Max holds Annie in her lap in the frozen food section. Eleven sits in front of an open freezer door, blindfolded. Dustin radioed a few minutes ago but then it cut out and they haven't heard since. It's the first time anyone has heard from him since the day he got back from camp.
The rest of the Party stands around El, waiting for her to find Dustin. Lucas opens a can of Coke, the fizzy drink making an obnoxiously loud pop.
"Quiet," Max hushes him.
"Oh, sorry," he whispers before taking a swig from the can. Mike glares at him.
"How do you even drink that?" Mike asks.
"Because it's delicious," Lucas answers.
"What?" Max and Mike both whisper.
"It's like Carpenter's The Thing. The original is a classic, no question about it. But the remake..." he takes another drink from the can, even raising his pinky, "sweeter, bolder... better."
"You're insane," Mike huffs. Max looks down at Annie, the girl somewhat peaceful in her knocked-out state. Her ankle is all bandaged up thanks to her girlfriend.
"So, you prefer the original Thing?" Lucas asks.
"What? No, I'm not talking about The Thing, I'm talking about New Coke," the Wheeler boy says.
"It's the same concept, dude," he argues.
"Uh, actually, it's not the same concept," Mike disagrees.
"It is the same concept," he repeats.
"No, it's not."
"Yes, it is!"
"Hey," El cuts off their fighting as she rips the blindfold off, her nose bleeding like usual.
"Sorry," Mike apologizes.
"Sorry," Lucas mutters.
"Did you... find him?" Mike asks.
"He's at the movies," Eleven informs them. The Party becomes equally confused.
"The movies?" Lucas asks, "Dustin's so freaked out about the gate, he decides to go watch a movie? Yeah, makes total sense."
"Well, off to the mall then," Jonathan sighs. The Party starts to walk back to the front of the store. He takes Annie from Max, carrying her to the car.
"Shouldn't she be waking by now?" Max asks the Byers brothers.
"Yeah, I'm sure she'll wake soon," the older brother assures her.
"It varies depending on the severity," the younger brother adds. The group once again piles into the station wagon, Lucas bringing the grocery store's entire stock of fireworks with them.
***
"Ugh..." Annie groans. Jonathan looks down at her.
"Hey, you're awake," he says calmly. Max, who also sits in the trunk with the Byers siblings, smiles.
"You're back, Pip," she says. Annie sits up in Jonathan's lap.
"Where are we?" the brunette asks as Nancy parks the car.
"Starcourt," Will says from the middle.
"The mall?" the girl questions as the trunk opens.
"Yeah, come on, I'll explain later," Max says as she gets out of the trunk. Annie comes out, not remembering her ankle, and puts her full weight on it.
"Ow! Fuck!" she curses.
"Annie!" Max gasps. The Party is speechless. Annie falls down and looks up to find the others staring at her.
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for you, daisies
Fanfiction"It's okay. Technically, you saved me," she says nervously, "if I wouldn't have run into you they would've gotten me." "Well, you're welcome then," the redhead smiles. The girl puts her hands into her jacket pockets, feeling the flowers still in th...
