⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

DAPHNE GRUNTED, RESTING HER HEAD against the cold red wall, her eyes falling shut as she shakily reached her hand up to brush against her bruised cheek. A silent whimper left her lips as she brought her knee up to her chest, counting her breaths as she let her mind wander. As the effects of the drugs finally worn off, Daphne felt the pain of every injury she'd been given, pain in every single one of her bones, aching. But deep down, she knew the battle isn't over yet, so neither was she.

The redhead wanted to be just like her father, fearless, confident, someone who never gives up till the very last second. She could just imagine how proud he would've been of her for getting through this bullshit.

She wanted to go home to El and her dad and never let them go. Grab waffles and crisps and watch a long, comedy movie and she was certain she will get that once this is over; this is why she had to stay strong.

In the stall beside her, Steve's eyes fell into her shoes, peeking under the stall, Cracking a weak smile, he reached under and poked her ankle to get her attention. Daphne peeled her eyes open, looking down at the hand poking out from the space. A smile ghosted her face as she rested her hand in his, smiling as he interlocked their fingers. Because of the awkward angle, it was slightly uncomfortable, but she loved it, nonetheless.

"The ceiling stopped spinning for me," Robin's voice broke out of her trance, "Is it still spinning for you?"

Steve knitted his eyebrows together, looking up towards the ceiling as Daphne muttered a weak no.

"Do you dipshits think you puked it all up?" Aaron spoke up.

"Probably." Daphne nodded to herself.

"Didn't I tell you three not to leave the cinema?"

The trio stayed silent.

Aaron shook his head through a chuckle as Robin spread out her arms beside her, "Maybe. Ask me something, interrogate me."

"Who do you work for?" Daphne mocked, laughing out loud to herself as the other three watched with a deadpanned expression.

"When was the last time... you uh, peed your pants?" Steve asked slowly.

"Weirdo." Aaron muttered.

Robin answered with a giggle, "Today." Which caused Aaron to leave out a small laugh, "When the Russian doctor took out the bone saw."

"Oh my God!" Steve laughed.

"It was just a little bit, though!"

"Yeah, it's definitely still in her system."

"Okay, all right." Robin interrupted Steve's laughter, "My turn."

"Okay, hit me." Steve said.

"Have you..." Robin's voice trailed off as she ran her fingers through her hair, "Ever been in love."

A wave of awkward silence encapsulated their giggles as Steve broke it with a quick, "Yup. Nancy Wheeler. First semester of senior year... boom."

Daphne felt a pang of jealousy in her heart at the thought of Steve and Nancy, she sighed as she squeezed his hand before pulling away from him and standing up carefully. She left the stall, keeping her face hidden from Steve as she joined Robin in her stall, sliding down the wall and sitting next to her. Robin hummed in acknowledgment as she processed Steve's words.

Seeing the crestfallen look on the redhead's face, Robin rolled her eyes, shaking her head, "Oh my God! She's such a priss."

"Tsk." Steve clicked his tongue, "Turns out, not really."

Robin paused, shallowing and glancing over at Daphne before continuing, "Are you still in love with Nancy?"

Daphne's back straightened as an uncomfortable, awkward atmosphere fell over her. She dug her fingernails into her pale skin as she squeezed her eyes shut. Holding her breath, she waited for him to fucking speak. Anything. Seconds passed agonizingly slow as her mind wandered to Nancy, wondering if she still had his heart before Steve finally spoke again, "No."

"Why not?" Aaron chimed in quickly as Robin cut him off.

"What about you, prom queen?"

Daphne inhaled sharply, looking at her shoes, "I've been in love since the beginning of sophomore year, this boy and I, we had an old intimacy since the start, but I never knew why, he was totally stupid, totally self-obsessed." She shut her eyes, "Maybe because I saw a side of him no one else bothered to see, how he was sweet and would comfort you no matter what time of the day, be by your side at your hardest times, I remember the exact moment I fell in love with him."

Robin looked at her, "When?" She whispered, her voice was small and on the verge of cracking, Daphne assumed she still felt sick, but Robin's expression said something else.

The redhead also knew she was still experiencing the effects of the drugs, which meant she was about the spill all her shit: "We were under blankets, sitting on my window with warm coffee in our hands under the stars, and he looked at me with his eyes dripping in moonlight, he promised me we'd have a time where we made memories out of empty highways and sunsets over the ocean. I never said anything because I knew he didn't feel the same."

Steve sat up with a sharp inhale, shifting repeatedly, "When I started to get closer to Henderson, he just kept telling me to chase after my dream and it was exhausting." He laughed, "But then I realised he was right, because of him, I found someone whose a lot better for me, I found my Suzie."

"Who's Suzie?" Robin asked.

"Dustin's girlfriend." Daphne smirked, causing Robin to raise an eyebrow.

"I always felt some weird thing with her, and it irritated me so much because I didn't know what it was, I thought if I was with Nancy, that feeling would go away but it stuck there, the whole school, Tommy H... Carol would tease us, saying we 'were so clearly in love'  but I didn't know how I felt."

"Yeah, you guys have definitely got something special." Robin nodded with a small smile.

Daphne's heart hammered against her chest, echoing in her ears as nerves pumped through her veins, Steve continued, "The thought of ever losing her was unbearable, I know I sound like a total dork but if anything happened to her, I don't think I'd be able to live."

The redhead's throat dried as she stared at her feet, her eyes unfocusing and her mind becoming fuzzy. Robin glanced over at her before leaning her head on her knees. At the silence, Steve began to panic, "Daphne? Robin? You... uh... did you guys' just OD in there?"

No." Robin answered shakily, "We... are still alive."

"Yeah." Daphne breathed out.

Daphne slid himself into the stall with them, squeezing in as he sat opposite of them.

"The floor's disgusting." Robin pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I already got a bunch of blood and puke on my shirt, so..." His eyes trailed over to Daphne who had her gaze firmly set on him, "What do you guys think?"

"About?"

"This girl."

"She sounds awesome." Robin breathed out with a sad smile.

Daphne nods slowly, "And this girl has a friend..." She grins to herself, and turns her head to look at Robin who was already staring at her, she raises an eyebrow, "And she deserves so much love."

Robin forced down the blush coating her cheeks as Steve continues, "They're great friends actually, they're both the smartest girls I've met, coolest, I want her to have a good ass boyfriend."

"Yeah, she's awesome." Aaron speaks up as Steve jumps in fright, leaving out a dramatic gasp.

"Jesus, Crawford! I forgot about you." He sighs, still recovering from the startle he just received.

"Continue." Daphne furrowed her eyebrows.

"It's crazy, you know, I didn't think I'd see this girl ever after high school, my only regret is I was a coward and never put any effort in to get closer to her, she's smart as hell, and just when you think she can't get any cooler, she can speak Russian!" Aaron chuckles, "She's like no girl I've ever met before, you know? I liked her ever since she walked into History with her fucking clarinet case and all I felt were butterflies... She's someone I believe can understand me and... and goddamn... those beautiful brown hair, she's absolutely stunning, and as you said, she deserves all the love."

"The girl's friends don't even know her," Robin disagreed as Daphne's eyes shot to hers, a frown placed on her face, "If they did know her, like-like really know her, I don't think they'd wanna be her friend."

"So incorrect, you're wrong, Robin, we all love you."

"No, Daphne, I-I don't like any boys, I can't like any boys," She emphasises, her voice cracking.

The redhead immediately understood what she meant, and adjusted herself to the new information soon, "Well, in that case, I hope you find the perfect girlfriend." She places a hand on Robin's knee, comforting her as the brunette smiles softly.

The boys, however, were not very smart.

"Girlfriend?" Steve furrows his brows.

"Steve..." Robin whispered.

"I-I don't understand..." Aaron's confusion was evident in his tone, "I thought you were jealous... or-or obsessed with Harrington? I don't get it..."

"It wasn't because I had a crush on Steve, it's because... she wouldn't stop looking at you."

Daphne felt her jaw slacken ever so slightly at her confession. It felt like the entire world stopped spinning as her blood froze in cold and her heart stopped beating.

"Mrs Click?" Aaron asked with confusion, making Robin chuckle.

"No... Daphne... I wanted her to look at me, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from you and your stupid hair. And I didn't understand it because you would get bagel crumbs all over the floor. And you would ask dumb questions, and you were a douchebag..." She rambled, irritated, "And-and you never even saw the way she looked at you because you didn't even care, the whole world noticed except you... And I would go home and scream into my pillow."

Aaron made his way to the same stall, taking a seat next to Steve and repeatedly kicking Daphne's feet to squeeze in, earning a scowl from the girl, "But Daphne's a girl." Aaron said as Steve stupidly nodded in agreement.

The redhead scrunched her nose, "Nah, for real? Shit, you could have fooled me." She rolled her eyes sarcastically in annoyance.

Robin chuckles softly, "Aaron-"

"Oh." Aaron responded, finally realising what she meant, "Holy shit."

A moment of silence takes them over like fog, blurring their views and bringing a cold peace they felt in their veins, "I'm sorry." Daphne exhales.

Robin held her hand in hers, squeezing it reassuringly as the redhead let out a genuine smile, "I wish I had known you better in high school, me tolerating those douchebags' actions doesn't make me any less of an asshole."

"I'm glad we're friends now." Robin grinned, "Although I still sometimes want you to look at me."

"But hey!" Daphne sat up with enthusiasm, "Maybe I could help you find a girlfriend, what about Tammy Thompson?"

"Funny you should say that." Robin chuckles.

"Tammy Thompson?" Steve repeated grimacing.

Aaron shares a knowing glance with Steve and turns his gaze on Robin, "You went from having a crush on Hopper over here to have a crush on Tammy? She's a total dud!"

"She wants to be like... a singer... she wants to move to Nashville and shit-" Steve continues after the boy, the two of them finally agreeing on something.

"She has dreams." Robin corrected him.

"She needs practice... maybe?" Daphne tries to be genuine.

Steve scoffed, "She can't even hold a tune! She's practically tone deaf! Have you heard her, she goes..." He nudges Aaron as the boys start to sign horribly in a high-pitched voice, the girls bust into a fit of giggles and begged internally for it to stop.

"You see me now tonight, you see me." Steve and Aaron sang off-tune, mocking the girl.

"Shut up." Robin cut them off, "She does not sound like that."

"She sounds exactly like that." Steve retorted.

"You two sound like Muppets-"

"No, she sounds like a Muppet." Daphne interjected.

"She sounds like a Muppet giving birth," Steve added. He and Aaron resumed singing, this time impersonating Kermit, "And if you hold me tight-"

"We'll be holding on forever," The girls joined in and then burst out laughing, no longer able to hold a straight face.

Then, the door to the bathroom was flung open, revealing an annoyed and concerned-looking Dustin, accompanied by Erica. Their laughter subsided, with the exception of the occasional giggle one of them would let out.

Dustin looked at them in disbelief, "Okay, what the hell?"