Chapter Thirty-Two

It took two hours roughly to get to Hawkins. Nancy was there to pick me up from the nearest airport in town since she had just dropped Mike off, who was already on his way to California.

She squealed loudly when she saw me amongst the sea of people rushing through in and out of Hawkins.

"Juno!" She rushed over and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back, laughing. "It's so good to see you! You look so good! You've changed your style, I see."

"Just a little." I flicked my long hair backwards.

"Was Jonathan disappointed that I didn't show up?" Nancy asked a little sadness in her tone of voice.

"I mean—probably, he didn't voice it," I recalled. "Mike's good, he just landed before I left so I got to briefly say hello to him."

"Oh, good, he made it safe." Nancy lets a wee phew sound. "Okay, so I know how desperately you want to see Steve and Robin, so that's our first stop. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, totally!" I grinned, nervousness bubbling through my chest. "Wait, can we get ice cream, first? It's been a while since I've had it from here."

"Uh, duh." Nancy agrees, taking my luggage and I followed behind her.

We ended up spending half of the day together, catching up and going around Hawkins for memory's sake. Now the Starcourt was no longer available, the shops up-town Hawkins are busier than what I remembered.

Now, I sit in the car outside of FamilyVideo, where Steve and Robin are currently working at. I looked at Nancy, who waited patiently for me to hop out of the car.

"Maybe we should go to yours—"

Nancy gasped suddenly, her eyes widening in realisation. "Wait, Juno, don't tell me you're nervous to see Steve?" She turned to me.

I laughed. "What? No!" I was clearly lying to her, and myself right now. "I just... I don't know. Does Steve have a girlfriend?"

"Um, no?" Nancy cocked her head. "Not that I've heard of. Is that why you're nervous?"

"Of course, that's the reason why I'm nervous!" I blurted out. "I don't want to see the man I love to be with someone else."

Her face softens for a moment. "Awe, Juno. No, he's not with anyone right now. Now get your cute butt in there! He's basically waiting for you at any moment now."

"Really?" I asked. "Did you tell? Nance! It was supposed to be a surprise."

"I'm not good with secrets." She reminded me. "Now go. Seriously. I have to be at the editors club in an hour."

"Okay, okay. I get it, you don't want to see me." I pouted.

"That's not true, we hung out all day!" Nancy pointed out and I huffed. "I'll pick you up later... Unless Steve drops you off." She spoke with a teasingly tone.

"Yeah, yeah. Have fun with your editor club." I mocked her and she scowled at me. "Love you, Nancy Drew."

"Shut up!" She whines. "I'm kicking you out now. Bye!"

"You're not kicking me out when I'm practically leaving." I sang as I opened the door and exited. I turned away from the car and Nancy drove off, leaving me behind. I let out a sigh. This is it, what I've been waiting for.

Let's make this the best Spring Break ever.

I walked over and pushed open the FamilyVideos door, I picked up a random DVD and walked over to the counter where Robin and Steve were talking to each other. They hadn't even noticed me yet.

"Hi, one movie, please." I placed down the movie and funnily enough, it was Back to The Future. "Just to rent, obvi—"

"Juno!" Robin yelled, looking at me stunned. "Oh, my God, what are you doing here?"

"You know, just dropping by and thought I'd say hi—" She leapt over the counter and hugged me tightly, I giggled, hugging her back. "Hi, Ro."

"Hey, hi, hello." Robin blurted out, smiling widely. "Steve, Juno's back!"

"What are you talking about?" Steve asked, finally looking up as he was engrossed in work, and his eyes widened. "Oh, shit! You're back!"

"I am!" I twirled around. "How does this new tan look on me?"

He walked around the counter, smiling widely. "Looking fantastic, Jun." We hugged awkwardly, and I pulled away, clearing my throat.

"Um, anyway, how are you guys?" I asked them.

"Oh, yeah, you know, busy." Robin gestured around to the empty store and I laughed.

"You guys certainly busy," I concluded, Robin grinning at me and Steve. I began to laugh nervously. "Anyways, I hope you don't mind I'm crashing your guys' Spring Break."

"Are you kidding me?" Steve asked, looking at me. "We've been waiting for you to get back here, Jun."

"Yeah! Steve has been talking about you like none stop—"

"Robin." Steve cuts her off, glaring and I felt a small blush rise to my cheeks. I looked away from him, looking at Robin.

"What? Just stating the truth." Robin rolled her eyes. "Okay, Juno. I'm going to completely catch you up to speed on my love life at the moment."

"Your love life?" I questioned, completely unaware that she was seeing a girl.

"Yeah. Her name's Vicki." Robin quickly caught me up on how she absolutely adored the girl that does a band with her. It was cute watching Robin table about someone as she placed movies on shelves. "And then Vicki laughed. And it wasn't a cheap, fake laugh either. It was like... It was a real, genuine laugh."

"Of course, she laughed." Steve places movies on shelves. "It's my Muppet joke. It's hilarious."

"Coz a real stand-up comedian, Steve." I teased him and he glanced over at me, almost offended.

"Because I am!" Steve rolled his eyes.

"My point is." Robin cuts us off from bickering. "That Vicki laughed and everything was just like... It was perfect."

"But?" Steve asked, shifting over to another shelf and putting rom-com movies on another shelf.

"But I'm having this problem where it's like, I should stop talking." Robin rants. "I have said everything I need to say. But then I guess I get nervous, and words keep spilling out, and it's like my... My brain is moving faster than my mouth, or... Or rather my... My mouth is moving faster than my brain. And it's like I'm digging this hole for myself, and I wanted to stop digging, I'm trying to stop, but I can't. And I'm doing it right now, aren't I?"

Robin turns to Steve and I. "Yeah, you are." Steve responds back. Robin steps backwards, exhaling as she does so and leans back into a movie poster.

"Oh, I'm hopeless." Robin sighed. Steve leans next to her.

"Eh. We both are." Steve sighed, and I stood there awkwardly as almost admires me in a way. I'm not sure, but he has this look in his eyes.

"If only... We could, like, combine." Robin suggested and Steve looked at her.

"Combine?"

"No, think about it," Robin spoke quickly. "I know exactly what I want, and I've found the girl of my dreams but I can't get the courage to ask her out. Meanwhile, you go on like a million dates and have no idea what you want. So, if we could combine, all our problems would be solved. Because I mean, alone, let's face it..."

"We totally suck." Steve agreed and my eyes widen slightly. He's been going on dates? Since when? Steve then looked at me and realised what Robin had just said. "Oh, shit."

"So... You've been going on dates, now?" I asked quietly and Steve almost looked guilty. 

"I mean—"

"Ooh, I think I found our morning movie." Robin had cut us off, running across the store and picking up Doctor Zhivago. "Doctor Zhivago."

"Ugh, you know I don't do double VHS," Steve complained as he walked over to Robin, leaving to think a million things over. He's been trying to see other girls again? What happened to you, I will wait for you? Or is he just bored? Steve has always been a player before meeting me, maybe he's slipping into old habits.

"But it's about doomed love." Robin's voice cuts me off from my rapid thinking. I glanced over, suddenly feeling like I am a third wheel now. Why did I ever think coming back would be normal? Of course, it wouldn't. They're completely different people, they've moved on. Maybe even moved on for me, which made my heart ache just thinking about it.

"Oh, well, that's relatable," Steve muttered, moving a cart full of movies.

"Precisely." Robin agreed. "Also, Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this." They walk around to the front. "Like, seriously, the most beautiful creature I have seen in my life." Robin turns on the TV and I walked over ot the counter, leaning on it.

"We're in the Forest Hills trailer park in east Roane County." A news reporter spoke on the TV. "We don't have a lot of details now, but we can confirm that the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the name. Although, we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family."

"Holy shit," I mutter, my eyes widening. Steve glances back over at me and I avoided all eye contact with him. "Why did I come back thinking this place was gonna be normal again?"

And suddenly, Steve going on dates with other girls didn't seem like the biggest deal in the world anymore.