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"Don't look into his eyes. Don't go anywhere alone. Don't sit next to him. Don't hug him." Cassie read from her notebook, walking through the summer weather toward the entrance of the mall. "Pluck your eyes out. Bust your ear drums. Maybe drown yourself."
"Hey, Cas!" Lucas smiled as she walked up.
"Hi!" he face lit up, falling as she slapped herself with the notebook. "Damn it!"
"Mikes late, as always." Will said as she walked toward them more. "You didn't ride your bike?"
"Wanted to enjoy the fascinating and absolutely perfection of this summer night." Cassie waved her hands before her face with a smile. "And my bike chain broke."
"Why didn't you call? I could have picked you up." Lucas nodded, knowing they lived close.
Cassie was smart this time, turning around completely. "I told you, wanted to enjoy the air."
Max frowned her eyebrows. "Hey, Cas?"
"Yeah?" she called over her shoulder.
"Why are you turned around?" she asked with an odd look.
Mike saved the day by peddling their way, hopping off his bike. "Hey, Cassie."
"Hey." she smiled, turning back around.
"Look who finally decided to show up." Lucas scoffed.
"I'm sorry." Mike chained up his bike quickly.
"Again." Will pointed out. "We're gonna miss the opening."
"Yeah, if you keep whining about it. Let's go!" Mike cut in quickly, holding the door open. "Did you get in?"
"Get in what?" Cassie asked.
"Your writing program!" Lucas came up by her side. "It's been a week, you said you'd know in a week."
"Still hasn't come." Cassie shook her head with an exhale. "I guess they're taking their sweet, precious, life swelling time to determine if i'm an extraordinary fit for their absolutely divine program."
"You applied for a writing program?" Max looked back at her. "That's so cool."
"Thanks!" Cassie called. "It's for next year. To write for the school paper."
"You're so gonna get it." Will confirmed with a smile.
"Of course she is." Lucas tossed an arm around Cassie with a grin. "And i'll be her plus one."
"Since when are you the plus one?" Cassie asked with a frown of her eyebrows. "You are the one that said you wanted to cut your ears off when I practiced my speach for the school board."
"Because you were using a British accent to try and sound smart." he pointed out. "And, it's me because Mike says he'll be too busy."
"Too busy?" Cassie asked Mike in disbelief. "How could you possibly, under any circumstances, be utterly and completely too busy to be my partner for the Hawkins High Paper?"
