robin found herself sipping fruit punch from her very own red solo cup, leaning against the cool, painted wall of a kitchen she'd never seen before.

the house pulsed with the thumping bass of loud music, a chaotic symphony of a party in full swing, filled with the laughter and shouts of inebriated teenagers.

she rolled her eyes, a familiar wave of exasperation washing over her at the thought of steve.

he was the one who had dragged her into this swirling vortex of teenage angst and cheap beer, yet he was nowhere to be found, undoubtedly lost in the throng of bodies.

she was bored, a yawning chasm of boredom threatening to swallow her whole.

so bored, in fact, that she was completely lost in her own daydreaming, her mind a million miles away from the sweaty bodies and spilled drinks.

she was so engrossed in her internal world that she didn't immediately register the presence of the girl who had approached her side, a silent observer in the crowded kitchen.

"dude, i love your rings," y/n spoke, her voice cutting through the noise like a sharp knife, snapping robin back to reality with a jolt.

robin’s eyes widened, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise as her mouth fell slightly agape.

a blush crept up her neck as she gathered the courage to finally look at the person who had so casually broken through her reverie.

"oh, uh, sorry, thanks," robin breathed out, her voice a little shaky. she met the girl's gaze, a nervous flutter in her stomach. she cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure.

"i found them all at this really cool flea market a while ago."

"nice," the girl nodded, her eyes lingering on robin's hands for a moment. "did you come here alone? or-"

"no," robin shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "i came here with a friend. he found his own crowd, i kind of stepped away and disappeared into this whole party mess alone, i guess."

"cool, cool..." y/n replied, her voice soft and melodic.

robin felt a pang of self-consciousness, like smacking herself for being so awkward at small talk. it didn't make it any easier that the girl was...

pretty. really pretty. she wore a shimmering light blue eyeshadow that accentuated the sparkle in her eyes, and had rings of her own adorning her fingers, a collection that seemed just as eclectic as robin’s.

she carried her own red solo cup, which, robin noticed with a hint of amusement, also held fruit punch instead of the ubiquitous crappy beer.

"did you come here with anyone?" robin continued, something inside her desperately not wanting to let the conversation fade into the background noise.

"yeah," she softly laughed, the sound like wind chimes in the cacophony of the party. "she’s off with her own crowd too, i guess. she dragged me here, this is... not my first choice on how to spend a friday night."

robin laughed, a genuine, heartfelt laugh that eased some of the tension she was feeling.

"i'm not much of a party person either... there’s just so much happening. too many people making out, and too many crappy drink choices. the only good thing is this fruit punch... which i still do not trust entirely."

"tell me about it," the girl chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she looked down at her own fruit punch in disgust.

despite her words, she proceeded to take a sip out of it anyway, a wry expression on her face.

the loud music and incessant chatter continued to swirl around them as they stood in comfortable silence, looking around the chaotic kitchen.

robin still had her back pressed against the wall, finding a strange sense of security in the solid surface behind her.

the girl leaned her right arm against that same wall, creating a small, intimate space between them, facing robin with an easy confidence.

"so, uh," the girl said, breaking the silence, "i didn't quite catch your name..."

"i'm robin," she said, feeling her face grow warm as she spoke, the blush creeping higher up her cheeks. "nice to meet you," she added, hoping she didn't sound as flustered as she felt.