Complicated • Stranger Things

21 - The Sauna Test

"That keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun," Dustin said. "Whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it."

It was the next day and the four of us were in Scoops Ahoy, trying to come up with a plan to get into that room with all the boxes.

"But there's gotta be a way in," Robin stated.

"Well, you know..." Steve started, "I could just take him out."

I couldn't help but laugh. He said it so seriously, yet everyone knew he couldn't fight.

"Take who out?" Robin asked.

"The Russian guard," Steve said nonchalantly. We all just 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 asked.

"Yes, Dustin, I did," Steve told him. "And that's why I would be sneaking."

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

"Okay, that was one time–"

"Uh, what about that time with Jonathan?" I interrupted him.

"Listen, that doesn't count," Steve said.

"Why doesn't it count?" Dustin asked. "Because it looked like he beat the shit out of you."

Dustin and Steve then started arguing about the whole thing while Robin stood up and rushed out the door. She stopped by the tip jar and grabbed all the dollar bills.

"Robin?" Steve asked. When Robin started running again, we all went after her. "Hey, Robin! Hey, what–what are you doing?"

"I need cash," Robin stated as she turned around and continued walking backward.

"Well, a third of that's mine," Steve said. "Where're you 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. I'll be back in a jiff." And with that, she was gone.

Steve and I looked at each other before looking over at Dustin, who was licking ice cream from the ice cream scooper.

"Oh, dude." Steve grabbed the ice cream scooper. "Come on, man, not my scooper."

After that, Steve and I served ice cream while we waited and Dustin just hung out in the back.

"What do you think she's doing?" I asked as I handed a customer their ice cream.

"No clue, but it better be good. She took, like, all the tips." Steve said.

"Oh, don't be so greedy." I elbowed him in the side.

A few minutes later, Robin came back and went straight into the back, and Steve and I quickly followed.

"It is fascinating what 20 bucks will get you at the County Recorder's Office." She said as she laid down a map on the table. "Starcourt Mall. The complete blueprints."