𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

ix. massive gun.

DURING HIS lunch break, James spent it in the back room of Scoops Ahoy. "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 out." Dustin explained to them and James sighed. "But there's gotta be a way in." Robin said and James looks up.

"Yeah... Like—" "I could just take him out." Steve said and James looks at him. "Aw, like on a date? Stevie, that's cute, yeah, take the—" "No, like... I sneak up behind him, I knock him out and I just take the keycard. It's easy." He says and James just slowly shakes his head, smirking.

"Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" Dustin asked him and James looks over at Steve. "Yes, Dustin, I did. And that's why I would be sneaking." Steve explained to them. "Ah... Well, please, tell me, and be honest, have you ever actually... won a fight?" Dustin asked and James chuckled lightly. "Okay... That was one time," Steve looked directly at James.

"Twice. Jonathan, year prior." James smirked as he leaned over. "Listen here," Steve whispered and James just chuckled lowly. "We need to find another way into that room, okay? Steve and his ego won't really help." He says, "that just might work." Robin got up suddenly, leaving the back room. "Rob?" James said with furrowed brows.

They watch her take money from the tip jar, "Hey, Robin! What are you doing?" Steve asked as they leave the back room as well. "I need cash," she said, backing up. "Well, half of that's mine! Where are you going?" Steve asked the blonde.

"To find a way into that room, a safe way. And in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave and don't get beat up." She sounded like a mom scolding her sons and James sighed, hiding his face behind his hands. "I'll be back in a jiff." James looked at Steve and Dustin, his boyfriend grabbing a scooper Dustin was holding in his hands, licking ice cream off it. "Oh, dude! Come on, man, not my scooper."

"Okay, well my lunch break is over and when I'm done with work, I'm gonna be on my way back down here, okay?" He tells Steve who nodded, smiling at him. "See ya." He said as James grabbed his stuff and went on back to Waldenbooks.

While he was stacking books, James saw someone walking down the aisle he was on. "James fucking Hopper." He looked and saw a boy he use to go to school with. "Joseph Wesley." He sighed and set the book onto the shelf. "What's up?" He said as he crossed his arms and Joe smiles.

"Heard you got into NYU." He said and James chuckled. "No one knows that, not even my dad." He says and Joe shrugs. "That little eighth grader seems to know, with the curly hair." He gestured around his head and James sighs. "Yeah... going to NYU before summer's over." He shrugged and looked down. "Cool... so am I." Joe said and he glanced up. "Cool. Maybe we'll see each other around campus." James simply shrugged. "Yeah, maybe so." Joe said, grabbing a book.

"See ya around," he said as he passed by James and went over to the counter where he could pay for the book. James sighed and continued stacking the shelves and doing other stuff around the store, even working the cashier when his boss told him to before finally five o'clock came.

"Okay, I'm heading out, Mr. Davidson." He said as he took off his vest. "Alright, James, see you tomorrow." The man waved as he looked through some paperwork. He passed by his coworker who was gonna be working the next few hours on his way out. He heads down the escalator, passing the people who were on there as well.

He rushed into Scoops Ahoy and went past the little gate and entered the back room to find Dustin halfway in a vent and Steve pushing him. "Touch my butt! I don't care!" Dustin shouted and James' eyes widen. "Excuse me?" He says.

"What's... going on?" He asked as he walked over to Robin who sighs as the two kept shouting at one another despite the fact Dustin's head is in the vent and Steve is outside of the vent. "Dustin thinks he can fit inside the vent..." She said and James looked behind her. "I think we have our answer right over there." He nods and she turned around to see Erica Sinclair, Lucas' little sister at the counter.

She was tapping the bell on the top of counter, "ahoy, sailors! All hands on deck! Ahoy!" She said as she continued to tap the bell. "Come on. Get over here and serve me some samples." She said and Robin turned to look at James with a small smile on her face. "You really think so?" Robin asked with an eyebrow raise and he nods.

"I know Lucas, Dustin knows Lucas and so does Steve, that's his younger sister." He said before walking over to Steve. "Hey, get down. Dustin, get down." He said and both didn't listen. "Why!" Dustin yelled and James just sighs.

"Please get down." He said and both of them did so, turning to him as Dustin rubbed his shoulder. "Uh... we have someone in mind who can actually fit in the vent." He tells them and Dustin huffs. "Who?" He asked right away, sounding offended. "Lucas' sister... Erica." He says and Steve furrowed his brows, both he and Dustin share a look.

"Erica Sinclair? The sample kid?" Steve says and James nodded with a small smile. "Let me do all the talking." He says before walking out to where Erica was standing. She peered up at him since she was much shorter than he was.

Like... over a foot taller. "Hey kid." He leaned down with a small smile. "I got a proposition for you..." He says and she looked back at Robin, Dustin and Steve in the backroom. "Why should I trust you?" She said and he shrugs. "I'm a man of my word, just trust me, this is something you'll wanna be apart of, Sinclair." He gestured and she followed.

"That vent, up there, can you fit in it?" He asked and she gave him a confused look. "And why do you need to know that?" She said with her hands going onto her hips. "Just... answer the question, okay?" He patted her shoulder and she sighs.

  

  

  

   

   

    

    

    

    

   

authors note watch james adopt erica