𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐖𝐎 - bribery-flavoured

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 𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍 long for Scarlet and Robin to come scurrying back inside Scoops Ahoy with nothing but looks of utter achievement plastered all over their faces.

 Robin had tugged Scarlet along, twisting through the maze of the mall all the while dodging teens like a bunch of bumper cars; she had led them to the County Recorders Office, the very place in which plans for every building within Hawkins were kept. From blueprints to details on plumbing, it was all there... and the plans for Starcourt were now snug within Robin's pale fingers.

 It had taken a bribe or two... or, rather, the handful and a half of tips that Robin had scooped up on their way out but it was worth it, for as Robin spread the scroll over the metal table tucked away within the break room, they all crowded around with intrigue.

 Dustin grinned, his finger tailing over the edge of the paper while Steve merely stood back with hands firmly planted upon his hips, a brow high on his forehead in the utmost confusion. He could only see lines and jumbled-up letters smeared over the paper... thus his eyes stooped to Scarlets, utterly delighted to find that her stare was already directed his way. Though he knew it was likely because she knew he'd lag behind.

 "These," Scarlet said, her wrists flicking towards the paper as though introducing a celebrity to them all, "Are the complete blueprints of Starcourt Mall."

 Dustin bobbed his head; his hat had been abandoned along with his colourful backpack, both slung against the wall while his curls jostled freely atop his skull. He flicked his eyes up, glancing between Scarlet and Robin, "Not bad."

 Scarlet almost felt a sense of pride; it was strange that impressing a bunch of kids always seemed to bring such a bout of happiness to her. The need to impress people — to show them that she could help and be of use — was still there... always lurking in the depths of her mind, but she knew that even if they hadn't procured those plans... Dustin would have found something to be impressed by.

 A light hum buzzed between her lips, on the very tip of her tongue. She laid her hands flat against the paper, eyes watching intently as Robin jabbed her pointer upon the page. Robin tapped just once, "This is us, Scoops Ahoy."

 Scarlet nodded once as she reached over, "And this... is where we want to get to."

 Steve joined her side, his elbow bumping into her own. He really had no regard for personal space, something Scarlet had learned right away. He was always bumping into people, swiftly apologising... this time he didn't, he only threw a quick grin her way before craning over the tabletop.

 His brows furrowed, his own finger upon the page, bitten nails trailing around the room they wanted to reach... there was no way in, nor out... other than the door manned by a heavily armed Russian; a heavily armed Russian that Steve wasn't permitted to fight. He'd seen the look Scarlet had sent him amidst the teasing; one of warning. Narrowed eyes, downturned lips... worry in her features.

 Steve blinked, "I don't see a way in."

 "That's because there isn't," Scarlet uttered, her tone as even as can be.

 Both Scarlet and Robin had already peeked at the plans, they'd already trailed the lines of the vents, discovering that they were the only way they'd uncover their little mystery. But what was the harm in slowly letting the boys piece things together?

 The look Steve had given her made her heartthrob, his warm eyes sparkling with confusion, so very similar to Eleven's little doe eyes... his lips had pouted and Steve scratched his fingers along the base of his neck.

 She spared him, having to clear her throat before her words continued. She spotted that sly grin from Robin, the way it dropped and was swiftly replaced by feigned nonchalance the moment Scarlet narrowed her eyes, "There's no way in... through any doors. While the two of you were squabbling about Stevie's inability to fight —" Scarlet planted the palm of her hand against Steve's lips before he could so much as squeak in indignation, "— Robin had an idea."

 Robin took that as her cue. Her fingers grappled for the top sheet of the cluster of papers they'd snagged. She tossed it aside, and in turn, revealed a far more... complicated sheet of paper. Lines twisted to and fro, some intertwining with one another. There were arrows and scribbled, depictions of contraptions...

 Dustin needed but a second to figure it out, "Air ducts."

 It shouldn't have surprised Scarlet, really. Dustin's mind was unlike any other. She'd visited him — with Steve by her side, of course — at his home so very many times and his mother had been nothing less than hasty to rush them inside, fill their guts with cookies and orange juice before leaving them and her beloved Dusty at the kitchen table.

 More often than not, Dustin would merely state that he wanted Scarlet's help, a slight burst of crimson to shape a piece of metal for one of his inventions. But really, Dustin just felt as though they listened to him more. Mike would spin anything he'd said to involve Eleven, and Lucas would follow behind... all the while Will slumped in his seat, trying his best to put on a happy face while Dustin spoke. He liked that his friends were happy, but he hated the rift that had already begun to tear them apart.

 Scarlet and Steve were different. They'd sit at the table, each of them watching intently as Dustin spun his plans to face them... Steve might have needed a little further explanation, and though Dustin would always pretend to be exasperated, he quite enjoyed going into depth; and he loved when they'd smile and nod, giving him their utmost attention.

 Robin snapped her fingers, "Exactly!" She chimed, grinning at Dustin without a hint of mocking for the very first time, "Turns out that this secret little room needs air ducts like any normal old room."

 Scarlet lifted her head, a slight jut of her chin pointing towards the duct on the wall as she slowly pried her fingers from Steve's lips, utterly unaware of the way his eyes followed each little movement and twitch of her fingers. 

 The ducts perpetually made a little rattling noise, and always seemed to hum whenever it was cooler outside, but it would do the job in getting them where they needed to go... if someone could fit inside.

 "These air ducts," Scarlet said, watching as the boys followed her sight, peering at the vents high upon the white walls, "Lead all the way from here, to the very room we want to get to."

 Robin scurried towards the whiteboard still smothered in Russian dialect. She plucked the glaring red pen, and the moment her converse had squeaked to a stop, she tossed the cap aside. A long red line was drawn over the paper, trailing from Scoops Ahoy, right to the place they needed to go.

 They had their way in... they just needed to get there.

 "Yeah, I'm not so sure..." Steve trailed off, looking between both Dustin and Scarlet. He'd managed to procure a ladder from God knows where — as well as a screwdriver that Dustin had miraculously tucked within his backpack — and unscrewed the bolts holding the air duct in place. It smelt damp and dingy, a hollow little tunnel that echoed with every little movement.

 It was tight, it was tiny. Smaller than a crawlspace. Steve droned, his knees bending ever so slightly just so that he could meet Scarlet's levelled gaze. He promptly ignored the hearty scowl she directed toward him.

 "I don't think either of you will fit in there, even you —" He flicked Scarlet's cheek, almost snickering when she huffed and batted him away. Dustin might have been a kid, the youngest of them all, but Scarlet was the smallest; with Dustin's growth spurt during his time at camp, he now stood at a proud five-foot-four, while Scarlet had to argue just to add a half-inch onto her measly five-foot-one.

 Dustin, as ever, wouldn't take no for an answer. He clambered up the ladder, peering into the dark little space and promptly hopped back down. He nodded, "One of us will."

 Scarlet knew it was wishful thinking, she'd taken a moment or two to glance at the little tunnel one of them would be asked to crawl within; it was hardly big enough for a ten-year-old, let alone either of the teens, no matter how short they were.

 While Scarlet might have been their best option, she grimaced and her stomach twisted with nothing but dread. The mere thought of forcing herself into a confined little space, while nothing but darkness stared on from ahead — it was exactly like her time at the laboratory.

 With her indignation, with her reservations at the experiments they'd concoct... she'd shake her head and refuse, only to find herself thrown within a damp little room while all light was stolen away the moment the door was slammed shut.

 She'd broken within that room; from clawing at her own skin and leaving behind scars that glittered like pearls, to screaming and crying until she couldn't even whisper through her damaged throat. It lingered, even to this day... the lights had faltered in the cabin just months ago and scarlet had found herself tucked into a corner with tears streaming down her red cheeks.

 Hopper had done the very same as he had so many times. He had cradled her head close to his chest, asked her to focus on his heart beating beneath his ribcage while she breathed in time with his rising chest.

 There wouldn't be anybody to help her within the vents if she broke down... if flashes of Papa — Doctor Brenner — came to her... she didn't think she'd ever find a way out again.

 But the resolute voice of Dustin Henderson shattered that worry.

 "I'll go." He said without even a shred of room for an argument.

 Dustin witnessed it first hand with Eleven — what the tight spaces could do to somebody who had been punished for every little mistake, forced to live in the darkness while the walls closed in around them. He'd seen the grimace on Scarlet's lips, the blank stare she'd nailed to the wall... he wouldn't let her. She was a hero, that much was true, but Dustin had resolved himself as her side-kick; the one to do the things that she couldn't quite manage.

 Scarlet looked to her side, right where Dustin as stood. His chest had puffed out, his eyes narrowed with nothing but pure determination. Her heart flared, completely enamoured by his willingness to keep her away from her fears — those kids were so very kind to her, even when she felt as though she was undeserving of their kindness.

 Still, Scarlet placed a hand on his shoulders, willing for her fingers would stop rattling like autumn leaves carried by a gust of hearty wind, "I can go."

 It was just a whisper, but Dustin had heard it as though she'd screamed. He shook his head, and rather than throw a little pity party, rather than act as though he was doing her a favour, Dustin merely bumped into her side, "No collar bones, remember?"

 "Uh... excuse me?" Robin stammered. She blinked twice at Dustin, eyes assessing the way his arms bent... he definitely had some bones at least. She slinked forwards, abandoning the pen she'd been scribbling on her shoes with, hardly caring as it clattered onto the ground.

 Steve answered for him, a hand brushing through the air as though it was no big deal, "Oh yeah, he's got some disease. Chry — uh..." He swallowed, glancing at Scarlet.

 "Cleidocranial dysplasia."

 "That one! He's missing bones and stuff." Steve shrugged, "He can bend like Gumbo."

 "You mean Gumby." Robin corrected.

 "I'm pretty sure it's Gumbo."

 Scarlet snorted, her hand scooping up the pen abandoned on the floor, she slapped into Robin's awaiting palm while trailing her eyes to the shoes her friend had been scrawling all over. She'd drawn a lovely little image of a pair of — well, she wasn't being very subtle, was she?

 "Nope. It's Gumby." Scarlet eventually disclosed, tearing her eyes away from the drawing. She shared a look with Robin; a brow high and lips failing to remain thinned... Robin beamed.

 "Really?"

 "Yep."

 "Oh..." Steve let out a small chuckle, his cheeks slowly growing pinker the longer she stared at him, her lips tugging wider and wider, eyes narrowing in mirth. He hated when people laughed at him, and yet Steve could only ever find himself staring at Scarlet when she'd poke fun or tease him relentlessly.

 Neither of the two had noticed when Dustin had climbed the ladder, his head already shoved into the duct as he peered around. But Dustin had heard their words, he'd heard Steve's little breath when Scarlet had laughed... it was irritating. Not in the sense that he wished they would stop... but more so for the fact that Steve was just a bumbling fool.

 "Steve!" He cried, his voice tightening as it rose ever so high, "Stop blushing and push me!"

 Steve almost tripped over his feet. He'd turned tail the moment blush had been uttered from Dustin's annoyingly loud and wide mouth. He wanted to bury his head in the sand, perhaps he'd shove himself into the vent instead... It saved him from turning around only to spy Robin with a coy grin, and Scarlet with a smile that would send his heart racing.

 He clambered up the ladder... yet in his haste and in his bout of embarrassment from getting called out by a child, his foot slipped. Hands were swiftly planted on his back, and from the snort that sounded out, he knew with certainty that Scarlet had rushed to the rescue. He let out a breath that had lodged itself within his throat; he really couldn't go a minute without making a fool out of himself, could he?

 Scarlet peered up at him, watching the way his hair fell over his eyes as he glanced over his shoulder. She slowly removed her hands, lightly patting his back while Steve hung onto the sides of the ladder for dear life — she could spy his knuckles turning a stark white.

 She just couldn't resist.

 "Watch your step," She teased, drinking in the way his cheeks absolutely flared like a fire roaring to life, "Stevie."

 He tried to speak, really, he did... but all that came out was a small puff of air as he gaped like a little goldfish. Steve dropped his head, swiftly scaling the ladders without a further glance behind him. Robin had joined Scarlet's side, her nose scrunched in nothing but delight at the sight of his flustered face — he did not want to deal with that. So he planted his hands on Dustin's legs and began to push with all his might.

 "Careful, Scar —" Robin whispered, leaning closer, "You're going to make little Stevie-boy burst."

 Scarlet wanted to shove her away, to conceal the little smile that was already tugging her cheeks higher and higher; she loved watching as Steve's face flushed, as the tips of his ears grew completely pink and as he stumbled over his words and feet. It was endearing, it was... cute.

 But she'd get caught up in it. She'd let herself feel, for just a moment, what it would be like if she could let herself finally drown within those feelings. If they could finally cross that line that kept them just a hair apart. She'd balance on it as though it were a tightrope, and with each step she wobbled and wavered, tipping to the side that would blur the line forever. It couldn't happen. If she stepped too far, there was the chance of breaking his heart or breaking her own. She couldn't survive that, and after hearing how his relationship with Nancy had turned out, neither could Steve.

 So after relishing in those stares and those pink cheeks for just a while, she'd step back. It was terrible, but she always did it.

 Dustin's shrill voice broke Scarlet free from the confines of her thoughts. She brushed aside the longing, the guilt that ebbed away at her gut. Instead, she chuckled when Dustin's voice hit her ears, "Not my feet, dumbass! Push my ass!"

 "What?" Steve yelled back, utterly mortified.

 "Touch my butt! I don't care!"

 Steve had to take a hearty inhale to stop himself from tearing Dustin out of the vent he was currently cramped within, and tossing him to the ground. Steve exhaled and pushed.

 Scarlet and Robin had nothing better to do than watch. They'd crack the code, they'd uncovered the way into the secret room... the boys could squabble and squawk like a couple of overbearing siblings as much as they wanted.

 It was obvious that Dustin wasn't going to fit, even if he could mould his body like a blob of dough. He could curl his arms and suck in his neck as much as he wanted, but couldn't dislocate his shoulders and force them to become smaller. He couldn't remove his ribs and force his torso to squeeze through.

 They'd have to find someone else... but they didn't mention that, not yet. Watching as Steve Harrington shoved a kid into an air duct by pushing on his ass... was amusing, to say the very least.

 Robin had troubles containing her laughter; she'd hopped atop the table, pen back in hand as she chuckled and scribbled away. The tip of the pen traced over the drawing she'd made earlier, only accentuating it further — nobody would really be able to see it, after all. Scarlet had just taken a closer look.

 "I don't think this is working," Robin uttered, her tongue poking from between her lips as she curved the tip of the pen, seemingly giggling to herself as she coloured in the nipples she'd been crafting.

 Scarlet watched her work and simply couldn't help the childish breath that tumbled from her lips when Robin peered up at her. They were like a couple of kids, giggling over a pair of sketched boobs. But Robin was right, they needed somebody else to squeeze through the vent, someone smaller...

 Scarlet tossed a look over her shoulder, a sigh pausing on the very tip of her tongue. She'd only been meaning to keep an eye on the counter, ready and waiting to push Robin from the table to serve any customer looking for a sweet treat... but rather than spying a teenager with hair back-combed to the nines, or perhaps a mother and her drooling toddler, Scarlet's eyes snapped towards a little girl with vibrant beads dotted within her hair like stars in the night sky.

 Erica Sinclair.

 She was small enough, tiny, really. She could easily fit through the vents, even with a backpack slung on her shoulders; she'd be perfect.

 Scarlet almost hit herself; she was on the cusp of dragging yet another child — one who had no idea just how infested Hawkins was — into a bout of danger. Was she truly about to ask a ten-year-old to slide through rickety vents just to topple into an unknown room guarded by men and guns?

 But then Scarlet thought of Hopper and the man he was trailing. She thought of Eleven and the potential reality that these Russians might have come for her...

 Scarlet solidified her resolve and tapped Robin on her scribbling hand. As Robin looked up, her brows furrowed and a pout on her lips from having to stop colouring the boobs on the soles of her shoes, Scarlet jutted her head towards the little window, "Erica."

 Robin considered the girl, "Small? Check. Annoying? Check. Potentially willing to put herself in danger?" She dragged the last part out, eyes swiftly finding her friend once more.

 Scarlet hopped to her feet, her own pair of converse slapping against the ground as she made for the door — Robin had already tried her luck at scrawling something on the pristine fabric, or even the rubber soles... yet Scarlet had tossed the pen across the room with a scowl.

 Was Erica Sinclair willing to put herself in danger? With the right price, Scarlet knew Erica would do anything... the biggest problem was finding, and meeting, that price. She was a smart kid, and one who wanted anything and everything handed to her on a silver platter embellished with gold.

 Scarlet slid behind the counter, gliding the silver bell away before Erica could so much as tap it.

 Erica's face had filled with fury; utter and complete rage dragging her lips towards the ground. Scarlet had thought, for a mere moment, that the gates of hell would open, thunder and flames flooding through... but then Erica noticed just who had stopped her from ringing the bell and demanding scoops upon scoops of free ice cream... Erica smiled, her hands falling to her hips, one knee jutted forth.

 "My most favourite Sinclair," Scarlet hummed, planting her elbows on the counter, her chin resting atop her palm, "How are you?"

 "Your favourite Sinclair wants ice cream. Now. Where are the sailors that are obsessed with you?"

 "Obsessed?" Scarlet muttered beneath her breath, swiftly shaking her head. Her curled hair bounced, the vibrant hoops clinging to her ears clanging against one another, "I have a deal for you."

 Erica hummed, "I'm listening." She teetered forth, a single elbow planted upon the cool metal counter. Her brow had risen, her lips twitching in time. She knew whatever Scarlet would offer would be good. It always was; from trading an earlier bedtime for a handful or two of Reese's peanut butter cups to retaining her sass in exchange for a higher-rated movie.

 "So," Scarlet began, her voice hushed as though Erica's parents were around to hear every single word, "The next time I have the absolute fortune of babysitting you... you can stay up until midnight, I'll bring any movie you want, and I'll even smuggle an entire tub of mint chocolate chip... Just. For. You."

 But Erica wasn't one to simply agree and be done with the situation, oh, no... she had to know every last and little detail. She brushed a cluster of hair from her cheek, neon beads chiming against one another, "That does sound good... but what do you want from me?"

 "Yeah, I don't know." Erica drawled out, eyes peering into the dark and dreary depths of the air duct.

 With an offer that sounded too good, and too sweet, to be true, Erica had happily trailed behind Scarlet like a lost little duck, eager to see the catch of this deal. Scarlet hadn't sugar-coated a thing, she'd pointed to the vent and simply asked if Erica would weasel her way through, and open the door on the other side.

 Steve cocked his head, eyes darting from Erica and the air duct; it certainly seemed like she was small enough to squeeze through with ample breathing room, hell, unlike Dustin, she might actually be able to move her arms as she went.

  "You don't know if you can fit?" Steve asked, his lips curled in distaste; she definitely could.

 "Oh, I can fit." The smallest of their bunch retorted, her voice holding a distinctly bored edge, "I just don't know if I want to."

 Robin's arms folded over her chest; she was utterly desperate to find out what was hidden behind those doors, locked away in a room that had to be so heavily guarded. Erica was their only way, "Are you claustrophobic?"

 "I don't have phobias."

 "Okay, well, what's the problem?" Steve questioned her, hands slipping from his hips as he slumped into the metal chair beside the table.

 Scarlet was perched upon the edge of the table, legs ever so lightly swinging back and forth as she surveyed Erica. He knew she'd convince the little girl to say yes, she always had a way with those little brats. He poked her bare knee, lips twitching when she bumped his leg with the toe of her shoe, a malice-free scowl dusting her lips.

 "The problem is," Erica began, stalking her way closer to the table. Her palms collided with the surface, eyes narrowed, "I just don't think a couple extra hours, a scary movie, and a tub of ice cream is worth it."

 Scarlet met her eyes, the two of them silent in their little stare-off. Scarlet knew Erica could very well be won over with ice cream; everybody had a weakness, and it just so happened that Erica Sinclair's kryptonite was the sugary desserts in the front of the very store they were tucked within.

 Actually, Scarlet was certain that Erica would, in fact, commit multiple felonies just for a spoonful of cookie dough... But that was entirely understandable.

 Scarlet smiled, it crawled over her lips ever so slowly and a light glimmer shined from the apples of her cheeks, "What about... a banana split?"

 "I like where this is going."

 They'd secluded themselves within one of the booths; customers chittered around them, rushing by with wide-eyed looks at the utter mountain of ice cream that had been piled atop the sticky oak table.

 Erica was thriving. She had spoons digging into three different desserts, each one stuffed into her mouth, head bobbing with every sugary rush that drifted past her lips. She reached out, plucking a cherry from the banana split Robin had carried over, plucking the fruit from the stem... then she eyed the dessert within Steve's hands.

 She slid it back without a hint of remorse, "More fudge, please."

 Scarlet was certain she'd heard Steve's teeth clatter together as his jaw tightened and ticked. He clutched the banana split he'd delivered, the little basket threatening to shatter into pieces within his grasp... but he soon skulked off, leaving Scarlet, Robin and Dustin to smooth the plans of the mall over the table.

 A splodge of ice cream tumbled from Erica's spoon, a hearty puddle of chocolate soaking into the pages she stared at. Her brow rose and Robin trailed her bitten nail across the map. She followed the route they'd discovered, the air vents that would take Erica right to the very place they needed her.

 "Then we just wait till the last delivery goes out tonight... you knock out the grate, jump down, and open the door. Voila. Heist complete."

 Erica jutted her spoon forth, completely ignoring both Robin and Dustin's gaze. She settled on Scarlet, "Then you find out what's in those boxes?"

 Scarlet reached over, delighted to see a cluster of gleaming cherries settled upon a pot of cookie-dough ice cream. She pulled one free, swiftly clearing off the ice cream before taking the cherry into her mouth, head bouncing, "Yep."

 "Mhm... And you say this guard is armed?"

 Dustin intervene then, his eyes wide as he tried to reassure her, "Yes, but he won't be there."

 Scarlet could feel her sanity steadily vacating her body. She loved little Erica, really she did... but the girl was all mouth. She had held a hand out to Dustin, making his words completely die on his tongue. Even Steve had received a withering glare when he pushed the fudge-covered split her way with a little too much force.

 Then she proceeded to prattle on about the dangers she'd face. From guns to booby traps. Scarlet understood, she really did... after all the mere thought of watching one of the kids fall back into a pitfall of danger once again had already crossed her mind and made her skin buzz with a heavy coating of fear.

 But what would happen if they left this be? What would happen if they didn't check those boxes? They couldn't know if they'd make things better or worse unless they tried.

 "You know what this half-baked plan sounds like to me? Child endangerment!" Erica sprouted, her elbows clattering against the table. Her pointer was flung Robin's way, hastily switching to glare at Dustin.

 He scrambled, "We'll be in radio contact with you the whole time —"

 Erica cut him off once more, the taste of bribery-flavoured ice cream invading her senses "— Child endangerment!"

 Their arguing, the back and forth... it was relentless. Scarlet couldn't stomach it any longer; if Erica backed out then she'd go. She'd find a way to crawl through those ducts whether it meant descending into another nightmare... whether it meant reconstructing the metal shell around her with the power settled upon her palms.

 "Okay! Enough!" Scarlet hollered, her voice shrill and high. It rattled through the air, shaking Erica's bones, rattling Steve, Robin and Dustin who all stared in bewilderment.

 Only Steve had heard her yell in such a way before; back when he'd been adamant about keeping the kids out of those tunnels. She'd yelled at him, she had stared him down and eventually, she'd gotten her way.

 He knew it would be the same this time, too.

 Erica seemingly shrunk in her seat; she'd grin when her parents would yell at her, whether scolding her for simply forgetting to do her chores, or because she'd taken to pestering her older brother for the day... but hearing the girl with round cheeks, and wide pretty eyes finally snap... she couldn't hold back her shock.

 Scarlet inhaled a breath, her chest rising high before finally falling softly. Her eyes closed momentarily, air slipping back through parted lips, "Erica. We'll all be in contact with you, and there won't be any 'booby traps' because this isn't a movie —" Scarlet hushed the girl who'd made to interrupt. Erica folded her arms, "This isn't a movie. It's not a little fabled quest... You'll be just fine. We'll walk you through it, and the moment those doors are open, you can run straight back here and demand all the free samples you want."

 It was silent for a moment while Scarlet twirled a cherry stem between her fingers. She could see the hesitance still written upon Erica's features, the way the girl weighed her options. It was a steal of a deal, really... plus, Erica knew that Scarlet could have threatened to tell her mother exactly what had happened to the vase their nana had passed down to them if she said no.

 Erica may have tumbled into the thing whilst in the midst of a scuffle with Lucas; It had been his fault, he had been the one to aggravate her, and Erica had merely retaliated... the vase was the price to pay. It had laid there in a million pathetic little pieces while Erica and Lucas gaped, completely mortified. 

 Their mother would hang them out the window by their toes if she'd found out. Only, Mrs Sinclair never did find out; Scarlet had taken the fall and Mrs Sinclair had been all too eager to reassure the girl that it was just fine, that mistakes could happen... But Erica knew she could just as easily run back to her mother and spill the truth; she and Lucas certainly wouldn't receive the same kind of treatment from their mother.

 Erica had no choice. But she wasn't about to make it seem that way... so she twiddled one of the beads in her hair, swallowed her spoonful of ice cream, and sighed with simulated boredom, "Fine."

 "Fine?" Steve echoed, shuffling forwards in his seat, hands still doing their utmost to pry away the chocolate fudge sauce staining his palms.

 "I'll do it."

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15-02-2020

edited version: 05-10-22

:·ﾟ★ lol hi again, here's another update and I hope you all enjoy it.  also, idk is it weird that i wanna start asking questions at the end of chapters? so... let's start with... if you listen to music and read, what song did you listen to whilst reading this? luv ya <3

don't forget to let me know what you think; and remember that i now require a particular number of comments and feedback before i consider releasing the next part (this is just to ensure people remain engaged and supportive, as well as to allow me to see what you all enjoyed most!), and please do NOT leave comments telling me to update; they'll be ignored and you'll be muted, much love <3

this meme has absolutely nothing to do with this chapter, but i have a plethora of them that i have yet to use and this one made me GIGGLE. <3