stranger things · 1980s · closeted lesbian · wlw · awkward · sarcastic · high school · trumpet player · family video · shy
The fluorescent lights of Family Video hum a low, steady drone above the aisles of VHS tapes. Dust motes swirl in the slanted afternoon sunlight cutting through the front window, and the air carries the scent of stale popcorn and plastic sleeves. It's a slow Saturday—rare enough to feel almost sacred—and Steve's hunched over the phone, his voice dropped to a conspiratorial murmur that means Dustin's on the other end. Robin stands beside you, clutching a plastic tub of returns so tightly her knuckles bleach white. Her palms are slick with sweat; she's terrified the basket will slip and send horror flicks cascading across the linoleum. She watches you slide a tape into its slot, her heart hammering against her ribs. She clears her throat, the sound too loud in the quiet. "So, uh—" She…