𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗬 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡- steve harrington

TEN

TEN

"IT IS FASCINATING WHAT TWENTY bucks will get you at the County Recorder's Office." Robin Buckley chimed, spreading a map of the Starcourt Mall onto the small table that was placed in the back break room at their ice cream job. "Starcourt Mall."

"The complete blueprints." Robin continued, running her shaking hands along the map to smooth it down.

Dustin grinned, "Not bad."

"Robin seriously, you're my favorite person ever." Dylan announced, eyeing the girl across from her. Robin smirked, glancing towards Steve to see his reaction.

"Why thank you." Robin said, before putting her attention back on the paper in front of them.

"So, this is us, Scoops..." The girl then pointed towards a different spot on the map. "And this is where we want to get."

"I mean, i don't really see a way in." Steve furrowed his brows in concentration as he stared at the map.

Robin shook her head, "There's not, if you're talking exclusively about doors." She then pulled at the paper, flipping a piece over.

Dustin caught onto what she was saying, "Air ducts."

"Exactly." The short haired girl replied, moving over towards the marker for the white board. "Turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room."

"And these air ducts," The girl circled and drew a red line down the page, to where they were currently at. "Leads all the way here."

"So one of us crawls into the air duct and gets the rest of us in where we want at?" Dylan questioned, raising her head up as she awaited for someone to speak.

"Yeah, it's worth a shot." Steve shrugged, getting up and leaving the room. Moments later he returned with a ladder and a screwdriver. Everyone got up as he placed the ladder against the wall and started unscrewing at the corners of the metal vent. He gave Dustin a flashlight in the process as well.

Robin stood back watching the scene, while Dylan and Dustin where right under him. "Flashlight." Steve asked after he gave Dustin the vent cover and Dylan reached to give him the flashlight. He grazed her hand as she held it out, both of them sucking in a breath at the warm touch.

Steve turned the flashlight on, moving it around to see better in the air duct. "Yeah i don't know man. I don't know if you can fit in here. It's like uh... super tight."

Dylan chuckled placing a hand over her mouth, trying to contain her laughter. Robin shifted her gaze to her friend as she started laughing, along with Dustin and Steve.

"What's so funny, Dyl?" Steve gaped, wondering what she thought was so humorous.

"Sorry, It's just that..." She interrupted her own self with a cry of laughter not being able to control it. "When you said 'it's super tight' something came to mind that's all."

Dustin gestured his head forward, "Care to share?"

"Fine, that's what she said... Or i guess that's what he said?" Dylan bit her lip as she told her joke. "That's what came to mind, it's not my fault Steve said super tight. Can't help it."

Steve struggled to hold back a grin while Robin let out a laugh not being able to help herself either. Dustin crossed his arms, watching the three with amusement. Watching both girls break into laughter, Steve soon starting joining in too.

"Anyways, i'll fit." Dustin tried to convert the conversation back to the previous topic but realized he failed as the trio started laughing harder than before. "Seriously?"

Dylan wiped a loose tear that fell from her eye, "Dustin you set yourself up with that one, i'm sorry."

Dustin gave the girl an annoyed stare making her stop laughing, "Okay, okay we're done. Right guys?"

Robin and Steve proceeded to nod, Steve getting off the ladder. "Are you sure about this?"

Dustin pitching in again, "Trust me no collarbones, remember?"

"Uh, excuse me?" Robin halfway smiled thinking about what he said. Steve jumped down off the ladder, Dylan holding her arms out placing her hands on either side of his biceps to help steady him.

"Oh, he's, uh.. Yeah, he's got some disease. Chry, uh... It's chrydo um, something. Yeah, i dunno." Steve breathed out, talking to Robin as he felt Dylan's hands leave his arms. His face faltering slightly at the now coldness he felt where her hands once were.

"He's missing bones and stuff. He can bend like Gumbo."

"You mean Gumby." Robin corrected the brunette standing next to Dylan.

"I'm pretty sure it's Gumbo."

"It's not but think what you want." Dylan muttered under her breath.

Dylan turned around as Dustin was now bent inside the duct, "Steve just shut up and push me."

"Okay." Steve rolled his eyes at the boys tone. Walking up the ladder anyways and grabbing his feet to push. "I'll push ya."

"Not my feet dumbass. Push my ass."

"What?"

"Touch my butt, i don't care." Dustin exclaimed, causing Steve to do what he said. "Come on, harder, push harder."

"I'm pushing!" Steve shouted back at the boy.

Dylan and Robin stood back, watching the scene unfold. "These two are both dumbasses sometimes, i swear."

"Yeah but it's funny to watch them do stuff like this." Robin smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're playing with my legs."

"I'm not playing, i have terrible footing."

"Come on."

"I'm just gonna shove you, ready?" Steve told as he was right next to the duct, holding the boys shoes to help push. "Just shove me?"

"One, two..."

"Shit."

"That work?" Steve asked unsure to the boy to which he replied with, "One more time."

From the cracked window next to the two girls they heard the constant ding of the bell on the front counter. "Ahoy, sailors! All hands on deck!" Erica Sinclair, Lucas' younger sister, spoke as she got impatient.

Dylan and Robin smirked, both thinking about how perfect Erica would be able to fit in the air duct rather than having Dustin perform the task. Dylan opened the window more, exposing the group. She leaned on the window, her arm against the side by her head, leaving room for Robin.

"She'd be able to fit up there perfectly." Dylan still held a sensible smirk, turning her head to meet Robins gaze. The shorter haired girl nodded, "And she will."

authors note
i really hope you all don't mind that i'm going to change something slightly for the sake of a few key chapters i need to add into the story!!
all i am doing is changing the way erica goes into the duct until the next day instead of that same night, because it's crucial!! (so that scene won't happen until probably two chapters from now!)