I rush out the doors, instantly bumping into a pair of teens, "Oh, shit I'm sor-" I stop, realizing its Max and Eleven, "Hey you two."
The two smile, Max speaks up, "Hey, Em."
"El, are you even allowed to be here?" I raise my brow.
Eleven smiles innocently, "Please don't tell."
I smirk, "Snitches get stitches."
"So, wanna come hangout with us?" Max asks, "Please? It'll be so much fun."
I look at her hesitantly before she pulls on my arm, dragging me inside, El following behind us, "Sorry, but I'm not taking no for an answer."
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The two girls finally finish their fashion show and I laugh, picking up my shopping bag as they checkout, soon all of us walk side-by-side out the doors.
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We went all around the mall, taking pictures, mostly, buying clothes and just hanging around goofing off.
"What's next?" Max asks El and I, a grin spreading across her face. She didn't get to do this often-or maybe ever-when she moved to Hawkins. She didn't have any girlfriends to spend the day with at the mall or have sleepovers with, it was just Lucas, Mike, Will, and Dustin. And from what Steve told me about that horrible November night last year, her and El did not start off to great.
"Follow me." El answered, walking up to the second floor of the mall.
Max and I shared a look before hurrying after her. She motioned for us to peek our heads around a wide pillar, and we did.
El on the bottom, Max in the middle, and me on the top. We watched four snobby-looking girls talk with a guy, they were all from earlier-Max, El, and I were trying on high-heels and El fell, the girls had given us dirty looks. The clan of girls all held a orange julius cup in their hands.
But, soon, one of the drinks erupted out of the cup and onto the girls, all of them letting out loud screeches.
Our trio burst out laughing, sprinting away from the scene as quick as we could.
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We arrived at Scoops Ahoy and I opened my mouth as soon as we approached the doorway, "Uh, I don't think I should go in there." Not after the stunt I pulled by storming out of the shop without any explanation or goodbye.
"Oh, please. You're coming." Max immediately shuts me down, her and El easily dragging me to the counter.
"Sup, Steve." Max greets, "I'll have a strawberry please."
El begins to look at the menu, Steve immediately looking to me, "Em, what happened? Why'd you leave earlier?"
"Can I have a vanilla? With whip cream?" El cuts in, "Extra whip cream."
Steve nods, first scooping Max' then El's, "Sprinkles?"
El nods vigorously. Just then Robin spreads open the window, "We've got our first sentence."
"Oh, seriously?" Steve gasps.
"Yeah." Robin confirms. Changing her voice to her best Russian accent, she says, "The week is long."
I tap El's right shoulder, which was farthest from me, she turns to look, her brows furrowing in confusion when no one is there.
I try to hold in my laugh but when I see Max grinning from ear to ear it bursts out, making El turn. She soon catches on to my joke and we all laugh, Steve returning over to us while mumbling our order.
"Thanks." The girls say in unison.
"Anything for you, Em?" Steve asks.
I shake my head, making Steve nod before sharply turning his head to El, "Wait a second. Are you even allowed to be here?"
The girls giggle, sharing a look with each other before running off. I laugh, shaking my head, slapping money down on the counter and hurrying after them.
We exit the mall, Max and El thanking me for hanging with them and paying, even though they explained multiple times Max brought money.
In the corner of my eye I spot three familiar boys, standing at the bike rack. I nudge Max, making her turn and see them, "Oh, you've gotta be shitting me."
"Isn't this a nice surprise." Max announces, making our presence known.
Mike looks flabbergasted, dropping his bike and pointing a finger at El, "What are you doing here?"
"She's having fun, shopping, what else would she be doing at the mall?" I cut in, making Max and El nod along with me.
"This is her new style." Max adds, "What do you think?"
"What's wrong with you two." Mike argues, ignoring Max and I completely, "You both know she's not allowed to be here."
"What is she your little pet?" Max taunts.
"Yeah. Am I your pet?" Eleven repeats.
"What? No!" Mike retorts.
"Plus, Emmie's here." Max adds, motioning to me standing directly next to her with a hand on my hip.
El gives a sharp nod, agreeing. Speaking directly to Mike she says, "If i'm not your pet, then why do you treat me like garbage?"
"What?" Mike questions.
"You said Nana was sick." El argues.
"She is." Mike answers, "She is, she is sick." Mike obviously lies, turning to Lucas to help him.
"Yeah, sic-she's sick." Lucas assures, "She's super sick. That's why we're here, actually."
"Yeah, yeah we're shopping." Mike explains, "Not for us, but for her, for Nana."
I roll my eyes, the more they talk the more obvious it is that their lying.
"For Nana!" Lucas exclaims.
"Also, we're here to get a gift for you." Mike says, "Just-we couldn't find anything that suited you, and I only have like, $3.50, so it's hard."
"Super hard." Lucas repeats, "It's really expensive."
"You lie." El speaks up, "Why do you lie?"
Mike opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.
The bus rattles behind us, El turns to look before looking Mike right in the eye, taking several steps toward him, "I dump your ass."
Max and I's mouths pop open in surprise, we share a look a silent giggle escaping from us.
El storms away and we follow, climbing on the bus and sitting in a three seater.
As soon as our butts hit the chair we all turn into a fit of giggles, Max accidentally smudging her ice cream on my arm in the process.
I gasp and we all stop laughing, staring at Max's vanilla ice cream-her and El had switched-melting down my arm. In sync, the three of us burst into laughter once again, but this time tears spill down our cheeks.