Eye of the Storm ✇ Steve Harrington

Chapter Seven

Much to the disappointment of Steve, Nora and Dustin alike, Nora didn't work at Scoops Ahoy and therefore, by the time they finished their ice-cream breaks, she had her own job to get to. While it meant she couldn't help them with the translation of the Russian transmission right away, both boys agred that she should come back once her shift was over and help 'if they have anything left to translate'. Knowing them... they'd have much left to translate.

So, she wasn't too worried as her afternoon continued to pass by, customers coming in every couple of minutes in search of a records, CDs and tapes of their favourite albums and musicians. Even though she hadn't been working at the store for long, she was quickly starting to get a hang of where everything was and depending less and less on having to ask Eddie to make sure.

Which was somewhat of a perk as he suspicions of her coworker not liking her were growing more and more since he seemed rather annoyed by her questions. Not that Nora let it get to her. She could handle a moody coworker. He wasn't actually doing anything to her. And he was helping when she did need it.

"Thank you, and we hope to see you next time." Nora smiled cheerily at the couple whose purchase she'd just checked out at the register. Watching as they walked off and out into the halls of the mall.

Watching them was what made it possible for the girl to spot a head of bright red hair rushing past the storefront as if trying to avoid being seen. Although, Nora suspected it was the person running next to the redhead that was actually hiding. Letting out a small sigh, Nora decided she'd definitely bring that up when she got home. After all, she doubted El was supposed to be at the mall.

However, knowing there was nothing she could do now, she decided on focusing on her job and her next task. "Munson!" She called out to Eddie who was further in between some of the aisles, putting back the records people had misplaced in their perusing. "Your turn." She announced, pointing to the player as the speakers had gone silent throughout the store.

Their system was simple, one tape was Nora's choice, the next was Eddie's. And once she pointed out it was his choice now, he was already prepared, pulling out a tape from his back pocket rather than from any of the shelves or aisles as Nora had been doing thus far.

She wasn't too surprised by his eagerness. After all, from all of the picks he'd made thus far, it was rather clear they were making different choices. While Eddie was choosing music based on his tastes, rock and metal, Nora had made sure to sparse it out with more of the mainstream popular choices so it would draw in all kinds of crowds.

For a few moments, the store continued to remain silent before Nora could hear the bass guitar beginnings of Aces High. The familiar song brought a small smile of approval onto her face because while in the store she was making different choices than Eddie, she was quickly finding that he had rather good taste in his own picks too.

"I like-" She spoke up, hoping that sharing that thought might help build up some friendliness between them. However, she didn't even get half of her sentence out before the sound of someone calling her name as they rushed into the store interrupted her.

"Nora! Nora!" Spinning around on her heel, Nora looked at Mike and Lucas as they rushed to the counter, Will following at a more leisurely pace behind them as Mike continued in an urgent tone. "We need your help!"

"What's wrong? What happened?" Worry quickly flooded Nora's mind. Not only were they rushing in here in a panic but just moments ago she'd also seen Max and El rushing around too. She'd thought it was only because they were trying to hide from her, but now she was starting to panic there might've been something else behind it and she should have followed after them.

"What do you get a girl you're dating when she's mad at you?"

Mike's question had the worried look on Nora's face disappearing as it was replaced with a rather unamused glare. "Are you..." She started to question before trailing off. Though, not for long. "Wheeler! I thought something actually happened!" She scolded.

"It did!"

"He messed up!" Lucas announced shamelessly, making Nora riase an eyebrow. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to know how Mike messed it up with El. "What's the most romantic album you have in here?"

"You should try-" Nora tried to answer, but Mike interrupted her soon after.

"Oh, we should ask him. He's worked here longer." He didn't even wait for Nora to say anything before he was pulling on the sleeve of Lucas' T-shirt and heading in the direction of where Eddie was. And Nora decided to let them go to metal-head Eddie Munson for romance songs recommendations. And while they did that, Nora let her eyes turn to the boy who remained standing at the counter.

"He lied to El that he couldn't see her today because his grandma is sick." Will explained as they were left alone.

"Hmm..." Nora hummed to herself thoughtfully. "So, do I mention that El and Max are in the mall too and might see them? Or do I let them figure that out on their own? Second option sounds better. Karma and all." Nora questioned in a teasing voice, happy to see a small smile of amusement spreading over the Byers boy's face. "What's up, kiddo? You look down."

"It's nothing. Just, they're so busy with their girlfriends, it's all they can talk about." Will said in a dejected voice, and Nora found herself resisting the urge to summon Mike and Lucas right back over and scold the living daylights out of them. After all, this was the second time she was hearing something like that in the span of one day! "I just wanted to hang out and play some D&D, you know."

"Well if they don't want to play with you, I will." Nora announced without hesitation. Will sent her a surprised look at the proclamation, however, Nora was showing no signs of taking back the offer.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it will be fun." She said with a wide smile. "Although, can you play with only two people? Or do we have to find a third person to join us?" She asked thoughtfully before a thought occurred to her. "Eddie can do it!" She announced without really thinking it over.

"Do what?" Her coworker asked, the doubt and hesitation clear in both his voice and face as he paused mid-step to look at the two of them uncertainly.

"You play D&D, right? You have a whole club at school?" She questioned optimistically. "You'd play with Will and me if we asked you?" She added on, sending the Munson a somewhat pointed look. Surely he wouldn't crush a little boy's hope.

"You? Playing D&D?" However, Eddie's answer was only a surprised question of his own.

"Yeah." Nora said simply, like it was no big deal. And to her, it wasn't. "Although I might have a lot of questions, so you guys will have to treat me as the newbie that I am." She warned in advance.

"Will! Come on!"

"There's nothing here!"

Mike and Lucas' calls had the boy turning on his heel to look as they were already rushing out of the store and onto the next. "Sorry, I have to go." Will said with an apologetic smile as he started to go after them. "But maybe we can plan something." He added on with a new wide smile on his face that made one appear on Nora's own.

"Sure thing, kid." Nora called out after him as he rushed off and disappeared into the crowd after his friends. Alone in the store again, Nora turned to look at Eddie who was still standing where he'd stopped during the conversation. Only, now he seemed to be giving her an odd look on top of it. "What?"

"You just offered to play Dungeons and Dragons with the kid." He said as if she wasn't a part of the conversation herself and more than capable of remembering it still. "And for me to play with you."

Thinking that is what the look was about, Nora gave out a small sigh. "Okay, sorry for roping you into it. You don't have to if you don't want to. Might not even happen." She pointed out. "I was just thinking on the spot and trying to cheer him up."

For a few long moments he remained silent again, just looking at her as if he was trying to figure something out. It made Nora give out a small puff, about to repeat that he didn't have to actually do it. But before she could, Eddie spoke first. "If it ever does happen, tell me when and where." This time it was her responding with a surprised look on her face.

"Really?"

"Can't break a promise to a kid." Eddie shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal. And it made Nora give out a small laugh as she thanked him. What she didn't point out, knowing that both she and he were equally aware of it, was that he didn't actually promise anything.