Everything works out in the end, stranger things.

look at me, girl.

mallory was sat on her bed, and Max was on the floor. aurora was braiding mallorys hair.

"What are you doing, max?"

"cleaning my skateboard just until you two finish your stuff because I want to go out-" there's a knock on the front door so mallory gets up quickly and Aurora lets her hands go into her lap.

"Do you think Mal is acting weird?"

"I think she's just... being mallory."

—••——-

mallory opens the door to come face to face with el.

"What's going on? aren't you meant to be with Mike?"

"he cancelled. said nana was sick."

"Oh. yeah, no, Mike's lying. for sure."

"Is anyone else here?"

"Just max and Aurora. my parents are on a business trip and lucinda.. I don't know where she is."

"Are they in your room?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's go then." El grabs her hand and goes up the stairs. she opens the door, and Aurora looks at El, then smiles.

"Hey, el. what's up?"

aurora looks towards mallory, but mallory just looks at her bookshelf, pretending to distract herself with her books.

—••——-
el looks at the two girls on the bed while she sits on a bean bag.

"So... what you're saying is you think Mike is lying?" aurora asks, and el nods.

"it makes sense because Mike is a piece of shit." Max says, and Aurora looks at her slightly worried.

"Are you ... okay?"

"No! he was a dickhead to me while he didn't care about you, aurora."

mallory looks at the two of them and speaks up, "Mike trusted me with a decision and I made it. he trusted his own instincts with Max."

max rolls her eyes and stands up, "How about we go to starcourt?"

"starcourt?" el asks.

"You realise hopper won't be happy, right?" aurora asks.

max shrugs while mallory speaks up, "Mike won't either, but they'll get over it."

"That's right, we don't beg for permission. We just do the shit we want." Max raises her hand for a high five towards mallory, but mallory just pushes Max's arm down.

—••——-
lucinda was walking down the sidewalk when she noticed some shadows up ahead. "mallory? are you here?" the shadows kept moving until they stopped at hawkins community pool.

"what the hell?" was the last thing lucinda said before everything went to black.

—••——-
lucinda woke up but on the street of where her house was when she saw Nancy and Jonathan.

"shit. my head hurts." she mutters, holding her head while sitting up on the bench.

"luc?"

"lucinda?"

"oh.. uh.. hi? what are you two doing here?"

"we were questioning Mrs driscoll. Why are you just on this bench?"

"I actually don't have a clue regarding that, but..." she pauses, " have you seen mallory lately? like at all?"

they both shake their heads, and lucinda just nods.

"Okay. I'm going home to sleep." lucinda says, walking away, making Nancy and Jonathan share a look.

—••——-
"So, what do you think?" Max asks el who's looking at the mall like it will kill her.

"hey, what's wrong?" aurora asks el.

"Too many people." she looks at the three girls and looks at mallory the longest, "against the rules."

"Seriously? you have superpowers. what's the worst that could happen?" Max says and looks at mallory. "Please just tell her everything will be fine."

mallory can't do that. more so she won't. mallory already hated lying. she lied to aurora countless times today, but she won't lie to el.

"I think there are  risks, but you get to explore a place with a bunch of stuff." mallory says.

—••——-

aurora let out a small giggle when el failed on putting a yellow beret on properly. when el pinged the suspenders, mallory let a small smile appear on her face.

el ended up spinning with a yellow belt around her waist, and she loses her balance, but aurora supports her by holding her shoulder.

aurora watched as mallory picked up a red bow which looked like a lady from the olden days would wear it so aurora walked over.

"hey."

mallory looks up at aurora. "Hey."

"that's a cool.... bow."

"thanks. I was also thinking of getting some new tights. so that when it's cold, I can still wear this dress." mallory says, pointing to her black dress which comes to just above her knees.

"your clothing style is like... super cool. mine is just colors and jeans." Aurora says, looking down at her own outfit.

"at least you don't look like you're going to a funeral everyday." mallory says, fiddling with the red bow in her hands.

—••——-

aurora and mallory appeared out of nowhere behind max and el just as el explodes a boy's drink. the boy being joseph Branson.

mallory hasn't liked joseph. or commonly known as Joe. for one, he tried to kiss her when she clearly said no. secondly, he called will a gay bitch which mallory did not stand for and punched him in the face. and lastly... he would not stop asking her out. it's like he is obsessed with her. mallory didn't tell aurora because... well, why would she? she's mallory hart. the coward of all cowards.

"That was karma." mallory says, and max turns to look at her.

"You don't like Joe?"

"You do?"

"he told me my hair was on fire."

"You took that as a compliment?"

"Yes. why?"

"Are you stupid, max?"

"Offensive!"

—••——-

all four girls were walking outside. two of them holding ice creams while the other two held hands. max is the first one to hear an annoying bitch ass wheeler.

"oh, you've gotta be shitting me."

the two girls with ice creams lead the way while mallory and aurora just stand there whispering to each other.

el then walks off towards the bus and max follows her, a bit gobsmacked, and motions for mallory and aurora to follow.

—••——-
beth is yapping!!

I was giggling at all the cart moments

do you guys already hate Joe? pls say yes bc then I can traumatise him.