Our lips slammed against each other. For a split second, it was pure bliss. The butterflies in my stomach were back, and all our problems went away. I kissed her back, though not having enough time to hold her face.
The roaring came back, much louder.
I pulled away, panting, either from fear, shock, are pure amazement.
The Mind Flayer was close. Really close. I could see its reflection in the metal. It was hovering over the counter, with just one look down it would see us.
It screeched again, stopping as a balloon popped on the other side of the mall.
"Go through the gap!" Jonathan's voice was the loudest, drawing the most attention. The monster screeched again, turning back to us.
I scrambled to my feet, grabbed Max, and ran into the back of Scoops. Will and Mike were close behind, Will stuffing the walkie in my bag as we ran to the back halls.
I went first, throwing the door open. It hit the back wall with a loud bang.
"Go!" Nancy shouted, sprinting at us While Jonathan carried El. They were running from the Gap door.
"Shit!" I screamed, leaving the door and sprinting to the end of the hall. I crashed into the double doors, holding one open. Max got the other and everyone streamed out into the cold night air.
We ran to the car still parked in front of the mall, the Mind Flayer crashing around inside. Jonathan set El down, immediately going to the hood of the car.
The engine revved again, and I finally identified the dark car. It was the same blue chevy Max drove last year. Billy.
"He's still here?!" I panicked, grabbing my crowbar.
Nancy tossed Max her gun, standing in front of the car.
"I don't know how to shoot a gun!" Max exclaimed.
"Turn the safety off, hold it with two hands, and point it at him. Then shoot him." She directed, turning the safety off. "Everyone get out of the way!"
"Shit!" Lucas screeched, climbing in. I opened the trunk, still frozen from the sigh of Max holding a gun.
She was crying, shaky arms pointing the gun at her brother. But she looked fucking awesome.
"Get in!" Mike shouted, putting El between Lucas and him.
"Get in the car!" Jonathan added, turning on the engine. It stalled, just like before.
Even shots rang out in the dark, Nancy firing directly at Billy.
His tires screeched, and ran straight at us, full speed.
"Shit!" Lucas repeated, hitting the side of the car. "Go go go!"
"I'm trying!" Jonathan shouted.
"Daisy and Max get in the fucking car!" Nancy said.
"I can't shoot him-" Max trembled, lowering the gun.
"Give it to me." I took it, putting the crowbar in her hands.
"Daisy-"
I checked the safety, only knowing about guns from a few episodes of Miami Vice.
"Jesus Christ-"
The car was halfway here already. I didn't focus on aiming, just shooting. A round fired, almost snapping my arm from the kickback. I bent them, pointing at the car and firing again. And again.
And it didn't fucking stop. I started panicking but stood my ground next to Nancy.
It couldn't have been fifteen feet when I ran out of bullets, firing off the ten loaded in less than five seconds. I pushed Max out of the way, collapsing on top her when the most horrifying metallic screech sounded.
At first, I thought it was my friends, all in the car. It would've easily killed them all.
But no, when I looked up, it was my fucking brother. The yellow convertible had slammed into Billy's car, spinning him out and lighting a fire.
"Get in the car!" Jonathan screamed.
"Holy shit holy shit holy shit-" Max grumbled. I pulled her off the ground.
"Sorry." I got in the trunk, reaching for Max.
"I gotta stay with El and Mike!" She said.
"No, wait-" She shut the trunk door, Jonathan already pulling out of the spot. I spun around. "Wait go back for her, we can get them all-"
"They'll be fine!" Lucas said.
"We're leading the mind flayer away from them!" Nancy shouted.
"No, we can get them too-"
The car stopped in front of Steve and Robin.
"Get in!" Nancy said.
"Holy mother-" Robin exclaimed. She crawled over me, crouching in the trunk while Steve squished in. He slammed it shut, peering out the window at the Mind Flayer on the roof.
"What the hell was that?!" He shouted.
Jonathan had us already halfway out of the parking lot.
"Get the walkies!" Lucas shouted.
"Oh shit-" I dug one out of my bag, opening the antenna and switching it on.
"Do you have a gun?!" Steve shouted at me.
"Shut up!" I elbowed him, turning the volume button all the way up as the static crackled.
"A gun?" Nancy repeated.
"Dusty-bun, you copy?" A girl said over the radios. I didn't recognize her voice at all, and all the girls were in the car already.
"Dusty-bun?" Lucas asked.
"I copy Suzie-poo." Dustin said. "It sounds much better now, thanks."
My jaw dropped.
"Suzie." Steve and Robin said at the same time.
"Okay, so listen, do you know Planck's constant?" Dustin asked.
"Do you know the earth orbits the sun?"
"Okay, so I know it starts with two sixes, and then a w-what is it?"
"Okay, let me just be clear on this." She began. "I haven't heard from you in a week, and now a mathematical equation you should know, so you can save the world?"
"Suzie-poo, I promise, I will make it up to you as soon as possible."
"You can make it up to me now."
"What?"
"I want to hear it." She whispered.
"Not right now." Dustin sounded slightly frantic.
"Yes, now, Dusty-bun."
"Suzie-poo this is urgent!"
"Yes, yes, you're saving the world, I heard you the first time. But Ged is also saving Earthsea, and he's about to confront the shadow, so this is Suzie, signing off."
"Wait wait wait! Okay, okay." He sighed. "Turn around. Look at what you see-e-e-ee. In her face, the mirror of your dre-e-a-ams."
I froze, staring at the walkie.
"Make believe I'm everywhere, given in the light!" Suzie joined in, the two harmonizing thousands of miles apart. "Written on the pages is the answer to our never-ending story!"
Steve grinned.
"Reach the stars, fly a fantasy-ey-ey-y! Dream a dream, and what you see will be-e-e-e-e! Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds! And there upon a rainbow is the answer to our never-ending story!"
They finished their song, Dustin chuckling.
"Planck's constant is 6.62607004," Suzie said.
"You just saved the world." Dustin laughed.
"Gosh, I miss you Dusty-bun." She said.
"And I miss you more Suzie-poo."
"I miss you more multiplied by all the stars in our galaxy."
"No, I miss you-"
"Enough!" Erica cut him off, shutting off their radio signal as well.
"What the hell was that?" Robin chuckled.
"Suzie." Will shrugged.
"Who's Suzie?" Nancy asked.
"Wait shit!" Steve announced. "It's turning around!"
"What?" Nancy turned around in her chair, peering out the back. I copied, elbowing Steve again as I checked the window. The thing had stopped chasing us, now working on heading the other way, yet again.
"Jesus Christ-" Steve shoved me off of him.
"Maybe we wore it out?" Lucas asked.
"I don't think so." Jonathan didn't even bother to slow the car as he spun around. "Hold on!"
Robin screeched, grabbing onto the backseat.
"Shut up!" Steve said, putting a hand over her mouth.
"Stop it!" I smacked his arm.
"Chill out," Lucas said.
"Oh please, you'd do the same to Erica." I scoffed, folding my knees to my chest. My backpack, crowbar, and Max's gun sat on the floor next to Robin now, as she sat opposite me and Steve.
"Shut up!" Jonathan shouted.
"No, who gave her a gun!?" Steve grabbed it off the floor.
"You have the gun?" Nancy asked.
"Max wouldn't shoot it so I did." I said.
"You gave Max a gun?!" Steve exclaimed. "Why?!"
"The kids need weapons, Steve!" She complained. "Your sister has a crowbar, and Lucas has a fucking slingshot! We're fighting supernatural monsters! I'm gonna give them guns if they want guns!"
"Jesus Christ-" He groaned.
"I don't see a problem with them having guns," Robin said.
"She's gonna shoot herself on accident." He muttered.
"I'm not." I took it back from him, turned the safety back on, and tried to pull out the magazine.
"It's going to the mall." Jonathan said.
"Shit El's still there!" Nancy added. "Daisy, pass up a box of bullets and your gun, I'll reload them."
"No, don't bother." Lucas laughed.
"What?"
He grinned, picking up one of the many baskets of fireworks off the floor.
"Holy shit this is gonna be awesome." Robin giggled. She nodded to Steve, who just groaned, and said:
"No-"