when starling buckley was told she was going to be stuck slinging icecream with her sister all summer, she didn't expect to actually enjoy it (thanks to a certain curly haired brunette)
witchy says: this is an AU! el still has her powers and stuff...
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the next day was starlings off day, but she always went to the parlor anyways to hang out with robin and steve. she would never admit it, but she hated being alone in the house. starling was seen as this strong individual and yet she hated being alone.
she surrounded herself with people, doesn't matter who they were.
robin was quite the opposite, but she was glad that robin had steve now. she knows robin really likes steve despite her impatience with him. platonically, of course. starling knows robin was gay, just as robin knew starling was bisexual.
just imagine that conversation with their parents.
despite all the endless teasing, starling could see that robin was fond of the boy. starling was on the edge, though. it was torture having to see her older sister, who was supposed to be this brave and strong individual, break down and cry after school every day because tammy thompson tussled steve's hair in class again or something. starling didn't know steve at the time, but he sounded like a real asshole.
starling walked into scoops ahoy with three orange julius's. steve immediately caught sight of her (he was probably checking to see if it was the devil child or not) and raised an eyebrow at her curled blonde hair with her bangs pinned back. steve never really saw starling wear anything else than an old fleetwood mac t-shirt and mom jeans so when he saw starling in a green skirt... he was interested to say the least.
"hey lingling, who're you all dolled up for?" steve smirked at starlings reaction to the stupid nickname he'd given her when they first met. "got a date today?"
starling passed him the drink aggressively, causing the sticky substance to spill out it's lid and onto steve's hand, "can't a girl just want to look pretty?"
in all seriousness, starling didn't know why she dressed up today. she guessed a slight part of her hoped that eleven would come back in today, see starling, and fall in love with her; like how sometimes teenage girls would go to concerts wearing skimpy clothing in hopes for the lead singer to fall in love with them.
he shrugged, turning to help the customer that just rang the metal bell.
"robins in the back."
starling made her way to the back just as eleven caught up with the redhead that was standing at the counter. the younger girl panicked at the sight of starling leaving just before she could talk to her.
starling twisted the door handle and walked forward before it opened, confused when she bumped into the locked metal door.
her cheeks blushed in embarrassment as she turned around to steve, "it's locked?"
she caught the redheads hair in her peripheral vision and her heart raced, turning around fully to see eleven staring at her with a laugh hidden behind her hand. starlings cheeks got redder, if that was even possible.
but then she noticed blood coming out of the pretty girls nose.
"oh, j! your nose is bleeding." she panicked, getting a napkin with the imprint of an anchor on it and rushing around the counter. she reached the girl and her heart fluttered, never having been near the girl without the barrier of a counter in between them.
she tried to pretend her hands weren't shaking nervously as she bent down a little, wiping the blood from the girls face. starling would've caressed the girls cheek if it weren't for the drink in her other hand. she noted how much taller she was and almost giggled. starling pretended the blood wasn't gone yet and continued to wipe the nonexistent liquid just to stay close to the girl.
"all better." she said with a wink. she smiled softly when she saw the girls cheeks redden and moved to stand in between max and eleven.
max kept her words to herself wisely, slightly fearing the taller girl. she looked at eleven, who was admiring starlings outfit as starling was looking at all the ice cream.
"get whatever you guys want, i'll pay." starling pretended to look over all the choices. it was weird being on the other side of the counter.
"i'll get mint." jane's quiet voice wavered. she cleared her throat and said it louder, "i'll get the mint chocolate in a cone."
starling smiled and turned her head towards her, "so you liked it, huh?"
tilting her head up to look at the girl, jane giggled at her wiggling eyebrows.
"yeah. it reminded me of toothpaste at first, but in a good way. it was good." she smiled at the girl before looking away shyly. jane mentally sighed, wondering if she was ever going to stop being shy with this girl.
there was just something that starling that made her brain freeze whenever she looked at her or talked to her. it felt like jane's vocabulary regressed with starling, and she never left the girl's mind last night when she slept over with max.
when max had asked her if mike was a good kisser, all jane could think of after that was how it was like to kiss a girl. one girl actually, and it was starling. the blonde's lips were so pink and so pretty, and jane kept wondering how soft they were and what they tasted like.
steve gave both of the girls their ice cream as starling handed him her money, "do you girls want to hang out in the back?"
"sounds kind've creepy, star." max raised an eyebrow as starling walked back around the counter. "but, it's okay. i'm taking el to buy new outfits. she needs to wow her ex-boyfriend so he could beg for her back."
starling looked at jane, unsure if this was a good thing or not. it meant that jane was single, but it also meant that the probability of her being straight was at a higher percent.
jane sighed, really wanting to spend more time with the blonde. she felt angry at max for speaking on her behalf, even though it was irrational. she honestly didn't care about mike at all when she was in starlings presence. the girl was a natural distraction. one look at her and it was like eleven couldn't look away.
"you're saying he isn't already on his knees?" starling scoffed, "he's a real dumbass. you shouldn't even bother with him."
janes eyes widened at the curse word when max says, "but she misses him."
"oh."
"i don't." the younger girl was quick to deny it, her eyes widening, "i don't miss mike. mouthbreather."
"oh?"
"i dump his ass."
"but, i thought this was the plan all along?" max questions. her eyebrows were furrowed, "we were going to dump the boys and then they were going to beg for us back."
"that's your plan, not mine." jane bites. max raised an eyebrow at the sudden attitude, and looked between the two girls. starling was staring awkwardly at the ground and jane was staring at starling.
"well, i'm going to go. i have to get robin her drink. i wish you two could've stayed." starling says in a sad tone.
max scoffs, knowing star only wanted eleven to stay. she didn't know why both of the girls were acting so weird, and it had started to annoy her. jane was about to protest when max pulled her out of scoops ahoy. her grip was tight and her pace was fast.
jane tugged on her arm, and max finally relented when they were away from the ice cream parlor, "jeez, what was that?"
"stay away from starling." max said bluntly. jane had stopped walking, but max kept on.
"what?"
max stopped and turned around, sighing. she walked closer to the younger girl, "you don't know starling like i do."
