Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
When the girls got into the "Girls" dressing room, the boys got out of the "Guys" dressing room. They looked at the mirror, Mike wearing a warm-colored striped shirt. The freckled boy himself looked at the mirror, checking side to side if it looked good on him. Lucas nodded while Will did not participate at all before they went back inside the dressing room to have him try another one.
Just then, the girls came out. Jane looked herself in the mirror, wearing the blue shirt with the red, white, and yellow streaks with yellow pants and red suspenders. She smiled at how she looked before Max handed her a yellow french beanie to fit. She put it on straight before Max tilted it. The tomboy thought she looked better. She then posed like a cheesy model, making her female friend giggle. She then stretched out her suspenders before snapping them back, making her huff in excitement before she and Max went back into their dressing room for her to try out another one.
The boys came out again, Mike wearing a white, short-sleeved shirt with turquoise and salmon paint streaks on it. He checked himself out in it like he did before, Lucas shaking his head and when he looked at Will, he just shrugged and that made them go back. Jane and Max came out, the brown-haired girl looking at herself in a matching shirt and skirt she was surprised she didn't feel uncomfortable in. They were both white and had red, blue, purple, and yellow streaks on it. Max gave her the choice of a yellow or red belt, her choosing yellow and putting it on. Her friend twirled her around to showcase it, the girls clearly having fun before they went in again.
While Mike looked at himself wearing a tropical-patterned shirt with the colors to match, Lucas checked out some sunglasses he could purchase for himself. The red ones didn't fit him, so he didn't like that. Jane checked herself out in a warm-colored collared shirt and jean shorts while Max checked out a completely black pair of sunglasses available. They just weren't for her. Mike checked himself out in another shirt and Lucas didn't like how a certain style of sunglasses looked on him. Same happened with Jane and Max, the redhead looking weird about the colorful pair she had.
Finally, Lucas found a pair of completely black sunglasses that he liked, grinning and nodding before looking at Mike. He wore the cartoon-patterned shirt and grinned at himself, loving how he looked in it. He looked at Lucas, who grinned as well and nodded, giving a thumbs-up. They both then looked at Will, who actually got a good look on him. He'll admit, he did look good in it, so he gave him a nod. The two smiled before they went back to the dressing room to get everything ready. The girls came out, Jane dressed in a black romper with brightly-colored patterns, her hair messy from the fun she was having with Max. She adjusted it to make it look a little more out there, most of her hair on one side, before checking herself out. She looked how she looked and Max did too! They went back to their dressing room to get everything ready.
The boys got out and went to the cash register, where Stacey was operating right now. They placed the shirts and the sunglasses in front of her, the woman smiling as she checked their price tags to punch in. Mike and Lucas were smiling before she added up the total and said, "$22.15." Their smiles dropped, looking like they were hit by lightning. Mike looked at Lucas, who dug into his pockets and pulled out three dollars and twenty-three cents, though there were more coins and he had only a dollar. They looked at Will, him muttering, "I don't have any money." Looking defeated, the African-American boy placed the money he had in front of her. She looked at the boys with a quirked-up eyebrow. Lucas smiled nervously and said, "Sorry, we came here...unprepared."
She sighed before she looked around to see if anyone was watching her. She was about to do something she saw a cashier at a diner did for her, Andrew, and Dave when they didn't have enough money to pay for their meal. Quickly, she got out her wallet and pulled out the money they needed to pay, putting it in the cash register. The boys looked absolutely shocked that she was doing this. "Are you-" Lucas was asking before she shushed him and put the money in. He cleared his throat and murmured, "Sorry."
She pushed the money Lucas had back to him and got a bag to put the shirts in before she whispered to them, "If I see your faces here again, you owe me that much money."
They gulped, but nodded. "Okay. Thanks!" They then got the bag and went back to the dressing room for a final time so Mike could change into one of his new shirts...just as the girls came out to purchase what they had with their money.
They went to the cash register, Stacey smiling at them before checking the price tags on the clothes and sunglasses. "Found everything alright?" she asked them.
"Yeah!" Jane answered cheerfully.
"Of course," Max also answered.
"Is there...a family discount, by any chance?"
Stacey looked at the girl, answering, "Sorry, but no." Both her smile and Max's dropped before the woman gave them a reassuring smile. "But these are marked down for discounts." They smiled again, looking very happy.
As Stacey gave them the final price and they joint-paid for the clothes, the boys got out of the store, Mike and Lucas looking confident in their new looks. Will looked like he just wanted to go home.
When the curly-haired woman put the clothes in a bag, Jane asked her, "When my Mama comes back, can you tell her I said hi?"
The fact that she called Terry Mama was both weird and cute to her. She nodded at her and gave her the bag, Max grabbing her sunglasses and removing the tag on them. "Of course," she answered.
She smiled at her again. "Thank you, Stacey." She then took the bag and they left, giggling and having fun. They linked arms and loved each other's company. Stacey had to admire the fact that her youngest daughter didn't seem like a piece of shit as most girls her age were. She was lucky to have a daughter like that. The boys she treated also weren't too bad either, reminding her of Andrew and Dave back when they were all friends.
...
They met up with Becky, Carl, and Tina in the middle of the mall, them smiling before the woman noticed the shopping bag Jane had in her free hand. "I'm assumin' you two are having a lot of fun?" she asked.
They nodded and answered, "Yes!"
She chuckled before she heard Tina crying. Carl got out a pacifier and gave it to her, the baby girl being quiet. He turned to the girls. "Anything weird happened?" he asked, the two shaking their heads as an answer.
"Alright, then have fun!" They then went about their business, the adults happy that the girls were safe and having fun. However, they needed to go to the ladies' bathroom since Tina was crying.
...
Andrew and Terry were still walking and talking, being a long way from the Gap. The long-haired man was telling her a story, saying, "So we were all just running as fast as we could. We didn't care that it was raining and the dirt was getting muddy. We had to get away from Old Man Dusenheir's home quick before he could spot us."
"So how did that prank go?" the dirty-blonde-haired woman asked.
"We all heard him yell, 'Who the hell did this on my property?!' I swear, he's got amazing lungs for an 75-year-old." She snickered since from what he told her about that old man, he deserved it.
They walked pass the arcade, which had moved into the mall from its previous location. The boys had arrived there, Mike looking awed at the setting. The games practically lit up the entire place like lights in a city and it was all just so colorful. Even the floor had fun patterns. The boys looked around for a game to play before Mike spotted the Pac-Man machine. From what he saw, it looked like it could be fun. Lucas got right next to him and asked, "You wanna play? It's a fun game."
He nodded before asking him, "How do you play?"
Will, who didn't seem happy about hanging out with Mike at first, suddenly answered, "Well, you move the joystick around and get all the dots in this maze and also avoid the ghosts in that maze." He realized what he did, wanting to regret it before Mike looked like he understood. Lucas got out a quarter and inserted it into the machine, the boys looking at the screen intently as Mike grabbed the joystick like he's held it before.
...
Jane and Max run together, still linking arms before they spotted a photo studio. Max smiled and looked at Jane, gesturing her to come in. She nodded and they went in. In no time, they had a flamboyant photographer and over-the-top fancy outfits to try on. They then posed with their hands on their cheeks, showing off their sides and being back-to-back. A picture was taken.
...
Lucas and Will were not prepared for how much of a pro Mike was at Pac-Man already, though he was on his last life. Still, they began to be hyped as Mike was on the 9th level already. "Come on, come on..." Lucas murmured as Mike got consumable that rendered the ghosts vulnerable.
"Oh!" exclaimed Will.
"Get 'em, get 'em!" Lucas also exclaimed, Mike doing that and getting the dots as well.
...
Jane then leaned against Max, her arms folded and on her shoulders, then a picture was taken. They were laughing before the photographer told them to get a wardrobe change.
...
On the 11th level, Mike was close to finishing the level before he got cornered by ghosts and got caught by them, the boys exclaiming in annoyance as it was game over. Mike groaned and moved away from the machine. "Stupid ghosts," he grumbled.
"You'll get better next time, pal," Lucas stated, patting his back. "But you were pretty good for a first-timer."
Will had to agree, nodding and adding, "Yeah, it's like you knew what to do straight away." Not even the telekinetic boy himself knew how he knew what to do straight away, but he was glad he did.
"Thanks, guys."
Will then spotted Centipede and pointed at that. "Well...how about you play this game?" he suggested. The boys looked at the machine and went to it to have him play it.
...
In new clothes, Jane and Max did more cheesy posing, the brown-haired girl looking like she's about to faint while Max held up the collar of her jacket and posed on her side, a picture of that being taken.
...
It took a bit for Mike to get used to the gameplay before he and the boys really got into it, killing the bugs coming his way. "You're doing great!" Lucas exclaimed cheerfully. Seeing this actually reminded Will of when...he and the rest of the boys watched Jane play the game. The enthusiasm, the way they played and focused on the screen...
Wait, why was MIKE, his crush's BOYFRIEND, reminding him of HER?!
He broke out of his train of thought as Mike and Lucas let out a cry as Mike lost a life.
...
Once they were done with Centipede, they moved onto Dig Dug, Mike looking very focused on digging his way out. Lucas kept his attention on the screen while Will's mood was ruined due to that flashback and comparison he had before. He still wondered why that happened...
...
And then once the boys were done with Dig Dug, they started playing Donkey Kong on Lucas's last quarter. Mike and Lucas got more intense about him getting to the princess on his last life while their auburn-haired friend tried to be the same to forget about that small little moment. Mike had barely dodged a flame, and then a barrel, and reached to the princess, the boys cheering at those close calls.
...
"Shake it! Shake your heads for me!" the photographer cheerfully told them. They did so, messing up their hair and clothes in the process. That photo was taken. The two had an absolute blast doing this, especially Jane. She had no idea what she was missing.
...
While Becky and Carl looked in a candle store, Carl strolling Tina around this time, the short-haired woman suddenly heard Terry's voice. Curious, she looked out of the store...seeing her sister talk to a long-haired man. Her eyes widened. Shouldn't she be at work? Well, what the hell's work when you can hang out with a friend, right? She wondered which one that was, although she's got a pretty good idea...
"Honey?" her husband asked, making her look at him.
"Oh, yes?" she replied.
He held a scented candle to her and said, "Smell this." She leaned over and smelled it. It smelled like fall leaves, reminding her of how much she had fun playing in the leaves as a kid and dragging Terry into them too.
She smiled and closed her eyes for a few seconds, saying, "I love it."
He smiled back at her. "I knew you would." Carl was mostly reserved and professional, but he was a real romantic when it comes to Becky specifically. Although they have their little problems and differences, she knew she was in love with the right man.
...
"And then in the cafeteria, during lunch, the doors suddenly burst open and there he was," Terry said, telling a story to him now. "Jerry Fitzgerald, cocky jock, drunk out of his mind, in NOTHING but his underwear!"
Andrew laughed. "You serious?!"
"Yes! And he didn't look so good in it either!" That made him laugh louder. "Becky and I spat out our milk, but Joyce..." She laughed a little. "Oh my God, I don't know how she made it possible, but milk came out her mouth AND her nose!"
His eyes widened at that. "Both?!"
"Yeah! It made the whole thing funnier!" They both then laughed together.
...
After Mike lost in Donkey Kong, the boys got out of the arcade, Mike sighing and saying, "That little flame thing's such a pain."
Lucas patted his shoulder and nodded in understanding. "I know, dude, I know."
Will took a deep breath, muttering to himself, "Mike's not Jane, Mike's not Jane, Mike's not Jane..."
"What?" Mike asked, him and Lucas looking at him.
Feeling embarrassed, he gave him a half-assed smile and replied, "Oh, nothing. Trust me." They were a bit concerned, but decided that it was nothing and looked forward.
Bright pink caught the corner of Mike's eye, him looking at a...lingerie store. His face flushed red at what he saw in there, his heart racing just a little. Lucas noticed this and laughed, holding his friend's far shoulder. "Come on, dude." Feel a bit embarrassed, Mike stopped blushing and looked forward. The auburn-haired boy narrowed his eyes at him. He swore, if he imagined Jane in one of those things...
Not that he's never done it before...but still, that's ADULT WOMAN stuff! He wasn't right to think of her that way and Mike shouldn't think of her that way either!
...
Now in an expensive shoe store, Max helped Jane try to walk in heels. Now she knows that heels weren't her thing, since this felt uncomfortable for her. Suddenly, she tripped and fell on the ground, letting out a cry before laughter ensued. Max laughed with her. They both then saw Stacy, the girl from school that didn't like her, and her clique look at them in disgust and annoyance. They both decided not to care about what they think and continued laughing, Jane taking off her heels and going to get her shoes back on.
They left the store, Max holding Jane's hand again as she carried the shopping bag now, and said, "See?! There's more to life than stupid boys!" At the moment, she agreed with that. She and the boys had fun times, sure, but having fun with Max like this...there was more to her life than hanging out with them after all.
...
Stacy and her clique had also left that place, Mike and Lucas talking to each other cheerfully before Mike bumped into Stacy, making her gasp and look at him, annoyed. "Ew, nerd," she said before she and her clique walked away, giggling.
Mike and the boys looked back at her, muttering, "Mouth-breather."
Lucas's eyes twinkled as he thought of one idea, grinning mischievously.
...
The boys hid behind a pillar to get a good look at the clique, Will whispering, "What if we get caught?"
"We won't if we get the hell out after," Lucas answered. The auburn-haired boy sighed while his friend added, "Besides, Stacy's always been a bitch to us and she's a bitch to Mike." He shook his head as they peered out, seeing the clique talking with orange drinks in their hands. "Okay, now."
Mike tilted his head down and concentrated his power on Stacy's drink. He then tilted his head up, making her drink explode. She and the clique gasped as large drops of orange juice landed on them. Mike looked awed, Will looked shocked, and Lucas tried his damndest to suppress his laughter. They then got away quick before anyone could get suspicious.
"Isn't hanging out with the boys great, Mike?!" Lucas asked happily.
He hasn't had this much fun...ever, really. He and Jane did fun stuff at home, sure, but this was on another level. "It is!" he happily answered.
"Does Jane ever let you have this much fun?!" He shook his head. "Well, sucks for her 'cause you, buddy, deserve this!" He felt like he did, he really did.
Will didn't like the negative talk about Jane, so he said, "Jane can't be that bad." The boys looked at him like he had a third eye, making him tense up a little and add, "Well, before you guys argued."
Mike sighed before he and Lucas looked away from him. "Anyway, what do ya wanna do now, dude?" Mike looked around before spotting "Scoops Ahoy!"...
...
Finally, Andrew and Terry were walking back to The Gap, Terry asking, "So you guys actually went to Woodstock back then?"
He nodded. "Yup. One of the best times of our lives."
"Was it dirty?"
He scoffed. "Dirty, stinky, packed as hell."
Terry shivered at that. "Ugh."
He laughed a little. "It was perfect for us. Everyone was great and having fun, we got high out of our minds and loved it, we got to see our favorite singers and bands there. I swear, I couldn't be any happier when I saw Janis and Grateful Dead performing. It was the best time of my life."
She looked understanding of that. "I thought you guys were too hippy before..." He grinned at that. "But THAT just confirms that you guys are."
He laughed once again. "Is that such a bad thing?"
She shook her head. "No. You guys are great people. That's enough for me." They then stopped at the front of the store, the two facing each other. "Well, I've gone away long enough. It's time to get back to it."
Andrew nodded. "But this was fun."
She giggled a little, smiling. "Yeah, it was." Andrew had always loved her smile, thinking it was the most beautiful he's ever seen.
"We can hang out again sometime."
The dirty-blonde-haired woman looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'd like that." The two exchanged smiles before she went into the store again. "I'll see you later!"
"Bye!" He took a deep breath, looking at Stacey, who was helping out a customer. She and Dave had an actual good idea for once and now, he's gotten another woman he liked hanging around with. And she liked him too. He began walking away as he thought about moving from Bloomington to Hawkins. He would, but due to the news from this place, he'd rather not. But...maybe he should due to his friends living there...and Terry as well.
Stacey finished helping a customer as she spotted Terry walking in, her grinning and walking towards her. "So?" she asked her.
Her friend chuckled a little at that, then replied, "I really like Andrew."
She raised her eyebrows up. "You do?"
She knew that look, so she scoffed. "Hey, not in THAT way, okay? I just see why you're friends with him now."
Stacey nodded, the two walking into the cash register area. "Yeah, he is a great guy." She crossed her arms and smirked. "You guys planning to hang out more?"
Terry nodded. "Actually, yeah. It was great talking to him and learning more about you guys."
She looked curious. "Wait, about us?"
"Yeah." She then leaned close to whisper to her, "I know about your drunken serenade to one patron in a bar."
Her jaw dropped, the woman gasping and shaking her head. "That son of a bitch..." Terry giggled at her reaction. "By the way..." The dirty-blonde-haired woman gave her attention. "Your daughter and her friend was here, wanted to say hi."
She looked surprised to hear that. "Oh." Maybe she was here with Max, she presumed because she knew none of them liked shopping, to take her mind off of what happened this morning? If so, that was great and she knew her sister and brother-in-law had to drive them here, maybe they were here as well. She smiled. "I hope she didn't give you any trouble." She did remember that Stacey stated that she didn't like kids.
Stacey shook her head, giving her a reassuring look. "Not at all. She was a sweetheart."
She smiled wider. "I'm glad she was."
...
While Steve was working the counter, he learned from Robin that that they've deciphered once sentence: "The week is long." Underwhelming as hell, but at least they were making progress. He was holding two ice cream cones, one with a scoop of mint and the other a Rocky Road. "Here you guys go: one mint, the other a Rocky Road," he said, handing Mike the mint ice cream and Lucas the Rocky Road. Will already got his strawberry ice cream and Lucas paid everything else he had on him for these cones.
Steve then realized something, looking at Mike for the first time in six months. "Wait..." The freckled boy looked at him. "Are you even supposed to be here?"
He looked like he got struck by lightning before he answered, "No." He and Lucas then got into a snickering fit before they left.
Will sighed and followed them out, but not before he turned to Steve and said, "Also, tell Dustin that we're sorry about leaving him." He then left with his friends.
He nodded before he went and opened the sliding window, saying, "Hey, Dusty?" He and Robin looked at him. "Friends were here and wanted to let you know that they're sorry." Dustin just nodded before Steve closed the window again. He then realized something else.
Not too long ago, Jane and Max were here, Jane ordering vanilla with sprinkles and Max strawberry with extra whipped cream. The little shits weren't together. Huh. He wondered why.
...
Jane and Max met up with Becky and Carl, Jane saying, "We're ready to leave now!"
The adults nodded. "Alright. Just give us a couple minutes and wait outside, okay?" Becky asked, the girls nodding before they went to the entrance of the mall, eating their ice cream.
Neither of the adults noticed that they walked past the boys as they finally got into The Gap. There, they spotted Terry working the cash register now and finishing up service with a customer. As the customer left, the sisters locked eyes with each other, Terry smiling. "Becky!"
"Terry!" She got closer to her. "Just wanted to see what your new job is like."
She smiled at her. "Well, it's a little less insulting than serving drunk men food and beer."
She nodded at her. "True."
Stacey noticed Terry talking to Becky and Carl about her job, making her go towards them and say, "Hi." They looked at her, the woman giving them a friendly look. "I'm Stacey, Terry's coworker."
Becky's eyes twinkled, pointing at her after she snapped her fingers. "You're one of Terry's new friends."
Surprised, she nodded. "Yeah, I am." She guessed Terry told this woman about her and Andrew and Dave.
She held a hand out for her to shake. "I'm Becky, Terry's sister."
Terry did mention her, so she shook her head and said, "Nice to meet you, Becky."
...
As Jane and Max waited outside and talked to each other about how fun today was, the boys got out, enjoying their ice cream and chatting to each other. To make him move on from what happened earlier, Will started talking to Mike about Dungeons and Dragons. "And you can build your own world and control what happens," he explained, the freckled boy looking interested.
"Jane told me about this," he told him. "But I never get to play it."
That surprised him, actually. "Well, I think you should." He looked up in thought. "I think I have another Mage piece."
He looked a little puzzled. "Mage?"
"Someone with magic," Lucas explained to him. "They use spells to fight and stuff."
"I think you'd definitely fit as a Mage," Will added. Mike had to agree, especially since he had powers. Besides, this Dungeons and Dragons sounds like fun.
The boys had no idea that they were getting close to the girls, who were chatting while waiting for Becky, Carl, and Tina.
"I'm just really glad we got to do this," Max said to Jane. "We should do it again sometime." She then licked her ice cream.
Jane licked her own as well, nodding. "Of course." It was like she DIDN'T have a shitty morning. Maybe everything will go right today-
And suddenly, Mike bumped into Jane, killing the conversations they had with their respective friends. All of them looked shocked to see each other, Mike and Jane the most shocked. The boys thought she was going to hang out with her family...instead, she was here with Max...and shopping bags.
"Jane?" he asked sharply. She tensed up, seeing Mike himself...out in the open...like this. He wore a new shirt and...he was carrying ice cream. Jane was so shocked, she dropped her own ice cream on the ground. Lucas and Will did not look forward to what was going to happen and neither did Max.
She pointed at him and asked in breathy way, "What...are you doing here?"
His expression turned blank, stating plainly, "Hanging out with the boys." Jane glared daggers at Lucas and Will, the two feeling the sharpness of that.
She looked away and muttered, "You've got to be shitting me." She looked aghast.
Lucas got near him and stated, "There's nothing wrong with that. Gave him some new style-" He gestured at Mike's new shirt. "-showed him how to play games-"
She looked at him, angry. "He's NOT supposed to be here!"
He narrowed his eyes at her, despite the fact that he wore sunglasses. "It's one time, Jane, cool down-"
"No!" She shook her head. "You KNOW he's not supposed to be here and you brought him here anyway!" Lucas looked annoyed, but not as much as Mike was. She then looked at Will. "You too! Why'd you allow him to do this?!"
Of course the auburn-haired boy wasn't used to his crush yelling at him, him feeling tense. He took a deep breath and replied, "You know, Jane?" She tilted her head, looking both angered and puzzled. "The lab's shut down, there's a ton of people here, some that might look like Mike-"
"That's no excuse!" she interrupted, glancing at him and Lucas. "What are you two, stupid?!"
"Hey!" Mike exclaimed, the girl looking up at him. "They're not stupid."
She scoffed. "Not that you would know."
He looked annoyed. "What does that mean?"
"It means you shouldn't let them do whatever they want with you," Max chimed in, looking annoyed.
Lucas gave his girlfriend a baffled look. "We didn't FORCE him to do this! He WANTED to do this!"
"Yeah, I wanted to do this," the freckled boy said.
"Besides, he's not your pet! He can do whatever he wants, with or without us!"
"Yeah, Jane." He looked at her sharply. "I'm not your pet." Jane's jaw dropped.
"Also, weren't you supposed to be with your aunt and uncle and cousin?" Lucas asked.
"They're here, asshole," Jane replied. "We were just waiting for them."
"Stop insulting my friend," Mike demanded of her.
She looked at him sharply. "Stop defending him!"
He looked appalled. "Why?!"
"He's acting like a dumbass!"
Lucas scoffed. "Oh, ME? A DUMBASS?!"
"Yes!" both her and Max answered.
Will didn't like this at all, so he chimed in, got between them, and said, "Guys, just cut it out-"
"Shut up, Will," Jane said. "You enabled this." He looked at her, shocked that she said that to him.
"No, I didn't-"
"Then why are you with them?!"
"I..." He stammered, trying to come up with an answer. She got him there. She really did.
She huffed and shook her head. "Will, why? I expected better from you."
He took another deep breath. "Jane, it's just one time-"
"ONE TIME?! Do you KNOW the risks of someone sketchy seeing him?!"
"Those people are out of business! Why the hell would they try again?!"
"Will is right, Jane," Mike stated, getting closer to her. "They're gone."
She looked frustrated as hell. "How would you know? For all I know, some guy or woman working for them saw you and is calling the government right now!"
"They're GONE, Jane. GONE!"
"No, they're PROBABLY not!"
"How would YOU know?!" She gasped, offended that he used her words against her.
Lucas nodded. "Yeah, Jane, how exactly would YOU know? You don't even have powers!"
Max glared at her boyfriend and said, "Lucas, shut up." He rolled his eyes at her before grabbing her friend's shoulder. "Let's just get to the car-"
"You need to leave," Jane coldly demanded of her boyfriend, ignoring her request. "Right now."
He scoffed at her. "YOU need to leave."
"I'm not moving until my auntie and uncle are here! YOU got the bikes, so LEAVE!"
Now he looked both angered and heartbroken, asking solemnly, "Why are you treating me like garbage?" That hit her like a ton of bricks. Her eyes began to well up as well as her throat.
"I just want to protect you, Mike."
His eyes began to water too and his voice began getting shaky. "By treating me like garbage?!"
"NO!"
"THEN YOU'RE NOT PROTECTING ME, ARE YOU?! YOU JUST TREAT ME LIKE TRASH AND NEVER LET ME HANG OUT WITH THE OTHERS!" Jane looked very forlorn as well as Mike. Their friends never looked so shocked and sad to see this happen before their eyes. They then saw that they drew in a bit of a crowd, though the couple hadn't noticed yet.
Jane felt like shit, but she had to be right...right? She wiped her watery eyes. "Why can't you see what I'm doing...?"
Mike sniffled, answering, "What you're doing, Jane...is making me feel worse." She looked up at him, disheartened.
"Mike-"
He shook his head. "Go."
She shook her head as well. "No, you need to go, as soon as possible."
"No, you go."
"YOU go!"
"YOU GO!"
She shoved him, reminding him of how she shoved him six months ago, after returning to Hawkins. She pointed to her left. "YOU GO AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, MIKE!"
Some tears streamed down his cheeks as he replied loudly, "FINE! I'LL GO!" Without any forethought...he shoved his ice cream into her shirt, making her gasp and look down at the stain. The ice cream slid down and joined hers. She looked up at him, seeing him looking frustrated and disheartened as hell. He wiped his tears, sniffled, and walked to the bikes.
He only took a few steps though before turning back and saying, "By the way..." Since in his eyes, she didn't try to fix the situation, he proclaimed, "I dump your ass!" The Party looked shocked as all hell hearing that, Jane looking like she was struck by lightning. Her heart crumbled and her blood ran cold. Did he just...? He...? He actually...?
As he walked away, she looked at her guy friends, looking like she was going to break into tears about what happened. They looked solemn, then turned to bike Mike back home and try to comfort him.
Jane saw that there was an audience for their argument, making her feel worse. The crowd dispersed, some chatting about the incident. She looked down, then closed her eyes, crying and wiping her tears. Max gave her a comforting hug she returned.
Mike wiped his tears, trying to look like he wasn't affected, although it was clear as day that it was. Lucas gave his shoulder gentle squeeze while Will asked, "Are you alright?"
He sniffled once more and answered, "No."
"Come on, let's get you home." They then went on their bikes, Mike mounting himself onto Will's, and they all biked away.
Becky, Carl, and Tina came out to see Jane crying and hugging Max. Becky looked shocked as hell before telling Carl, "Handle Tina for me, hun." He did as she ran to her niece, the girl seeing her and letting go of Max's hug. Once she got close to her, she asked, "Oh my God, what happened, sweetie?"
She sniffled and shook her head. "I don't wanna talk about it right now." Forlorn, she gave her niece another tight yet comforting hug. She really needed it.
The two of them never thought they would be like this to each other now, and separated like this. Why...? Just...why...?
So...that was rough. But how was this chapter? Any typos or mistakes I might've missed?
It was fun writing the sequences where everyone in the mall were having fun. I think everyone deserves it, y'know?
And then there's the breakup scene...I'm sorry if you guys are disappointed that I wrote Mike and Jane still breaking up. I thought it would make sense for Mike to tell Jane that in this situation. I wrote it so that the both of them seemed to be wrong. I'm glad that you guys saw that Jane was being unreasonable during the phone call, so I hope you guys see that for the both of them here. Hope I wrote that entirely awful situation well.
I also hope Will warming up to Mike doesn't seem out of left field to you guys. All he needed to do was hang out with him more.
Review, follow, favorite, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!