Chapter Text
Kim
“Here’s the employee break room,” Pat instructed as he led her through the tiny back room, leaving her to nod her head quickly as she looked at the freezer he had quickly guided her on how to stock and remove, “And then up front is where the magic happens.”
“Cool,” she nodded her head as she held her fingers tightly together, trying not to fuss with the tight her braid was fastened into, “do I work the cashier then?” She questioned as she tilted her head, pulse still racing against the crook of her neck. She was nervous. Scared even. She’d never had a job before. She didn’t necessarily want one, but her stepfather was convinced that she was rotting inside their house.
Which was how she ended up in the ridiculous uniform she was currently wearing. Max had giggled and teased her about it, while Susan had took what felt like a hundred different photos and proclaimed it was cute. It wasn’t cute. She was sure this would just make her more of an outcast. And she swore it didn’t fit right, too short for her long legs and torso.
“The cash register?” Pat looked for clarity as he turned towards her, his glasses sliding down his nose. She felt her eyes widen at his clarification, realizing that she had messed her words up.
“Yeah that!” she corrected quickly, face burning, “I am pretty good with money.” She reminded him of her math grades, hoping that might make her mistake disappear. She crossed her arms over her chest as she followed him out to the main part of the store, briefly breathing in the bright lights in front of her.
“That’s a great skill, but not yet,” he smiled at her as he directed her towards the counter, “Steve will be showing you the ropes for today. And that’s Robin, she’ll be here if you need any help too.” He added as he gestured towards them, making her halt in her spot.
She felt her eyes widen several sizes, her heart flutter inside of her chest as her face burned as if she had been out in the sun for too long. Steve Harrington worked here, with her. No way. She swallowed roughly, trying to pretend like he hadn’t spent the past school year drooling over him.
And he looked handsome . His hair looked slightly lighter than it had over the winter, like he had been out in the sun too long. It went along with the soft tan that covered his body as he stopped spinning the dipping spoon between his fingers, wincing as it clattered to the floor. Her eyes followed him as he quickly picked it up, his costume mirroring the same dumb one she was in.
She glanced towards the exit, wondering if she should just leave now.
She had never actually spoken to him, well, not in a way that mattered. He had said high occasionally, and had also once congratulated her when they had to switch math tests and grade them along with Mr. Barker.
“Kim,” he shook his head in surprise, blinking rapidly as he gripped his hat and pulled it off of his head, “I didn’t know you were working here.” He furrowed his eyebrows tightly together as he glanced back down at the dirty spoon, pausing before he dumped it into a bucket that was sitting beside Robin.
She had a few different classes with Robin, knew her only by association from a few other people. Although, they did work on an English project together before the school year ended and that had gone well. She took a step closer to Steve, fussing with her shorter hair as her blue eyes landed on Kim.
“I just started,” she replied meekly, cheeks burning at the way he continued to watch her, “hi.” She waved to both of them, not sure what to do when they were staring at her like she had a second head attached to her. Even Pat cleared his throat.
“We had chemistry together, right?” Robin questioned as a little blush formed on her cheeks, her blue eyes sparkling as she moved her hands to her hips. Then dropped them again. Kim almost thought about turning and asking Pat where she could get the same uniform as Robin. They were about the same height, so she didn’t understand why hers fit so much better.
“Yeah,” she nodded her head stiffly as she pulled a tense smile to her lips, feeling awkward as she held onto her arm, “we do. I mean, we did.” She nodded, wondering if she should add the other classes they had as well. She decided against it, not wanting to seem too desperate.
“That’s a good start,” Pat smiled as he touched the back of her shoulder, making her jolt as he dug his fingertips into her shoulder, “if you need anything you can call, there’s a phone in the back. But you’re in good hands.” She turned towards him, wishing there was a way to shrug him off as his hand stayed glued to her skin. From being this close, she could see that his teeth were slightly yellow.
“Thank you.” She finally squeaked out, only feeling relieved once his heavy hand was off of her shoulder. She resisted the urge to shudder, knowing that he meant no harm by it. At least that’s what she hoped.
“And put that hat back on, Harrington.” He replied one last time before he left them standing in silence, none of them taking the initiative to speak first. Her heart was racing roughly against her bones, shaking her insides around as her nerves kept her frozen in her spot. She clenched her fingers together, her shyness leaving her tongue in a thick knot.
Her eyes drifted up just enough to observe the way Robin nudged Steve forward, making him huff as he placed the hat back over his thick hair. She shifted awkwardly, shoes digging into the tiles of the floor.
“So,” Steve paused as he shot Robin an annoyed look, giving her a little shake as he stepped forward, “we scoop ice cream.” He stated as he held his hands out, giving his shoulders a little shrug.
“Right.” She nodded her head as she forced herself to move forward, waiting for more of his instructions. He paused as he wiped his fist across his lips.
“So uh here’s the flavors,” he said as he gestured about them, “it’s not like it’s magic. Or that it needs a skill. It’s just ice cream.” He motioned towards the giant tubs again, making her think of the giant freezer filled with all of them. She hoped she wasn’t expected to carry them back and forth.
“Do you want me to start then?” She asked as she glanced around, even though it wasn’t very busy at the moment. There were a few people at tables, but for the most part people were bustling around outside the store.
“No, you can watch since it’s your first day.” He replied as he furrowed his eyebrows together, shooting a look in Robin’s direction. She quickly turned away, making Kim worried that there was something she didn’t know.
She stood next to him the whole time, following him back and forth just like he instructed. She felt like she wasn’t doing much to help, but she didn’t want to jump in and get in the way either. So she took to looking like she didn’t know what to do, waiting until one of them asked for her assistance.
“Shit.” Steve mumbled as he looked down at where a glop of ice cream had fallen to the floor. He shook his head, quickly scooping it out again before he passed it along to Robin. She looked around, gripping some napkins and ignoring the way he held his hand out towards her. She could at least handle this. It would make her feel like she was doing something .
“It’s okay, I got it.” She told him quickly as she bent at her waist, ducking down and beginning to pick the ice cream off of the floor. She scrubbed it off a second later, eyebrows furrowing as she moved her free hand back to tug her shirt down. She felt validated for a second, confirming that it wasn’t for her longer measurements.
“I uh,” Steve spoke for a moment, sounding far away before he cleared his throat, “I’ll be back in a minute.” He scooted around her, his hip brushing against her side as he rushed away. She frowned as she threw away the discarded ice cream, then scrubbed her hands clean at the sink.
“What happened to dingus?” Robin turned curiously towards her once she finished passing the change to a customer, leaving Kim even more confused. She wasn’t sure why Steve had rushed away so suddenly.
“He said he’d be back in a minute.” She said as she shrugged her shoulders, unsure of what to add to that. Her cheeks burned suddenly, wondering if she had somehow managed to do something wrong already.
“Weird.” Robin crossed her arms as she leaned against the counter, glancing behind Kim for a moment. Kim’s mind began to race for a moment, knowing that there might be something deeper brewing there.
“He hates me.” She blurted out suddenly, surprising herself as she blinked rapidly. She didn’t need anyone else to confirm it, she had been suspicious over it for a while. And it wasn’t even her fault.
“You?” Robin questioned, blue eyes widening, “Why would he hate you?” She questioned as Kim’s mind raced to one specific reason. She breathed in deeply, speaking out loud. She wasn’t sure why she was speaking it out loud, why she was letting it be known that it bothered her so much.
“Billy.”
“Oh,” She nodded her head slowly, realization spreading across her features, “I heard about that. Your stepbrother, right?” She looked for clarity as Kim roughly nodded her head in agreement. She didn’t really feel like Billy was a brother, even with the step label. They weren’t really anything. They just lived in the same house.
And she did not want to be blamed for his actions.
“Did I miss anything?” Steve walked back out a second later, making her move away from the counter she had been resting on. She was suddenly worried that he would think that she had been doing nothing.
“No,” she answered quickly, biting her bottom lip, “it’s been quiet.” She stated as she gestured out this time, showing that no more customers had come forward. That was certainly a start.
“No!” Robin shouted quickly, making her jump back several feet. Her heart hammered roughly in her chest, eyes wide at the panicked expression on Robin’s features.
“What?” She asked quickly, trying to figure out what she had done wrong. She looked down, trying to see if she had accidentally stepped on something. Next to her, Steve sighed loudly as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“You can’t ever use that word.” Robin explained with a laugh, shaking her head as Kim grew even more confused. She thought back to what she had said, wondering which part of her sentence had been incorrect.
“What word?” She asked hesitantly, pressing her fingers together as Robin quickly looked over her shoulder. As if someone might be watching them, waiting.
“The q word.” She whispered underneath her breath, lips curling into an amused smile as Kim’s expression deepened. She wasn’t sure how a word could change the flow of the restaurant, but she certainly knew she wouldn’t ever breathe the word quiet out around Robin again.
“She’s superstitious.” Steve responded as he leaned against the counter this time, long legs stretched out in front of him. She stared at his shoes for a moment, refusing to let her eyes trail back up towards his face.
“Customers hear it, and they come flocking,” Robin explained, “it’s bad luck.” She nodded her head with confirmation, making a silent sigh leave her mouth. Kim knew all about bad luck.
“I didn’t know,” she winced, hoping it wouldn’t happen, “sorry.” She apologized genuinely, even though she wasn’t quite sure if she believed her or not. She figured she would only find out over time.
“I’ll teach you all the rules, pal.” Robin winced as the words left her mouth, cheeks turning red again as she went to punch Kim’s shoulder playfully. Only it was a little too hard, making her grimace at the feeling.
It was awkward for a few seconds as Robin quickly rubbed at her fist and Kim resisted the urge to soothe the ache in her arm. She pressed a stiff smile to her lips, reaching for the end of her ponytail to mess with instead.
“What’s your favorite ice cream?” Steve asked suddenly, eyes darting between them as he saved them from the unbearable tension. She knew Robin didn’t mean to do anything, but Kim was too awkward to laugh it off. She was sure that her lack in social skills was beginning to shine through.
“I like mint,” she said softly, “I love ice cream.” She sounded a little more excited that time as she glanced towards the containers, wondering if she would be allowed to dive in. She had eaten before she came in, and her pockets were currently bare.
“Yeah, the best part about working here is the free ice cream.” He grinned as he patted the top of the counter, making her grin widen even more. Perhaps she had the appetite of a child, but she had accepted that a long time ago.
“You never eat the ice cream.” Robin spoke up as she rested her elbows on the other side of the counter, her eyebrows furrowed together in bewilderment. Steve scoffed, features wrinkling up in annoyance as he shook his head.
“I sometimes do.” He argued back as he fully looked towards Robin this time, leaving a rush of jealousy to fill Kim’s insides. She observed them for a moment, wondering if they were together. Or maybe they just seemed really close. Either way, she wished that she was in Robin’s position instead.
“You always complain about it.” She said as her blue eyes shot towards Kim, giving her a disbelieving look before she gestured back towards Steve.
“I think you snapped your hat on too tight.” He mumbled as he shook his head, cheeks slightly pink as he tapped his fingers along the counter. Robin opened her mouth to protest once again, only stopping when a group of girls entered the store.
“All yours, Harrington,” She continued on as she took a step closer to Kim, wagging her eyebrows playfully, “the best part of the job is actually seeing how much he sucks.” She whispered, but not low enough for Steve to miss what she said. He shot her a glare then relaxed his posture, a goofy grin falling upon his lips.
She felt a sickening feeling washing over her suddenly, as if she had just gotten punched in the gut. She didn’t like this, not one bit. A second later she realized she didn’t have to be worried at all. He stumbled and rambled when he spoke, which she thought was adorable, but the other girls didn’t seem as interested.
“Terrible.” Robin grinned as she watched, looking more than amused as Steve roughly shrugged his shoulders. She could tell that he was trying to brush it off, but something on his features made her wonder if he was defeated. She didn’t like him looking so upset.
“They just don’t know what they’re missing out on.” She spoke up suddenly, horrifying herself. She could feel the embarrassment trickling down her neck, hoping that he didn’t catch on to what she was suggesting.
“I guess.” He mumbled as he looked at her for a moment before he turned away once again. She did her best not to sag her shoulders, pretending like she wasn’t completely disappointed. She needed to control her tongue more often.
The next few hours weren’t too bad, fast at times and slower towards the last hour. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, desperate to sit down in one of the chairs. Her feet were killing her. She glanced down at the work shoes that Susan had purchased for her, deciding that they weren’t nearly as comfortable as her other shoes.
“What time do we close?” She asked as she finally broke the silence, getting tired of watching people clearing out of the mall. She thought that a nice shower sounded fantastic about now. And something to eat. She was suddenly starving, even her mother’s cooking sounded tasty.
“Fifteen minutes,” Steve huffed as he leaned over the counter, linking his fingers together. She let her eyes linger across the curve of his back for a moment, trying not to focus on how good his ass looked in those shorts, “and then we can go home.” He stated as he looked over his shoulder towards her, quickly making her look back down at her shoes. She could pretend to be doing something until then.
He wasted no time in locking the door, technically five minutes early, but she wasn’t going to worry about it. Not when Robin was more than happy to go along with it too. And it wasn’t like anyone stopped during that time either.
“What do you want me to do?” She asked as they began to gather cleaning items, making her eyebrows raise as she glanced around the store. She didn’t feel right in sitting out for this part. She could clean.
“If you wipe the tables down, I’ll sweep and Robin can mop.” Steve said at last, handing her a rag and a spray bottle. She nodded her head in agreement, deciding that it wasn’t too hard to do. She could live with that.
“Why do I have to mop?” Robin questioned, eyebrows furrowing together as Kim went ahead and started on the table closest to them. She bit her bottom lip, trying to hide the smile that formed as Steve pressed his hands against his hips.
“Because I did last night.” He sassed back, making her scoff as they argued back and forth for a few minutes. She was three tables down before he eventually began to sweep up behind her, humming along softly to the music that was playing overhead. She thought that he sounded nice, pretty.
She held onto her little purse as she followed both of them outside, listening to the little conversations that they traded back and forth. She nodded her head along to most of it, still trying to find the courage to even speak. Then again, she didn’t want either of them to feel like she was forcing herself into their pact either. So she stayed quiet.
“See you tomorrow!” Robin grinned as she pulled her bike out, then froze, “you’re back tomorrow, right?” She asked as she thought about it for a moment, realizing that she hadn’t asked.
“Yeah,” she smiled as she quickly nodded her head, feeling a little relieved at how the rest of the day went, “I’m not off again until Thursday.” She admitted as she winced, thinking about how badly her feet would be hurting by then.
“Same here,” Steve smiled as he looked at her, hair rustling in the summer breeze, “Robin has that day off.” The setting sun cast a nice glow over his features, making his eyes twinkle as he looked at her warmly.
“So we’ll all be together?” She asked softly, feeling a little relieved about that. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about learning anyone else's name. And they seemed really nice, even though she was a little jealous over how they spoke to one another.
“Seems like it,” she spoke up again, “we’re better than day shift in case you weren’t aware.” She looked proud as she straddled her bike, making Kim glance out towards the parking lot. So far, no Billy.
“Totally better.” Steve agreed as her gaze snapped back towards him, heart hammering at the way he ran his fingers through his thick hair. She was too fascinated with him for her own good.
“See you bright and early then,” Robin smiled as she began to take off on her bike, “Later, dingus!” She shouted with a laugh, riding away as Steve snorted from her response. He stood near her, shaking his head softly.
She turned away from him, feeling awkward as the wind caught her shirt. She quickly tugged it down, watching as he turned his eyes away quickly.
“Where’s your car?” He asked as he cleared his throat, eyebrows furrowing together as he looked towards the small crowd of cars. She winced, not sure if she wanted to admit that she had no idea how to drive.
“Billy was supposed to pick me up.” She mumbled as she rubbed at her arm, purposely avoiding the way his eyebrows rose on his forehead. She didn’t want him to dislike her even more.
“Oh.” He breathed out softly as she stood on her tippy-toes, rising to see if the blue Camaro was hidden away somewhere. She grimaced, still not seeing it.
“The pool must’ve stayed open late.” She replied, knowing that it was a lie. He probably forgot and headed straight to Gina’s, his girlfriend. Not like it was really his problem anyway, but the thought of walking filled her with dread.
“I can give you a ride.” Steve spoke up, taking her by surprise. She felt her eyes widen as she snapped her head towards him, sure that he was just saying that to be nice.
“Um,” she paused, unsure if she could handle sitting alone in his car, “It’s not that far of a walk.” She stated, even though it would take a fair amount of time. She supposed there was always the bus, but she didn’t know what time it came.
“Yeah, I think Max would be pissed if she knew I made you walk home alone.” He said with a laugh, making her eyebrows furrow in confusion.
“You know Max?” She asked, watching as his eyes widened a little bit this time. She watched in awe, catching a hint of green mixed with the brown.
“She comes in for ice cream a lot,” he shrugged as he shook his head, “it doesn’t matter. Come on, I’m parked over here.” He pointed as he walked, giving her no time to consider his answer before she was scrambling to keep up.
“Right up front?” She asked with a little smile, thankful that they wouldn’t be walking far. She had a feeling that she’d be going to bed very early tonight.
“It was my lucky day,” he smiled as he held the door open for her, “how did you like today?” He asked softly as he leaned against the open door, making her stall her movements. She wasn’t sure if she should slide inside, so she stood and spoke to him instead.
“It doesn’t seem too bad.” She admitted, refusing to admit just how badly her legs ached. She breathed in slowly as his eyes locked onto hers, making her knees feel weak this time.
“It’s pretty easy work,” he shrugged, “I mean the uniform is awful but other than that.” He stated as he shrugged his shoulders, pink lips curling into a sweet smile. It made her heart hammer roughly in her chest, chills spreading over her skin. She couldn’t believe she was standing this close to him, actually talking to him.
“It is ridiculous.” She said with a giggle, unable to help herself this time as she watched the way his eyes crinkled with amusement. She breathed in deeply, feeling like her heart was trying to claw through her chest.
“Are you gonna get in?” He asked softly, still smiling in a boyish way. She felt hopeless as she continued to admire his features, breathing in how handsome he was. It took another second to nod her head, forcing her feet to move into the car.
“It looks nice in here,” she complimented as she kept her palms over her knees, enjoying the rush of the AC once he started the car, “feels good.” She added as she tried not to sound too awkward, not wanting to sit in stiff tension either.
“Thanks,” he smiled as he glanced towards her for a second, then fully looked over his shoulder to reverse out of his spot, “I think she’s a beauty.” He teased, making her giggle all over again. She was sure she sounded annoying, probably too desperate. But she couldn’t help it around him.
A few seconds later she remembered to give him the address, chewing on her bottom lip as she wondered what he would think about where she lived. It could be worse, but it wasn’t fancy either. And she had heard that he was used to nice things.
“Can you park here?” She asked him, speaking loud enough that he could hear her over the music. He began to slow down, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he glanced towards the mailbox on the side of the street.
“Is this your house?” He asked suddenly, making her shake her head quickly. This had nothing to do with what her house looked like, and everything to do with what her mom would do if she saw him.
“No,” she blushed as she played with the loose strands of her hair, “but my mom and my stepdad will be furious if they see a guy brought me home.” She admitted sheepishly, thinking about how strict they had been since they’d moved here. It had been rough.
“They’re stern.” He stated as he put the car in park, making her think about it for a moment. Sometimes it felt like they were a lot more than stern, but she wasn’t going to bring that up now.
“A little bit,” she agreed as she nodded her head, twisting her hair around her fingers as the knot in her tongue suddenly fell loose, “she’s afraid I’ll get knocked up like she did when she was my age. I mean my mom is. She just worries a lot.” She blurted out for some odd reason, making her wish she could’ve shut up a long time ago.
“Oh,” he furrowed his eyebrows, eyes a little wide, “I’m sorry to hear that. Don’t worry, I’m like a ninja.” He nodded as he smiled proudly, in a dorky manner. She hated to admit that she was swooning for that too.
“What do you mean?” She asked softly, smiling along as she turned to face him better. She suddenly didn’t want to leave, even though she knew she had to. He wouldn’t want her to stay here the whole time.
“They’ll never know I was here,” he added, cheeks slightly flushed, “I can give you a ride tomorrow if you need one.” He offered, making her eyes widen at his suggestion. She wanted to take it up so badly, but she was too worried that something would go wrong. Either between her being awkward or her family.
“Billy should be able to drop me off again.” She shrugged her shoulders softly, feeling a little awkward suddenly. She didn’t really have money to pay Steve back at the moment either.
“You don’t have a car?” He asked as he loosely held onto the steering wheel, making her gulp as she thought about the truth. She didn’t have a car because she didn’t need one. At least that’s what Neil told her.
“I can’t drive.” She whispered shyly, crinkling her nose up as she thought about how badly her driving lessons had been going. She was awful at it. She supposed she would just have to take the bus everywhere, but she could live with that.
“Alright,” he paused as he dug in the middle console for a moment, smiling triumphantly when he pulled out a napkin and a pen. He scribbled something down for a moment before he passed it to her, making her stomach tighten when she realized it was his number, “in case he can’t, just give me a call. I don’t mind.” He told her, making her feel like she might get sick. She had his number. Steve Harrington’s number. She was sure that she was dreaming.
“Thanks,” she told him, feeling like she couldn’t remember how to breathe, “I appreciate this.” She added, not sure how she would ever strike up the courage to actually call him. She didn’t want to bother him.
“See you tomorrow.” He smiled as she opened the car door, her legs feeling like jelly from the nerves that were shooting through her body. She savored one last look of him, excited at the thought of seeing him again.
“Bye.” She added as she stepped onto the sidewalk, sending him a slow wave as she watched him drive away. She covered her mouth once he was gone, trying to keep from squealing as the giddy feeling filled her intensely. She skipped back towards her house then, suddenly no longer tired.
Maybe this job wouldn’t be so bad.