𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 | stranger things

eighteen

"Do you have everything? Do you need money for lunch?" Nancy asked as she dropped her little sister off at the mall.

"I have my allowance money," Wren replied, unbuckling her seat belt. "Thanks, though."

"Okay, just give me a call if you need anything. You have the number for the Hawkins Post? I worry about you being alone here all day, Wren."

"It's on the back of my bookmark." Wren nodded. "And I'm not alone. Steve and Robin are there."

"Make sure he has you home before 10:30."

"He always does, Nance." Wren forced a reassuring smile at Nancy before getting out of the car. She hoisted her backpack over her shoulders and pulled her headphones over her ears as she entered the loud mall. She zig-zagged her way through the crowd of shoppers, tensing every time one of them brushed against her as she made her way to Scoops Ahoy.

When she walked in, Dustin and Steve were pretending to fight with invisible lightsabers. She smiled a little bit and lowered her headphones as she walked over to them.

"How many children are you friends with?" Robin asked from behind the counter.

"You can't talk," Wren said. Robin raised a brow at her. "I don't know if you noticed, but your best friend is a fourteen year old."

Robin scoffed at the girl's sass. She put a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream in a bowl and slid it across the counter to her. "Touché," she muttered.

"Don't hate the truth, Robin," Steve teased. She flipped him off.

After making Dustin a banana split, Steve sat down with him and Wren at a table. Dustin started telling them about the girl he had met while at camp. Wren fought the urge to roll her eyes. Why couldn't she meet someone else her age that wasn't interested in dating?

"No way," Steve said when Dustin was done talking. "Hotter than Phoebe Cates?"

"Mm-hm." Dustin nodded. "Brilliant, too. And she doesn't even care that my real pearls are still coming in. She says kissing is better without teeth."

Steve made a face that said he didn't believe a word coming out of the boy's mouth. After searching for a response, he said that it was kinda romantic.

"So, do you really just get to eat as much of this as you want?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah, I mean, sure." Steve nodded. "When Wren found out, she offered to work for it, but Robin said she'd give it to her for free. It's not really a good idea for me, though. You know, I gotta keep in shape for the ladies."

"Yeah, and how's that working out for you?" Robin teased as she cleaned up trash on one of the tables. She winked at Wren when she stifled a laugh.

"Ignore her." Steve waved his hand in dismissal.

"She seems cool," Dustin said to Wren, who nodded with a smile.

"She is."

"She's not," Steve countered. Wren glared at him. "So, where are the other knuckleheads?"

Dustin rolled his eyes. "They ditched me yesterday. My first day back. Can you believe that shit?"

"Seriously?" Steve frowned.

Wren ate a spoonful of ice cream, shrugging. "Just hang out here like I do. Robin and Steve are better than them."

"It's their own fault, really, cause now, they don't get to share my glory," Dustin said.

"Glory?" Wren's brows furrowed in confusion. "What glory?"

Dustin motioned for Wren to lean in closer. He lowered his voice. "So, last night, we're trying to get in contact with Suzie. And, uh . . . " He brought his hand up to his mouth and whispered something neither Steve nor Wren could make out.