"But we should make sure, first," El says, "so we're not accidentally stealing." The idea that they might get to keep a buried treasure excites her, and she's not even sure why. She's not sure what they'd do with it, if they're supposed to clean it and keep it, or sell it for money. Part of her doesn't want to ever get rid of it, even if it meant having more money afterwards.

Even though Hopper could probably use money, and if El had more money, she could buy more clothes and magazines.

"I want to take a picture of it," she decides. Because if she's never going to see it again, she wants to be able to prove to herself, outside of her memory, that it exists.