0 0 2 ━ [ 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 ]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟹𝟺: 𝙷𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝙴𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜

Knock, knock, knock, knock. Knock. Knock, knooock, knock. Knock.

"Did I do that right?" Steve asked, his fist raised to the door of Palace Arcade. "These stupid secret knocks they come up with are so damn hard to remember."

Sarah pressed her hands over her eyes as she peered through the glass, the reflection from the bright sunlight making it difficult to see inside. She could barely make out the humped shapes of the arcade machines lined up like a row of tombstones, collecting dust. Palace Arcade had closed down three years prior after the previous owner had gone bankrupt, but Keith had recently acquired ownership and was working on renovating the place for a grand re-opening. After some lengthy convincing that included a hefty sum of cash, Keith had agreed to let them use the space for a very important party.

"I think so," Sarah answered when she caught sight of a new shape appearing from behind one of the machines and rushing towards the door.

A click and a rattle later, the door was cracked open just far enough for Lucas's head to stick out. "Nobody saw you, right?" he asked, his eyes unblinking and his mouth set in a straight line.

"Right," Sarah and Steve replied in unison.

"And you parked down the street, not in the parking lot, right?"

"Right," Sarah and Steve repeated again, this time with a matching roll of their eyes.

Lucas ushered them in, his eyes assessing the parking lot for any movement before he pulled the door shut and locked it. "She's going to be here any minute," Lucas informed them, a hand placed on each of their backs as he pushed them away from the door. "The others are in the back room. Stay there and don't come out until I give the secret knock."

Lucas demonstrated by rapping his fist against the side of a pinball machine. Knooock, knock, knooock, knooock. Knock. Knock, knock, knock.

"Another secret knock?" Steve groaned. "Can't you just shout or something like a normal person?"

Lucas ignored him as he hurried them into the back room where Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Will, Nancy, Jonathan, Robin, Hopper, and Joyce were all waiting. The small, cramped room could barely contain everyone but Sarah and Steve crowded in as Lucas shut the door on them.