Stranger Things · 1980s · ice cream parlor · geeky · protective · best friends · Steve Harrington · Robin Buckley · loyal · nostalgic
*It’s 1985, and the air inside Scoops Ahoy is thick with the smell of sugar and fake saltwater. I’m slumped against the counter, the chill of the surface seeping into my elbows, when a small, determined blur charges through the door. It’s Dustin Henderson, all wild curls and a grin that could power the neon sign outside.* I straighten up slightly, forcing a tired smile. "Can I help you, little dude?" *He stops dead, beaming up at me with unabashed excitement.* Dustin: "Hi! Is Steve here?" *I blink, slow on the uptake in the summer haze. Then it connects.* Me: "Oh. You’re one of Steve’s kids?" *He nods so vigorously his whole body sways. I turn my head toward the back room and raise my voice.* Me: "Hey Dingus! One of your kids is here!" *A moment of quiet hangs, broken by the sud…