"I swear, if I'm dying tonight because of you, I'm gonna haunt your ass so hard, Harrington!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna go full Poltergeist and shit!"
"Then bring it, Graveswood."
"Challenge accepted."
***
In which after years of suppressing their...
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Chapter One-Hundred-And-Seventeen: Cornered
(The Bite, Pt. 5)
***
Before Dustin even opened the door, Rowan could already hear the beginnings of his plan working.
Still, Rowan peered over Dustin's shoulder as he opened the door to see the rush of moviegoers pouring out of the theatres, chatting excitedly and once again oblivious to what was happening underneath their feet—literally.
"And... blend," Dustin whispered, before he, Erica, Rowan, Steve, Robin and Valerie stepped out of the bathroom. Immediately they were swallowed by the crush of moviegoers, who were too eager to talk about the movie they watched to take notice of the six of them—especially Steve with his battered and bloody face—as they made their way to the mall's exit, letting the tide of people carry them to it and camouflage them from the Russians.
"Well, shit, that worked," Erica said, quietly impressed.
"I'll say. Good call, Henderson," Rowan agreed, patting him on the head.
"Course it worked. Now we just have to get on the bus with the rest of these plebes, and home sweet home, here we come," Dustin said, reiterating the plan he'd talked about nearly a whole hour ago as they waited for the crowd they needed to come out of the movies.
It was an ingenious plan, and yet as Rowan looked at Steve, she saw he looked pale under the blood and bruises.
"Uh, Dustin?" he said.
"What?" the younger boy asked distractedly.
"Yeah, we might not wanna go to your house," Steve went on, and Rowan felt sickening realisation churn inside her.
"Why?" Dustin questioned, voice more alarmed than earlier.
"Well, I might've told them your full name," Steve revealed tentatively.
Dustin whipped around and hissed, "What is wrong with you?!"
"Dude, I was drugged," Steve defended as Rowan needled Dustin with a scorching glare.
"Yeah, it wasn't his fault, Henderson," she growled.
"So?" Dustin said.
"So?" Steve and Rowan echoed back.
"So, you resist. You tough it out," Dustin said and Rowan's glare intensified as she flicked the brim of Dustin's cap.
"Did you not see him, Henderson? All high and loopy and shit? Whatever fucking drugs they injected him with was strong as shit, no fucking way could Steve have 'toughed it out'," Rowan snarled, and it almost made Dustin look sheepish. Almost.
The boy she'd fallen for nodded in agreement, an irritated look on his face as he retorted, "Yeah, it's easy for you to say—"
"Guys," Robin interrupted, and the three of them turned.
