[ 𝚃𝚠𝚒𝚐𝚜 & 𝙳𝚒𝚛𝚝 ] ~ 𝙳𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗 𝙷𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚡 𝙾𝚌

XXV - All Hands on Deck

"It is fascinating what twenty bucks will get you at the County Recorder's Office." Robin told the group as she laid a map of Starcourt out on the Scoops Ahoy break room table. "Starcourt Mall." She creased it out from the center. "The complete blueprints."

"Not bad." Dustin beamed.

"So, this is us, Scoops," she pointed at a location on the map close to her, "and this is where we want to get." The next spot was all the way on the other side, expectantly.

"Fuck that's far-" Lucy murmured under her breath, getting a light slap to the arm from Steve. She hardly even felt it to be honest.

"Yeah, but. . .how?" Lucy questioned at the same time her brother complained, "I mean, I don't really see a way in."

"I'm on smarts levels with Steve now? Fuck-" Lucy huffed, leaning her head on Dustin's shoulder with a slight, fake, frown.

"There's not. If you're talking exclusively about doors." Robin answered, pulling the top map off to reveal another with more details and connections from rooms to the others. They seemed to travel through the walls. . .vents. 

"We're gonna use the vent system." Russell chimed, pointing her head at a vent near the ceiling that was just across from the window between the Scoops floor and the break room.

"Exactly." Robin grinned, nodding and walking over to the white board. "Turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room." She took the dry erase marker before turning directly around and coming back to the group.

"And these air ducts," Robin circled the secret room and started tracing the vent path they'd have to take. "Lead all the way," she kept her line going, ". . .here." She circled Scoops, putting a big red 'x' over the vent.

The five of them all looked up at the vent. After a few minutes, Russell left to the back halls and came back in the room with a ladder. She leaned it against the wall with the vent, starting up the steps. Lucy went to grab a screwdriver and flashlight, figuring those would be helpful, and when she turned back around, her brother had his hands on Russell's hips. 

Lucy walked over and handed Russell the screwdriver she found, getting a smile and a "Thank you, Luce," in return.

"You'll need this too." Lucy held up the flashlight, waiting until Russell had the screws and the vent off before it was taken from her hand.

Russell switched the light on, looking through the small opening with a slight frown. "Lucy might be able to fit, but I don't think any of us could realistically."

"I can try." Lucy offered, immediately getting shut down with a loud and firm 'no' from both Steve and Dustin. ". . .Never mind then." Lucy huffed, sitting back in a chair at the table."

"I'll fit." Dustin said. "Trust me, no collar bones, remember?"

"I'm sorry what-" Russell questioned immediately as she came down from the ladder.

"Uh, excuse me?" Robin followed.

"Oh, he's uh. . .Yeah, he's got some disease." Steve started, looking confused himself as the words came from his mouth. "Chry- Uh- It's chrydo. . .uhm. . .something. Yeah, I dunno. He's missing bones and stuff. He can bend like Gumbo."

"Cleidocranial dysplasia." Lucy said nonchalantly with a shrug.

"What-" Russell repeated.

"You mean Gumby?" Robin seemed to find correcting Steve more important than understanding the word Lucy had just said.

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

"It's not." Lucy rolled her eyes, a small smile playing at her lips. She was still smarter than Steve. Thank fuck. "Gumbo is a type of soup, Gumby is the bendy guy."

"I'm pretty sure I know more than my kid sister abou-"

"Steve, just shut up and push me!" Dustin cut them all off.

"Okay." Steve dramatically pointed at the young teen who was half hanging out of the air vent and started up the ladder. Russell was stood right there at the bottom, holding the ladder to make sure it didn't fall while the boys were on it. "I'll push ya." Steve said, taking Dustin's feet in his hands and shoving.

"Not my feet, dumbass. Push my ass."

"What?"

"Touch my butt! I don't care!"

Steve stepped one further up the ladder, pushing Dustin from the butt instead of his ankles.

"Come on! Harder!"

"I'm pushing!" Steve countered.

"Push harder!" Dustin's voice croaked.

Steve stepped up more to try and get better leverage, Dustin's legs over his shoulder.

"You're playing with my legs."

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

"It's fine." Robin grinned. "If you fall and hurt yourself, Lucy can patch you up. She's good at that stuff."

Lucy shrugged a nod, knowing it to be true.

"Come on!"

"I'm gonna just shove you, ready?"

"Just shove me?"

"One, two. . ." Steve pushed.

"Shit-"

"That work?"

The bell dung in the front, getting a slight look of annoyance from Robin.

"One more time!" Dustin insisted.

"Ahoy, sailors! All hands on deck! Ahoy!" It was Lucas's little sister, Erica. She was pressing the bell over and over and over, insistent on her ice cream. "Come on. Get over here and serve me some samples."

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Word Count - 866

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Published - November 14, 2023

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