✓ | 3. soldier, soldier, spy [STEVE HARRINGTON]

four.

CHAPTER FOUR:
TUESDAY, AFTER WORK

[ SUZIE, DO YOU COPY? ]

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"Oh, would you look who it is! Carey Mahoney!"

Thomas gave Dustin Henderson a flat look over the top of his thinly-rimmed glasses when he turned his head at that familiar shout — Police Academy references had become quite common around him nowadays — and caught his eye through Scoops Ice Cream Parlour.

Comfortable in the red leather seats, Dustin was sat next to Steve, a banana split sitting, half-eaten, in front of him. The parlour was relatively quiet aside from the three of them and Robin, who was reading, as usual, behind the counter; only a few other teenagers populated the place. No surprise, considering the mall was due to close in under an hour at 7 (Thomas had just escaped the Sheriff's station after a particularly long shift).

Thomas slid in on the other side, flashing Steve a small, reserved smile, then grinning comfortably at Dustin. "How was camp?"

"He met a girl," Steve butted in before Dustin could answer, leaning forward and flashing his eyes at Thomas, like they were sharing a piece of wicked gossip.

Dustin half-glared at Steve for his teasing tone, then added, somewhat hesitantly, "A hot one, too. Hotter than Amanda Wyss — or even Phoebe Cates."

Shaking his head with widened eyes, Steve said, "No way. Phoebe Cates?"

"Yes! Brilliant, too," Dustin sighed dreamily, but was spoken over by Thomas, who muttered, "Wait — who's this?"

"Phoebe Cates?" Steve asked, raising his eyebrows. "You don't know Phoebe Cates?" Thomas shook his head, and Steve groaned, exasperated. "Come on, man. Fast Times at Ridgemont High... Gremlins!"

The second one got him. Will liked that film — they watched it last halloween together... Before everything went to shit. Realisation filled his gaze, and Steve nodded slowly with an outstretching hand, as if to say, there we go!

"Come on! That's not important," Dustin cut in. "She doesn't even care that my real pearls are still coming in. She says kissing is even better without teeth."

Thomas didn't know much about kissing, considering his track record, and he was a little concerned that Dustin was more experienced than he was (and don't even get him started on what he thought about Mike and El) — but he figured from the split-second wide-eyed look that Steve gave him, that Dustin's words were more than a little peculiar.