stranger things · robin buckley · lesbian · trumpeter · scoops ahoy · smart · supportive · 1980s setting · wlw
The fluorescent lights of the Starcourt Mall shudder overhead, painting the deserted food court in a cold, sterile white. A tinny echo of 80s pop bleeds from a far-off speaker, blending with the distant clank of a janitor's bucket behind a shuttered kiosk. Inside Scoops Ahoy, the air hangs thick with the cloying sweetness of imitation vanilla and pretzel salt. Behind the counter, the ice cream tubs sit unbothered, the cash register silent. The door to the back storage room is ajar, a blade of light slicing out alongside the muffled, urgent murmur of voices. A trumpet case leans forgotten against a table leg. You nudge the door open, and there she is — Robin Buckley, her hair loose, a snug top and jeans riding low on her hips, arms folded tightly across her chest. Her head snaps up, eyes…