"God, I hate that guy so much." Max scoffed as her eyes fell onto Shane Clarke. The pair of girls had been in The Gap for quite some time now, El picking herself one outfit by now but had enough money for one more. The Hopper girl looked over her shoulder toward the direction Max was glaring at, "He always guys places around town and turns them into shit shows."

"Shit shows?" El gave a odd look.

"The skating ring? Now a sports center." Max scoffed as she watched him, "He's a real jerk too. Acts like he own Hawkins or something."

"Mouth breather." El confirmed, the duo watching as Shane shook hands with the Gap owner. A boy, who looked around their age if not a little older, trialed a few feet behind the man. He stood average height, but held himself a certain way that made it appear he'd been taller then what he was . With blue eyes eyes, pale skin, and a large scar from the corner of his mouth to the corner of his eye, "Another?"

"Him?" Max shrugged as she watched the boy, "That's Peter. He's in my grade. I guess he isn't so bad, kinda just keeps to himself though."

"Not a mouth breather?" El tried to confirm for sure.

Max shrugged again, "Nah, I guess not."

Max then scoffed as Shane was handed a few papers, Peter looking around at the shelves, "You've got to be kidding me."

Before El could say anything, Max had her by the arm and was dragging her toward the older man. As they stopped behind him, the redhead cleared her throat loudly. It caught Peters attention, causing him to look over as Max stared up at his father, "Are you taking The Gap?"

Shane had to laugh down at her slightly, "Sorry?"

"Are you buying the store?" Max repeated, crossing her arms. Peters eyes widened from where he stood a few feet away, looking between the pair. He had a class with Max, they never actually spoke or anything. But the other girl, he'd never seen in his life.

"Looks like it." Shane gave Max a odd look, "Maybe you should go find your par-"

"Oh, you're buying The Gap? Why? Wanna turn the best store in all of Starcourt into some polo-wearing, political club?" Max scoffed, waving her hands around in complete disbelief. Peters jaw dropped as he listened to her go on, hesitantly walking forward some.

"Mouth breather." El said right after her. Peter let out a loud snort suddenly, his father looking back at him. Peter cleared his throat and attempted to appear like he'd been paying them no mind.

"Girl, please-" Shane began with a small laugh, holding the documents.

"Why take The Gap?" El asked with a frown of her eyebrows, "Not yours."

Max's eyes widened slightly, "She means that you shouldn't. It's a good store and there's no reason to destroy it for something no one is gonna use."

"Mouth breather." El repeated again.

The store owned then stepped in, "I think it's time the two of you girls to leave."

Peter watched with curios eyes, biting the inside of his mouth.

"Gladly." Max confirmed, linking arms with El as the pair walked off, giggling together in the process. Peter only thought about how care free that entire conversation was. He could never say that, he could never have the balls to say it anyways. Especially not to a guy like his father. And then they just walked away, laughing, like there was no other care in the world.

Peter envied them.

Shane began talking to the owner of the store again, not paying his son much mind as of right now. He'd woken him up early this morning, told him to come to a sale with him today and get a feel at the business. Shane constantly insisted the boys work for him when they graduate, Peter only having four years and Wesley three. Neither actually wanted to though, but neither of them could say that out loud to him.

Peter waited a second, his mind going back and forth between what he was about to do. He'd snuck away from his parents before, but only ever at night when they were asleep. Now it was day light, bright and early, and his father was right infront of him. It would be risky, beyond risky. Especially when Wesley wasn't here to cover for him like the times before.

Yet, on a count of three, Peter snuck out of The Gap and began to speed walk toward the duo of girls quite a few feet away.

"Max!" he called for her quickly. That one class paid off well, because no way would he have managed to catch them before calling her name. Max stopped, causing El to stop, the pair turning on sync toward the boy hurrying their way.

"Oh god, are we in trouble?" Max had to snort as she crossed her arms, "Is your daddy gonna turn us in?"

"No, well, maybe." Peter rocked on his heels slightly. Now that he was here, he didn't realize how pathetic he'd sound saying what he needed to say to them, "Uh, no one's ever put him in his place like that. It was cool."

"Cool?" Max rose her eyebrows at him, "Is this some huge joke?"

"No, no." Peters eyes went wide as he shook his head, "I just- I'm glad someone finally said something."

"Bad man." El spoke up finally, giving Peter a odd look.

"Me?" he asked in almost a panic.

El shook her head, pointing back at The Gap.

"Oh, my dad? Well- He isn't horrible but, you know, he's kinda-" Peter stumbled over his own words slightly, knowing what he wanted to say but felt guilty talking about his dad.

"Mouth breather." El confirmed for him with a raise of her brows.

"Yeah, a mouth breather." Peter nodded quickly, almost sighing in relief, a faint grin on his face. There was a silence between the trio now, because his mind was racing on how to ask such a odd, weird, and pathetic question.

"Is there something else?" Max gave a odd look at his stance, rocking on his heels.

"Do you guys..." he trailed off, biting the inside of his mouth again, "Want some company?"

Max rose her eyebrows, El doing the same. The pair shared a look, a small shrug leaving Max as El did the same.

"One condition." Max faced him with crossed arms, "You have to buy the ice cream."

Peters entire face lit up.

"Okay, here you go, you got a strawberry, rocky road, and then a vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream." Steve Harrington spun around, handing the trio their cones after Peter paid for each of them. His eyes set on El after they thanked him, "Wait a second. Are you even allowed to be here?"

Peter looked over at the girls with a odd look, both of them bursting out laughing and turning away quickly. Peter tipped Steve with a grin, following after them.

"What'd he mean by that?" the boy asked as he caught up to them, El walking between him and Max now, "Are you grounded?"

"No TV." she said with a nod, "Broke the windows."

"El is homeschooled." Max spoke up for her as they each walked on sync through the mall, "Over protective dad."

"Oh, I get that." Peter nodded, seeing El's curious eyes, "My dads like that too."

El frowned her eyebrows, "You broke windows?"

"What? No, no." Peter gave her a crazy look, "You broke windows?"

"Yes." she said casually, Max sighing. El looked down at Peters ice cream with a odd look, "Marshmallows?"

He followed her gaze to the tiny mellows in the rocky road, "Almonds too."

"Almonds?" she asked him again, Peter nodded, "And Marshmallows?"

Peter gave her a point of his finger, causing them to stop. He hurried over to one of the food court stations, taking one of the plastic spoons, and hurrying back over. Peter dug a small scoop of his ice cream with the spoon, passing it to El, "Tell me if it blows your mind."

Max and Peter watched as El took a bite, blinking. She met Peters eye with a crazy look, "No."

Max laughed as Peters jaw dropped before he laughed too, "No? Just completely no?"

El nodded in confirmation, "Terrible."

She then dug the spoon into her ice cream, passing it to him before repeating his own phrase, "Tell me if it blows your mind."

Peter took the spoon, taking his bite of El's ice cream before a gag left his lips, "Jesus, you don't get a headace with that much sugar?"

"Blows your mind." El confirmed, the three walking toward the doors again. The pair of girls stopped when they realized Peter wasn't followed, frozen a few feet away from the exit, "Not coming?"

"I have to get back to my dad." Peter nodded with a small frown, "Definitely in deep shit."

"Then just don't worry about it." Max laughed as Peter gave her a crazy look, "You're already in trouble. What's the worst that could happen if you don't go back?"

Peter thought about it a second, hesitating, before a grin spread across his face and he followed them out of the mall.

•

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