CYNEFIN- Lucas Sinclair ⁴

CHAPTER ELEVEN

spin me right round

. ✧ ・゜. +・o ✧

Despite the overwhelming number of roller rinks that had cropped up in Chicago before Gabe ran away, he'd never actually gone to one before. Both because he had never had any interest—he had the balance of a baby that had just taken its first steps—and because he hadn't had any friends to go with. Back then, the only people that ever hung around him wanted something—whether that was the answers to last night's homework or a new target to pick on. Neither type seemed like an ideal person to drag along to any location of entertainment, especially a roller rink.

So, today was sort of going to be uncharted territory.

Fortunately, Gabe wasn't alone. Will—who Gabe was dying to have a little bit of alone time with—had confessed in the pizza van that was apparently their ride that he'd never gone roller skating, either. There wasn't a rink in Hawkins, and, though he'd been to Rink-O-Mania once before for a work party, he'd never actually done the skating part. He and Alina had just played arcade games the whole time.

"I guess we'll have to try it out together," he finished, giving Gabe a smile that melted his goddamn heart. "Let's see which one of us will stay up longer."

"It'll definitely be you," Gabe replied. "I fall over even when I don't have wheels."

And when Will had laughed, Gabe's churning stomach had felt a little better.

Now, the two of them—plus El and Mike, though they were in their own little world—collected their roller skates from the counter. As she slid Gabe his pair, the female employee—who was probably about his age, if not a couple of years older—gave him a wink. "Have fun," she said. The colourful earrings dangling above her shoulders swayed slightly.

"Uh, thanks," Gabe said awkwardly, uncomfortable with the way she was eyeing him.

"If you need any help, just let me know, okay?"