𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥

007. Babysitter.

THE NEXT day, Valerie had been in the backroom of Scoops, waiting for Dustin to come back as she taps her nails onto the top of the table. "Hey," Steve opened the windows to the backroom and Valerie looks up. "Do you want a milkshake?" He asked, smiling.

"Sure..." She nods and he closes them again before he came back shortly after into the backroom, holding out the drink which she takes. "Thanks, Stevie." She says and he sits down. "Are you okay?" He says, staring at her and she just nods, swirling her straw in the milkshake. "Just... thinking." She says quietly.

The knock comes at the door then, so Steve got up to open the door and Dustin comes in. "Where's Robin?" He says and Valerie points. "In the front." She says and Dustin calls Robin into the room just as when there wasn't many costumers, or there wasn't a line, so the three older teens sat around the table as Dustin stood up, telling them what he saw.

"That keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun. Whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it." Dustin says as Robin stared at the table. "But there's gotta be a way in." She says as Steve sets down his hat. "Well, you know..." He sat properly in his seat, looking at Dustin.

"I can just take him out." He says before looking at Valerie who snorts. "Take who out?" Robin then asked the older teen. "The Russian guard." He says and Valerie looks at Robin who also looks equally as amused.

"What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. It's easy." He says and Dustin spoke up, "did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" He asked and Steve looks at him. "Yes, Dustin, I did. And that's why I would be sneaking." He says.

"Mm, Steve, don't you remember, well, you never actually, uhh, won a fight." Valerie says and Dustin points to her, nodding. "Okay, that was one time--" "Two times, remember the fight with Jonathan?" Valerie quickly spoke, cutting him off and sighed, grabbing Steve's arm. "I'm saying this to protect you, little Stevie, what if you get shot? Or worse..." She leaned closer, staring deeply into his eyes, "killed." She whispers and he pushed her away.

"Okay, weirdo..." He says and she giggled. "That just might work." Robin says causing Valerie to look at her. "Come on, come with me, Val." She stood up, grabbing the girl's wrist and her stuff, including her tip money. "Robin? Hey, what are you doing?" Steve says as they rush out of the backroom and she slows down, turning to the two boys behind the counter.

"I'm going to find us a way into that room, I'm taking Valerie with me. And in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up." Robin says before grabbing Valerie's wrist again. "Come on!" She says, "We'll be back in a jiff!" She runs off with Valerie right behind her who struggles to keep up at first.

Once outside, Robin looks around, "you drive, right?" She says snd Valerie holds up her keys. "Yeah..." She says and Robin nods, smiling before taking Valerie's hand in hers this time. "Lead the way!" She says and Valerie does so, not finding it weird at all Robin was holding her hand, many girls who are friends do this and none of them get weird stares or anything.

And they weren't so Valerie got into the car and began driving. "Where are we going?" She glanced at Robin who glanced up. "Uh, County Recorder's office." She says and Valerie nods, sort of thinking for a moment.

"Um, why did you need me to come with you? It seems like something you'd be perfectly fine doing all on your own..." She says and Robin shrugs. "I figured you like the occasional break from those two dinguses... being around mostly boys since you broke away from the popularity title you use to hold." She says.

"Oh... yeah, thanks." The dark haired girl chuckles, glancing out the window by her before looking back at the road. "Yeah... ever since I lost Riley, Heather, Annie and... all those other girls as friends, I've been feeling pretty lonely in that field of friends, I guess..." She says and Robin nods softly. "And I'm guessing Steve and Dustin are all you got." She chuckled.

"Yeah, pretty much." Valerie admitted in a quiet tone and Robin glanced at her, frowning a bit before she smiles softly. "Well, now you got me, so you're all good..." She reached over and squeezed Valerie's arm softly.

"Yeah, thanks."

The touch on Valerie's arm was gone but the feeling of it lingered even longer when they went into the office and walked up to the front desk. "Hi... I'd like to, uh, see a certain... blueprint." Robin says and the receptionist simply glanced up then looked down. "Okay..." She said and Robin glanced at Valerie.

The girl shrugs as Robin held out her money, "I want the blueprint of Starcourt Mall." She says and the receptionist immediately looked up. She stood up and took the cash, glancing around. "I'll be right back." She says quietly.

Robin turns to Valerie with a wide grin. "Mm, sweet sweet persuasion." The shorter girl says, leaning her arms onto the top of the receptionist's desk as Robin chuckled, crossing her arms then the woman came back and handed the blueprint over which Robin quickly stuffs into her backpack. "Pleasure doing business with you." She said then she nudged Valerie gently. "Let's go." She nodded.

Robin sets down her backpack, "take the long trip back... we can use an even longer break from those two." She says and Valerie chuckled but listened anyway. "How long have you and Steve actually been friends?" Robin suddenly asked and Valerie thinks about it.

"I met him when I was a kid. He lives down the street from me and my mom always told me to go outside and play. I use to meet him halfway and we'd play with other kids. We weren't significantly close until last year... Before it'd be random favours I'd do for him or he'd show up at perfect times to help me out. He's like a knight for me, you know? Always saving me." She smiled faintly, appreciating Steve a lot. "And what about Dustin?" Robin asked, pretty curious of the connection there.

"Oh. Uh, he needed help with something and it ended up with us having to watch after him and the other kids. Mike, Lucas, Max, you know, the usual bunch." She waved her hand and Robin nods softly. "So... you're a babysitter." She says and Valerie tilts her head a bit.

"You could say that."

 

AUTHORS NOTE

robin just casually holding valerie's wrist/hand and squeezing her arm, like okay, we get it, ur sapphic, just kiss her already bestie 😕