TEENAGE NIGHTMARE
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN — PART TWO.
THE SUMMER OF '85.

          " He's late. " Will muttered in annoyance as Charlie glanced down at his watch, seeing that they had less than five minutes before the movie started. The two of them, Lucas, and Max were waiting impatiently near the entrance of the new Starcourt Mall. The kids had been spending most of their summer time there, even if it was putting a hole in all of their pockets. They'd planned to watch Day of the Dead, which Will and Charlie has both been anticipating for months since it was announced, and they were waiting on Mike to show up so they could book it to the movie theater.

          " Let's go without him. " Lucas suggested, and Charlie sighed, rolling his eyes as he, too, had already thought of that.

          " He would kill us. "

           " Well, I'm gonna kill him if he makes us miss the beginning of this movie. " Lucas declared, and Charlie snorted, crossing his arms as he shifted on his feet closer to Will.

           " Count me in. " He agreed, but, just then, Mike sprinted into the mall, spotting his friends almost instantly and running over to them, panting and out of breath.

           " You're late. " Lucas repeated for him, a hardened look on his face as he crossed his arms. Mike shrugged lightly, not looking too fazed by the four annoyed faces before him.

            " Sorry, " He said, but it didn't sound very genuine, and he explained lamely, " I lost track of time, it won't happen again. "

           " Bullshit. " Charlie deadpanned, giving Mike a dry look as the dark haired boy shot him a scowl. Lucas bitterly laughed and threw his hands up in exasperation.

           " You say that every time and it never improves! " He exclaimed, and Charlie felt Will pull on his sleeve, making the taller boy recoil slightly. He was wearing his new Star Wars: A New Hope shirt and he'd rather it not get wrinkled.

            " We're gonna miss the opening. " Will insisted quietly, and Charlie nodded, looking pointedly to Mike, who waved his hand dismissively.

            " Yeah, if you keep whining about it, " Mike stated, making Will frown and Charlie glare at him, " let's go! "

            Before Mike could take off further into the mall, Charlie placed a hand to his chest and lightly shoved him back, giving him a pointed look as he told him, " Don't talk to him like that, Mike. You were the one that lost track of time. "

           Charlie didn't wait for a response, and he turned around, lowering his hand to grab Will's as they began walking towards the various stores and vendors. Behind them, Charlie could hear Lucas imitating Mike, drawing it out and seeming a bit immature, but Charlie didn't mind. Mike kind of deserved it at this point. The bright lights of the various stores and the vibrant colors of clothing as they passed dozens of shoppers made Charlie's head hurt, and the smell of fried everything almost made him want to puke. He felt Will squeeze his hand and attempted to push that feeling away as they approached the line to the escalator.

          " Just stop talking, dude. " Mike said in frustration, rolling his eyes as he pushed Lucas' arm. The dark skinned boy just laughed back at him.

         " Let me guess, you were 'busy'? " He questioned, puckering his lips and smacking them as he mocked Mike, raising his voice a couple of octaves, " 'Oh, El, I wish we could make out forever and never hang out with any of our other friends!' "

          " Oh, yeah, real mature, Lucas. " Mike responded plainly while Charlie and Will snickered from in front of them. Max, who stood on the other side of Lucas, rolled her eyes and nudged her boyfriend lightly.

          " Lucas, stop. " She ordered, and Lucas shrugged.

           " Charlie and Will think it's funny. " He said it as if that made it okay.

            " Because it is. " Will interjected, a smile on his face as they stepped onto the escalator, rising without having to move an inch, giving the boys the opportunity to turn and look at the rest of their group. They were short two, Dustin having been at summer camp and El just not being allowed out in public, especially not somewhere with huge crowds like the mall.

            Mike sighed, " Yeah, it's so funny that I want to spend romantic time with my amazing girlfriend, that's kind of what couples do. Will and Charlie are practically attached at the hip! Do you spend time with Max? "

            Charlie shot Mike a look at the mention of his name, but he ignored it as Lucas slung his arm over Max's shoulders, insisting, " Yes, as a matter of fact, I am spending romantic time with my amazing girlfriend! "

           " We are not attached at the hip. " Both Will and Charlie defended in unison, then they shared a look as they realized they seemed to prove Mike's point. Nonetheless, they turned back around and decided that it was taking far too long for the escalator to get to the top, so they began pushing past people to walk up them, muttering apologies as they went. When they finally got to the end, they all but leaped off the escalator and booked it to Scoops Ahoy, the ice cream shop that they spent a lot of time at. They passed the fountain that sat in the center of the mall, Lucas's little sister, Erica, shouting at her brother to watch out.

          The group ignored her and pushed Lucas to leave her after he spewed a few insults back to her. The five of them skidded to a stop on the slick floors of the ice cream shop. A girl with short, dirty blonde hair leaned her hands on the top of the counter as she gave them a dry look. Mike stared right back at her as he began slamming his hand repeatedly on the service bell. The girl— Robin, they had quickly come to learn after being there so often —rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder at the back window.

            " Hey, Dingus, your children are here! " She called in an annoyed, sing-songy voice. The dark blue doors swung open to reveal a head full of sleek brown hair hidden underneath a sailboat hat, an eyebrow raised as the second employee sighed.

            " Again? Seriously? " Steve Harrington asked, exhaling heavily as Mike hit the bell one more time for good measure, proving that they weren't messing around. He rolled his eyes and motioned for them to follow him, which they did without a second thought.

          Mike led them behind the counter, pushing the back door open before following him to the door in the very back of the store that they had used many times before to sneak into the movie theater. Being friends with Steve Harrington definitely had its perks, especially if you couldn't get into R-rated movies. Steve told them to hurry, holding the door open as they ducked under his arm to go through it.

           " Hey, when's Franny getting home? " Steve asked, for the umpteenth time, and Charlie groaned inwardly as he was the last to go through the doorway.

        " Soon, lover boy, soon. " He replied, patting his arm before jogging to catch up with the rest of his friends. Steve locked his jaw and rolled his eyes, leaning against the door.

          " I swear, if anyone heard about this— "

          Having heard the same threat over and over again, the kids all shouted in unison, " We're dead! "

           The kids headed to the movie theater, just as another ding came from the front of Scoops Ahoy. Robin lazily lifted her eyes from her copy of Macbeth to meet the coffee colored eyes of JP Walker, dressed in the same lame sailor uniform as Steve, his fingers pulling at the uncomfortable shorts as he gave her a dry look.

           Robin's face turned into a small smirk as she took in JP's appearance, never getting tired of how insanely bad he looked in it. JP automatically held his hand up to flip her off as he went behind the counter. He'd only applied for the job because he knew the only two workers there and wasn't in the mood for making new friends. He had been traveling for the better part of two months, having seen Ohio, Kentucky, Nashville, and a few other states on his trip, but he needed some extra cash before he switched course to the West Coast, and he wanted to see his family and friends before they went on to school for the fall.

          " Well, it's about time, Blondie. " Robin remarked, and JP just lowered his forehead to the counter, groaning loudly.

          " Shut. Up. " He muttered.

           In the movie theater, the lights had already dimmed and nearly every seat was filled, leaving just two rows with open seats. They had to split them, though, Max and Lucas going to sit at the top row while Mike, Charlie, and Will sat below them. The movie seemed to be just starting, and Mike glanced back to look at Lucas.

          " See, Lucas? We made it. " Mike declared in a hushed voice.

          " We missed the previews. " Lucas deadpanned.

           " We still made it, Fartface. " Max teased, leaning towards Lucas and using what Charlie assumed was one of Erica's various colorful nicknames for Lucas.

           They movie had only been playing for a few minutes when the screen suddenly went black. Charlie felt Will grab his hand instantly, and the taller boy straightened in his seat, glancing over at Will, hardly able to make out the startled look on his face in the darkness. Charlie squeezed his hand and turned in his seat to look up at the top of the theater, where the projector had gone out. The people started booing loudly, but Charlie thought it was a bit over dramatic considering the movie came back on within a few minutes. As the bright screen was on again, playing the movie from the spot they stopped, Charlie felt Will' hand loosen in his. He leaned over to tease him about being scared, but then he saw the concerned look on his face. He slowly lifted his hand to the back of his neck as he stared blankly at the screen.

          Charlie glanced past him to see Mike also giving Will a suspicious look. The two boys locked eyes for a moment before Charlie gently grabbed Will's shoulder, speaking in a hushed voice, " Will, hey, you okay? "

          Will's eyes snapped out of his trance and he looked over at Charlie before switching his attention to Mike briefly and then nodding, an unsure smile on his face, " Yeah. "

           " Are you sure? " Mike asked, raising his eyebrows as Will nodded again, his smile becoming slightly more genuine but still not enough to ease the knots in Charlie's stomach.

           " Of course. " Will insisted hollowly, and Mike and Charlie shared one last look before they all turned their attention back to the movie. Seeing that Charlie wasn't convinced, the shorter boy offered him a reassuring smile and dropped his hand back to his, " I'm okay, Charlie. "

            " Okay. " Charlie said hesitantly, squeezing Will's hand and turning his head forward.

X X X

            Franny couldn't help the wide smile on her face as she twisted her key into the front door of her house. She never thought she'd miss the chipping burnt orange paint or the creaky hinges, but after being away for nearly two weeks on a campus visit, she was already relaxing at the smell of burning cinnamon candles. She pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind her as she walked into the living room, but found it empty. She frowned, wondering where her family could possibly be, when she heard heavy footsteps come from the hallway.

            " Franny! " Her father called cheerfully, nearly sprinting down the hall to barrel into his daughter, engulfing her in a hug that she quickly reciprocated, laughing as she pulled her hand away from her suitcase handle.

            " Hi, Dad, " She said between airy laughs, pulling away from him as he grinned down at her proudly. Still, no one else was in the room, making her raise an eyebrow questionably as she asked, " Where are the boys? "

            " Charlie at the new mall with his friends and JP just went to his first shift at one of the stores there. " Joseph informed her, and Franny gave him an amused yet confused smile.

           " JP got a job? I must've been gone longer than I thought. " She remarked, to which her father let out a small chuckle before he walked over to the kitchen, opening the fridge and peering inside.

          " How was it? " Joseph asked as he pulled out a Coke and a container of what looked like leftover spaghetti.

           " It was good. " Franny replied, leaving her suitcase near the door as she walked over to sit on one of the bar stools, leaning forward on the island as she smiled, " Chicago is so nice, Dad, and the campus is amazing. I think I found what might potentially be the best pizza place on Earth, too. "

           Franny wasn't sure if she was surprised or not when she got an acceptance letter to Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois. She was pretty smart and had a knack for essays, which is what she would presume sold her application to the headmaster. She had decided that she was going to leave her major undecided for the first year while she completed her basic classes, seeing as she wasn't in any rush to pick what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

" I've heard Chicago is second best to New York in the pizza debate. " He confirmed as he placed some of the cold spaghetti onto a plate before shoving it into the microwave, turning around and crossing his arms over his chest as he gave her a pointed look. " That Harrington boy has been calling the home phone every other day since you left to see if you were back yet. "

A small smile rose to her lips as she laid her hands clasped on each other, fiddling with the edge of her brown plaid shirt. She raised an eyebrow at her father as she reminded him, " Steve and I have been dating for almost nine months, Dad. You can stop referring to him by his last name. "

" After I caught him in your room at one in the morning? I don't think so. " Joseph retorted, and Franny rolled her eyes just as the microwave beeped.

" Okay, that was my fault, not Steve's, and we were literally just watching Grease. " She insisted, tilting her head to the side as she watched him turn back around with his warmed spaghetti now in hand. She leaned forward, pushing herself up with her forearms as her smile grew wider at the thought of the tall boy, " Did you answer any of the calls long enough to have a conversation with him, Dad? Did he get that job he applied for? "

Joseph shoved a forkful of noodles into his mouth, making a noise in response before he managed to speak, " Yeah, one out of the thirty he applied for. Same place as JP, I think, the ice cream shop. "

Franny was practically beaming, and she hurried off the bar stool, plucking her purse off of the top of her suitcase and rounding the island to peck her father's cheek, declaring, " As great as this reunion was, I've got to go surprise my favorite guy— "

Joseph gave her a look.

" Er, second favorite— "

He cleared his throat.

Franny sighed, tilting her head and frowning as she said, " Fine, fourth favorite guy. "

Her dad put his plate down suddenly, making the brunette stop in her tracks as he said, " Fran, I think we need to talk. "

" Okay, " She replied slowly, raising an eyebrow skeptically as she pressed her hand against the surface of the island, which was surprisingly still clean despite her absence, " what about? "

" Franny, " Joseph started carefully, poking his tongue in his cheek as he looked hesitant to continue, but he'd already started this conversation. He'd originally wanted to do it later, not bombarding her with it as soon as she got home, but seeing her eagerness to be reattached to Steve's hip was a bit disconcerting to him, " sweetie, I know you really like this boy, but. . well, do you know what he wants to do with his life? I know you said he didn't get accepted into the college he wanted, but did he tell you any other plans he had? "

Franny seemed a bit taken back from the question, and her lips parted as she hesitated for a moment, eyebrows quirked together when she finally responded, " I. . I don't. . I don't know where this is coming from. "

" I'm just trying to figure out what you plan on doing in the future. " Joseph explained, digging his nails into his arm as he crossed them over his chest, " If you're in Chicago, and he's still here, scoopin' ice cream, or whatever. . . Long distance doesn't usually go over well, I guess, that's what I'm trying to say. "

She shook her head slightly at him, scoffing in disbelief at what he was insinuating, but he spoke again before she could interject, " Look, I'm not trying to say you should break up with the kid, or anything— "

" Really, Dad? 'Cause that's exactly what it sounds like. " Franny responded flatly, frowning as he continued,

" —but I don't want you— or him — to hold out on your life trying to make a relationship work when you're figuring out your future. I just wanted to see what you had planned for the future, your future. " He stated, offering a sympathetic look as he scratched the back of his neck, adding, " If you want him in it. . then I think you need to talk to him and figure it out together. "

" Yeah, " Franny agreed hollowly, giving him a sharp nod before inching towards the door, " I'll talk to him. "

" Alright, see you later, sweetheart. " Joseph called after her as she disappeared from his view, the door opening and closing to signal her exit.

Franny adjusted her purse strap over her shoulder, chewing on her bottom lip as she walked down the driveway, to the sidewalk. She'd seen the new, flashy Starcourt Mall when she got dropped off by the bus near the heart of Hawkins. The parking lot was crammed with cars and hundreds of bodies swarmed the doors, and she wondered what was the big deal. It wasn't that far of a walk, but even the fifteen minutes it would take her to get there would cause her mind to involuntarily bounce between anxious thoughts and situations.

The truth was that Franny had the same lingering thoughts her father did, and she'd had them for a few weeks now. After going to the college campus in person and hearing all the lectures and reading all the pamphlets about starting the future, those thoughts only intensified. She was afraid that her dad was right, that she would have to leave Steve in order to pursue her own dreams and desires, but she couldn't possibly imagine living her future without him. Steve Harrington had been the owner of her heart for longer than either of them had known, and she was scared to take such a big part of her life out. Her mouth went dry at the thought of breaking up with Steve to salvage whatever could be when she left. With all her thinking over the past weeks, she had come up with one viable solution that didn't involve her breaking up with the love of her life or giving up her future.

She was sure that she could convince Steve to move to Chicago with her. She'd already written down everything that she wanted to do with him there, listed every restaurant that they could have dinner at, and there was a huge city park that had a section especially for dogs to be let loose and run free. Steve never expressed a desire to stay in Hawkins for the rest of his life, and Chicago seemed like the perfect place for him in Franny's eyes. Well, anywhere by her side, at least. Now, she'd just have to cross her fingers that he was as open to the idea as she was.

X X X

note.

and we're back.

as always, all comments, questions, predictions, and feedback are greatly appreciated!