You Lie All The Time [S.Harrington]

chapter eight

Dustin, Susie, Steve, Robin, and Erica merged with the crowd coming out of the theatre. Susie and Steve kept close, holding each others' hands.

Dustin turned around, noticing. "Called it." He smirked towards Steve. 

"Called what?" Susie questioned.

 "Oh... nothing." Dustin chuckled. He spun back around, returning to his cautious walk.

"Well, shit, that worked." Erica grinned. 

"Course it worked." Dustin huffed. "We just have to get on the bus with the rest of these plebes, and home sweet home, here we come."

"Uh, Dustin?" Steve hesitated.

 "What?" Dustin turned to Steve. Steve eyed Susie for a moment, then sighed. "Yeah, we might not wanna go to your house."

"Why?" Dustin wondered. 

"Well, I might have told them your full name." Steve confessed.

 "What is wrong with you?" Dustin whispered. 

"Dude, I was drugged." Steve argued.

"So?" Dustin furrowed his eyebrows?

 "So?" Steve scoffed. 

"So, you resist. You tough it out. You tough it out like a man." Dustin scolded.

"Oh, yeah, it's easy for you to say." Steve rolled his eyes.

 "Yeah, why don't you try being under a Russian drug where the only thing that matters to you is that hamburger floating in front of your face." Susie added.

"You saw that, too? I thought I was going crazy." Steve commented. 

"Yeah, I saw it, but I think we were both going crazy... and hungry." Susie attested.

"Uh... Guys?" Robin pulled them back. There were two Russians waiting at the exit. 

"Abort." Dustin panicked. One of the Russians noticed them. "Abort. Abort."

They began to run. They slid down the escalators in a hurry. They ran all the way behind a counter at one of the food court areas.

Susie and Steve fearfully laced their fingers together. They could hear the footsteps approaching them. They had been spotted.

Was it all over now? 

"Steve." Susie whispered. He shook his head. 

"Hey, I know we're gonna die but I just wanted to say you're a dumbass." Susie shut her eyes, tightening her grip on his hand.

Steve didn't respond. He expected everything to go black just then, until suddenly, there was a loud noise. Not a gunshot, but a car alarm.

Susie jumped, turning to Steve. He looked to her in confusion. There was another bang, then everything went silent. Slowly, they all peered up.

The Russians were on the floor, dead. Blood rushed out from their wounds. When they looked back to the balcony, they spotted Eleven, along with the rest of the Party, Johnathan, and Nancy.

"Mike.. Nancy?" Susie mumbled. "At this rate, I'm surprised Holly didn't join."

"We're about to die and the last thing you think to tell me is that I'm a dumbass?" Steve finally commented.

 "What else would I say?" Susie shrugged.

The group excitedly ran out to meet with the others. Dustin laughed. "You flung that thing like a Hot Wheel!" Dustin exclaimed, pulling El and Mike into a hug.