Starcourt Mall — Scoops Ahoy X Fellow High School Girl
I’m placing this in Season 3 “The Mall Rats” episode right when Steve’s claims he can just “Y’know, sneak up behind him knock him out, take his keys. It’s easy.” and Dustin burns Steve with “Bro OK, just be honest with me. Have you ever actually…won a fight?”
The bell over the door jingles.
Steve is halfway through complaining under his breath about his hat when Dustin lights up.
Steve winces. “Dustin, inside voice—”
Dustin is already leaning over the counter.
“She reads the dragon books.”
Steve blinks. “The— what?”
Hair down, all those natural toggle blonde catching the mall light like it doesn’t even have to try. Dark top, light bottoms. Mascara, but not heavy. Calm. Unbothered. Holding a folded bill like she’s already decided what she wants.
Because Steve Harrington is standing behind the counter in a sailor uniform.
They just stare at each other.
Steve’s brain completely shorts out.
Robin, polishing a scoop, looks between them.
“Ohhh. This is interesting.”
Darci turns to Dustin first, like that’s safer.
Then she nods politely at Robin.
Robin grins. “Hey. Welcome to Scoops Ahoy, where dreams go to melt.”
Darci blinks. “You—” she gestures vaguely at Steve, clearly rebooting “—work here?”
Steve rubs the back of his neck.
“Yeah. Uh. Temporary. Court-ordered.”
*He immediately grimaces.*
Her mouth twitches. Not a smile. But close.
“I didn’t know,” she says. “You look… different.”
Robin snorts. “That’s one word for it.”
Steve straightens defensively.
“Mmhmm,” Robin says. “A statement uniform.”
Darci looks at the menu like it’s suddenly very serious.
“Do you have… anything without coffee?”
“Oh. Yeah. Tons. We have, uh—” he gestures “—basically pure sugar.”
Dustin squints. “You don’t like coffee?”
Steve points at her, triumphant.
“Steve, you drink coffee like it’s medicine.”
Darci glances back at Steve.
Then shrugs. “Yeah. Better, I think.”
She nods once, satisfied.
“I’ll take… whatever has the most cookies in it.”
“Coming right up. No caffeine, no judgment.”
As Robin turns away, Steve lowers his voice.
“You didn’t know I worked here?”
“I don’t really come to the mall.”
Dustin throws his hands up. “I needed morale support!”
Steve huffs a laugh before he can stop himself.
Robin slides the ice cream across.
Darci blinks. “You don’t have to—”
“I know,” Robin says brightly. “But I want to.”
Darci hesitates, then accepts it.
She turns to leave, then pauses.
“You pull it off,” she says.
She nods at Dustin, gives Robin a small smile, and walks away like she didn’t just knock Steve Harrington completely off balance.
“If you say one weird thing right now, I will end you.”
Steve exhales, staring after her.
“…She doesn’t even like coffee.”
Scoops Ahoy — five minutes later
The bell jingles again as Darci leaves.
Steve watches the door like it might explain something if he stares long enough.
Counts three scoops in her head.
Steve doesn’t look at her.
Robin leans both elbows on the counter.
“She’s just— she’s from school.”
“Steve. I know ‘from school.’ That was not ‘from school.’ That was history.”
Dustin pipes up from his cone.
“She’s smart. And nice. And she helped me with math once.”
“SEE? Endorsed by a child. That’s huge.”
Steve finally looks at Robin.
The kind that means it absolutely is.
“Oh? Because from where I’m standing, you just:
defended her beverage preferences
and turned the exact shade of a ripe tomato”
“Steve Harrington. You have dated exactly one girl who didn’t like coffee, and that was—”
“Okay, no. Stop. This isn’t— she’s not—”
“What?” Robin presses. “Not Nancy?”
Steve exhales and leans back against the freezer.
“…She helped me. Last year. With school.”
Robin softens a fraction.
“Didn’t make a big deal out of it,” he adds quickly.
“Didn’t try to—” he gestures vaguely “—be anything.”
“So she’s the kind that doesn’t need you.”
“Yeah. That’s the kind you notice too late.”
“Sure you did. Sailor Boy.”
Dustin slurps his ice cream.
“She comes back sometimes. Only if she has money.”
“WAIT. She’s a repeat customer?”
