𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙥! 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣

SCENE FIVETEEN. smarter then looks

and as promised steve harrington was knocking at her door at eight am, and it was her mother who answered the door as she shot up from the bed, grabbing ripped shorts and a white strap vest as she heard him talking.

"she's in her room. she's in the shower.'' mary started plastering a fake grin on her face as she heard her daughter in her room before the slam of her bedroom door, footsteps and the slam of the bathroom door. and mary showed him the way to her room, her face twisted in dislike for the boy who once bullied her daughter. not believing that he had changed. because yes people can change, but they don't change back. and he was left in her room. dressed in the stupid sailor costume in a girl's room. and he couldn't help but look around. he had been in piper's room before. but that was five years ago. the walls were no longer the bright pink but now a warmish white. posters hung on the walls, favourite movies, bands, songs. and he noticed pictures. pictures of people he reconsided. and even himself. he felt his heart leap. there on her walls were pictures of him, of her and him. before he went wrong. it was a picture of him and her in a city place. the weekends the two would spend in the nearest town that wasn't hawkins. and that pang of guilt hit him as he heard her tumble into her room.

"hi." she mumbled, face splitting into a small smile as she noticed him standing before a photo.

"hi, is that my jacket?" he questioned, noticing the still wet material which hung on the back of her desk chair. 

"ah yes, i forgot i was still wearing it when you dropped me off." and he laughed as she practically threw it at him as he checked his watch. it was time to go, and she picked up one of her own jackets on the way out. it was one of those funky coloured windbreakers which she hardly wore. and they were off, shouting a goodbye to her mum as they rushed into his car. finding dustin and robin already in the shop, they were late. 

"that keycard opens the door but unfortunately, the russian with this keycard also has a massive gun. whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes. they really don't want anybody finding it.'' dustin spoke as he told the group about what he had seen this morning on the roof.  

"but there's gotta be a way in.'' robin added as he repeated the story to them. dustin paced in front of the table where the three teenagers sat and he felt almost like a teacher. 

"well you know, i could just take him out." steve added as he leaned back into his chair, swinging on it slightly. hands spinning his hat in his fingers. 

"take out who?'' robin questioned raising her brow at the boy.

"the russian guard.'' steve added as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. piper and robin threw each other a look as they almost burst out laughing. 

"what? i sneak up behind him, i knock him out and take his keycard.'' steve chuckled knowing they weren't taking it seriously.

"steve, there's more of a chance of me swinging my hips and giggling for him then you knocking him out." she added laughing as she pulled her hair from her face. 

"see she gets it. and rude." he smiled thinking she was agreeing with him till she added the last part. and he turned to look at her, his face fallen and he glared at her. 

"did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" dustin laughed at him. both girls giggling too. 

"yes dustin i did, and that's why i would be sneaking as she works her magic." and she chuckled, he seriously had lost her mind.

"please tell me this, and be honest. have you ever actually won a fight?"

"okay, that was one time."

"twice, johnatan. year prior?"

"look that doesn't count."

"why wouldn't it? because it looks like he beat the shit out of you."

"you lost a fight to johnathan byers?" piper spat out laughing straight away as dustin grinned ear to ear.

"lost his girlfriend to him too." robin laughed covering it straight away as steve turned to glare at her. 

"no fucking way! nancy drew and creepy john?" piper exclaimed, a wide grin on her face as she leaned over the table. eyes blown wide in shock. and steve crossed his arms over his chest, sulking into the chair. before dustin and steve returned to arguing over if it counted as losing a fight or not. 

"that just might work. piper, with me." robin whispered as she looked up in the room. jumping from her seat, piper followed after her name was called. robin taking a fistful of the money from their tip jar.

"hey, what are you doing?" steel shouted as robin grabbed the girl's hand, tugging her with her.

"i need cash!"

"well half of that's mine. where are you taking her?"

"to find a way into that room, a safe way. and in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave and don't get beat up. we'll be back in a jiff." and without another word robinwas tugging her into the crowd of people mingling around. heading outside as she quickly followed behind.

"so where are we going?" she asked as robin ran for her bike which was parked against hers which had been left overnight.

"we are going on a trip to the count recorder's office.'' robin smiled as she tugged the bike from the rack, piper nodding as she followed the girl's actions. both girls rode their bikes through the car park and away from the mall.

"it is fascinating what 20 bucks will get you at the count recorder's office. starcourt mall. the complete blueprints." robin exclaimed as she hurried into the back of the shop, steve and dustin following shortly behind. piper helped herself to a slushie, steve shouting for her to get him one too as he quickly hurried after robin.

"not bad." dustin mumbled as she grabbed a blue cup and a red cup as she joined them. passing a red cup to steve. dropping into the seat beside him. 

"so this is us, scoops. and this is where we wanna get." robin spoke as she pointed to the locations on the blue map. 

"i mean, i don't really see a way in." steve mumbled as he took a sip of the drink looking down at the map. 

"there's not, if you're talking exclusively about doors." robin nodded as she rolled over the map to show another one.

"air ducts." dustin mumbled, noticing what she was putting down. 

"turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room. and these air ducts lead all the way here.'' robin spoke as she circled the room they needed to be in, following the tunnel of air ducts through the mall. 

"scoops ahoy?" piper mumbled as she read the location robin had circled before looking up at the air duct on the wall. and steve got up, unscrewing the air duct over to look into it. but it was a tunnel of just nothing. too skinny or anyone to get in too. 

"i don't know man, i don't know if you can fit in here. it's super tight."

"i'll fit. trust me,no collar bones remember?"

"uh excuse me?"

"not going to lie, that doesn't seem like the best idea.'' piper said as she watched them from the counter. sitting with her legs dangling over the side as they swung beneath her, slipping on the blue shush that would turn her mouth blue.

"oh, he's got some disease. chry uh it's chryso. um something. yeah i dunno. he's missing bones and stuff. he can bend like gumbo."

"you mean gumpy?'' robin asked, throwing a look to piper who was just looking at steve with her head tilted slightly to the side.

 "cleidocranial dysplasia?" she questioned and both of them turned to look at her confused and shocked. not even knowing if it was right.

"what?" she asked, noticing their shocked glances and steve shook it off as he ran to aid dustin who was complaining that he couldn't move. piper watched the two laughing as robin watched in disgust before the bell for customers started aggressively being tapped. robin, turning to find a child, stood at the counter. erica.