𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐒𝐄
𝟎𝟓. 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬?
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IT ALL SEEMED TOO FUCKING WEIRD. Why the hell were the Russians broadcasting a secret code in Hawkins of all places - unless they knew something that they shouldn't; and in that case, things were about to get really ugly.
And also, why did it always have to be them? It didn't make sense that every damn time something odd was going on in the small town, a bunch of kids would be the ones to uncover it all.
Lorelei seriously needed to talk to someone about upgrading the security system of Hawkins - because she was starting to worry once more, and it did not feel all that good.
"I still don't get why we need to be the ones to take care of this," Lorelei wined as she sat on the cold metal chair in the back of scoops.
"You heard what Henderson said," Steve shrugged. "We'll be American heroes, Lor."
"I could give a shit about being an American hero right now, Steve." She leaned her arms on the table and rested her head on them. "Honestly, can't we just have a normal summer?"
"It is our job - our duty to protect this country, Lora." Dustin proclaimed whilst he busily wrote the entire Russian alphabet on Robin's board.
"I never made any pledge," Lorelei commented. "The only duty I have is to my job - which sucks by the way. I don't need anything else to worry about."
"Where is your sense of patriotism?" Dustin huffed. "It's nearly Independence Day! You need to start getting some spirit in you."
"What I need is to relax," Lorelei arched her back slightly, feeling as the ache in her muscles subsided. "Can't we just talk to Hopper or something? I'm sure he'd be happy to take this off our hands."
"And lose the credit?" Steve scoffed. "No - no way."
Lorelei sighed under her breath at their persistence. She was sure of one thing - a bad feeling was brewing in the pit of her stomach. But there was also no way she would allow Steve and Dustin to venture off on this mission on their own; so whether Lorelei liked it or not, it was not officially up to her to partake in this stupid quest.
"Alright, play the recording then," Lorelei gestured for Dustin impatiently.
As the boy reached into his backpack to grab the recorder, Steve went away for a moment, only to come back with a banana in hand. Lorelei watched as he casually paced around the room, waiting to begin the investigation.
"Try to pay attention to the words," Dustin instructed. "We have to translate them one by one."
"Are you sure that we're even using the right alphabet?" Lorelei commented as she leaned back in her chair.
"I'm pretty sure that there's only one alphabet, Lor." Steve chucked under his breath fondly at her.
Lorelei narrowed her eyes and shook her head at his sheer stupidity. But if she was going to deal with the both of them, she might as well have some fun with it.
Dustin clicked on the recording, and the sound of a gruff voice speaking Russian entered the room. As she heard the code, she leaned her head forwards and tapped her feet on the ground, her ears attentive to hear what the man was saying.
The sooner she found out - the sooner she could go on with her normal summer.
Try as she did, Lorelei was unable to actually pay close attention to the code itself. Her ears had adjusted themselves long ago to notice music wherever she went, and this time was no different. There was a clear sound of 'Daisy Bell' playing behind the Russian - which made the translation all the more confusing.
"So what do you think?" Dustin asked when he turned off the tape.
"It sounded familiar," Steve remarked before shoving a piece of banana into his mouth.
"What?" Dustin leaned forwards on his elbows.
"The music," Steve clarified as he wiped his lips. "The music right there at the end."
"Why are you listening to the music, Steve?" Dustin scolded. "Listen to the Russian! We're translating Russian!"
"He has a point Frizzy." Lorelei cut in, and both of their eyes snapped to her. "I noticed the music too."
"It doesn't matter!" Dustin argued exasperatedly. "How are we supposed to figure this code out if the both of you don't listen to the Russian?"
"We're trying to listen to the Russian, but there's music-" Steve argued back, his mouth full of a piece of banana.
The door that lead to the rest of the shop opened suddenly, and Robin barged into the room. "All right, babysitting time is over. You need to get in there," she spoke up before walking over to the wall where her board was hung. "Hey, my board! That was important data, shitbirds!"
"I guarantee, what we're doing is way more important than your data," Dustin reasoned slowly.
"Yeah?" Robin asked, her body moving closer to them. "And how do you know these Russians are up to no good anyway?"
Dustin paused in his tracks before glancing up at Steve. "How does she know about the Russians?"
"I don't know," Steve mumbled, the corner of his mouth dirty with a piece of the fruit that was now discarded on the table.
"You're both idiots, that's how," Lorelei commented whilst glancing down at her nails.
"Did you tell her about the Russians?" Dustin whispered to Steve.
"It wasn't me-" he shook his head.
"Hello, I can hear you," Robin huffed. "Actually, I can hear everything. You are all extremely loud."
"I told you we should have done this someplace else," Lorelei piped in.
"You three think that you have evil Russians plotting against our country, on tape-" Robin stated. "And you're trying to translate, but haven't figured out a word, because you didn't realize the Russians use an entirely different alphabet. Sound about right?"
"I fucking told you both that they used a different alphabet!" Lorelei exclaimed proudly. "Honestly, it's like talking to a wall - neither of you ever acknowledges that I'm usually right!"
Steve turned to Lorelei as he thought of a reply, but when he noticed Robin reaching for the tape out of the corner of his eye, he reached for it first.
"Whoa! What do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed as he held the tape close to his chest.
"I want to hear it," Robin shrugged.
"Why?" Steve and Dustin asked.
"'Cause, maybe I can help," she blinked at them slowly.
"I say we let her," Lorelei raised her hand, throwing a smile in Robin's direction.
"See," Robin grinned back. "I'm fluent in four languages, you know."
"Russian?" Dustin asked hopefully.
"Ou-yay are-yay umb-day," Robin drawled out confidently.
"Oh-ho-ho!" Steve whistled.
"Holy shit!" Dustin grinned.
Robin shared a look with Lorelei, who had glanced over at Steve and Dustin with an unimpressed view in her eyes. "That was pig Latin, dingus."
Steve tutted and hit Dustin in the chest with the banana peel. "Idiot."
"But I can speak Spanish and French and Italian, and I've been in band for 12 years." Robin sat down next to Lorelei. "My ears are little geniuses, trust me."
"Uh..." Steve winced unconvinced.
"Just give her the tape," Lorelei insisted.
"Come on, it's your turn to sling ice cream, my turn to translate." Robin lazily reached her arm towards Steve and more specifically, the recording in his hand. "I don't even want credit. I'm just bored."
Steve sighed under his breath, but he glanced at Lorelei and with one last encouraging nod from her, he gave Robin the tape and took the ice cream scooper from her hands.
As he headed out to the front of the store, Lorelei followed closely behind him. She couldn't take another minute of sitting in that back room, and she was certain that if anyone would be able to crack that code, Robin was their best bet.
"It's not to late to give this whole thing up, you know." She commented to Steve as her back leaned against the wall. "We could just have a normal summer and forget about playing hero for a while."
"Nah," Steve shook his head adamantly. "Being a hero sounds pretty good to me."
"You already are a hero, Steve." Lorelei sighed under her breath, her hand reaching to touch his shoulder. "Just because people don't know it doesn't mean you didn't already save lives."
"Still can't get a date, though," he mumbled under his breath.
At the mention of dating, Lorelei removed her hand from his shoulder, and her expression turned cold.
"Is this what the whole thing is about then?" She scoffed at him, a pang of hurt reaching her somehow. "A way for you to get more notches on your belt?"
"What?" Steve turned his head to her with wide eyes. "Of course not - I just," he sighed "it would be nice to have options again."
That hurt.
Lorelei knew they were friends, pals, buddies. But that didn't mean she liked being completely discarded as an option. Of course, that wasn't what Steve was doing, not intentionally, at least. But that's what it felt like to her.
"Yeah, whatever," she murmured.
She turned on her heel and began to walk out of the store, grabbing her purse that had been discarded on the counter and slinging it over her shoulder as she walked.
"Lor!" Steve called behind her. "Where are you going."
"I need a walk!" she shouted, not bothering to look over her shoulder before she left the shop.
Steve sucked in a breath through his nose and exhaled shakily under his breath. He didn't exactly know what he had said - but something had ticked her off.
For a split second, he wondered if she was jealous that he was talking about other girls. But they were friends, right? First and foremost. That was what they were, and that probably would not change - no matter how much Steve might want it to change deep down.
All he knew for sure was that he had screwed up.
"Shit."
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