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3 MONTHS LATER
"Dustin!" you exclaimed, grabbing his attention. He was walking out of the front of the school building, obviously not paying too much attention, and he froze at the sight of you. Even from your distance in the parking lot, you could see his eyes go wide, and he took a second to come back to himself before he was calling out your name.
Dustin ran to you, his backpack bouncing hard against his back, and he tackled you in a tight hug. You had forgotten how good it felt to hug Dustin, but especially with the cold November air. You hadn't been back in Hawkins for very long, only arriving a few hours before, and you had decided to surprise Dustin and pick him up from school for old time's sake. He had sent you a letter or two during the semester, but you hadn't been able to return to Hawkins at all during the semester, and you could tell that your de-facto little brother had missed you.
Hence, you were sure, the tight hug. "Hey, dude," you laughed, wrapping your arms around him tightly. "What's up? How're your grades?"
"When did you get back?" Dustin asked, completely disregarding your question about his schoolwork.
"I had a class this morning," you told him. "And I hit the road almost immediately after. I had to come home for Thanksgiving."
"We have Hellfire at Eddie's place tonight," Dustin said. "Are you coming by?"
"Of course I am," you told him, rumpling up his hair. "Oh, dude, what's up with this? Get a haircut, hippie."
"Shut up," Dustin laughed, and he squeezed you tighter than before. "I missed you."
Your heart melted at his candor, and you rubbed his back. "How about we get some McDonald's on our way home?" you asked. "Ya think your mom will be pissed?"
