THE MOVIES
✧･ﾟ: * Summers in Hawkins are Eleanor Harrington's favorite time of year.
During the day, she can wake up as late she wants to and take all the time in the world to get ready.
She normally meets Mike, Will, Lucas, and Max at the newly built mall a few minutes from her house. Steve has snagged a job there (something about having to learn responsibility because of their dad), and he always gives them discounted ice cream and shortcuts around the mall.
He also works with a senior girl, Robin Buckley, who Nora thinks is the coolest girl in the world. . .
The only people who know about her interest in girls (she's recently learned the term "bisexual" which has a nice ring to it) is Steve, Dustin, and Will after he told her about his own sexuality questioning. So, Nora has just focused on getting better at hiding herself. . . especially around Lucas and Max.
The two are the poster-board of on-and-off relationships. Five breakups. Five. It's wonder they're even still together.
Nora's crush on Max has simmered down, but she isn't sure if the feelings are going away or she's just getting better at acting like they aren't there.
Nonetheless, she and Max hang out as much as possible, sitting in obscure places during the night, just staring up at the sky.
Max and El are still iffy around each other, but Nora tries to ignore all that when she forces the three of them to hang out.
It is always in Hopper's house, seeing as El is never allowed to leave, but the party manages to make it work.
Especially Mike, who spends all his time either being with El or talking about being with El.
Nora isn't sure what they do all that time, and she is quick to shut El down whenever she tries to talk about it.
So, while Mike, El, Lucas, and Max are doing whatever it is they do together (once again, Nora does not care to find out), and Dustin is at his science summer camp thing, Nora and Will spend more and more time together.
Will teaches Nora D&D rules - Nora is quite the professional now - and Nora teaches Will how to not be a nerd and teach D&D rules to people - still a work in progress.
At the moment, Nora, Max, Lucas, and Will are standing at the entrance to the mall, waiting impatiently for Mike to show up. The movie started at 8, it is 8:10 now, and Nora is ready to castrate Mike if he ever shows up.
Mike finally rides up to the group, slamming down on his breaks so much so his bike tires screech against the pavement.
Lucas walks up to him with his arms crossed, "you're late."
"Sorry!" Mike rushes his bike into the rack and starts towards the door, leading the group ahead.
"Again," Lucas adds behind him.
"We're gonna miss the openings!" Will exclaims. Another thing Nora taught him - previews are the best part.
"Yeah, if you keep whining about it," Mike says as Nora rolls her eyes. "Let's go!"
"If you guys keep whining about it. Nyeh, nyeh, nyeh," Lucas mocks. "Let me guess, you were busy," he starts making kissing noises, and Mike just rolled his eyes.
"Oh, yeah. Real mature Lucas."
"Oh, El. I wish we could make out forever, and never hang out with any of out friends," Lucas teases as Nora hears Will laugh beside her.
"Lucas, stop," Max states.
Hot.
"Will thinks it funny," Lucas points to him with raised eyebrows.
"Because it is," Will just grins.
"Yeah, it's so funny I want to spend romantic time with my girlfriend," Mike says, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I'm spending romantic time with my girlfriend," Lucas puts his arm around Max as Max leans into him. Nora feels like she was sucker-punched.
Feelings are still there.
The group pushes past people in the packed mall with a few, "excuse me's" and "sorry's" here and there.
"Ow, watch it!" A girl scoffs as Mike runs into her.
"Yeah, watch it, nerds," a voice says by the fountains. Nora looks up and sees Erica, Lucas's little sister.
"Isn't past you bedtime?" Lucas snaps as they all kept walking.
"Isn't time you died?" Erica snaps.
"Psycho."
"Butthead!"
"Mall rat!"
"Fart face!"
Lucas blows raspberries and Max pulls him at the turn, "that was mature."
They all speed-walk into Scoops Ahoy and Mike rings the bell over and over.
"Hey, dingus," Robin calls. "Your children are here."
Steve opens up the divider and leans against the counter. "Again? Seriously?"
Nora steps in front and gives him the best puppy-dog eyes she could muster.
Steve wordlessly leads them all to a back door. "C'mon, c'mon," he gestures them out like trained pets. "I swear is anyone hears about this-"
"We're dead!" the gang yells back together, having heard the words many times before.
Mike pokes his out of a door by the movie theaters, making sure the coast clear before ushering his friends out. They all head over to the theater playing Day of the Dead. The movie's starting as they enter and they push past a few people to get to empty seats. Mike sits first, Will beside him, Nora beside him, Max beside her, then Lucas beside her.
"See, Lucas," Mike whispers. "We made it."
"We missed the previews," Lucas whispers back.
"Still made it," Max leans into his face, "Fartface."
Will opens up his duffel bag of snacks and passes the contents among the group silently.
The movie starts and everyone's looking in interest, eyes glued to the screen.
Suddenly, the projector starts acting up and the screen just goes black, filling the once silent theater with groans.
It seems the power has gone out completely and Nora slouches in her seat.
Great.
a/n:
season 3 😍