talk too much | max mayfield

28. mall rats

"Yes, it is," Lucas states.

"No-"

"Hey!" El rips off her blindfold and looks at the others, mostly Nora, Lucas, and Mike.

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

Mike looks up. "Did you. . . find him?"

El explains where Dustin is, and Will and Lucas fill a shopping cart with random supplies, and they all start towards the door.

"The movies?" Lucas repeats what El had told them earlier. "Dustin's so freaked out about the gate, he decides to watch a movie?" He's pushing the cart while Nora and Max stand on either side of him.

"Yeah, makes total sense," Nora rolls her eyes, not fully prepared to go on a wild goose chase.

"You're positive he said 'gate' and not 'great,'" Max looks back to Mike, who first heard the message.

"Yeah, like, 'this movie I'm watching is great,'" Will tries.

"It sounded like gate," El states from Mike's side.

"Which would explain how the Mind Flayer is still alive," Mike adds.

"Yeah, we just have to shut it again," Nancy says.

"Then, the monster dies," Will shrugs as Nora and Max move to the front of the shopping cart, helping Lucas pull it out the door.

"But if not. . ." Max starts, easily lifting the front.

"We always have Lucas' fireworks," Nora finishes, giving the boy a look.

"Keep mocking my plan, guys. Keep mocking it. I wanna hear you say it again, because you keep doubting me. You keep doubting me!"

"Ridiculous," Max mutters.

"Will? We're gonna prove 'em wrong, right?" Lucas turns to the small boy.

"For sure," Will states, but Nora's ninety percent sure he's being sarcastic.

—

✧･ﾟ: * The group enters the dead quiet mall through a back entrance, instantly knowing they aren't alone.

They see a few men, dressed in all black, holding guns, sneaking around.

Standing on the second floor while Dustin, Steve, Robin, and Erica hide behind a counter (Nora decides not to question the grouping), El steps toward the railing, pushes her arms forward, and sends a nearby car crashing into the men.

Cool.

The hiding four slowly stand up, looking around to see what happened, and they all grin when they see the others.

Nancy leads them, and they all go rushing down the escalator to reunite with their friends.

"You flung that thing like a Hot Wheel!" Dustin runs to hug El and Mike together.