Heartbreak is a fickle thing. Individualistic, too, by nature.

Sometimes it's like the movies, loud and unapologetic. It's screaming matches in the pouring rain, any onlooker overtaken by the poetic sight. It's late night phone calls where sour words are spoken and relationships are still ended. It's chocolate ice cream and blankets wrapped around freckled shoulders, the best friend dutifully saying "it's not you, it's him". Sometimes, it's like the movies. About ninety percent of the time it's like the movies.

The other ten percent is what Willow Jenkins is feeling. It's not loud, yet still demands to be felt. It is quiet and miserable, silent in its drumming against her ribs. It's even ironic, comical. As her eyes continue to flicker between Steve, on her left, and Robin, on her right, the only other thing she can feel besides the heavy heartbreak is the burning embarrassment.

"It's not that I still love her, Robin! I just- it's just...you guys don't understand ," Steve groans, leaning onto his elbows as he runs his hands over his face in frustration. He's spent the last ten minutes rambling about Nancy Wheeler while Robin teased him relentlessly and Willow sat privately heartbroken and tuning most of it out.

"Then make us understand how you, Steve the hair Harrington, is struggling so hard to move past some girl? Weren't you considered like, the king of Hawkins high before you graduated?" Robin chastises him as Willow begins to pick at her nails.

"Not that it matters, but yes, they did call me that," Willow almost scoffs at the way Steve suddenly puffs out his chest, a stark contrast to the role of a heartbroken boy he had just been playing, "Nancy is just... there's no words. Have you ever even been in love? Either of you?"

Willow stops picking at her nails immediately as Robin throws her head back in a scoff similar to the one Willow swallowed down. "Jesus Christ. We aren't having this conversation."

Steve ignores Robin's exasperated remark, his eyes now focused on Willow instead. He raises his eyebrows, clearly hoping she'll side with him.

"Don't look at me, Harrington. I've never even been on a date, definitely never been in love," Willow feels lucky that any words will even leave her dry mouth. Her tongue is heavy, sticky almost. She still hasn't shaken the throbbing in her chest. And it only worsens as the lie leaves her throat.

What she wants to reply is, yes. She wants to scream it from every rooftop within a three mile distance of the Starcourt Mall. Because for the last year, Willow Jenkins has been hopelessly in love with Steve Harrington. It all started at the end of sophomore year, when she would go watch Robin's marching band practices, and they consistently overlapped with track practice. She had tried to fight it, forcing her eyes down to a book in her lap, or maybe whatever homework she was trying to finish up to maintain her one week headstart in all her classes, or simply watch Robin make funny faces at her from across the field. But then, Steve would run by with his stupid hair, and flash a stupid smile, and it would give Willow stupid butterflies. She thought once he started dating Nancy Wheeler, it would go away. Her childish attraction would vanish and she could joke about the year wasted with Robin.

But it didn't. It hasn't. And at this point, Willow doesn't think it ever will.

Steve opens his mouth to finally reply, but Willow decides to interrupt, unable to take it anymore. "I'm going to the bathroom."

Neither of her friends say a word, not only shocked from how abruptly she stands and hurries to the employee bathroom, but probably due to the customers she can hear enter the ice cream shop as she shuts the door to the bathroom.

Robin isn't going to let me live that stunt down .

She bends over the sink of the small restroom. It was painted a sickly bright shade of blue, more-so turquoise really, with a nautical theme to induce further nausea. Her hands move on autopilot, cool water spewing out the silver faucet. Willow doesn't even glance up at herself before splashing cool water across her heated cheeks. It helped with the fiery embarrassment, but she could still feel that awful ache in her bones. Any time Steve talked about Nancy she felt it.

"Idiot," she mutters to herself as she finally looks up to meet her own pathetic gaze.

Robin had spent the entire summer gently mocking Willow for the crush, telling her to "snooze it or lose it!". She constantly reminded her how often Steve flirted with girls, how he was clearly on the market and looking. But Willow knew better. When Steve only had eyes for Nancy, WIllow only had eyes for Steve. And she had seen the look that crossed his face every time he looked at Nancy, had listened to him talk about their break-up endless times.

Steve Harrington was still hung up on Nancy Wheeler.

And that was fine. Willow would survive. She could grasp onto her minimal hope that one day, some day, Steve would get over Nancy. And she'd be waiting happily for him with open arms. She just had to wait.

It only took a minute for Willow to compose herself. Hey, this time she didn't even cry. The mere memory of the way she'd cried over the phone to Robin after the last time she'd heard Steve ramble about Nancy almost made her entire face light up red again. Robin hadn't even made fun of her, at some point the two of them just laying on the phone while Autumn sniffled into her pillow miserably. It was dramatic and pathetic and embarrassing, and had become her awful reality for the summer. But it was a small price to pay to at least be friends with Steve. For every time she could feel a physical crack within her chest at his pining for Nancy, she also got the privilege of watching him laugh so hard the corners of his eyes creased. For every night spent agonizing over a new hobby that she'd inevitably give up as she'd only started it in a sorry attempt to take her mind off Steve, she'd earn a new inside joke between just the two of them. For every piece of herself she gave, Willow managed to catch a glimpse of a new side of Steve.

It was worth it. It had to be.

Knocking on the bathroom door drags Willow out of her thoughts, Robin's voice pouring through the thin wooden slab. "Hey! Get out here! The infamous Henderson is back!"

"Coming!" Willow squeaks, moving to quickly flush the toilet as if she hadn't spent her time in the bathroom moping.

The moment she opens the door, Robin stands on the other side waiting for her, a soft and knowing smile on her face. "You good?"

"Better than ever. Now where is Harrington's kid? I need to see him in mom mode in person."

They head out to the front together, and Willow hears Dustin's laughter before she catches sight of his mop of curls bouncing up and down as he hugs Steve.

"Aww," she immediately teases, walking around the corner and resting her face on the cool corner of the ice cream case, "Let me get a picture of this beautiful father-son moment."

She sticks her hand out, thumbs and pointer fingers joining in a mocking photograph.

"Yeah, yeah, tease all you want, Jenkins. Nothing can kill my mood now," Steve's smile is so wide she can imagine the ache in his cheeks, and truly believes what he says. She doesn't think she's ever seen him look so happy or excited, especially not for what has been quite a depressing summer for him. It's as if his longing for Nancy has completely vacated the premises, the only thing on his mind clearly being his young friend.

"Hi there!" Dustin pipes up as he shoves Steve out of their hug, "I'm Dustin Henderson!"

Dustin holds out his hand for Willow to shake, and she takes it with a laugh. "Oh, trust me. We know who you are. But it's nice to meet you, I'm Willow."

"Hopefully you've only heard good things?" Dustin side-eyes Steve, smile faltering for a second.

"What? You think I spent my entire summer trash-talking you to my coworkers?" Steve defends himself.

"I mean..." Dustin starts, Steve immediately rolling his eyes at him, "I just wouldn't put it past you! I'm sorry!"

"Only good things," Robin finally interjects, smiling as wide as Steve was. As much shit as the two girls have given Steve this summer, it was nice seeing him so lively.

A silence falls over the four of them as the song playing over the mall's speakers trickles in. Willow is almost positive it's Shout by Tears for Fears, but she can't be completely sure with all of the static overtaking it.

"Hey, Rob...do you mind if I..." Steve trails off, looking between her and Dustin, giving a weak but sincere grin, "You know, maybe go over there and just..."

"Oh my God, Steve. Just go catch up with your child! I'll make sure Robin covers you," Willow laughs, making a "shoo" motion with her hands. Robin is nodding enthusiastically beside her, making the same hand movements.

"Thank you guys," Steve sighs, starting to back up towards the large corner booth in their shop, "Also, he's not my child!"

Steve turns to go sit down as Dustin nods in solitude with him. "Yeah, I mean, can you imagine how messed up Steve's kid would have to be? Besides, my hair is way better than his and I'm way smoother with the ladie-"

"Henderson!"

The two girls are left shaking their heads with soft laughter as the boys sit down, immediately engaging in what will probably be a very long conversation. Willow knows Robin doesn't mind, given it being a slow Wednesday afternoon.

"You," Robin says suddenly, forcing Willow to look away from the sweet moment between Steve and Dustin, "I haven't forgotten that runaway stunt before all this. Speak. Now."

"What do you mean?" Willow plays clueless, walking around Robin to grab a small sample spoon.

"I mean, why'd you go to the bathroom all of a sudden? You looked like you were either gonna puke or sob, and I'm not sure which one I would kick Steve's ass harder for."

Willow doesn't answer her right away, instead leaning and swiping her spoon into the strawberry cheesecake ice cream. She specifically snags a chunk of cheesecake, and takes her time to eat it, avoiding Robin's gaze.

"Seriously, Jenkins? I'm going to kick your ass too no-"

"I wasn't crying or anything. I just had to piss. Jesus, Robin."

They stare each other down for a moment. Robin isn't going to let this go, a fiercely loyal best friend, and Willow won't break, a fiercely embarrassed mess. If Robin noticed something was off with Willow, that meant that Steve might have. And if Steve noticed...

Robin snags the dirty sample spoon from Willow and tosses it into the small trash can on the counter specifically for them. "I know you're lying. It's okay to admit it hurts your feelings."

"What hurt my feelings?" Willow is mumbling, conscious of Steve just across the store. He's clearly entranced with whatever story Dustin is telling, but the thought of him overhearing this conversation would send her spiraling.

"Stop playing dumb. You have a crush on you-know-who, and I know it sucks listening to him talk about...well, you-know-who-else."

Willow shrugs with minimal effort, moving back to her place at the end of the counter and resting her chin on the cool silver plating once more. "It's fine. I get what he's going through, I'm not heartless."

"No, not heartless. Just heartbroken, right?" These words from Robin's lips catch Willow off-guard, finally forcing her gaze to meet her best friend's look of pity.

"Can't be heartbroken if it's just a crush."

"Bullshit."

"Robin, seriously. I'm not."

"You so are. Remember last week?"

Willow immediately whines, "You promised never to mention that again!"

"I know!" she throws her hands up defensively, "I'm just saying."

The coolness from the ice cream freezers are Willow's savior at this moment. She hated that Robin was right. She hated that she could feel her heart not breaking into two, but hundreds, possibly thousands of pieces, any time Steve so much as said Nancy's name. It was pathetic.

"Listen, I know you're determined he's still hung up on you-know-who-else, but what if you...I don't know, just tried to flirt with him? Or ask him out?" Robin says as she grabs a metal spatula from the small fountain of water behind the counter where they store their scoopers.

"Because he's clearly not interested," Willow doesn't mean for how clipped her tone comes out. But they've had this conversation multiple times already. Robin knows Willow's stance on it all.

"All I'm hearing is if I can concoct a plan wild enough to get him to show interest in you, you two will be riding off into the sunset, right?"

Willow doesn't answer, instead humphing in response, letting her gaze wander back to the two boys. She's shocked and embarrassed when Steve's eyes are already on her. He looks away quickly, and she swears she can see him blush, but shakes the thought as the clear reasoning is the shitty lighting in the store.

"You really haven't even tried flirting with him?" Robin presses, wandering to the flavors directly beside Willow.

"I mean, I have once or twice. He never really reciprocates."

"He's a shy guy."

Willow scoffs, catching Steve's attention again. She's sure to keep her voice low as she responds, "The king of Hawkins High, shy? C'mon, Robin."

Robin opens and closes her mouth multiple times, trying to come up with a good defense. "Listen, I know, but Nancy changed him-"

"Keep your voice down , Buckley!" Willow hisses in a whisper, realizing how Steve no longer looks quite as enraptured as he did at the beginning of his catching up with Dustin.

"Sorry! But he obviously has changed. The kids changed him, too. I don't know. Maybe he's seen some shit. But he's not the same asshole he was in high school," Robin attempts to whisper, but Willow has accepted her best friend is incapable of being quiet. Regardless, Steve is now talking animatedly, waving his hands wildly, so she knows Dustin has his full attention once more.

"I don't care if he's a nice guy now. I know he's a nice guy now. It's why I still like him so goddamn much. But how do you even get a guy, especially a nice guy, to admit to being interested? Especially when flirting is hopeless?" Willow's voice is partially mumbled with her chin still against the glass.

Robin drops her metal spatula back into the water loudly, metal clinking against metal, and neither Steve nor Dustin flinch. "I don't know, man. Maybe get his attention the old fashioned way?"

"Old-fashioned way?"

"Yeah," Robin is grinning, and Willow knows the next words out of her mouth will not be helpful, "Like, fake date some dude. Make him jealous. You know, the old-fashioned way."

"Jesus Christ, Robin," if looks could kill, Willow Jenkins' current glare would have Robin Buckley bleeding out on the floor, "I thought you were going to be helpful for once!"

Robin can't even speak up to defend herself through her giggles. Willow stands up straighter, taking both her middle fingers to her temples to massage them.

"I'm sorry, I know, it's stupid. I couldn't help it. You know when plans sound so ridiculous that they just might work?" Robin finally squeaks out as she catches her breath from her laughing fit.

Willow shakes her head. "Yeah, I've heard of those kinds of plans. That's not one of them."

"Oh, come on. There's really no other guy in town you'd love to play make-believe with until you get Harrington's attention?" Willow glares once more as she says Steve's name, but Robin is smiling too wide to react.

"No."

"What about a girl?" Robin whispers, still smiling.

"You offering, Buckley?" Willow whispers back, and it takes Robin off-guard. Usually, Willow scolds Robin for any joking flirting in public, especially since she came out to her last year. The thought of Robin getting any shit publicly for her sexuality breaks Willow's heart even more than Steve Harrington does.

"Damn. So all I had to do was ask?" Robin gasps, tilting her head until finally Willow bursts out into her own giggling fit. "No, no. I know we're just joking. But be serious. Seriously? No one?"

"I'm serious, Robs. No one," Willow assures her through a few more giggles. "Besides, to get you-know-who's attention... the person I fake date would have to be ridiculous. He'd have to get the entire town talking. I mean, a real loud-mouth, reckless idiot with nothing to lose..."

Robin and Willow both proceed to stare out across the Starcourt food court. There's plenty of faces they recognize from school. School, which starts back up in under a month. Even if Willow took Robin's ridiculous plan seriously, she wouldn't be able to enact it until school started. There was no way she would date some random stranger, even if it was fake. No, if she had to convince Steve, it would have to be someone she could at least make up history with. And what better place to create history than school?

Willow's thoughts are running a mile a minute, half her brain entertaining the idea while the other half turns its nose up at the thought, when she sees him. Across the food court, exiting the mall's record shop known as Uncle Aldo's Attic, she catches sight of Eddie Munson.

Eddie the freak Munson. The one who runs a D&D club, who loudly chastises populars, who has the only hair that could have ever even begun to have countered Steve's. The super super senior.

The town's dedicated loud-mouth, reckless idiot with nothing to lose.

At the exact moment that this all clicks in Willow's head, it's clearly already clicked in Robin's as they face each other.

Willow wishes she could slap the wide grin off Robin's face.

" No! "

"Yes! "