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IV.  BLUE RASPBERRY SLUSHEES
(   CHAPTER  FOUR.  )

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          IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT WHEN ANNABELLE finally cracked the last part of the code. 2AM, to be exact. To say she was excited was an understatement. It was an odd code, she could say that for sure-- but it just made her realize that her suspicion about the code being a riddle correct. And was she going to wait until she saw her friends again to tell them the news? Absolutely not. So, she leaned over her desk to grab her walkie talkie given to her by Oswin himself.

          She dragged the antenna upwards and pressed the side button down. "Are you guys up? Please tell me you guys are up, I have amazing news."

          "As if I would ever be sleeping, Belle." Vivian's soft voice traveled through the walkie talkie and Annabelle smiled with relief.

          "Of course. How could I forget about the night owl herself."

          "Now you know how to use the walkie talkie?" Oswin scoffed through the speaker.

          "You guys better have a good reason for waking me up at two in the fucking morning," Amari groaned out.

          Vivian laughed. "Of course I know how to use it. I'm not dumb. I just didn't wanna talk to you last time."

          "That's a bit mean, Viv," Robert joined the friend group's conversation with a tired voice.

          "Oh, shut up Rocket." Vivian giggled, and she rolled her eyes-- though none of them could see that she did.

          "Whatcha guys talkin' about," Miles asked.

          "I just wanted to tell you guys what the Russian code says." Annabelle tried to rub the fatigue out of her eyes with her right hand, the walkie talkie in her left.

          Oswin sat upright in his bed. "You cracked the code?!"

          "Yeah." Annabelle smiled.

          "Well, what is it?" Vivan questioned.

          Annabelle sighed and looked down at her notepad. "The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. A trip to china sounds nice if you tread lightly."

          "What the fuck does that even mean," Vivian asked.

          "It's a riddle, dumbass." Oswin rolled his eyes.

          "What does the riddle mean, then," Miles inquired.

          "Obviously, I'm not sure yet or else I would've told you guys. All I know is that the code isn't exactly from Russia. It was from the mall. I could hear that horse ride playing in the background."

          Robert sighed from his spot on his bed and pushed himself off and onto his carpet. He listened to his friends talk about the riddle as he grabbed a pen and paper, and he started to sketch out a blueprint of the StarCourt mall. He labeled all the stores from both floors of the mall, from the food court to the yoga groups. He needed a better visualization of the mall to figure the riddle out.

          "A trip to china," he breathed out. "China. China. A trip to China..." Robert paused. "The China food place."

          He walked back over to his nightstand that he kept next to his bed and grabbed the walkie talkie. "Guys,listen up."

          "Yes, sir," Vivian said mockingly.

          "What's up, Rocket," Oswin said.

          Robert took the walkie talkie with him to gaze over the mini blueprint he sketched out within ten minutes. A pretty nice skill, if you asked him.  "A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly. The man is talking about the China food place and the shoe store on the second floor."

          "Really?" Amari was in slight disbelief.

          "What else would it be? It's pretty logical, isn't it," Robert chuckled. He was sure as hell he was right. Thinking everything else though, no other store really made sense. What other China focused store was even in that mall besides the food place? Not one.

          Vivian nodded to herself. "Yeah. He's right."

          "You got anything else for us, Rocket," Oswin asked.

          "Not currently, sorry. It's the only thing I could really think of," Robert replied.

          "Oh my gosh, did I miss something? I'm so sorry," Marron's small voice came through her friends walkie talkies, and it was clear they woke her up.

           A loud laugh came from Amari's end. "You kinda missed Annabelle and Rocket totally cracking most of that Russian code, Candy."

          "Wow, I'm sorry guys."

          "Don't apologize. It's late anyway. We all should've been sleeping," Annabelle consoled.

          Marron mumbled out a small 'okay' before her drooping eyes closed once again, and she quickly fell back asleep after pushing down her walkie talkie's antenna.

         "We can finish talking about this with Dustin tomorrow. Just go to sleep for now." Oswin climbed back under his covers. "That means you too, Vivian. Go to sleep."

          Vivian rolled her eyes and flopped down on her bed. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ossie. Goodnight."

          Everybody said their collective goodbyes before pushing down their antennas and setting them down, ready to get some rest for tomorrow's unknowingly long journey.

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          "SPEED THE HELL UP BEFORE I SMACK THE shit out of you, Phillips," Amari threatened her friend, who was pedaling his bike slugishly-- and it was annoying Amari. And to be stuck behind the kid was even more agonizing for her. She could go around him either, because on either side in front of him were Miles and Marron on their bikes.

          It was ten o'clock in the morning, but they needed to get to the mall early to meet up with their new friends again. Friends that most of the group still haven't even met until that day.

          Oswin made sure to speed up slightly, complying to Amari's demands. "Jesus, sorry. This fast enough for you?"

          "Perfect." Amari smirked. She sped up slightly as well, given the freedom to move at a pace she was most comfortable at.

          They all parked and chained their bikes on the side of the StarCourt entrance. Ten in the morning and the mall was already starting to become significantly large. Robert opened the door closest to him and stood behind it, holding it open for the rest of his friends to walk through.

          "Wow, what a nice boy you are ," Vivian teased.

          Robert laughed with a shake of his head as she passed through. He let the door close behind himself after the last of them all, Marron, walked inside with a small 'thank you' passing her lips.

          "I will never get tired about how big this mall is," Miles commented.

          Oswin immediately made a beeline for Scoops Ahoy, and it caused his friends to follow him in shock with how determined and fast he became to find Dustin, Robin, and Steve.

          "Slow down, Sonic," Vivian called.

          Oswin didn't reply to Vivian until they actually reached the ice cream parlor. "Sorry. I'm kinda rushing."

          "We can tell," Amari chuckled.

          A whistle sounded from the side of the group, and they all turned their heads to look for the host of the noise. Robin leaned against the back counter with a smirk once she knew that she got their attention.

          "Dang, weirdo, you actually showed up..." She let her eyes wander among the group of young teenagers. "And you brought more of you. Fantastic."

          "Yeah. Uh... these are my friends-- Miles, Marron, Robert, Stella, and Amari. You already met Vivian and Belle." Oswin introduced each of his friends one by one, using his index finger to point to each of them while they gave a wave or a 'hi' or 'hello'.

          Robin nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Nice to meet you all." She locked eyes with Annabelle, who held a small notepad in her right hand. "Did you crack the code?"

          "Yeah, I did, actually. Found out it was a riddle," Annabelle softly replied.

          "Really," Robin raised her eyebrows. "Lemme see. Show me, show me, show me."

          Annabelle walked behind the counter while the others stood in front of it, and she set the opened notepad down on the back counter that Robin was leaning against. Robin's nose and eyebrows scrunched up as she read and then reread the code-- or riddle.

          "The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly." She looked up at Annabelle. "I'm confused. Did you find out what it meant?"

          Annabelle shook her head. "The only thing we figured out-- well, Rocket figured out-- is that they're referencing that China food place and shoe store when they say 'A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly'. We couldn't figure out the rest."

          "I'll try and help with the rest. You guys can sit in the back or whatever. Or get ice cream... just make sure you wash your hands before you do it, though." Robin motioned her hand towards the side door that lead to the break room behind her. "'Cause I'm not getting it for you."

          Oswin furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait, but where's Steve and Dustin? Aren't they supposed to be here?"

          "They're upstairs looking for god knows what. They have suspicions on who might be the Russian guy in the recording." Robin rolled eyes in the midst of speaking.

          "You guys know the code from the mall too?" Miles asked.

          "Yeah, Steve figured it out last night when we were closing. He played that stupid horse ride that just moves in place. Same music."

          Oswin nodded. "Let's get to cracking this code then, I guess."

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MARRON SAT CROSS-LEGGED ON THE FLOOR next to the chair Miles was sitting on in the Scoops Ahoy break room. The group of friends-- excluding Oswin who went to go look for Dustin and Steve-- sat in chairs and on the table and floor as the all licked at their ice cream they had gotten. Ice cream that Robin ended up scooping for them though she claimed she wasn't going to.

"Hey, Miles. You wanna try mine?" Marron lifted her arm so that she was holding her ice cream up in front of Miles's face.

Miles's gaze flickered down to look at Marron before he looked back up at her ice cream. "What flavor is it," he asked hesitantly. The color was a light pink. A shade of pink that usually meant one of two flavors. Strawberry or--

"Just peach," Marron said casually.

Miles quickly retracted his head from the close proximity with Marron's peach flavored ice cream, a sour face overtaking his features. "Gonna have to pass on that. Sorry, Candy."

"Why," Marron asked with a giggle. She was quite amused by his reaction.

Amari smiled at them from across the table. "Miles hates peaches. Remember?"

Marron looked from Amari to Miles, confused. "But it's not actually peaches. Just an ice cream flavor."

"Still tastes like a peach, Candy." An apologetic smile was shown off by Miles when Marron frowned at him.

"Alright." Marron brought her arm back down and resumed eating her ice cream, leaning against the leg of Miles's chair.

Vivian and Annabelle stood by the counter where the sliding windows separated the break room and the front of the parlor. The windows were open, and Robin stood on the other side as she went over the riddle on the notepad that was sitting between the three of them.

It was hard for the girls to concentrate though, for a little girl, Erica, Vivian and Belle learned, was continuously ringing the bell on the counter with her little group of friends standing with her.

Robin looked at Vivian and Belle with an annoyed gaze before she turned around with a sigh. "What?"

Erica gave her tight smile with a tilt to her head. All sass. "I would like to try the chocolate vanilla swirl, please."

"No. No more samples today." Robin shook her head with a small smile.

Erica scrunched her face up and crossed her arms. "Why not?"

"Because you're abusing our company policy!"

Erica huffed. "Where's the sailor man?"

Vivian leaned forward through the window, resting her weight on her forearms. "He can't help you right now. So buy it or beat it, kid." She raised her eyebrows at Erica and a challenging look took over her features.

"Fine," Erica said, and she turned out to leave, her friends following suit.

Robin turned back to Vivian. "I like you," she said, smiling.

Vivian smiled in return. "I'm glad."

          "Vivian's just mean and scary," Robert commented with a smirk right before licking his ice cream. His smirk turned into a smile when he and Vivian made eye contact.

          Vivian scoffed. "Scary?! Then how come you aren't scared of me?" she pouted.

          Robert shrugged with innocence. He licked his ice cream again. "Because... you're also like... two feet tall. I could squish you with my foot if I wanted to."

Vivian's mouth hung open in shock. "Excuse me? Rocket, I will shove that ice cream so far down your throat-" she cut herself off when a knock came from the door leading to the back hallway.

"Oh, that's the delivery guy." Robin hopped through the windows and over the counter. She walked over and opened the door, a smile plastered onto her face as a greeting. Yet, looking at the silver cat on the guy's shirt, things started to piece together in her mind and her smile slowly faded.

After the guy gave her the packages and she signed the paper for him, he wished her a nice day— to which Robin returned— and turned around. As he walked away, Robin stared at the back of his work shirt. It was a cat. A silver cat.

"The silver cat," she mumbled to herself. Realization hit her hard, and she quickly turned out to run out of the parlor.

The group of teenagers looked confused as they watched Robin dart out of the break room and into the middle of the mall, and they followed her out— walking instead of running.

She passed Oswin, Dustin, and Steve-- who were just returning from their little spy mission upstairs. "Robin, you will not believe who Dustin thought was a Russian," Steve said.

"You did too!" Dustin looked at Steve with bewilderment.

"I did not," Steve replied. "Wait-- Robin where are you going."

Robin skid to a stop in the middle of the mall, looking up and down, all around. She searched for the China place. "Trip to China sounds nice." Her eyes settled on the food store, and she looked back down at Annabelle's notepad she snatched on the way out.

"Tread lightly... the shoe store." She looked up at the shoe store prior to glancing once again at the notes. "When blue meets yellow in the west... blue meets yellow in the west." Robin repeated herself quietly as she scanned the mall for anything blue and yellow.

The clock on the wall caught her eye, and Robin stared at it in deep thought. "Blue meets yellow in the west," she said and smiled, proud of herself.

"Robin, what the hell are you doing?" Steve looked up at her from the ground. She was standing on one of the benches by the large plants. The other kids stood with him, and they waited for her response.

"I just cracked your little Russian riddle," she smiled with confidence.

Marron clapped enthusiastically. "That's so exciting, oh my god!"

"Yeah, very exciting. Can we take a break from this spy shit though? I need food real quick," Steve complained.

"I was thinking the same. I'm probably gonna go get a slushee or something. Anybody want one?" Robert asked his friends. Nearly all of them passed up on the offer, deciding to get a hot dog or sandwich instead, but Miles nodded his head.

"I'll give you money for mine. You don't have to pay for me." Miles reached into his shorts pocket for a couple bucks.

"You can just come along," Robert offered.

"Yeah, just tag along with us," Vivian said.

Robert looked at her, confused. "You're coming too?"

"Duh," Vivian laughed. "Pay for mine, please? Just this once?"

"Sure, why not." Robert rolled his eyes.

"Good." Vivian took ahold of Robert's hand in a flash, pulling him away from their group of friends instantly. It caused Robert to stumble a bit as he followed her by the pull of her arm. "C'mon Miles, don't fall behind! We have slushees to get!"

          "Uh, maybe I'll just stay back," Miles laughed as he watched Vivian drag Robert away.

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"VIVIAN, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME trip with how fast you're going," Robert said as he was continuously yanked by his arm to get to where Vivian wanted to be. Miles was hot on their tail, laughing at them and how ridiculous Robert looked trying not to trip over his own feet.

          Vivian glanced back at Robert. "You're six foot. You have longer legs than me, you should be able to easily catch up with me."

          "Yeah, if I would be able to catch up with you if I wasn't already a million steps behind you when you first started dragging me to get a damn drink."

          "You're such a smartass sometimes, you know that?"

          "And you aren't?"

          "Not as much as you are." Vivian slowed down. "There. You happy?"

          "About being dragged halfway across the mall? No, not really."

          The two friends walked into the candy store, heading straight for the slushee machine. "I kinda want the cherry one, not gonna lie." Vivian looked up at Robert with a smile, waiting to see what flavor he was going to get.

          Robert looked down at Vivian. "Are you kidding? Have you ever tried the blue raspberry? Because if not, you should. It's really good."

          "Eh, I'm more a cherry kinda girl."

          "Well, can you switch to being a blue raspberry kinda girl for today? Just try it for me, it'll make me happy," Robert smiled.

          Vivian shook her head at him with a giggle. "No! why would I wanna make you happy?"

          "Wow," Robert feigned a hurtful expression. "That kinda hurt, Viv."

          "I'm kidding. I'll try it. As long as I can get a large," Vivian protested and she pointed her index finger at him as she raised her eyebrows.

          "Anything for the queen," Robert teased.

          Vivian laughed with Robert while she pulled the metal lever to fill up her large cup with the blue raspberry slushee.

          Robert reached over and grabbed Vivian the half-circle lid for her cup, handing it to her. "You're supposed to put the lid on before you fill it up, you know that right?" He cuckled and let her put the lid on before she placed the metal dispenser to fit into the hole, and he pulled the lever to fill it all the way up to the top.

          "Thanks," Vivian manged through her fit of giggles, slightly embarrassed.

          Robert shrugged his shoulders as if to say it really wasn't a big deal. "Just lookin' out for ya. Gotta get as much as you can, right?"

          Vivian smiled. "Yeah."

          She waited for Robert to finish filling up his slushee as well so they could walk up to the cashier together.

          "You don't want anything else, do you?" Robert asked.

          Vivian immediately shook her head no. "I'm more a sour than sweet person anyway. Besides, you're already paying for my drink."

          "I don't mind."

          "Well, I do. So let's just pay and get out of here."

          Robert complied, and walked up to the cashier, taking a five dollar and setting it on the counter. "Two large slushees."

          "You want the change," asked the cashier.

          The boy shook his head, letting out a polite 'no, you can keep the change'. Vivian smiled kindly from behind him, tilting her head. Robert saw the smile on her face when he turned around, and he laughed.

          "What are you smiling about?"

          Vivian shrugged. "Nothing. You're just a nice person sometimes."

          "Sometimes?"

          "Yeah, sometimes. I'm not going to actually compliment you, ew."

          Robert found an empty bench and sat down, motioning for Vivian to follow suit. "You should be extra nice, I paid for you," he joked.

          "True. Oh, and the blue raspberry is good by the way. I like it." Vivian slurped on the red straw that sat in her drink.

          "Yes," Robert cheered. "See, what I'd tell you? Amazing flavor."

          Vivian nodded, looking at him. She realized he was wearing a bucket hat-- something she's never seen on him before. At least she doesn't recall seeing it on him before. "Since when did you wear bucket hats?"

          "I had a couple just sitting in my room and figured why not wear one," Robert replied.

           Vivian reached up with one hand, taking the hat off of Robert's head-- though it was slightly difficult because he was somehow still taller than her when they were sitting down-- and she placed upon her own head, looking at him with innocence as if she didn't just steal his hat.

          "So we're stealing hats, now?" Robert asked.

          "I guess so." A bright smile lit up Vivian's face as she and Robert looked at one another. Robert couldn't help the smile that was starting to form on his face as well-- Vivian had a pretty contagious smile, anyone who met her could say that. "Why are you smiling," she asked through a giggle.

          "Why are you smiling," Robert laughed out.

          "I don't know!"

          His eyes flickered up to his hat. "You know... yellow is a good color on you. I do have to say that."

          "Really?" A blush made it's onto Vivian's face.

          Robert smirked. "Yeah, makes you look even cuter." He looked away and back to Vivian, who was blushing up a storm. It made his smirk widen.

          "Shut up and take your stupid hat back." She laughed it off, hitting Robert with his hat. He laughed with her, taking the hat and putting it back on his head. "You're getting too bold."

          "Aw, you don't want the hat anymore!?"

          Vivian huffed. "No! You're gonna keep making my face get all red."

          "Then just don't let your face get red."

          Vivian laughed. "That's it, I'm going back to Oswin. You're too much sometimes," she joked.

          "Wait, I'm coming too, then!"

          "Of course you are." Vivian rolled her eyes.

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totally not me being obsessed with a relationship
between two characters, whaaaatttt????????????