"wouldn't you like to know her?" | ronance !

16.

(CW for sexual assault / homophobia)

robin stood on the other side of the door, divided between admission and fleeing.

her heart stung tenderly with consolation for nancy, who was seemingly always ill. she anticipated the curly-haired girl to pull herself together, leave the bathroom and tread hawkins highschool like nothing just happened.

nancys brisk breath ricocheted off the walls within the bathroom, close to inaudible to the patient girl whose spine was pressed against the door.

robin was swaying back and forth without noticing, just barely descrying johnathan; who was sauntering up to robin like he had a word to share.

"robin?" he called out for her attention. her gaze snapped up to meet his, alit with fire.

she stepped backwards, the heel of her filthy red converse thumping against the door. "what do you want?"

"it's not passing period, so why are you out here?" something that glowed beneath the surface of his hazel eyes caused unease to swirl in her stomach.

"i'm waiting... for a friend." she stammered.

robin grappled with control over equanimity. she has had a nonsensical, visceral fear of johnathan ever since he reformed at the start of the semester.

she felt like she was plunged deep underwater, suffocating and wrestling for air. for words.

johnathan scoffed, taking a deliberate step towards her. "you have a crush on nancy, don't you?"

his stance over her was minacious. maybe her misgivings about him weren't far from ridiculous. her breath was caught in her throat.

"no, i don't."

-

nancy was concentrating on the conversation going down outside. she had leaned against the barrier between them after presumably robin had bumped into the door.

she was in all respects oblivious to the fact robin had been waiting for her outside the bathroom; suddenly growing curious as to why she was there.

stop with that, nance. her own voice rang clearly throughout her mind. your beliefs are pretentious. she is straight. she just said she didn't have a crush on you.

nancy fought back the gut-wrenching pain that encapsulated her as she reminded herself yet again that robin didn't like her.

there was a muffled conversation beyond the door. it was all too puzzling to make out what was being exchanged.

she could feel the tension rise, though. a gnawing feeling of bitterness crept up her spine as she felt johnathan's vibrating steps near robin.
her stomach cramped as he abruptly stopped. she could picture it vividly in her head.

their voices suddenly heightened, she felt the feeling of each individual unraveling.

"stop it!" robin's hoarse plead was muted.

"you said you weren't a dyke, so prove it," johnathan's voice was menacing.

her heart sunk, the feeling of nausea returning as she tuned out every other noise under the sun; the soft drone of the bathroom was silent to her.

THWWAAACK

"you fucking--" johnathan stumbled backwards, the sound of his ass slamming into the vinyl was music to nancys ears in this very moment.

robins breathing was irregular, fluctuating between tranquil and out of order.

"you are a queer, arent you?" johnathan scrambled to his feet, breathing heavy. no, panting.

robin was most certainly crying, her breath quickly growing rapid. she ran off, she fled.