The next morning, I pick Billy up and we head to Starcourt. The rain is gone. All that's left is the puddles and fallen twigs and scattered leaves.
"You know this morning, Hopper was half naked on the couch and Joyce was there. She told me he got beat up by a man at the lab," I tell Billy as I park the car in the vast parking lot. It's filled with mostly employees but there are some customers.
"Did they..." Billy trails off, raising his eyebrows.
"No. All of his clothes were just covered in blood and rainwater on the porch," I say, scrunching my nose and getting out of the car.
We walk to the mall, then bee line for Scoops. We head straight to the back.
Robin, Steve, and Dustin are already here. Robin and Steve sit at the table. I take the last seat and Billy leans against the wall as Dustin talks.
"That keycard is the only way to unlock the door and unfortunately the Russian with this keycard has a massive gun," Dustin sighs, binoculars pointed at the doors. "Whatever's in their room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anyone to find it."
"But there's got to be a way in," I say, staring at the curly headed boy. My own curly hair is in a messy bun. My baby hairs frame my face in a messy but kind of cute way. I
"Well you know," Steve starts, dropping his hat onto the table. "I could just take him out."
"Take who out?" Robin asks. We all furrow our brows and look at the Harrington boy.
"The Russian guard," Steve says as if it were obvious.
I can't help it but a laugh slips out of my mouth. Billy laughs too, so hard his hand is on his chest and he's doubled over.
"Harrington, enough jokes. We have evil Russians to deal with," Billy says, coming up behind me and leaning on my chair.
"What?" Steve says defensively. "I sneak up behind him, and knock him out and I take his key card. It's easy."
"Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" Dustin asks, arms crossed over his chest.
"Yes, Dustin, I did," Steve sasses. "And that's why I would be sneaking.
"We'll please tell me this, and be honest," Dustin starts, approaching the table. "Have you ever actually... won a fight?"
"Twice," I interject. "Jonathan. Year prior." Billy snickers behind me.
"Listen that doesn't count," Steve says.
"Why wouldn't it count?" I ask him, propping my arms onto the table.
Dustin starts, "because it looks like he beat the shit out of you."
"Yeah. Split lip, crooked nose," Dustin goes on. "Swollen eye, a lot of blood. Things add up."
I look at Robin she's staring at the ceiling. It looks like she's just realized something.
"That just might work," she whispers before springing up.
She runs to the front and I follow after her, so do the boys. She takes all of the cash out of the tip jar.
"I need cash," she states when Steve asks what she's doing.
"Well half of that is mine," Steve whines . "Where are you going?"
"To find us a way into that room," Robin shouts already out of the ice cream shop. "A safe way and in the meantime, sling ice cream. Behave and don't get beat up. I'll be back in a jiff."
"Can I come?" I call out, bouncing on my toes to get away from these boys.
Robin waves at me, already walking away.
I run after her, leaving my boyfriend and the other two boys behind.
"Play nice, Billy!" I call out to him, running after Robin.
I run after Robin until we break through a back door. I follow her as she gets her bike.
"Do you want to take my car?" I ask her. She nods gratefully.
We go to my car and get in.
"So what's the plan?" I ask her.
She takes a deep breath. "County Recorder's Office."
I drive to the recorder's office as fast I legally can. When we get there, we go inside.
Robin walks up to the front desk lady. "Can I have the blueprints of Starcourt mall?"
"Honey, we don't give those away for free," the older woman tells us. "20 dollars."
Robin shoved her hands in her pockets, pulling out a crumpled 20 dollar bill. She passes it to the woman and the woman stands up.
"Have a seat," she says. Robin and I fall down onto the blue lobby chairs. I bounce my leg as we wait.
The second the lady hands us the map, I thank her and we race out the of the place.
The ride back to the mall is quick. I definitely broke a few laws.
I have the map rolled up and in my hand as we burst through the door that leads to the back of Scoops Ahoy.
"You'd be fascinated by the what you can get at the County Recorder's Office." Robin says as I lay out the map on the table.
Steve comes into the back room with us, standing on the other side of Billy. Dustin is to my right, watching anxiously.
"Starcourt mall," I say proudly. "The complete blueprints."
"Not bad," Dustin smiles at us.
We smile in satisfaction. I give Robin a high-five across the table.
"So, this is us, Scoops, and this is where we want to get," Robin says, dragging and pointing her finger across the map.
"I mean, I don't really see a way in," Billy says, studying the map carefully.
"There's not," Robin answers. "If you're talking exclusively about doors."
"Air ducts," Dustin exclaims.
"Exactly," I say, pridefully. I came up with that revelation.
Robin grabs a red dry erase marker and explains the path of the air ducts, marking across the paper.
We all turn to look at the air duct in the very room we stand. It's almost ominous.
Steve leaves and then comes back with a ladder.
Billy takes his pocket knife from his jean's right pocket and walks over to the vent, climbing the ladder.
He carefully unscrews each screw. His hands pull at the grate over it and it detaches from the wall.
"Flashlight?" Billy asks, looking at us as he hands the vent grate down. I take it and place it on the floor. I also take the flashlight from Dustin and give it to my boyfriend.
He shines the light into the vent. His arm muscles flex through his tight blue shirt. I can't help but look at him and admire.
"I don't know, man. I don't know if you can fit in here, it's super tight," Billy says, pulling back from the vent to turn his head and look down at us.
"I'll fit, trust me," Dustin starts. "No collar bones, remember?"
"Uh, excuse me?" Robin asks, eyeing Dustin.
"Oh he, uh, he's got some disease. Chry, uh, it's chrydo, um..." Steve trails off, trying to remember the disease his best friend has. "I don't know. He's missing bones and stuff."
"Steve just shut up and push me!" Dustin screeches from half way in the vent. Steve grabs Dustin's feet, trying to force him into the vent.
"Not my feet dumbass! Push my ass!" Dustin yells.
"What?" Steve asks, caught off guard.
"Touch my ass! I don't care!" Dustin yells back. "Push harder!"
"I'm pushing!" Steve complains.
They continue to argue back and forth.
"I'll try," I say, crinkling my nose at Dustin's discomfort.
"Yeah, Cassie's pretty small. She might fit," Steve encourages.
Steve pulls Dustin out of the vent. I climb the ladder and stare into the metal tunnel. I turn around.
"I need someone to push me," I say. Steve steps forward but Billy pulls him back by his sailor uniform.
"No fuckin way, Dude," Billy says light heartedly. I turn away from the boys.
I take a deep breath and pull my self in. My shoulders are pressed against the walls alongs with my stomach.
"Push me in please," I call out. I feel hands wrap around my ankles as I'm forced further into the dark metal vent, flashlight in hand. It isn't working.
Dustin was right. I need to get pushed in by my ass.
"Billy, don't take this in a weird way, but I need you to push me in like Steve pushed Dustin.
There isn't a reply for a few seconds. "So it's okay if I-" Billy starts.
I roll my eyes, nerves getting the best of me.
"Just push my ass dammit!" I yell out.
I feel his hands shape against the curve of my lower half. He pushes me a little further into the vent. I'm far enough in to where only my mid thigh and lower leg is sticking out of the vent.
Then it hits me. The familiarity of being in a confined space while being pushed to your limits.
A flash back pushes its way into my brain.
"Little number four. You were always my favorite. I need for to go into this tunnel. You have to get out of here. We have to get out of here."
My breath quickens as I try to adjust myself in the vent. I start to panic. I can't move very much. My unknown claustrophobia kicks in.
"I can't do this!" I yell out, eyes watering.
I start to panic more when breathing gets harder. Tears sting my eyes.
"Billy!" I cry. "Pull me out!"
I feel hands wrap around my legs, pulling me out some. Then the hands move to my hips, gently removing me from the tunnel.
The second my head is out, I'm gasping for air as tears stream down my face.
"I can't do it. It's too much like the lab. I can't do it," I cry, holding onto Billy as if he might shove me back into the vent.
"That's okay," he soothes. His hand rubs my back as he comforts me. "You don't have to. It's okay."
I finally register the bell that's ringing. Erica is by the counter, demanding ice cream samples.
"She could do it," Robin says.
We all look at the youngest Sinclair child.
...
Erica steps off the ladder, clicking the flashlight off.
"Yeah. I don't know," Erica says.
"You don't know if you can fit?" Dustin asks her.
"Oh I can fit. I just don't know if I want too," Erica says sassily.
I stare at her neon clothes. She has overalls on over a bright, yellow shirt. Her shirt and overalls have light pink accents. The beads that are in her braids match her clothes. She looks adorable. However, her classic sassy attitude doesn't match her jewelry.
"Are you claustrophobic?" Robin asks, arms crossed. The group was a lot less judgy when I didn't want to go into the vent.
"I don't have phobias," Erica scoffs.
"Okay, well what's the problem?" Steve asks. Billy and I just stare at Erica.
"The problem is I still haven't heard what's in this for Erica," she sasses.
"Steve'll give you ice cream," Billy suggests.
"That's more like it," Erica says with a smirk.
With that, we all sit in a circle booth as Steve passes her different kinds of ice cream.
He's now giving her a full on banana sundee. She returns it to him. "No fudge please." She says sweetly.
Steve and Robin glare at her. I casually eat my mint chocolate chip in a cup. Billy drinks at a vanilla milkshake.
"Okay," Robin says finally. She pulls out her map. "You see this. This is the route you are going to take. Then we just wait till the last delivery goes out tonight. Then you know I put the grate, jump down, open the door."
"Then you find out what's in the boxes?" Erica asks, picking at one of the many ice creams Steve has laid out for her.
"Exactly," I say, shoving a spoon full of greatness into my mouth.
"And you say this guard is armed?" Erica asks.
"Yes but he won't be there," Dustin interjects.
"You know what this half baked plan of yours sounds like to me? Child endangerment," Erica says.
"We'll be in radio contact with you the whole time," Robin assures.
Erica cuts her off. "Child endangerment."
"Erica, hi, uh, we think these Russians want to do harm to our country. Great harm. Don't you love your country?" Dustin tells her.
"You can't spell America without Erica," Erica replies.
"That's totally true," Dustin agrees. "So don't do this for us, do it for America." Dustin continues to speak out Erica slurps her drink over him.
"I just got the chills. Oh yeah, from this float, not your speech," Erica says. "You know what I love most about this country? Capitalism. Do you know what capitalism is?" Erica asks, staring Dustin down.
"Yes," we all answer except for Billy. He just shrugs and sips his milkshake.
"It means this is a free market system. Which means people get paid for their services, depending on how valuable their contributions are," Erica tells us all. "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 talkin' free ice cream for life!"
We all frown at the little girl.