𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 steve harrington

xviii. i'll be glad that i made it out

━︎ VOL TWO. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

❝︎ even in a crowded room, i'd only
look at you ❞︎

    "It is fascinating what 20 bucks will get you at the County Recorder's office." Robin lays out a gigantic map of Starcourt Mall on the table. "Starcourt Mall. The complete blueprints."

    "Not bad," Dustin smirks.

    "So, this is us, Scoops," She glides her hand down the map. "And this is where we want to get."

    Steve shakes his head in confusion. "I mean. I don't really see a way in."

    "There's not if you're talking exclusively about doors." She rips the blueprint off the table revealing another map.

    "Air ducts." Dustin gasps.

    "Exactly." Robin smiles. "Turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room. And these air ducts," She circles a portion of the map. "Lead all the way..." She draws a line across the map. "Here."

    After that, their plan is ago. Steve and Jack open the vent with a screwdriver so they can all push Dustin in, considering he's the smallest.

    "Flashlight," Steve calls for and Jack hands it to him. "Yeah, I don't know, man. I don't know if you can fit in here. It's, like... super tight."

    "I'll fit," Dustin argues. "Trust me no collar bones, remember?"

    "Uh, excuse me?" Robin asks, and Jack remembers she only just met the young teen a few days ago.

    "He's got some disease," Jack explains as Steve hops off the ladder.

"Chry, uh... It's chrydo, um... Something, yeah, I dunno." Steve sputters out. "He's missing bones and stuff. He can bend like Gumbo."

Robin blinks. "You mean Gumby?"

"I'm pretty sure it's Gumbo," Steve says, confidently.

"It's Gumby," Jack whispers to Robin, who nods in response.

"Steve, just shut up and push me!" Dustin yells.

"Okay," Steve complains as he climbs up the ladder again. "I'll push ya."

"Not my feet, dumbass." Dustin disputes when Steve places his hands on Dustin's shoes. "Push my ass."

"What?" Steve asks.

"Touch my butt! I don't care!" Steve moves his hands up towards Dustin's bottom and lightly shoves it. "Come on! Harder! Harder! Push harder!"

Jack rolls his eyes at the two's antics. "I'm pushing!"

"You're playing with my legs," Dustin says irately.

"I'm not playing, I have terrible footing." Jack and Robin shared a look of 'This is not going to end well.'

To make it work Steve and Dustin's bickering is lowered when a ringing from the front of the store becomes just as irritating and Erica calls for ice cream while she taps the bell.

"That could work," Robin says as she points to the girl.

"Erica? Good luck with that." Jack scoffs.

Robin motions for the girl to come behind the booth and she raises a skeptical eyebrow.

Jack pops his head through the window, waving at her. She sees the familiar face of her babysitter and walks through the door.

"Where is my..." She trails off when she sees Steve and Dustin in a very compromising position. "What are they doing?"

After a few minutes of convincing, and pulling Dustin out of the vent. Erica is standing on the ladder looking into the vent. "Hmm..."