Red Soul | Eddie Munson

𝕏𝕍𝕀𝕀. 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕃𝕚𝕖𝕤

"I can't hear your name
without feeling ashamed.
Afraid of losing you, and
so I bent the truth."
╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

Dustin had scoped out the scene for us while we opened up the shop. He was pacing as he explained the situation we were in.

"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."

"But there's gotta be a way in," Robin said, twirling an ice cream scooper around.

"Well, you know..." The three of us looked at Steve as he spoke. "I could just take him out."

"Take who out?" I asked.

"The Russian guard." He shrugged. We all stared at him. "What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. It's easy."

"Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" Dustin questioned him.

"Yes, Dustin, I did." Steve rolled his eyes. "And that's why I would be sneaking."

Dustin crossed his arms. "Well, please, tell me this, and be honest. Have you ever actually won a fight?"

"Okay, that was one time."

"Twice," Dustin reminded him. "Jonathan. Year prior?"

"Billy," I snorted.

"Listen, that doesn't count," Steve tried to defend himself.

"Why doesn't it count?" Dustin asked.

They continued to squabble back and forth, but I noticed Robin looking off into the distance. She suddenly stood up. "That just might work."

She grabbed her bag and ran to the front of the store. We followed after her, watching her grab all of our tips from the tip jar.

"Hey, those are ours too!" I yelled at her as Steve yelled, "What the hell are you doing?!"

"I need cash," she said. "I'm going to find us a way into that room — a safe way. And in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up."

"Behave? Who does she think we are?" I turned to the guys to see Dustin licking ice cream off Steve's scooper. "Right."

"Dude!" Steve yelled at him. "Come on, man."

★・・・✘✘・・・★

Robin returned almost an hour later with the blueprints of Starcourt Mall. She displayed it out in front of us.

"So, this is us, Scoops," she pointed, "and this is where we want to get."

"I don't really see a way in," Steve told her.

"There's not, if you're talking exclusively about doors." She revealed another page.

"Air ducts," Dustin said, fascinated.

"Exactly." Robin smiled, proud of herself. She ran to grab a marker and began marking on the page. "Turns out this secret room needs air just like any old room. And these air ducts lead all the way here."

"Someone needs to fit in that?" I asked, pointing at the vent on the wall. "No way."

"Well, we have to give it a shot," Robin told me.

"I probably could," Dustin said.

Steve grabbed a ladder and a screwdriver and began unscrewing the vent cover. He shook his head. "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 told him matter-of-factly. "Trust me. No collarbones, remember?"

"Excuse me?" Robin asked as Dustin began walking up the ladder.

"Oh, he's got some disease," Steve said. "It's, um, it's chrydo, uh..."

"Cleidocranial dysplasia, dude," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Whatever." He waved me off. "He's missing bones and stuff. He can bend like Gumbo."

"You mean Gumby," Robin said.

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

"Steve, just shut up and push me!" Dustin yelled, halfway in the vent.

The bell rang out front and Robin and I looked out the window to see Erica. "Ahoy, sailors! All hands on deck!"

"This one is on you," Robin said to me.

"Looks like it's not," I told her. I pointed at Eddie, who was walking through the entrance. Great.

"What's up, Eddie?" I asked, meeting him at the corner of the counter. I overheard Robin telling Erica there was no time for free samples, but there was something else she wanted to talk about.

"I, um..." Eddie hesitated. "I wanted to talk. To apologize about last night."

"Can we talk later?" I asked. "We're just... kind of busy today."

We weren't busy at all except for Erica. He turned around, taking in the empty shop. "Busy. Right."

"With stuff in the back," I blurted out. "Had a big shipment today."

"Um, yeah." He knocked his rings against the counter. "What time are you off? Do you want to come by after work?"

I wasn't sure how to answer him. I knew we would probably be stuck in this mall long after we closed up Scoops. "I can try."

"Julie, I need you back here!" Steve yelled.

"I'm sorry." I looked at him sadly.

"Don't worry about it, Jules. I'll just see you later."

I waved at him as he walked off before marching into the back. "Dude, what?"

"I think Dustin's stuck," Steve said.

I couldn't help it, I burst into laughter, clutching to Steve for support.

"It's not funny!" Dustin screamed at me.

I stopped laughing just enough for Steve and I to each grab a leg of Dustin's to start pulling him out.

"What's with you and Eddie right now?" Steve asked as we pulled. My giggles disappeared completely. "You guys seemed off. Didn't even take your five minutes to make out."

"We had a fight last night," I answered, grunting. "He knows I'm keeping things from him, but I guess he wanted to apologize."

"Well, fuck that," Steve said. "He should understand that you don't need to tell him everything."

Dustin finally pulled loose and he climbed down the ladder, his cheeks burning with embarrassment as he faced us. "We don't have time for boy problems."

I pointed at Dustin. "Yep. He's right. End of this discussion."

"I have a plan," Robin said from the window, thankfully interrupting us.

"Go on," I told her.

She jabbed her thumb behind her at Erica.