don't look anything like something you would wear." Dustin looked into the cart. "Black Mary Janes? Really?" Nancy gave Dustin a look.
"Who drove you thirty minutes to the Kmart?" She raised an eyebrow and smiled. Nancy pushed the cart towards the checkout as she snatched the watches out of the boys' hands. She waved the boys to leave. They shrugged and walked out the front to go to Nancy's car. As they walked out of the store Dustin leaned over and whispered to Mike,
"If Steve didn't technically have dibs on her then I'd make my move." He flared out the collar of his shirt and purred at Mike. Mike looked disgusted as he pushed past Dustin. Nancy lifted the clothes out of the cart and onto the counter. There was a snug laugh. Nancy looked up to see no other than Keith working the counter. "Since when do you work here?" Keith held up the matching bra and underwear set.
"Special occasion?" Keith scanned the price tag and put them into a bag. Nancy groaned and waited for him to finish scanning the clothes. Someone with that much Cheeto dust on their fingers should not be working retail.
"I just want to feel good about myself, Keith." That wasn't a lie. Nancy just wanted to feel pretty. Keith continued to scan the pile of clothes as he nodded, not believing Nancy because of the sign at the movie theater a couple years ago. Everyone knew it but nobody said anything about Nancy, The Slut, Wheeler. She straightened out her shoulders as she opened her checkbook.
Nancy walked out of the Kmart with an arm full of bags. She pulled the watches out of her bag and got into the car, tossing them into the backseat.
"So... any reason why you bought a new wardrobe?" Mike leaned between the front seats. He wiggled his eyebrows up and down, insinuating she was doing it for someone.
"No. And if there was a reason, it's none of your business." Nancy put the car in drive and sped out of the parking lot.
"I'm just curious if like I know the person. Did Johnathan call you back?" Nancy hit the breaks at a stop sign, sending the car and everyone in it forward a bit.
"Shut up." Nancy turned around and scowled. She drove the rest of the way back home with the music up loud and her head rested on her hand.
Once she was home she stood in front of her bedroom mirror, adjusting the new jeans around her waist. There was a moment where she admired the new bra, and how it looked on her, before she looked over to her dresser and grabbed the green stripped shirt she got from Robin. She put it on and tucked it into her jeans. She grabbed the belt that was laying with the shirt and put it around her waist, securing her pants in place. She put on the flannel then brushed her hair away. She stared at herself in the mirror for a second then sat down on her bed and put on the socks with the new Mary Janes. She grabbed her purse off the top of the dresser and walked out of her room, walking towards the front door. Karen stood a couple feet away, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Nancy Wheeler, what are you wearing?" She looked Nancy up and down, admiring the change of style. "Where are you going dressed like that?" Nancy bit her lip and thought on her moms question for a second.
"Book club." Nancy smiled and walked out the door. She scurried over to the car before her mom could ask to go with and got in the drivers seat, pulling out of the driveway. She drove until she got to the library.
She sat at a table in the very back of the library with a stack of books next to her. She tapped the table lightly while she scanned through the stack of books. "Hi." A soft voice said in front of her. She looked up to see Robin. Robin took the seat on the other side of the table as Nancy smiled in greeting.
"I got a whole stack of books for you to try." Nancy pulled the stack of books in front of her. She pulled them off the top, working her way down the stack as she spoke. "This one is about poetry. There's some really beautiful stuff in here. Then this one is about a fireman who is supposed to burn books but instead he reads them." Nancy glanced up at Robin then back down at the stack of books. "T-this is another poetry book but it's all about flowers. Super cool." Nancy glanced up again, meeting Robin's gaze. She smiled and looked back down at the books again, trying to keep her composure. "This one is a journal about a woman in the journalism business. And this one is just a newspaper. I wrote an article-" Robin leaned across the table and took the newspaper out of Nancy's hands.
"You wrote an article?" Nancy watched as Robin flipped through the paper, scanning for Nancy's name. She stopped in the center page and scanned it. "You wrote an article." Robin smiled as she leaned her chair back and smiled. She put her feet up on the table as she read the article out loud. "The Takedown of Larry Kline. From mayor to crook we discuss the issues that have arose during Mayor Kline's term. Whether it was money laundering or helping aid in a Russian takeover here in Hawkins, he was never the most truthful man." Robin looked up with a large smile on her face. She cleared her throat and stood from the table, disappearing for a couple moments, leaving Nancy confused. She came back and sat on the other side of the table again. "I bought it."
"You bought it?" Nancy leaned forward on the table, shocked.
"Yeah I asked the lady and she said it was fine." Robin crossed her legs under the table. "Now I own a piece of Nancy Wheeler's work for when she gets famous." Robin tapped the top of it with her knuckles. Robin took Nancy's pen off the table in front of her and slid the newspaper across the table. "Sign it." Nancy smiled, a light blush covering her face as she signed her name in curly hand writing. She turned the 'y' in Nancy into a heart. Robin smiled and slid the newspaper back towards herself.
"You didn't have to do that." Nancy shook her head as she stacked the books.
"But I wanted to. Also the newspaper was only five cents so if you really feel bad about it then you can give me a nickel." Robin smiled and stuck the newspaper into her backpack. There was a moment of silence while Nancy looked at the stack of books. Robin tapped her finger on the table nervously. "I like your outfit." Robin spit out, breaking the silence. Nancy looked down at the clothes she was wearing and smiled.
"Yeah?" She smoothed out the shirt she was wearing. Robin watched as Nancy ran her hands along the front of the shirt.
"I-is that my shirt?" Robin leaned forward across the table, her foot accidentally bumping Nancy's foot under the table. Nancy smiled and nodded.
"It looks better on me." She raised her eyebrows. Robin rolled her eyes and let a smile crack. She leaned back in her chair and propped her feet up on Robin's legs under the table. Robin smiled then looked down at her watch.
"Damn it! I'm late." Robin stood, causing Nancy's feet to slid back down to the floor. Nancy stood up and grabbed her bag.
"I can take you. It's no big deal." Nancy threw her bag over her shoulder. Robin shook her head.
"No, it's alright."
"Rob, let me. Family Video is like five seconds away. It'll take longer for you to walk." Nancy grabbed the sleeve of Robin jacket and pulled her towards the door.
Robin and Nancy left the library. She clutched her backpack firmly in her hands and started to take off her seatbelt as Nancy parked the car. Robin looked over to Nancy, trying to hide her smile. Nancy unbuckled her seatbelt after Robin did. "Are you coming in?" Robin questioned, noticing the girl getting ready to get out of the car.
"Yeah. Holly wanted to have a movie night so I figured, why not tonight." Nancy smiled and got out of the car, taking her purse with her. Robin followed her in a couple seconds later, an uncontrollable smile still spread across her face. Robin slid over the top of the counter then pulled her vest out of the cabinet below it. She put on the vest then looked Nancy up and down. "Your vest is so nerdy." Nancy reached across the counter and adjusted one of the pins on Robin's vest. Robin smiled and rolled her eyes as she walked to the back to clock into work. Nancy leaned against the counter waiting for Robin to come back. She turned to see Steve walking towards the glass doors. She turned quickly looking for an excuse to be there. She grabbed a movie off a shelf and held it in her hands tightly, acting like she had been looking at it. Steve opened the door, spotting Nancy.
"Hey, Nance." She turned to see Steve, acting surprised.
"Hey!" She gripped the movie in her hands. Steve looked Nancy up and down and smiled.
"Whatcha doing here?" He leaned against the counter. She blinked a couple times then held up the movie. "Oh you're getting... Fast Times?" Steve turned his head as Robin walked back to the counter. "Robin, Nancy's getting Fast Times." He leaned his elbow against the counter, raising his eyebrows at Robin. She rolled her eyes and took the movie from Nancy.
"Go get a different movie." Robin put the movie in the return bin. Nancy blinked then turned around and walked towards the kids section. "Don't say anything." Robin opened up a binder and started taking notes.
"Is she wearing-" Steve was cut off by Robin slamming another binder down on the counter. She looked up at Steve and shrugged. Steve nodded and turned his head, looking back to Nancy as she pulled a movie off the shelf. She walked back up to the counter and sat down a cartoon movie. "You're getting really sophisticated about your movie choices." Steve smiled at the cartoon.
"It's for Holly." Nancy frowned and waited for Robin to ring her up. Robin scanned the movie and set it on the counter. She waited for the machine to calculate then sneakily scanned her employee card.
"It looks like you have a free movie rental available." Robin glanced over to Nancy, refusing to look at her too long so Steve wouldn't suspect anything. Robin printed out the receipt and scribbled someone down onto it then stuck it in the movie case. "I wrote down the return date." Steve raised his eyebrows as Nancy took the movie off the counter and smiled.
"Thanks, Rob..." she paused for a minute "R-Robin." Nancy held the movie to her chest and started to walk towards the door. "Oh, I forgot to tell you that book club is at 9:30 tonight." Nancy said as she met eyes with Robin. Robin smiled and nodded. Steve stood confused. Once she was in her car she opened up the movie case and took out the receipt. There was a little heart drawn on the bottom of it. Nancy smiled and sat the movie to the side and started her car.
"You're in a book club?" Steve asked Robin as she clicked buttons on the register.
"Yeah it's me, Nancy, Karen, and a couple of other women." Robin glanced up at Steve. "Right now we're reading F-Fahrenheit 451." Robin lied as she took a spray bottle out of the cabinet under the counter. She sprayed down the counter then used a rag to wipe off the spray. Steve remained confused. "You know the book about the fireman who reads books. We read it in Click's class?" Robin continued to lie to him. He shook his head still confused. Robin smirked as she returned the bottle under the counter.
"Mystery girl is Nancy." Steve said quietly as he tapped the counter with his knuckles.
"No, it's not."
"Robin, no sorry, Rob. She was wearing your shirt." Steve pushed his hair back as he leaned against the freshly wiped off counter. "She was wearing your shirt, she called you Rob and she invited you to 'book club'" Steve put finger quotes around 'book club.' He raised his eyebrows and tapped the counter with his finger.
"She wasn't wearing my shirt. We shop at the same place." Robin tilted her head.
"She was buying Fast Times." Steve added. He glanced up at her. "Oh shit, I forgot to ask, what color are Nancy's bed sheets?"
"Pink." Robin said before she realized what Steve had said. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "B-because we were in her room that one time." Steve nodded, not believing Robin.
"Yep." Steve smiled widely. "Nancy is mystery girl."
"She is not!"

Nancy sat in her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest as she read a book that was propped up on her legs. She flipped a page as she listened to quiet music play through her radio. There was a creaking noise as her door opened. Nancy looked up from her book to see Mike. "I brought you the money for the watch." Mike sat down a handful of loose cash and change on top of Nancy's dresser. "It's not all of it but it's most of it." Nancy set her book down.
"Mike, it's fine." Nancy smiled as he looked around her room, rocking on her heels. He went over to her book shelf and looked at all of her books.
"Do you own all these? I feel like I never see you come in the house with books." Mike took a book off the shelf and flipped through it. His eyes got wide as he stuck it back on her shelf. "I saw a vagina." He turned to Nancy, scared.
"Yeah. You grabbed my anatomy book from high school." Nancy laughed as she watched Mike walk around her room. He looked down at the pair of jeans folded up on her dresser. Nancy straightened out her shoulders as she waited for Mike to talk. "What's going on with you? You said please today. That's weird." Nancy patted the bed next to her. It wasn't very often that her and Mike got along. When they did, she tried to take advantage of it. He walked to her bed and sat down.
"El and I aren't doing to great." He leaned his head against the wall behind her bed.
"Well... why?" Nancy crossed her arms, prepared to listen to Mike.
"She said something about how I never tell her I love her anymore. We talked about it before but I guess she's right. I don't really feel the same I did before." Mike leaned his head down onto his knees as he pulled them up. He squinted his eyes as he tried to process what he had just said. It was the first time he had said it out loud.
"Well... that's what happened with me and Johnathan." Nancy lifted her hands into the air and moved them around. "When they all moved away things just changed."
"I think I might feel that way for someone else though. But I can't break up with El. We've been through too much together." Mike pushed his hair out of his face. Nancy pushed her eyebrows together then her eyes slowly widened. She cleared her throat.
"Um. Well. You can't lead her on. You have to break up with her if you feel that way about someone else. It'll just make her feel worse if she finds that out." She focused her eyes on Mike.
"She'll find out eventually." Mike lifted his head off his knees and sighed. He stood up off the bed and looked around. "I have to call her." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks, Nancy." He turned and walked out of the room. Nancy smiled and looked back down at her book as she opened it. Mike came back into her room a couple minutes later. "I forgot to tell you someone is on the phone for you. I just left the line open." Mike smiled awkwardly and turned on his heels to walk out of the room. Nancy quickly fumbled for her phone on her nightstand. She took the phone off the receiver and held it to her ear.
"Hello! I'm so sorry. Mike didn't tell me you were on until just now." Nancy said into the phone. She waited for a response.
"Nance," Robin's voice said softly into the phone. Nancy hummed in response. "I don't think we should do this anymore. You know, until you figure out... w-what you want." Nancy's heart dropped at Robin's words. Robin cleared her throat and tightened her hand around the phone. Her parents argued in the background so she tried to keep the call brief. "I'm sorry."
"I," Nancy couldn't find the words. She couldn't possibly change Robin's mind. She choked back every feeling that was surfacing. "I understand."
"I do want to do this but... it's just a lot. I can't get all into you then you decide that you don't want to do this." Robin finished as she put the phone down on the receiver, hanging up on Nancy.