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CHAPTER FOURTEEN SECRET MESSAGE
"Henderson!" Steve bursts out of the backroom door with gusto and points to him. Dustin lets out a joyful laugh as he points back. Abby raises her eyebrows in amusement as she emerges from the backroom. The entire morning, Steve's been in a much sunnier disposition than he has all morning as he awaited the arrival of his friend. Abby's certain that he's missed Dustin much more than he lets on. "Henderson! He's back!" Steve exclaims as he jumps and maneuvers around the counter. "He's back! He's back!"
"I'm back!" Dustin agrees before he gestures to the glowing Scoops Ahoy menu above him. "You got the job!"
"I got the job!" Steve cheers, imitating a trumpet fanfare. Abby joins Robin behind the counter and watches bemused as they enact some sort of secret handshake. They imitate lightsabers clashing before Dustin's invisible lightsaber stabs Steve in the gut. Steve lets out a groan and the two burst into laughter once more as the older boy uses his hands to imitate his guts spilling out ... at least, that's what Abby assumes he's doing.
Robin, slightly open-mouthed turns to Steve with a bemused expression. "How many children are you friends with?"
"Hey, Henderson, what gives?" Abby speaks up. "You and Steve have a secret handshake, but you and I—the person who has known you for significantly longer—still don't have one?"
"Good to see you too, Abby," Dustin says with a good-natured smile.
"Bring it in, Curly-cue," Abby says with a grin as she circles around the counter. Dustin allows Abby to ruffle his hair, knocking the Camp Knowhere cap askew before she brings him in for a hug. "So, what can we get you?"
Abby finds herself in a booth, sitting between Steve and Dustin as he digs into his U.S.S. Butterscotch Sundae, he excitedly narrates his summer adventures at Camp Knowhere. Then he begins to describe his girlfriend. Abby smiles that the excitement that clearly shines in his eyes when he talks about her. Through his mouthfuls of ice cream, she's able to learn that her name is Suzie (with a 'z'), she's from Utah, she's a genius, and she's hotter than Phoebe Cates, which through Dustin's eyes, Abby doesn't doubt. Steve, on the other hand, does not step into Dustin's shoes and instead lets out a scoff.
"No, no. No way!" He exclaims. "Hotter than Phoebe Cates? No."
"Mhm!" Dustin nods. "Brilliant, too! And she doesn't even care that my real pearls are still coming in. She says kissing is better without teeth."
Steve stares at him for a few long moments, nodding along with his mouth slightly agape as he tries to formulate a response to this. "Wow," he finally manages.
