When Robin sees them together on Monday morning, she thinks she must be hallucinating. Like maybe all the cow manure scented air of Hawkins has finally rotted her brain. Because that would be more reasonable than whatever reason NANCY WHEELER has for stopping by Jonathan's locker.
“Is that is that Nancy Wheeler with Jonathan Byers” Robin hisses, dead-stopping in the middle of the hallway.
“Yea they're supposedly together” Kate informs with a shrug.
“Together? Like together-together?” she questions.
Kate nods.
“Like together as in, Nancy Wheeler kissed Jonathan Byers?” she grills, skeptically.
“They've done more than kiss, supposedly they got busy in some motel off the interstate after Tina’s Halloween party.” she gossips
“Ew, but also where did you even hear that?”
“Tommy H. was telling anyone who would listen.” she explains.
“Then it's probably just a stupid rumor.” Robin dismisses.
“Ok then why are they blocking your locker?”
Robin glances back over and Nancy is practically skipping away with an unreasonably giddy expression for ten in the morning. She watches Jonathan shake his head but he’s got a huge, well huge for him, smile. She swears he even briefly looks to watch her walk away.
But she knows Jonathan, probably better than most. She spent the summer working with him at the Hawk and they've had lockers next to each other since freshman year. He's quiet, but kind with a clever sense of humor that he doesn't share often. He doesn't give a shit about his hair looking perfect, or how his clothes fit and he's worn the same shoes the entire time she's known him.
Long story short, Nancy Wheeler isn't his type. Honestly she was starting to think that no one was his type. Or that maybe there was a smidge of truth to those rumors about him being gay. But that might have been more wishful thinking on her part.
“They're probably just exchanging homework or something” She rationalizes, remembering that the two are in the lead for valedictorian next year.
“Besides, isn't she dating Steve Harrington?” Robin asks before Kate can rebuttal.
“Yea, well, you know what they say about Nancy Wheeler” she taunts.
“No”
“She's a slut” Kate reveals with a casual cruelty.
Robin tries to let it go. To not pay as much attention. But the harder she tries the more she fails. Nancy Wheeler is like suburbia personified. She’s got the girl next door trope down to an art. What with the pastels, the shiny hair and the goddamn trapper keeper. There’s just no way she’s swapped her perfect jock boyfriend for someone like Jonathan. Unless maybe she’s trying to piss off her dad or something. But at the risk of her own reputation? That doesn’t add up.
So yea, she’s a little too invested. By Wednesday morning, she finds herself obsessing over bagel boy, hoping to notice the slightest change in his behavior. He looks the same as ever, same stupid hair, same stupid members only jacket, same stupid bagel crumbs.
Steve's not even supposed to be in this class. But the story goes that not even top of the class, little miss perfect, Nancy could help salvage his grade last year. And rather than do summer school he opted to take the class over again before graduation.
“Nice work Buckley” he congratulates when passing her test back to her.
Robin wants to be uncharacteristically nice. She wants to tell him that if he spent less time on perfecting his hair and more time studying she's sure he could pass this time. But a funny thing happens in the translation of her thoughts to her words.
“Did Nancy Wheeler dump you for Jonathan Byers?” she blurts and he looks at her horrified.
“Uh I'm not” he pauses and Robin waits for him to tell her to fuck off and mind her own business.
“I dunno, they've been keeping to themselves lately” Steve tells her.
And for a guy who might have gotten ditched for the town weirdo he sounds incredibly sad about being left out of the loop. She briefly entertains the idea that Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington might be lonely before deciding that that's almost as impossible as Jonathan and Nancy dating.
“Tell you what, they sure look happy though” he huffs but there's no bite to his words. No lingering resentment. Just that same hint of loneliness.
Robin chalks up the whole situation as just plain fucking weird. She resolves to mind her own business. If Jonathan and Nancy want to have little rendezvous at his locker that's not her problem. As long as they don't intrude on her space, why should she care?
Except mid-morning on Friday that's exactly what they're doing. She got out of band practice a little early, the hallway is mostly empty and they’re standing right in front of her locker, hands intertwined, practically swaying. Nancy Wheeler is looking up at Jonathan Byers like he hung the moon and Jonathan Byers is looking at Nancy Wheeler like she’s more precious than any jewel.
To his credit, Steve was right, they do look happy. Not in the grotesque, over the top, peaking in high school way Jason and Chrissy look happy. But in a genuine, sweet, Nick and Nora Charles way.
“Mundy has a pop quiz today” she overhears Jonathan telling Nancy.
“So?”
“So you're honestly telling me you don't care if you miss that?” he asks.
“Jonathan in five years from now I'm not going to remember some stupid math quiz but I am going to remember a nice afternoon with my boyfriend” she contends.
Boyfriend, she definitely said boyfriend. Or maybe it really is some mass hallucination. Maybe Hawkins High has turned upside down. Because there’s simply no way in hell this is really happening.
“I'll meet you by my car” Jonathan resigns.
“I knew you'd come around” Nancy teases gleefully.
“Yea yea”
Then, Nancy plants a quick kiss on the side of his mouth before prancing away and Robin knows she’s lost her mind. Nevertheless, she needs her history book from her locker so she bravely makes her way to her locker. Laser focused on opening it, grabbing her book and getting out of there.
“Uh I’m sorry if we've um blocked you lately I'm not trying to be next door” he jokes nodding his head in the direction of Jason's locker.
“Yea no, no it's totally fine like I get you guys are super in love like lookout Hawkins High here comes the new power couple” she rambles.
Oh God, why would she say that.
“Yea, uh I guess…” he admits softly and Robin just nods, for once not sure what to say.
“Anyways I'm sorry sometimes I just get so… caught up in her that I forget other people exist you know?”
Jonathan says it casually, almost like he told her the cafeteria is serving chili instead of admitting to being so consumed by his girlfriend that it makes him blind to the world around him.
“Uh yea” she lies because she’s not about to tell Jonathan that even as much as she privately adores Tam it’s never been like that.
“Well have a nice weekend” he bids, shutting his locker and walking away. Leaving Robin with more questions than answers.
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