Stranger Than Normal

Chapter Forty-Five

I closed my eyes tightly, taking in a deep breath through my nose and immediately regretting it. Max, El, and I were on a bus taking us to the Starcourt Mall. A public bus. A public, metal, bus. In the middle of summer.

If you've never been stuck on a bus full of hot, sweaty, people in the middle of summer I envy you. The smell. Was. Horrific. I can't even begin to explain what it smelled like. Combined with the rowdy screaming children being ignored by their parents, it was enough to send me over the edge.

I almost punted a small child and then almost punched some man standing in the aisle beside me when he shook his sweat-soaked hair around like a dog and his sweat flew on me.

I was the first one off the bus once we stopped, with El and then Max trailing behind me. "I'm never riding a bus again. Teleportation only from now on." I groan, bent over with my hands on my knees as I gasp for air. Max just grinned at me before focusing on El.

"So, what do you think?" She asked El, who was now just stood there looking up at the front of the mall. "What's wrong?" Max asked El, her grin being overcome with worry.

I walked up behind El on her other side and touched her elbow making her turn to us. "Too many people. Against the rules." She said with a frightened concerned look on her face. 

"Seriously? You have superpowers, what's the worst that could happen?" Max argues with El. "Besides, I have superpowers too, remember? I'm sure nothing will happen but if anything does you know I'm here to help." I told El sincerely, putting a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

El nods slowly, a smile growing on her face as she looks between the two of us. Max grabs her hand and I link my arm with hers on the other side and we run inside.

We race down the few steps to get to the indented middle of the mall and Max and I watch as El spins around, staring in amazement. "So, what should we do first?" Max asked, looking between El and me. I gestured towards El in a non-verbal way to tell Max that El should pick. El glances at Max but then continues to look around the mall, not answering.

"You've never been shopping before, have you?" Max asked El laughing. El shook her head no and continued to look around. "Well, then I guess we're just gonna have to try everything," Max stated before grabbing our arms, tearing our attention away from the mall and back to her. "Ooh, come on."

With each of Max's hands encircling one of our own, Max takes off running leaving El and me no choice but to follow her. She took us straight to The Gap where Max and I sent El off to look around aimlessly as we followed her around. 

El walked around, looking at everything in awe, touching various items of clothing as she walks by. She eventually stops at one display, staring up at it. "Do you like that?" Max asked El, coming up behind her. El turns around to face us, "How do I know...what I like?"

Max and I both shrugged before Max spoke for the both of us, "You just try things on. Until you find something that feels like you."

"Like me?" El asked, still a bit confused. "Yeah. Not Hopper. Not Mike. You." I told her. I wanted her to be able to wear her own clothes for once. She's never had her own, and I'd never had my own either until Joyce bought me some and that's a kind of joy and self-excitement I want El to experience as well. Not with clothes stolen, like my previous clothes, or clothes given to her, but her own.

We went to several different stores, Max and I critiquing the outfits El would come out of the dressing rooms in. Sometimes we'd have to fix them up a little, adding a belt or a hat here and there but overall El did a good job picking out outfits. Some of them she bought with the money Max and I had given her.