STITCHES - S. HARRINGTON

02

the mall rats

♛

"Seriously? You want cheese on your hotdog?" Scarlett looked at Dustin with a bored expression on her face. "It's covered in bread!"

"Yes. Put cheese on my hot dog on a stick, please." Dustin grinned, crossing his arms.

"That's literally so disgusting. Look, I'm super happy you're back from camp in one piece but, really?" Scarlett groaned, holding the hot dog above the nasty looking cheese.

"Just give the kid his damn cheese." Val waved towards her as she flipped through a magazine.

"No way. That goes against like, all laws of hot dogs." Ben shook his head as he yanked the magazine from Val, earning a glare from her.

"But it had bread on it! Cheesy bread is good bread." Dustin scoffed, putting the money on the counter.

"Well, yeah. But it's corn bread. You don't put cheese on corn bread." Ben pointed to the bread.

"Are you sure you want the cheese? It really gross and probably expired two years ago." She shuddered as she look as the thick cheese. "We also got it from the mini mart. It was one dollar."

"Yes. Just give me the goddamn cheese!" Dustin yelled for the thirtieth time that day.

"This is so gross I don't even want to make you pay because I know you're going to wanna throw up. But then again, I feel like I need to throw up from making this, so I'll take that money." She exchanged the cheese drenched hotdog for the money.

Dustin stared at her for a moment before finally speaking up. "Will you come to Scoops Ahoy with me?"

Scarlett gaze softened as she realized Dustin was alone, his friends no where to be seen. "Dustin, I would, but I have a job and kinda can't leave whenever I want. My breaks in fifteen though, I can meet you there?"

"Oh! Great." Dustin nodded, "See you then." He then walked off to Scoops Ahoy, munching on his cheese dog.

"Party at Scoops again? Why can't we ever just gather here?" Ben asked as if walking fifty feet to Scoops Ahoy was the hardest task in the world.

Scarlett gave him a look, "Gather where?" She looked around at the small booth they were in. It was barely a shop, simply just a fast food vendor in a food court. They barely had a break room. I mean, it was literally in a closet.

"Scoops in fifteen... I guess." Ben groaned, trudging back over to the friers and dunking a freshly breaded hotdog in.

Fifteen minutes later, the duo had left the booth on their break, and were approaching Scoops Ahoy. To their left the two boys sat in a booth, Dustin whispering to Steve. Steve seemed to be getting fed up, as he couldn't hear the boy. "Just speak louder." Steve suggested.

"I intercepted a secret Russian communication!" Dustin raised his voice. Everyone in the store froze, including Ben and Scarlett.

"Jeez, shh. Yeah, okay, that's what I thought you said." Steve mumbled, shifting in his seat uncomfortably as everyone's eyes were on them.

Scarlett and Ben wasted no time shoving themselves in the booth with the two, making themselves comfortable. "Room for two more?" Scarlett tapped on the table from beside Steve.