CHAPTER TWENTY:
SHOPPING SPREE
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LIZ TENDED TO sleep in on the summer days when she had nothing to do. She really tried not to since she hated not feeling productive but she knew that the feeling of productivity could still be found even if she slept in another hour or two than she normally would, so she let herself. Still, it was ten and she was still in bed which was a first for her, but she had nobody to tell her to get up. Steve was at work and her parents were on a vacation in some tropical island somewhere.
Liz rolled over in her bed, her messy hair spread out across the pillow. Her dreams had been wild that night and just like usual, they were all about Max. Liz had had many dreams that included her and Max on dates and living in a world where they didn't have to worry about kissing in public or even just holding hands in public as a couple. Liz prayed that one day she would be able to date any girl she wanted and not be hated for it.
The doorbell echoed throughout the house and Liz groaned. She laid in bed for another minute before she heard it again. Liz threw the covers off of her and ran a hand through her hair as she exited her bedroom and hurried down the stairs. The doorbell rang once more and she started jogging to the door. Whoever it was, clearly wanted something. Liz opened the front door and was surprised to see both Max and El standing there, "Uh, hey. What's up?"
"We're giving Mike the medicine," El states, looking confident with those words.
Liz furrows her brows slightly. Max notices her confused expression and explains, "Mike is being a dick and lying to El, so we are going to get her mind off of him and show her that there is more to life than stupid boys. You in?"
Liz smiles which only makes Max smile more, "What were you thinking?"
Max steps closer to Liz and puts her lips by Liz's ear. Their cheeks were pressed against each other and Liz felt goosebumps run up her spine as Max whispered into her ear, "I was thinking Starcourt. El's never been."
Max stepped back and Liz smiled, "Give me ten minutes?"
The two girls nodded and Liz stepped aside, allowing them to come in and enjoy the air conditioning before they would be stuck on a hot bus for ten minutes. The girls came inside and went straight to Liz's living room while Liz went back upstairs, rushing to get ready. She threw on a t-shirt and shorts then quickly ran a brush through her hair which only made it worse somehow, so she decided on a side braid. Once Liz was satisfied with how she looked, she rushed downstairs where Max and El met her in the foyer. All three girls rushed out the door and ran to the nearest bus stop that would take them to Starcourt.
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The bus ride was only ten minutes, but Liz thought it felt longer because of how excited she was. She had never gone to the mall with El before and was very excited to show her around and help her forget about whatever Mike had done, which was apparently lie to her about his grandma being sick. Liz was fully prepared to let El go wherever she wanted in the mall and she was surprised when she realized El had never been to the new mall. Liz was also surprised when she realized she had never hung out with Max and El at the same time, in fact, lately, El only hung out with Mike.
When the bus stopped, the three girls hurried off. The large, yellowish building of Starcourt was in front of them and people were shuffling in and out of the building. The parking lot was filled with cars and the bike racks filled with bikes. Max turned to El immediately, "So, what do you think?"
"Isn't it awesome?" Liz adds, looking up at the large building which was always full of people coming and going from it.
Liz and Max shared a smile of excitement and watched El to see her reaction. Liz's face fell when she saw El with no smile or look of excitement but a look of worry and fear instead. Max was the one to ask, "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Too many people," El explained. "Against the rules."
"Seriously?" Max scoffed. Liz understood where she was coming from and she knew that Hopper and Mike wouldn't like it but El never got to act like a normal teenager. Liz knew that what Hopper and Mike didn't know wouldn't hurt them. "You have superpowers! What's the worst that could happen?"
"I don't know," El mumbles, still feeling uneasy about the situation.
Liz moves and stands in front of El. She puts her hands on El's shoulders and looks directly into her eyes, "Hopper will never find out. Mike will never find out. You are always following the rules, you deserve to have a day off to have fun!"
El took a deep breath, looking up at the mall again and the bright, neon sign before smiling. Liz smiled back as El nodded at her. Max and Liz squealed before pulling El into the mall. Starcourt had two floors. The bottom one was half a food court and half a shopping area while the top had the movie theater and a couple other shops that weren't clothing stores.
They stopped in the food court sitting area that rested in the center of the mall on the first floor. Max and Liz watched as El stared in awe at her surroundings. There were teenagers in groups drinking Orange Julius's and holding shopping bags and adults who were eating their lunch in the food court. The smell of hot dogs from Hot Dog on a Stick wafted through the air and Liz made a mental note to get one before they left.
"So, what should we do first?" Max asks. Both girls look at El, waiting for an answer as she still stared in awe at all the shops. Max giggled at her reaction, "You've never been shopping before, have you?"
El shook her head as she continued looking. Max and Liz shared a smirk, "Well, you know what that means?"
"I guess we're just gonna have to try everything," Max shrugs. El smiled at the two girls. Liz looked around, trying to decide what they should show El first but Max beat her to it as she grabbed Liz and El's hands, pulling them in the direction of the Gap, "Come on!"
They enter the Gap which was one of the most popular clothing stores at the moment and started looking around. El was going from rack to rack, staring in awe at all the bright colors and different styles. Liz couldn't help but smile as El got excited about certain items. She and Max shared multiple looks every time El found something new and her eyes widened. Finally, El stopped and looked up at one of the mannequins on display. It was wearing a turquoise shirt that had a design that resembled paint splatters all over it, "You like that?"
"How do I know... what I like?" El asks.
Liz frowned slightly, realizing El had never really gotten a chance to think for herself. She was always given instructions or just told to do something by Hopper and Mike. She's never gotten a choice until now. Liz stepped forward, "You'll know once it feels like you."
"Like... me?"
"Yeah," Max agreed, smiling at El. "Not Hopper. Not Mike. You."
"Do you want to try it on?" Liz asks El. El whips her head towards Liz and smiles. Liz takes that smile as a yes and runs to get one of the employees.
As much as Max and Liz wanted to shop, they held themselves back while El explored her own style. Liz had gotten an employee to take down the shirt from the mannequin which the girl looked annoyed about but did it anyway. El had grabbed a few other items from the racks and Max and Liz waited outside the dressing room for El to show them.
It only took a few minutes for El to come out but when she did, Liz's eyes widened. She had never seen that much color on El before, it was like she was a whole new person. El stood in front of the mirror in the turquoise shirt, yellow pants with red suspenders, and finally, a yellow buret. Liz giggled when El had put the buret on incorrectly but Max quickly fixed it, sharing a smile with Liz. El pulled the suspenders forward before letting go, letting them snap against her body which made all three girls giggle.
For about half an hour, Liz guessed that El had tried on half the store. She kept grabbing new items and running back to the dressing room. Liz and Max had helped her style some of the outfits and it made Liz happy to see El happy. She was finally starting to act and look more like a teenage girl and Liz could tell that the freedom of being with girl friends rather than her boyfriend was helping her discover herself and become more confident.
Liz had started walking around the store, searching for the perfect belt to go with an outfit El had found when she spotted it. Liz stopped in her tracks and smiled once she saw the dress. It was light pink but had a black plaid design all over it. Liz gently reached out and let her fingers run over the fabric. Liz could tell it was a tight dress and she bit her lip, not knowing if it would even look good on her.
It didn't take long for Liz to decide to at least try it on. She grabbed her size off the rack and grabbed a white, quarter lengthed shirt as well to put underneath it. She stepped out of the dressing room after putting it on and walked over to the large mirror El had been using to look at her outfits. Liz found herself smiling uncontrollably once she saw herself. She turned to the side, looking at herself at all angles possible. Despite how much she loved it, she was still very undecided, not knowing if she even pulled it off well.
"Wow..."
Liz looked at the left side of the mirror, seeing Max and El staring at her. When Max took off the sunglasses she had found, her eyes were wide as they looked Liz up and down. Liz turned around, biting her lip as Max smiled at her. The redhead's cheeks seemed to get slightly redder the longer she stared at Liz in the dress and she ran a hand through her hair, "You look..."
"Pretty," El interrupts, smiling larger. "You look really pretty!"
Max nodded, continuing to let her eyes rake over Liz, "Y—yeah, yeah."
Liz chuckled at El's comment before turning back around and looking in the mirror, "Really? I don't know. It's tighter than the dresses I normally wear and... I don't know. I just don't know if I can pull it off—"
"You can," Max interrupts. She walks over and stands beside Liz in the mirror. "You are. Liz... this dress is you. You look..." Max paused and Liz turned her head, looking at Max. There seemed to be a million thoughts going through her head and Liz wondered if any of them were about her. "You look beautiful. You've never looked more beautiful in my opinion."
Liz felt her cheeks heat up and the two girls found themselves staring at each other. Liz felt it for the first time in a long time. There was something there. Both girls felt it and they didn't exactly know what it meant yet, but they felt it and it felt good and right.
"Guys!" El yells as she runs up to the two girls. Max and Liz finally rip their eyes off of each other and turn around, seeing El right behind them. Liz looked down and saw she was holding a shopping bag. Liz furrowed her brows, wondering just how long they were staring at each other. "Where should we go next?"
Max clears her throat, "Well, you've got the outfit. How about we go get some shoes to go with it?"
Liz nods, "Yes! Let's do it!"
Liz quickly paid for the dress and the shirt she was wearing before the three girls locked arms and walked out of the store, large smiles on their faces. They went to straight to Payless which was on the main floor, closer to where Steve worked at Scoops Ahoy. When they entered the store, there were already a few girls looking at shoes inside. Liz recognized one of them as the girl who rejected Dustin at the Snow Ball. Her name was Stacy and she and Liz hadn't gotten along since that night, well, they never got along, but after the Snow Ball, it was worse.
El started looking around at all the shoes. Once again, in awe at all the colors and styles they had to offer. She finally grabbed a pair of heels which made Liz raise her eyebrows. El sat down on one of the benches and put them on. She stood up very quickly and almost fell in the process. Max and Liz held onto her arms to steady her and help her walk. Despite holding onto her, El managed to fall, which she thought was hilarious. All three girls laughed as they helped pull El off the floor.
As the girls turned their heads, they spotted the four other girls in the store staring at them. They stopped laughing and the four girls, including Stacy, rolled their eyes. Max, El, and Liz shared a small giggle before putting back the shoes and exiting the shoe store.
The girls started to head towards Scoops Ahoy where Liz knew she'd be able to get them half-priced ice cream if she gave Steve her puppy dog eyes. On their way there, Max spotted Stacy and her friends at the Orange Julius talking to one of the boys that worked there, "She's so obvious when she flirts."
"I have an idea," El states.
Max and Liz furrow their brows but follow El. She kneels behind a post, peering around it. Max and Liz do the same and watch as El furrows her brows and jerks her head up, making the Orange Julius explode all over Stacy. Liz, Max, and El all laugh and hurry away before anyone could see them, "See? What'd I tell you? There's more to life than stupid boys!"
They quickly run into Scoops Ahoy which like always, was full of people. They walk up to the counter and Steve's face lights up when he sees Liz but it quickly turns to a frown, "Wait, wait. Is this about a movie or ice cream?"
Liz rolls her eyes, "Ice cream."
"Alright, fine, what'll it be?" Steve asks the three girls. "Liz, I'm guessing Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough?"
Liz nods then steps to the side so Max and El can order. Max orders for El, telling Steve both of their orders, "Strawberry for me. Vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream."
Steve nods, punching some buttons on the cash register, "Alright, three dollars each, so, nine bucks."
Max flashes a smile to Liz who looks back at Steve, "Actually, I was thinking, two-fifty for each, so, seven-fifty all together?"
Steve sighs, "Liz—"
"Family discount!" Liz protests.
"Liz, I cannot keep giving you discounts—"
"Steve!" Liz whines. Steve frowns at Liz, looking very unamused. Liz leans down, setting her elbows on the counter and resting her head on her hands. She then looks up at Steve through her lashes and puts on her puppy dog eyes.
Steve immediately covers his eyes, shaking his head, "No! No! Not again!"
"Steve, come on!" Liz whines once more, not breaking the face.
Steve groans and looks back at Liz's face, "Goddammit!" He pouts as he presses another couple of buttons. Liz stands back up and smirks at Max who gives her a soft high-five. "I hate you."
"I love you, too," Liz smiles.
Steve grabs the cones and starts to get their ice cream. He glances back at Liz as he does and his eyes stop on her dress, "New dress? Never seen it before."
Liz looks down at the dress and smiles, "Yep. Just got it about ten or so minutes ago."
Steve nods, "It looks good. It suits you."
Max leans over and whispers into Liz's ear, "I told you. You look amazing and don't let anyone tell you differently."
Liz once again locked eyes with Max and smiled at her. The two were so close that with just a small shove, they would've been kissing and neither of the girls looked like they minded that. Their eye contact was only broken when Steve walked back over to them, balancing the three cones in his hand, "Okay, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Strawberry, and then a Vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream."
"Thanks," Max and Liz say in unison.
The three girls start to eat their ice cream when Steve finally furrows his brows and looks at El, "Wait a second. Are you even allowed to be here?"
The three girls all share a look before they giggle and run out of Scoops Ahoy, leaving a very confused Steve Harrington. The girls head toward the entrance, Max and Liz knowing their bus would be arriving soon. Max looked at El, asking, "Wanna trade?" The two girls traded ice cream, sharing a giggle as they did it.
Just as they were outside, a familar voice distracted Max and Liz. Max turned around, her mouth falling open, "Oh, you've gotta be shitting me."
Liz followed her gaze, seeing Will, Mike, and Lucas taking their bikes out of the bike rack. Liz furrowed her brows in confusion. She now understood why Max said Mike was being a dick. He obviously lied about his grandma to spend time with his friends without telling El.
"Isn't this a nice surprise," Max spoke as the three girls walked over to the three boys.
All three sets of eyes went to El. Mike even dropped his bike as he pointed to El, "What are you doing here?"
"Shopping."
Max gestured to her new clothes, "This is her new style. What do you think?"
"What's wrong with you? You know she's not allowed to be here," Mike spat, clearly very upset that El was out at a place with lots of people. Mike then looked at Liz. "I'd expect this from Max but not from you. What the hell, Liz?"
"What is she, your little pet?" Max asks.
El nods, "Yeah. Am I your pet?"
Mike scoffs, "What? No!"
"Then why do you treat me like garbage?"
"What?" Mike asks, seeming very confused.
"You said Nana was sick," El reminds him.
"She is!" Mike defends. Liz almost believed him until he kept repeating himself. "She is. She is sick."
Mike looks to Lucas, trying to urge him to agree with him. Lucas nods quickly, "Yeah, sick—she's sick!"
"She's sick."
"She's super sick," Lucas adds. Max looked very unamused by her boyfriend's actions. "That's why we're here, actually."
Mike nods, "Yeah, yeah, we're shopping. Not for us, but for her, for Nana."
"For Nana," Lucas nods as Max tilts her head.
"Also, we're here to get a gift for you," Mike admits. Liz glanced at El who looked very angry at Mike and she almost felt bad for him. "Just, we couldn't find anything that suited you and I only have like, three dollars and fifty cents, so it's hard."
Lucas nods, "Super hard. It's—it's expensive."
Liz and Will lock eyes and sigh. Liz raises her eyes, motioning to the two couples. Will nods at her, agreeing. No words were exchanged between them they both knew what they were talking about. For the first time, Liz was very glad she was a lesbian as she didn't have to deal with the idiots that are teenage boys.
"You lie," El states. "Why do you lie?"
Mike parts his lips, clearly searching his brain for something to say. The bus brakes squealing made all three girls turn their heads. When El looked back, she slowly walked up to Mike, her only words being, "I dump your ass."
Max and Liz's mouths dropped open. Liz couldn't help but laugh which, of course, pissed off Mike. El turned around, walking towards the bus as Max and Liz followed. They were halfway there when Max turned around and yelled, "That goes for you too, Lucas! Consider your ass dumped!"
When they sit down on the bus, Max and El exchange laughs and a high-five. Liz just chuckled at them before asking Max, "Why'd you dump Lucas?"
Max smiled softly, "I don't really think I'm into him anymore."
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[ 3544 WORDS ]
this chapter was even longer than the
last one holy shit, i hope you enjoyed!
also, this book is so so close to 100k ahhh