𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 ✧ robin buckley

14 | azalea

Azalea chuckled, "Thanks."

Robin fidgeted with a Kit-Kat bar, playing with the plastic wrapping with her cheeks sucked in, internally debating something.

She finally filled the silence again, "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Well, I guess I have a couple things I want to talk to you about. But, um," She met Azalea's eye, "I know I was drugged, but I remember you saying that your dad was working for the Russians? And you knew about it? And I know you don't want to talk about your dad, but in my defense, you brought it up—a while ago, but still."

Azalea squirmed. She did bring it up, and there was no more running from it. Her friends deserved the truth.

With a deep breath, Azalea took her tote bag back from Robin and pulled out her father's booklet she had found on his desk.

She opened it up and held in into the light, "After that day of translating, I was curious why my father spoke so much Russian, especially since we've been in Hawkins. I found this on his desk.

There, that blueprint, that's the key we saw down in the bunker. I knew my dad was working for the Russians. I just thought—maybe the code would lead to a dead end, or maybe if I helped you guys, I could somehow stop you from getting too close. But then I got curious, too. I saw those men with guns protecting the delivery and...well, I had to know what my dad was up to."

Robin's eyes scanned every inch of Azalea's face with concern. Azalea continued, avoiding eye contact, "When we were down there, I saw him. Except...this project he's working on, opening the gate, it's changed him. He's obsessed. To him, it's not about creating some Russian weapon, it's about researching and studying this world inside our own. He's...so different. I—I don't know. I just feel so guilty. For not telling you all earlier, for letting us all get too close, for everything that's happened that I could have prevented."

Azalea's chest felt tight thinking about everything all over again. She blinked back the tears that were welling, "And you got hurt. And Steve's poor eye—What if you all didn't make it out alive? How was I supposed to—"

She sighed, cutting herself off from rambling, "I would never be able to forgive myself."

Robin moved a bit closer, their knees touching, "You know that's the most I've heard you talk since I met you."

Azalea perked up slightly, meeting Robin's gaze, "What?"

"Usually I'm the one rambling on forever." She chuckled lightly, "It's nice to hear you go on and on for a change."

Azalea gave her a small smile. Robin continued offering her a sympathetic look, "And on a serious note, don't blame yourself. You didn't know that there was a secret Russian bunker under Starcourt, or that the room of boxes was an elevator. I know if you did, you would have stopped us. Because you're a good person. You're not your father, and you're not responsible for his choices."

"But—"

"But nothing." Robin cut her off, "Listen, if you would have told me the minute you found out that your dad was working for the Russians, I wouldn't have judged you at all. You are entitled to keep your own secrets, but I hope you know you can talk to me too...And besides, if you did stop us, we wouldn't know that the key was opening the Upside-Down thingy and that Hawkins was screwed."

Azalea sat in awe once again. As Robin sat, face full of empathy by the flashlight between them, Azalea didn't know what to say.

She understood.

A real, live person understood her.

She wasn't shooed away, her feelings weren't dismissed. She poured her worries out, and she was met with concern and comfort.