CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
BEST FRIENDS

The group were all looking out of the restroom door, this proven to be quite difficult seeing as Dustin had only opened the door the slightest bit. The six were waiting for the movie they had snuck into before having to sneak out to finish so that they could sneak out the bathroom with the flood of people leaving the movies.

"Okay," Dustin whispered, looking side to side frantically for either of the Russian's carrying machine guns who were looking for them. "Run."

The group then left the restroom swiftly, rushing to catch up to the large group leaving the movie theatre.

Aaron made sure he was walking next to Kimmy, wanting to figure out why she was so upset earlier, the blond wondering what had happened for her mood to drop so abruptly while talking to him. The boy was worried out of his mind that she was mad at him.

Although he had no idea what he had done for the girl to get so upset, but it was obvious it was something he had said, he just didn't know what.

"Well, shit, that worked." Aaron heard Dustin whisper to Erica. The girl scoffing in response.

"Course it worked." Erica shook her head at him.

"We just have to get on the bus with the rest of these plebes," Dustin told the group smugly. Aaron didn't need to see the boy in front of him's face to know he was grinning. "And home sweet home, here we come."

"Hey, guys?" Steve spoke up hesitantly, Aaron looking to his brother with a puzzled look.

"What?" Dustin asked calmly, not bothering to turn around as he spoke.

"Um... yeah, Dustin, you might not want to go home." Steve said awkwardly, sighing as he looked to the ground sheepishly. "You too, Kimmy."

Aaron looked to Steve with a curious expression, wondering what was so different about Kimmy and Dustin in comparison to everyone else.

"Why?" Dustin asked, now sounding panicked.

"Well, I might've... I might've mentioned you two to the Russian's." Steve rushed out, Aaron's eyes widening as Kimmy snapped her head round to face the boy. "And I might have told them who you were, and your full names-"

"Why would you do that?" Kimmy exclaimed, her brows raised as she yelled at the older boy, Steve opening his mouth to try defend himself at her yelling but Dustin was already jumping in.

"What is wrong with you?" Dustin snapped, understandably frustrated.

Aaron's brows knitted together, wondering how on earth Steve could remember things while he was supposably drugged and Aaron couldn't. The blond wondered if maybe it was because of how badly he was hurt before he was drugged, or maybe it was because he'd never been high before. Probably a mix of both.

"I was drugged." Steve shrugged, trying to defend himself.

"Oh, my god." Kimmy mumbled, placing her head in her hands as she groaned. "We're probably on some super-secret hit list. We'll be gone in a week-"

"Okay, let's save the dramatics, alright?" Steve rolled his eyes but it was obvious that he was hesitating, like he didn't really think what she had said was the craziest thing in the world.

"You should have resisted!" Dustin insisted, completely spiralling into panic as he spoke. "You tough it out. You tough it out like a man."

"Oh, that's easy for you to say." Steve scoffed, trying to ignore to horrified looks Kimmy and Dustin were sending him. "I did resist, okay? I-"

"Guys." Robin snapped firmly, grabbing Robin and Erica so they couldn't move any further forward.

Aaron's brows knitted together as he looked for what she was so startled by, his eyes widening as he realised the two guards walking towards them, the only positive being that the two hadn't spotted the group yet.

"Abort." Dustin whispered, the boy rushing backwards when one of the men looked directly in the group. His whispers turning to yells. "Abort. Abort!"

The six spun around and were running as fast they possibly could with the two men close behind them. The group came to a stop at the escalator, groaning as they realised they were now powered off and there was a barrier stopping anyone from stepping on.

Instead of just continuing to run and finding some other way to get away, Robin surprised Aaron by stepping up onto the gap between the two sides of the escalator and sliding down as if it was some slide at the park.

However Aaron didn't have time to question it because the men with guns were getting closer and closer, Aaron following Steve after he had pushed himself down.

No one wasting any time in running off the second their feet hit the ground.

...

Aaron was terrified, pressing his hand to his mouth to steady his breathing as he tried not to make a noise.

The group of six were hidden behind one of the food counters at the mall, each of them trying to stay silent as to not attract the attention of any guards.

A little while ago, the two who had been there priorly had called for backup, now Aaron didn't know how much guards were looking for the six in the mall. But he did know that it would be long before they found the group, the guards were only circling the bottom floor of the mall, the two priorly having seen the six rush down the escalator.

Aaron had his knees tucked up to his chest just like the others he was sat with did so even if anyone did pass, they wouldn't think twice about them being hid in the small food stand.

Kimmy was sat to one side of him and Robin was sat to the other, Kimmy was trying to silently comfort Erica who was sat next to her, the ten year old completely terrified.

Aaron literally felt his heart drop to his chest when the static of radio could be heard and then the mumble of Russian. The sound of footsteps approaching startling the blond as he really began to panic.

Aaron looked to his side only to find the other five he was sat with had matching expressions to him when the footsteps got closer.

If they got caught, then that was it, they wouldn't be interrogated like last time, they wouldn't get that chance again. If they got caught then they died, and they all knew it.

Aaron suddenly found himself wishing that he would be interrogated again, no matter how awful it had been, anything would be better than watching his friends die along side him.

Just like the others next to him, the blond felt his breathing pick up from the amount of fear that rushed over him in that moment. He was fourteen, he wasn't ready to die. He didn't want to die - he hadn't even started high school yet.

Just as the six really began to panic, the blaring of a car alarm went off, Aaron flinching violently at the sound.

The guards must have been closed than he expected because he heard them gasp and turn, sounding so close that Aaron wouldn't have been surprised if they were one step away from finding the group.

Despite the surprise, Aaron didn't make a single noise, neither did any of those who he was with. They did not need any attention being brought back to them, the group of guards wouldn't hesitate to rush into the food stall they were in and do whatever they pleased with the group.

Aaron flinched again when a loud crash was heard, the blonds eyes widening as he looked to Robin with a startled expression. The older girl looked back at him with a similar look before turning to look at Steve.

The older boy was hesitant, all five pairs of eyes watching him, waiting for him to tell them what to do next.

Hesitantly, Steve nodded at them all, motioning for them all to take a look.

Reluctantly, the six crouched around on their knees, peaking over the top of the counter to see what had happened.

Aaron's eyes widened even more at the sight of the passed out guards on the floor, the blond unsure if they were dead or not. They all then glanced over to the car that was laying crashed just behind the passed out guards, that clearly being the loud crash that had been heard.

They slowly rose to their feet to get a better look at the crash, each of them watching in silence as they pondered how the car had managed to get from one end of the mall to the other in a matter of seconds.

Of course, the question didn't go unanswered for long, the distant sound of yelling grabbing the groups attention.

"Kimberley Jenkins!" A voice yelled, nothing but excitement present. Aaron felt the brunette flinch as her name was called, snapping her gaze away from the car and towards the source of the noise.

Although, Kimmy's look a fear was short lived when a wide toothy grin broke out over her face as she laughed in response, she too yelling, matching the previous tone of excitement. "Maxine Mayfield!"

The redhead was leaning over the balcony of the second floor of the mall, her red braids falling down in front of her. The girl had a wide grin on her face at the sight of her best friend.

She was also stood with El, Mike, Lucas, Will, Nancy and Jonathan. The seven looking down at the six on the floor with wide eyed expressions, well, all but Max.

Suddenly the group ran off, making their way to the stairs, Max leading the group as she ran much faster than the others.

Kimmy climbed over the counter the six were were stood behind, Aaron, Erica, Robin, Dustin and Steve close behind her. However, Kimmy was running much faster than the five behind her.

It was only a few moments before Kimmy and Max's laughs could be heard, the two running straight to each other as they wrapped each other in a tight hug.

Aaron raised his brows in a mix of amusement and surprised as he watched the two, he was sure he'd never seen the two hug before, actually, he was sure he'd never seen Max hug anyone.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Kimmy exclaimed happily, letting go of her friend as she pulled her black marker out of the pocket of her shorts. "Sign it?"

Steve sighed from behind the pair. "Maybe this isn't the time, Kimmy-"

"I'll do as I please, Harrington." Max narrowed her eyes at the older boy as she spoke before grabbing the marker from Kimmy's hand with a grin.

"You flung that thing like a Hot Wheel!" Dustin exclaimed in a laugh, running up and giving El a tight hug.

Aaron obviously made his way to his own best friend; Lucas Sinclair. Lucas laughed, wrapping Aaron in a tight hug and slapping his back in a brotherly manner. However Aaron cut the moment short, flinching back in pain as Lucas caught the big, growing, purple bruise on his shoulder.

Lucas' smile dropped the second he caught sight of the state Aaron was in, his eyes widening at his injuries.

"Aaron, what the hell happened?" Lucas asked, sounding appalled as he grabbed the boy by the arms.

"Drugs." Erica scoffed from behind him, Lucas' face dropping even further as he looked behind the blond to find his younger sister.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his mouth dropped open with shock.

"Ask them." Erica pointed to Kimmy, Dustin, Aaron, Steve and Robin. "It's their fault."

"True, yeah. Totally true." Steve instantly agreed, talking much faster than normal as he nodded his head. "It's absolutely our fault."

"Where have you been for the past two days?" Max demanded, signing Kimmy's cast as she did so. "You had me worried sick! I missed one call and suddenly you're a missing person!"

Kimmy laughed in response, shaking her head as the girl handed her the black marker back, Kimmy  laughing at Max's stressed expression. "Dustin, Erica and I were busy saving those three from their abductor."

The entire groups eyes widened, looking to Aaron, Steve and Robin. Primarily Aaron and Steve who were covered in injuries.

"Aaron, what the hell happened?" Mike gasped at the sight of his friend.

"Uh..." Aaron trailed off, feeling uncomfortable at all the eyes on him, scratching the back of his neck as he tried to summarise the events that had taken place. "Some Russian soldiers... kidnapped- no not kidnapped. Kept us hostage in their layer, drugged us and beat us unconscious. Just to summarise the past two days."

The group looking back at him had their mouths dropped open in horror as they looked to the very much injured boy and his older brother.

"I don't understand what happened to that car." Robin blurted, a slightly scared expression crossing her features as she spoke. Cutting off any sort of replies to Aaron.

"El has superpowers." Dustin shrugged, pointing to the girl as if it was no big deal.

"I'm sorry?" Robin scoffed in disbelief.

"Superpowers." Steve repeated, taking her disbelief for confusion. "She threw it with her mind. C'mon, catch up."

Robin scrunched her face up and went to defend herself but Erica was talking before she could.

"That's El?" She gasped, pointing to the same girl Dustin had just referred to.

"Who's El?" Robin asked again, still confused as she tried to take all the information thrown at her in at once.

"I'm sorry," Nancy scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Who are you?"

"I'm Robin. I work with Steve." The girl answered instantly, clearly still very much confused.

"She cracked the top secret code." Dustin grinned whorl pointing to her.

"Yeah," Steve agreed with a shrug. "Which is how we found out about the Russians."

"Russians?" Jonathan asked with his face scrunched up in confusion. "Wait, what Russians?"

"Oh, my god, does no one listen to me when I talk?" Aaron scoffed loudly, rolling his eyes. "The Russians. I just finished talking about them-"

"Wait, those were Russians." Max asked, motioning to the limp guards on the floor.

"Some of them." Erica shrugged calmly.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked his sister, clearly frustrated.

"Didn't you hear my code red?" Dustin asked in a puzzled voice.

"Yeah, but we couldn't understand what you were saying." Mike told him, clearly frustrated as he spoke.

"Goddam low battery." Dustin muttered to himself, however all Aaron could hear was Steve's gasp of disbelief at his words.

"How many times do I have to tell you with the low battery?" Steve stressed to the younger boy, clapping his hands together as he scolded Dustin.

"Well, everything worked out, didn't it?" Dustin scoffed at the older boy, rolling his eyes.

"Worked out?" Aaron scoffed in utter disbelief, crossing his arms over his chest. "We almost died-"

"Yeah, but we didn't, did we?" Dustin spoke calmly, as if he slightly smug over the situation.

"Yeah, well it was close enough, alright?" Kimmy reminded the boy, rolling her eyes at how much he was downplaying the situation, pointing to Aaron, Steve and Robin. "Especially for that three-"

"Okay, Russians." Lucas cut the girl off, trying to wrap his head around the situation. "As in, they're working for the Russian government?"

"Yes." Dustin sighed, closing his eyes as he placed a hand to his face. "What are you not comprehending? Am I not speaking English? We have a full blown Red Dawn situation-"

Dustin was cut off when the sound of a thud could be heard behind them. The group looking over in confusion before looks of concern filled their faces at the sight of El laying unconscious.

The group immediately rushing over to see what was wrong.

...

Not really all that interesting of a chapter but I missed Max and Kimmy so much. They're my favourite friendship lol.

Hope everyone is having a great day!!!!

- AJ :)