A Harrington Heartbreak

Not So Secret Secrets

Ep 2 - The Mall Rats
Sunday, June 30th, 1985
Caytlinn's POV

"Shit...shit...shit..." I muttered to myself, rushing to the bathroom.

I changed into another Scoops uniform and fixed my hair. It was shorter than I had before, but still long enough. I fixed my hat on top of my head and rushed downstairs. Steve was sleeping at the kitchen table, and he was still in yesterday's uniform. How could he be that dead asleep? At this moment? I walked over to the table and started banging on the table.

"Steve! Wake up you son of a bitch! We're going to be late!" Steve groggily sat up and rubbed his eyes. He stared into my eyes, and I leaned on the table. "Robin called and said there are some really hot girls that are single that just walked in and they are sitting at a booth," I lied. Robin wouldn't call. She would actually march over to our house and walk us back to the mall. "Mollye's also there. And she isn't with her new boyfriend!" Now that, that was just to get him up. He had actually never met Mollye's new boyfriend and I had kept that from happening yesterday.

Steve perked up from the few words and sprinted upstairs. He and Mollye hadn't really spoken after the incident with Dad, so if he had any chance to talk with Mollye, I knew he would take it. I knew it was kind of my fault, and he wasn't blaming me for their broken friendship, but I blamed myself. In less than five minutes he was downstairs ready to go. He had changed and somehow did his hair. But Steve was Steve. He grabbed the keys and we both sprinted outside and both jumped in the car. Steve backed off and sped to the mall. This was the fastest he had ever gone. Steve found a parking spot and parked. I bit my lip, knowing there were no hot girls at Scoops, and that Robin had not called.

"Pick up the sped Cay! Robin can't manage all by herself!" Steve yelled as we sprinted into the mall. He was not very graceful at dodging that many people at once. Steve skidded to a stop in front of Scoops Ahoy and straightened his uniform. He looked at me before strolling inside. Robin caught sight of us and waved at us urgently, and her face looked like she was going to kill us.

"Where the hell have you two been? I've been covering both of your shifts!" Robin snapped, waving her ice cream scooper around in the air. "I should take your tips. All of your tips!"

"Where are they?" Steve asked.

"Where is who?" Robin asked, tilting her head.

Steve turned around to look at me, but I had already snuck around his back while he was talking with Robin. I grabbed an ice cream scoop and was about to head behind the counter when I was forcefully dragged into the back room. He sat me down in the plastic chair and Steve stood opposite me.

"What was it again? Friends don't lie? Isn't that the little saying that your group says?" Steve asked, snapping the scoop out of my hand.

"Yeah. El made the saying... Steve, I didn't lie. I just wanted to get to work...and...and..."

"Hey? Are you two going to work or not? No sibling rivalry. Today's a busy day! Like really busy! Already" Robin shouted as she opened the glass windows.

"Geez! We're coming? Aren't we?" Steve shouted back.

Soon the three of us scooped ice cream and made floats all day until lunch. We had taken shifts, but it was mostly Steve and me who were working since Robin took our morning shifts. Steve had gone in the back, leaving Robin and me at the counter. An elderly couple had come in to get ice cream. Maybe I'll end up with Dustin like that.

"Have a nice day..." Robin sighed, handing them a couple of their ice cream. Robin was bored out of her mind.

I slipped into the back to take a quick five minute break and grab a refill of sample spoons and napkins. Steve was leaning against the wall and he stared at me as I walked in. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my backpack. "What do you want? What's the look for,"