𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 | steve harrington

017| what russians?

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THEY'D BEEN SITTING THERE ALL SMILES AND BLISS for hardly five minutes, or so if felt, before the bathroom door flew open and Dustin came striding in looking like an overworked mother, Erica a few paces behind. The four of them stared at the boys stern expression for hardly a second before they started laughing, amused by the way that it didn't suit his face.

"What the hell?" Dustin cursed, "I told you no matter what to stay in those seats"

"We were drugged man" Steve pointed out, "there was no sweet popcorn, we wanted water so we left... not like we went far"

"Were drugged?" Erica asked skeptically.

"Yeah we puked it all up" Robin grinned.

"Lovely" Erica stated as she wrinkled her face in disgust.

"Listen to me, all of you" Dustin pointed at them sternly, "we gotta get out of here before the Russians come looking for us, okay?"

"You gotta plan for that?" Clover asked, "because I have a strong sense of danger settling in my chest"

"Don't say that" Robin whispered.

"The film finishes in five minutes" Dustin continued, seemingly ignoring whatever everyone else had been saying. "when it does, there'll be a large crowd of people coming out of the theatre. What we're gonna do it come out of these toilets at the same time and blend in, okay?"

"Sounds good to me" Briar nodded, "but how exactly are you going to get two sailor uniform wearing teenagers, one with blood on his face to blend in? Not to mention Clo"

"What about me?" Clover frowned.

"You stand out" Briar shrugged, looking at her almost witch-like clothing and her wrists drenched in jewels.

"It's a compliment" Robin spoke quietly next to Clover's ear.

"Oh, thank you" Clover beamed.

"I don't know how it's going to work but it's the only option we've got" Dustin said quickly, "we just keep our heads down, walk fast--"

"And then what?" Briar interrupted, "we don't have a car, remember?"

"Yeah they stole my keys" Steve said sadly, "what happens to my car?"

"Get new keys" Briar frowned, "it's not rocket science"

"Easy" Dustin spoke over the babble, "there'll be a bus after the movie ends, we just get on with everyone else"

The four of them nodded at Dustin from their haphazard seats on the dirty bathroom floor and Briar found herself wondering how the younger kid could be so much more intelligent than the rest of them. It seemed in that moment that Dustin was the obvious leader, despite his age.

They gathered round the door to the toilets, peering through the small gap to look at the deserted mall. Briar stood close by Steve's shoulder, feeling the last remains of any drugs slipping away with each blink of her eye. The past hour felt like a haze, Briar never usually drank crazily but she attributed the feelings to a hangover. The girl was aware that all she wanted was warm sheets, to wrap herself up in summer warmth and dream of holidays rather than disaster. Yet instead she watched the world over Erica Sinclair's head, heart beating anxiously in her chest as she wondered what horrible truth they'd come across next. Briar was losing faith in the idea that life was treating them fairly and the nightmares that had plagued her from the previous year looped around her neck like a noose.

As their eyes peered round the corner of the door, Briar heard the beginnings of chatter, whispers and loud opinions relating to the film that Briar still hadn't seen. They came in small clusters, holding empty drinks, spilling popcorn onto the carpets and laughing in bliss.