JULY 2ND, 1985
📍starcourt mall
11:13 AM
"the keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the russian with this keycard also has a massive gun," dustin explained to the three teens after getting back from his spy trip. "whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it."
"but there's gotta be a way in," robin replied.
"well, you know.." steve voiced casually, wrapping an arm around josie's shoulders. "i could just take him out."
"take who out?" robin asked.
"the russian guard," he stated, making josie turn to look at him in amusement. "what? i sneak up behind him, i knock him out, and i take his keycard. it's easy."
"really?" josie asked, beginning to laugh.
"yes, really.. you're rude, you know?" he replied, removing his arm from her shoulders. "girlfriends are supposed to be supportive. why am i dating you?"
"josie's laughter is valid, steve," dustin spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. "please, tell me this, and be honest, have you ever actually.. won a fight?"
"okay, that was one time—"
"twice," josie piped up. "do you remember that little disagreement with jonathan?"
"listen, that doesn't count," steve scoffed.
"why wouldn't it count? because it sounds like he beat the shit out of you," dustin said in response.
"oh, he did," josie nodded along. "for a scrawny guy, jonathan packs a punch."
"okay, thank you for that," steve told her. "feeling very loved by you right now... besides, i did win a fight. do you remember that kevin guy, jos?"
"that was in seventh grade, and kevin was fat. that doesn't count," the girl responded.
"how does it not—"
suddenly, robin quickly stood up, mumbling to herself. she headed towards their tips jar, grabbed a handful and began making her way out of the shop.
"hey, robin!" steve called. "what are you doing?"
"i need cash," she shrugged.
"well, that's also mine and josie's! where are you going?"
"to find us a way into that room," she answered. "a safe way.. and, in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up. i'll be back in a jiff!"
"'don't get beat up'," steve mocked. "i hate her."
josie smiled. "i love her."
— 🫶☁️💘 —
JULY 2ND, 1985
📍starcourt mall
12:02 PM
"it is fascinating what twenty bucks will get you at the county recorder's office," robin announced upon her return. she opened her backpack, pulled out a large piece of paper and unfolded it, laying it out on the table in front of them. "starcourt mall. the complete blueprints."
"not bad," dustin nodded.
"so, this is us, scoops, and this is where we want to get," she explained, pointing to the map.
"i mean, i don't really see a way in," steve commented.
"there's not, if you're talking exclusively about doors," she replied, flipping the paper over.
"air ducts," josie realized. "there's one in here, right?" she said, looking around the backroom.
"yep," robin nodded, grabbing her marker. "turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room. and these air ducts lead all the way.. here," she finished, drawing a circle around the shipping room.
"okay, but, one problem.." josie spoke up, looking at the vent on the wall in front of them. "we're not going to fit."
"we don't know that," steve replied, before opening a cupboard and grabbing a ladder, screwdriver and flashlight. he began opening up the air duct, using the flashlight to look inside at the hollow space.
"well, we're definitely not going to fit," he told the two girls.
"what about me?" dustin asked. "i'm the smallest here."
"i don't know, man," the older boy replied, turning his attention back to the air duct. "i don't know if you can fit in here. it's like.. super tight."
"i'll fit," he stated. "trust me. no collar bones, remember?"
"uh, excuse me?" robin exclaimed.
"oh, he's, uh.. yeah he's got some disease," steve explained as he got off the ladder and dustin began to climb up. "chry, uh.. it's chrydo, um.. something. yeah, i dunno."
"cleidocranial dysplasia," josie informed them. "how do you not know that?" she asked steve. "he's like our child at this point."
"i would never be involved in the birth of someone like that," steve replied, pointing up at dustin who had his backside sticking out of the air duct.
"steve, just shut up and push me!" dustin yelled. steve grabbed onto his feet, trying to push the younger boy further into the vent. "not my feet, dumbass. push my ass."
"what?"
"touch my butt! i don't care!" he exclaimed. "harder! push me harder!"
as they continued arguing, robin turned to josie. "i can't believe you had to put up with them alone before you met me. i'm so sorry."
"it really was hard," josie nodded along.
a moment later, they heard the front bell ringing behind them. "ahoy, sailors! all hands on deck! ahoy! come on.. get over here and serve me some samples."
robin glanced at erica, before back to josie, and then at the air duct, a small smirk on her face.
"you're insane," josie told her.
"says the one dating steve harrington," she remarked.
— 🫶☁️💘 —
JULY 2ND, 1985
📍starcourt mall
12:19 PM
erica stepped onto the ladder, climbed up and used the flashlight to look inside. after a second, she hummed. "yeah, i don't know," she stated as she lumbered down.
"you don't know if you can fit?" dustin asked.
"oh, i can fit. i just don't know if i want to," the young girl answered.
"are you claustrophobic?" robin wondered.
erica snickered. "i don't have phobias."
"okay, well, what's the problem?" steve queried.
"the problem is, i still haven't heard what's in this for erica."
"well, what do you want?" josie said.
"you're an ice cream parlor.." she said with a smirk.
steve sighed, realizing what she wanted. "go sit down.."
after several trips between the counter and table, the entire table top was covered in ice cream bowls and milkshakes. erica grabbed onto a banana split, handing it back to steve and requesting, "more fudge, please."
whilst he left, robin pulled out the map and showed erica that markings. "okay, you see this? this is the route you're gonna take. then, we just wait til the last delivery goes out tonight. then you knock out the grate, jump down, open the door."
"then you find out what's in those boxes?"
"exactly," she nodded.
"mhm.. and you say this guard is armed.."
"yes, but he won't be there," dustin told her.
"and booby traps? lasers, spikes in the wall?" erica voiced. "you know what this half-baked plan of yours sounds like to me?"
"enlighten us," josie replied.
"child endangerment."
"we'll be in radio contact with you the whole time—" robin started.
"ah, ah ah! child endangerment."
dustin sighed. "erica? hi. uh.. we think these russians want to do harm to our country. great harm. don't you love your country?"
"you can't spell 'america' without 'erica'," she shrugged.
"uh, yeah, yeah.. oddly, that's, uh, totally true. so, so, don't do this for us. do it for your country," dustin said, his voice being overpowered by erica's loud slurping. "do it for your fellow man. do this for america.. erica."
"ooh!" she exclaimed, putting her empty cup down. "i just got the chills... oh, yeah, from this float, not your speech. know what i love most about this country? capitalism. do you know what capitalism is? it means this is a free market system. which means people get paid for their services, depending on how valuable their contributions are. and it seems to me, my ability to fit into that little vent is very, very valuable to you all. so, you want my help? this uss butterscotch better be the first of many. and i'm talking free ice cream for life."
robin sighed, turning to her right to look at josie. "she's nearly infuriates me as much as steve."
— 🫶☁️💘 —
you can't spell america without erica 💅
erica and murray are the biggest slays in this show i don't even care
they eat EVERYTIME
WORD COUNT — 1359.