They stayed at the mall. They were comfortable and safe but they still took precautions.

"Remember guys, everyone wears a backpack, If for some reason we need to get out of here we meet at our designated place, but there is enough food and supplies in the pack to keep you warm-ish, and safe. You share body heat, that's the only way it will work."

"What if we get separated?" Lucas asked.

"Don't get separated. I'm not going anywhere without El by my side. Anywhere. Get it?" Mike was being overly harsh but he was trying to get his point across. But to ease the tension he felt had increased in the group he continued.

"Lucas, I can 't stay in the same sleeping bag as Max again. Her feet are too cold." Everyone laughed except for Max.

"Screw you Wheeler. You'll be begging for my body heat if it happens."

XXXXX

They sat around the table at the food court in the mall. They were eating a meal that Dustin, Suzie, and El had cooked.

"For the most part this is just fast food, but it's tasty. We'll need energy for our travels." Dustin said.

"Where are we going?" Max said.

"We aren't going anywhere, Max. But there's a storm coming in. We are going want to shovel out a path for every entrance." Mike said.

"There's a storm coming in? Did I miss the latest weather report?" Lucas said.

Dustin said, "When did you become a weatherman?"

"It's not hard to predict the weather." Mike said.

"Then why couldn't weather guys get it right?" Max said.

"They were relying too much on weather models. Anyway it's a myth they couldn't get the weather right. That's the kind of a meme thing that just snowballs."

"Ok, Bill Nye, how do you predict the weather." Max was already rolling her eyes.

"Guys, I just want you to know that Max walked back from California to Hawkins to be with me. She's not stupid, and I love her to death… you know what I mean, El." El smiled at him nodding with understanding eyes.

"But, sometimes she just comes out with stuff she no longer remembers. Max we went over this. You can predict the weather with a good to excellent degree of accuracy by observation. In this case, clouds, barometric pressure and wind direction."

"Ok, how do you know what the clouds will do?" Dustin asked.

"Wind direction, if you have cirrus clouds, you know the thin wispy ones high in the sky, with tails and a steady wind northeast-east to south there's chance of rain or snow, depending on season in twenty to thirty hours. West Northwest to North winds mean fair weather."

"It's that easy?" Lucas said.

"Changes with types, barometric pressure, but yeah." Mike said.

"Ok, so you memorize cloud types, and you can get wind direction if you have a compass. But what about barometric pressure? You carrying one of those around Mike?" Max smirked.

Mike reached into his bag, and pulled out his portable barometer, a rugged looking handheld model.

"What if you run out of batteries?" Max said not quite convinced.

"It's a barometer, atmospheric pressure is the only energy it needs. It's like a thermometer, it doesn't need batteries either."

"I've seen plenty of thermometers that need batteries." Max said.

"Sure, digital ones, analog ones don't." Mike said.

Suzie spoke up at this point, "I for one appreciate Mike's survival skills. Is he over cautious? Yes, but we are sitting here in a comfortable, well lit and warm mall because of him. Don't listen to them Mike, El and I know you have our best interests in mind."

XXXXX

"Uh, Mike?" Dustin said when the group of them were at the front doors of the mall. "What's happening out there."

"Freezing rain."

"Isn't that just a fancy phrase for hail?"

"No, it falls as rain, but it freezes as soon as it hits something solid."

"Is it dangerous?" El asked.

"If there's a lot of accretion, it can break branches, bring down power lines, collapse entire transmission towers."

"Are we going to lose power here?" Suzie asked.

"I think this mall is self contained and that's why it's been running so long after the disaster. Outside will be one big rink though, let's go get some walking poles from the sports store."

XXXXX

"I'm a little worried, Mike." Suzie said to him.

"It's not really problem, Suzie." We could stay here for years and not step outside."

"Are you sure?" Suzie looked worried.

"It's a bad icestorm for sure. I'm not worried."

"We're taking your lead here Mike." Max said, "We are all pretty worried."

"Even if trees collapse, none can touch the mall, it's surrounded by parking lots. I've been thinking, once it stops with the freezing rain, we all go out skating."

El looked down, "I can't skate."

"We will teach you," the rest said at the same time.

That's exactly what they did. El she turned out to be very graceful. Mike was awkward at first, Max was a natural, the other guys had initial problems too, but nobody took to it like El did.

They were exhausted by the end of the day.

"I can't believe we were able to skate all the way to your house Mike and back again." Max said panting.

"That was fun!" El said also panting. She had skated home with Mike holding hands.

"I didn't think I'd ever get to skate again," Max said, sounding a little melancholy.

"You skated like you'd been doing it for years." Lucas told her.

"I used to be pretty good on a skateboard. I guess it's like riding a bike."

"A bike?" El said.

"We'll teach you to ride a bike as soon as the snow's gone." Mike said. He stood up from taking her skates off and gave her a warm kiss. Let's wrap it up here, we are going to get more rain. I think this is going to worse than the last time."

They gathered up their gear quickly and headed back inside the mall.

Lucas and Mike made sure the doors were secure and they went back to the respective domestic areas.

They could hear the wind howling outside even from the relatively isolated area they were at in the mall.

"Let's get some walkie talkies and get them all on the same frequency." Mike said.

"Even in the mall?" Lucas said.

" Especially in the mall. We'll test them out and make sure we can all communicate with each other. Ok?" Mike looked around.

He saw some frowns and some puzzles faces. "You don't want to?" He asked.

"Isn't this overkill?" Lucas said.

"No it isn't." Max said.

"Look, I don't want to be an asshole but if you guys don't like stuff I'm doing, let me know ok?"

"It's not that Mike." Max said. "Believe me, I know you are trying to keep us safe. I'm not going to speak for everyone, but I think you are making us feel… like mouthbreathers, like we don't know anything."

El linked her arm around Mike in support.

"Ok. I'm selfish. I have more friends than I ever did before. Including a girlfriend. He turned to smile at El. Her big eyes smiled back. "I don't want to lose you guys, not over something stupid, something I could have prevented."

Dustin held up his hands. "Don't say anything more Mike. Suzie and I get it, Max you have to convince your boyfriend."

"C'mon." Max pulled Lucas up and they walked off to the area where they made house.

Just then a loud whistling wind could be heard and El said. "I'm cold."

It was plenty warm in the mall, but Mike took her back to their sleeping bag. They got in and snuggled.

"You are always nice and warm Mike. I like sleeping beside you."

"Me too. Um… El, do you think I'm being overprotective of everyone?"

"You can overprotect me all you want. I would be… lost without you. You are just being a good friend Mike. They will all see that once they think about it overnight."

Mike turned to her and kissed her. They kissed for a few minutes and to Mike's surprise, El deepened her kiss.

Mike pulled back, "Um, El…"

"Don't you like it when I kiss you that way?"

"I do El. I really do, but it has certain…"

"Mike… I want… I've been talking to Max… I want to be more… intimidating to you."

"Intimate."

"Yes. Intimate… do you know how?"

"I do El, this has to be all your decision."

"I'm ready Mike. I have told her things you don't know. Girl things."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't need a condo. I… was operated on when I was younger."

Mike got her meaning. He was thankful she couldn't see his blushing in the dark. "Ok, El, but this would be my first time. I might not do it right."

"Did Max not show you how?"

Mike gave her a quiet laugh. "We weren't that kind of friends El. You should only do this with someone love very much."

"I love you very much, Mike."