MARLEY // Max Mayfield

Skittles

Marley rode into Starcourt Mall, Max's arms tight around her waist and her cheek rested between her shoulder blades. The placement of the Mall was pretty strange and it's building had resulted in a great number of the local business going bankrupt but most people didn't care. It was new and exciting, the best thing that had happened to Hawkins in recent years since, well, ever. It was so out of place, so strange and it drew people in, opening up jobs but also depleting them all at once.

A car pulled out and Marley swerved, flipping the guy off as Max winced, closing her eyes, "Watch where you're going dickhead!"

"Marley!" Max laughed out of shock, turning to look at the car and then the finger protruding from the open window.

"What? He could have hit us!" Marley shouted, riding up onto the path and skidding to a stop in front of the back bike racks. Max smiled and got off, waiting as Marley locked her bike up. "Alright, you ready?"

"Of course," Max rolled her eyes, grabbing Marley's hand and pulling her along. A simple gesture like that was common between girls their age so Marley didn't make any move to pull away, instead opting to lace their fingers together.

"There you are!" Lucas shouted, throwing his arms up in the air. "Took your time!"

"Shove off, LucASS," Marley prodded, sticking her tongue out, "Me and my wonderful girlfriend were sightseeing."

"Catch the sunset, did you Mars?" Will smiled and Marley nodded, hooking an arm around his shoulder.

"See, be more like Will," Marley teased, looking to Lucas who sighed, shaking his head around as Max shook her head fondly. Marley really was an idiot. "Didn't see much of it though, you know...too busy looking at my beautiful girlfriend," Max hit her arm, prompting a grin on Marley's face, "What about you? What have you and your girlfriend done - oh wait."

"Marley don't be mean," Max scolded and Marley relented, holding her hand up in surrender, "It's not Lucas's fault he can't get a girlfriend."

"Ha!" Marley grinned, pointing at Lucas as Will and Max laughed.

"This is harassment," Lucas grumbled, crossing his arms in annoyance, "I didn't come here to get treated like this, I came to watch a movie."

"We did too," Marley huffed, taking her bag off of her shoulder and pulling out a packet of skittles. She was going to save them for the movie but she was feeling peckish and wasn't too fussed with having anything to eat in the theatre, she'd just pester Max for some of her snacks or Steve. He was their link to free movies and also Marley's personal link to free ice cream thanks to his position at a Scoops-Ahoy parlour. It made spending days alone feel a little more worth it. "Where's Mike?" 

"Good question..." Lucas mumbled and, as if on cue, Mike pulled up in front of them, panting heavily and rushing to put his bike on the wrack behind him. Everyone stood and waited, arms crossed to emphasise their disappointment, besides Max who figured she hadn't been waiting long so there was no point, her girlfriend, on the other hand, took every opportunity to pick at Mike. "You're late."

"Sorry," He replied but the way he said it was not at all convincing.

"Again," Lucas added as an afterthought, "We're gonna miss the opening!"

"Yeah, if you keep whining about it. Let's go!" Mike yelled, pushing at Lucas's arm and leading him to the entrance. Marley rolled her eyes and glanced down at the two people on either side of her.

"They act like an old married couple," Will whispered and both Marley and Max laughed.

"If you guys keep whining about it. Nyeh-nyeh-nyeh," Lucas mocked, sending the three at the back into more choked giggles.