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chapter twenty cute little hippie
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GIRLS' DAY WAS usually just Max and Rue hanging out for the whole Friday, just them, no one else — Well, that wasn't true — Nancy Wheeler had joined them plenty of times before. And so has Eleven. But most of the time, it was only Rue and Max, this is why it was a surprise to Max when she met Rue at the public pool, and she wasn't alone.
Summer in Hawkins was always hot. It was to make up for the cold Winters no one enjoyed. But sometimes, the sun was too bright, and there wasn't enough summer breeze to keep people from melting. Hawkins' public pool was always popular in the Summer — with the new Starcourt Mall.
Kids yelled and splashed at the pool, and their mothers' sunbathed at the beach chairs. There were long lines to the snack stand, people slipping in and out of the change rooms and friends and family pushing each other into the pool.
The Summer sun was always warm and inviting to Rue. She loved it with all her heart, and it was safe to say Summer was her favourite season. The sun made her feel tender, and she could lay under it with a book or her walkman all day if she could. But today, she sat by the edge of the pool in a black swimsuit, her feet in the cool water. She leaned back on her elbows, and red heart-shaped sunglasses that Jonathan had gotten her a few weeks ago sat on her face.
"I'm just saying, if you're going to pitch, you have to throw with your arm — not your shoulder."
Rue hummed, still keeping her head up to the sun with her eyes closed. "That makes sense," she said, "But I feel like I can throw further—"
