CARDIGAN | SEASON III ; ACT II
.୧ ‧₊˚⋅☀️ chapter 9 ━━━━━━ ❛suzie, do you copy?❜
꒦꒷🎞️꒷꒦
MANY THINGS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE THE PARTY'S LATEST BATTLE AGAINST THE UPSIDE DOWN. Matt Leblanc has semi officially become a party member Although, he doesn't know about the whole another dimension thing.
He and Ara have become closer being what some would consider best friends. He's also pretty close with the other party members, Will being a stand out in his opinion.
Mike and Ara's friendship has been tough these past six months. The fact that Mike had been spending all his time with El and none of it with the party till March, when they broke up. This got Ara a bit frustrated and Mike couldn't help but get annoyed at Matt or teasingly steal her stuff.
To say they weren't on the best terms was an over statement. Max would say they were frenemies if you asked her, Matt would say Ara hated him while, Lucas, Will and Dustin would say they're friends.
Eleven would say Ara was Mike's crush but don't tell anyone else.
The raven haired boy rode his bike to the new mall. Starcourt. Where Lucas, Will, Max, Ara and Matt were waiting for him. "You're late again." Lucas stated, annoyed with his best friend. "What took you so long?"
"Sorry. I lost track of time." Mike stated blankly, shoving his bike in the rack near the mall entrance.
"Doing what, may I ask?" Max asked, putting her hands her her hips.
"I was reading the latest Marvel comic." Mike said. "Now come on or we'll miss the opening."
The six entered the mall and Ara had a realization. "It was you, wasn't it?" She blurted out. Matt furrowed his brows in confusion because they were in the middle of a conversation.
"What?" Mike asked.
"You stole the comic from me, didn't you." She accused.
"Why would would I do that." Mike retorted.
"Because you do it every time I get a new comic book."
"Who cares."
"I do, you idiot."
"Then—"
"How about you two don't start arguing in the middle of a public area." Matt started. "You know, before anyone gets killed."
"What is it to you?" Mike sassed making Matt surrender jokingly, having his hands up in the air.
"Leave him alone, Mike." Ara spoke genuinely this time. "Did you like it though?"
"Yeah, you've got good taste." Mike said jokingly, grinning at her. "Of course I do." She rolled her eyes. "And you know, just a thought, but since you liked the comic so much how out you just save up to buy one instead of stealing mine."
"Ah, you two, always fighting about the more mature things in life." Max spoke sarcastically.
"I'd rather die than listen to you two argue." Matt added motioning for Ara to come hang out with him and Will.
"You jealous?" Lucas teased quietly, putting an arm around Mike as the freckled boy rolled his eyes at Matt.
"What? No!" Mike spoke frantically. "I just find it annoying that she basically replaced me with him." He said the last part with in a whisper so Ara would hear.
"Then, you shouldn't have avoided her these past months. Avoided all of us for the matter. Matt told me she was pretty mad about it." Lucas said.
Mike wanted to argue but this conversation had happened between the two boy multiple times already. There was no use.
The six ran through groups of people at the mall, bumping into others on their way to Scoops Ahoy.
"Watch it." A girl said.
"Yeah, watch it, nerd!" Erica, Lucas' younger sister said.
"Isn't it past your bedtime?"
"Isn't it time you died?"
"Psycho!"
"Butthead!"
"Mall rat!"
"Fart face!"
Ara rolled her eyes at the siblings and tried to stay as close to the back of the groups as possible not wanting to talk to Mike.
They walked into the Scoops Ahoy ice cream parlour where Steve worked for the summer.
Mike rang the bell at the counter repeatedly as Robin, who worked with Steve, called out to him.
"Hey, dingus, your children are here!" Robin exclaimed, not bothering to turned back.
"Again? Seriously?" Steve questioned, definitely annoyed.
Mike rang the bell again.
Steve let them behind the counter and they rushed through the back door.
"Come, come on." He hurried them.
"I swear, if anybody hears about this—"
"We're dead!" They chorused. Mike popped his head around the corner, looking around. "All clear." He muttered.
They took seats, Max and Lucas in one row. Matt, Will, Ara and Mike took seats in the row behind them in that order.
"We missed the previews." Lucas complained.
"Still made it. Fart face." Max joked, smiling widely.
Will gave out snacks to everyone, Ara getting a soda can along with some skittles. She, of course, sorted out the green ones and gave them to Will.
The movie started playing and they all quieted down. Before it stopped. "Come on!" People called out while other booed at the screen.
Ara looked around herself she had always been slightly on edge since the happenings from when she first moved to this small town.
After a moment the movie came back and people cheered and applauded, pleased.
"Hey." Mike said to Will. Ara looked over and spoke in a hushed voice.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." Will replied.
"You sure?" Mike asked.
"Of course."
Mike then turned to Ara but she was already back to watching the movie. It was a weird feeling. He just looked at her for a moment. More like admired but that didn't matter.
Ara instinctively took Mike's hand which rested on the arm rest. The freckled boy swiftly turned and looked at the movie screen not paying attention the movie showing but the the warmth he felt from the brunette hand.
Ara looked to her left, she was about to ask Will if he had brought in any other snacks but Matt had been speaking to him in hushed whispers. It was quite obvious what the subject was. The blue eyed girl then turned to her right where Mike sat, rosy cheeks and all with his hand under hers.
She briskly placed her hand in her lap instead. Blood ran to her face. Thankful for being in a movie theatre where it was dim she fixated her mind on the movie showing and not on anything or anyone around her.
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The party now hid against the walls of Dustin's living room. Hiding from him for his welcome back surprise. Matt unfortunately couldn't stick around, having things to do to the others dismay.
"Now." Mike whispered to El.
They all snuck out from their hiding places and quietly walked behind Dustin. Lucas holding a poster saying 'welcome back, Dustin!" And Max counting to three.
On three, they blew the kazoos and Dustin quickly turned around.
He screamed as he sprayed Lucas' face with hairspray.
Ara laughed in amusement and went in to hug Dustin after he stopped spraying Lucas.
————
Max was with Lucas, washing his eyes out with water while the others were with Dustin.
"I call it.. the Forever Clock." Dustin said as he took out what Ara thought looked like a windmill out of his bag.
"It's powered by wind. Very useful in the apocalypse." He added as he gave it to Will.
"Then, I give you... the Slammer." He then stated, showing to El. "Pretty neat, huh? But this is my masterpiece."
He took a bag and settled down. They sat around it and Dustin continued to talk.
"I would like you to meet.. Cerebro."
Ara had begun to zone out but not at her own accord. She had heard a voice. It was foggy. She didn't know if it was her thoughts or something more sinister...
"Ara.." it called out.
"Ara..." it called again. It's voice was beginning to sound a bit distorted and a bit eerie.
"Ara!" Dustin exclaimed, worriedly.
Ara jumped back in surprise.
"You okay?" Dustin asked.
"Yeah. I zoned out by accident. Sorry." She said.
"If you're okay then let's go. We're to go talk to my girlfriend."
"Since when do you have a girlfriend." She asked as they got up. "No offence."
"None taken."
"Where are you going?" Max asked.
"We're to go talk to Dustin's girlfriend." Will stated.
"Girlfriend?"
————
"Aren't we high enough?" Lucas complained as they walked up the hill.
"Cerebro works best at a hundred meters." Dustin replied.
"You know, I'm pretty sure people in Utah have telephones." Max said.
"Yeah, but Susie's Mormon."
"Oh, shit. She doesn't have electricity?" Lucas queried.
"That's the Amish." Both Ara and Max responded.
"What are Mormons?" Will asked.
"Super religious white people." Dustin stated. "They have electricity and cars and stuff, but since I'm not Mormon her parents would never approve."
"It's all a bit.. Shakespearean." He added.
"Shakespearean?" Max questioned.
"Yeah, like Romeo and Juliet."
Ara let go of what she was going to tell Dustin about the two star-crossed lovers and instead notice how Mike and El (just Mike honestly) we're talking about ditching.
"You really wanna ditch at a time like this?" Ara spoke with disbelief to Mike. "Dustin just got here."
"I was just about to bring El home." Mike stated.
"It's not even her curfew." Ara scoffed. "You're ditching Dustin for literally no reason. That's just being a bad friend plus, I'm sure El wants to stay, don't you?"
"Don't bring her into this!" Mike started, letting El's hand slip out of his own. "You say I'm being a bad friend but I'm not the one who ditched their best friend for some guy."
Ara knew exactly what he was alluding to and just shook her head. "Why do you hate Matt so much. Are you jealous of him?"
"I'm not.. jealous." Mike said although, it seemed like he was trying to convince himself that.
Ara just rolled her eyes and continued up the hill where the others waiting for the them to come and join them.
El told Mike they should stay seeing as it was Dustin's first day back from summer camp.
————
"Made it!" Dustin stated.
"Yeah, only took five hours." Max said sarcastically.
"Why couldn't we just play D&D?" Will asked.
"I'm so thirsty." Lucas said.
"I hope this was worth it." Ara muttered.
They began to put all the pieces together. It being over two time taller than them when complete.
"Pretty impressive, right?" Dustin said.
"I guess." Mike responded.
"No, you ready to meet my love?" Dustin said as he switched the radio on and began to talk into his microphone. "Suzie, this is Dustin. Do you copy? Over."
No response.
"One sec. She's probably.. She's still there." He said to them. "Suzie.. this is Dustin. Do you copy? Over."
"I'm sure she's there."
"Maybe she's having dinner or something?" Ara queried, really wanting to believe Dustin.
"Yeah, maybe." Dustin muttered. "Suzie, do you copy? This is Dustin. Over."
————
"Do you copy? This is Dustin. Over."
Night had already fallen. Mike and El had left as it was actually past El's curfew now but the rest of them were still there.
"Suzie! This is Dustin. Do you copy? Over."
"Suzie, this is your Dustin. Do you copy? Over."
"Suzie—"
"Dustin, come on!" Max exclaimed. "She's not there."
"She's there, alright? She'll pick up."
"Maybe Cerebro doesn't work." Will tried coming up with an explanation.
"Or maybe Suzie doesn't exist." Lucas said.
"She exist!"
"She's a genius and hotter than Phoebe Cates? No girl is that perfect."
"Is that so?" Max said.
"I mean.. you're perfect. I mean, like, per—perfect in your own way. In your special— your own special way." Lucas stammered.
"Relax, I was teasing." Max chuckled. "I'm obviously perfect and Dustin's obviously lying."
"Come on, Don Juan." Max added as she stood up.
"Where are you going?" Dustin questioned.
"Home." Max stated, bluntly before she and Lucas started going down the hill together.
"Well.. guess it's just us." Dustin said to Will and Ara.
"Um.. it's late." Will said.
"Yea." Ara agreed. "Maybe we can do this another time and she'll answer."
"Sorry." Will added. "Or maybe tomorrow we can play D&D. Or something fun like we used to."
"Yeah, sure." Dustin agreed.
"Welcome home." Ara stated before she ran to catch up with Max, Will following her down the hill.
welcome to the season 3 rewrite. Just trying to clean things up and adding the boys' pov.
have fun reading,
— Mary <3