Say Anything | Steve Harrington |

Ch. 45 Inside The Room

July 2nd, 1985
Starcourt Mall

   "Erica, what are you doing here?" I questioned, exiting the break room and approaching the girl that stood in front of the counter. "Figured you be with your boyfriend. You are one bad babysitter." She complained, crossing her arms tightly over her chest as she stared up at me.

"I thought Lucas was supposed to be watching you today." I inquired. "You just took the bus down here? By yourself? Erica, you can't just do that."

"Erica can do whatever she wants. Especially when her two bad babysitters leave her at home alone." She stated before turning back to the Robin who now stood behind the counter. "My regular. And she'll be paying."

Dustin quickly rushed out of the break room, stopping Robin from making the ice cream. "What if we were to say we have a proposition for you?" He questioned her with a sweet grin.

"I'd say, what's in it for me?" Erica questioned, looking intrigued yet annoyed by the lack of ice cream.

"How about we tell you once you see what it is you'll be doing?" Robin questioned the girl with a frown, debating her idea in her head.

I wanted so badly to call off the plan, we couldn't just endanger Erica like this. But I knew the other three would stop at nothing to get into that room and so far... This was the safest and somehow smartest way.

~~~

"Yeah, I don't know." Erica spoke slowly as she climbed off of the ladder we had placed in front of the vent. "You don't know if you can fit?" I questioned hopefully but the girl quickly scoffed at the question.

"Oh, I can fit. I just don't know if I want to." She stated simply as she leaned over the table.

"Are you claustrophobic?" Robin questioned her, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't have phobias." Erica informed us, much to our annoyance, she wasn't budging.

"Okay, well, what's the problem?" Steve questioned her. "The problem is, I still haven't heard what's in this for Erica." She stated, slamming her hand on the table for emphasis.

"Knew this was a bad idea..." I mumbled to Steve and Robin. "You know there's only one thing she cares about. Can you guys do it?" I questioned the two, knowing exactly what would make Erica budge.

"I mean..." Robin turned to Steve who held his hands up out of disbelief that she was actually considering the idea. "We can't just give out product." Steve groaned as he thought over the plan.

~~~

"It's the right thing..." I mumbled to Steve as he placed the final waffle cone on the banana split boat. "I hope." I added slowly, before taking the tenth ice cream Erica had requested from him.

Walking back to the table Erica, Dustin, and Robin sat at, I slid the ice cream across the table and towards her.

"How about now?" I questioned her as Steve stopped beside me.

Sliding the ice cream back across the table, Erica smirked at Steve and me. "I'd say, more fudge." She stated before waving her hand at Steve. "Go on." She whispered much to his annoyance.

Biting his lip to hold in his anger, I patted the poor guy on the shoulder as he took the ice cream off of the table and went to remake it again.

"All right. You see this?" Robin questioned the girl as she pulled out the blueprint to the air ducts, moving her finger along the red line she had drawn. "This is the route you're gonna take." She explained simply. "Then we just wait till the last delivery goes out tonight. Then you knock out the grate, jump down, open the door."