After yet another grueling Hawkins school band practice, you drag yourself out of the music room, the chords still reverberating in your head. The energy of the music, which once cheered you up, now seems to have dissipated, leaving only the tiredness of another week of rehearsals. While you're thinking about the next school concert, you end up bumping into someone.

“Oh, sorry!” you say, trying to compose yourself. Looking up, you see Robin Buckley, a girl in your class who you always found interesting but never had the opportunity to talk to. She has messy hair and a surprised expression and looks a little confused.

"No problem! I was distracted," Robin replies, a crooked smile appearing on his face. "I was thinking about my job at the ice cream shop... or rather, what I'm going to come up with so I can skip going to work today and have some time free."