"Don't look into his eyes. Don't go anywhere alone. Don't sit next to him. Don't hug him." Cassie read from her notebook, walking through the summer weather toward the entrance of the mall. "Pluck your eyes out. Bust your ear drums. Maybe drown yourself."

"Hey, Cas!" Lucas smiled as she walked up.

"Hi!" he face lit up, falling as she slapped herself with the notebook. "Damn it!"

"Mikes late, as always." Will said as she walked toward them more. "You didn't ride your bike?"

"Wanted to enjoy the fascinating and absolutely perfection of this summer night." Cassie waved her hands before her face with a smile. "And my bike chain broke."

"Why didn't you call? I could have picked you up." Lucas nodded, knowing they lived close.

Cassie was smart this time, turning around completely. "I told you, wanted to enjoy the air."

Max frowned her eyebrows. "Hey, Cas?"

"Yeah?" she called over her shoulder.

"Why are you turned around?" she asked with an odd look.

Mike saved the day by peddling their way, hopping off his bike. "Hey, Cassie."

"Hey." she smiled, turning back around.

"Look who finally decided to show up." Lucas scoffed.

"I'm sorry." Mike chained up his bike quickly.

"Again." Will pointed out. "We're gonna miss the opening."

"Yeah, if you keep whining about it. Let's go!" Mike cut in quickly, holding the door open. "Did you get in?"

"Get in what?" Cassie asked.

"Your writing program!" Lucas came up by her side. "It's been a week, you said you'd know in a week."

"Still hasn't come." Cassie shook her head with an exhale. "I guess they're taking their sweet, precious, life swelling time to determine if i'm an extraordinary fit for their absolutely divine program."

"You applied for a writing program?" Max looked back at her. "That's so cool."

"Thanks!" Cassie called. "It's for next year. To write for the school paper."

"You're so gonna get it." Will confirmed with a smile.

"Of course she is." Lucas tossed an arm around Cassie with a grin. "And i'll be her plus one."

"Since when are you the plus one?" Cassie asked with a frown of her eyebrows. "You are the one that said you wanted to cut your ears off when I practiced my speach for the school board."

"Because you were using a British accent to try and sound smart." he pointed out. "And, it's me because Mike says he'll be too busy."

"Too busy?" Cassie asked Mike in disbelief. "How could you possibly, under any circumstances, be utterly and completely too busy to be my partner for the Hawkins High Paper?"

"By bush I mean-"Lucas smacked his lips to mimic kissing noises.

"Oh, yeah, real mature, Lucas." Mike rolled his eyes.

"Oh, El, I wish we could make out forever, and never hang out with any of our friends." Lucas continued to mock on, making Cassie shove his arm off her.

"Lucas, stop." Max rolled her eyes.

"Will thinks it's funny." Lucas laughed.

"Because it is." Will agreed.

"Yeah, it's so funny that I want to spend romantic time with my girlfriend." Mike rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Romance is a compassionate, fully, heart wrenching, soul crushing, heart aching, feeling that mocks you and frees you in the most phonominal way possible." Cassie announced, speaking with her arms dancing before her.

"See, Cassie knows you aren't spending romantic time with El." Lucas mocked as they pushed past groups of people, mumbling their apologized, trying to hurry toward their destination as quick as they could.

"Watch it." a older girl huffed in disbelief.

"My complete and most truest apologies." Cassie spoke to her, Lucas pulled her along.

"Yeah, watch it, nerd." Erica, Lucas' little sister, mocked as she sat with her three friends.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" he asked her in annoyance.

"Isn't it time you died?" Erica shot back with risen eyebrows.

Cassie hide a laugh, Lucas gave an offended look. "You think me dying is funny?"

"No." she shook her head quickly.

"I think you do." he shook his head. "I see that smile."

"There's no smile." she slapped his hands away when he continued to try to poke at her face. "Lucas, i'll eat your soul!"

"Oh, no, please." he faked a plead, getting his hands smacked over and over. "Do not eat my soul!"

Mike tapped the bell at the Scoops Ahoy shop.

"Hey, Dingus, your children are here." Robin called, the back window sliding open as Steve stared from the other side.

"Again? Seriously?" the Harrington boy look in disbelief.

"Here, Cassie." Robin held an ice cream cone out to her. "Accidentally made an orange sherbet and saved it just for you."

"All my love and gratitude to you, my beloved Robin." Cassie called as Steve opened the door. "For I wish you a happy, long, heart warming and worthy life full of love!"

"Woah, I've never even got that much love before." Lucas asked, leaning over and licking Cassies ice cream. "Mm, the green one was better."

"That's why it's best when swirled." Cassie twisted her finger around the emphasis, walking past the rows of people, coming in between Lucas and Will.

"See, Lucas. We made it." Mike whispered to him, Will handed the drinks he brought.

"We missed the previews." he sighed.

"The previews are what makes the movie feel like the wait you've experienced, the dying hope and passion to finally watch your show, has finally come to an end." Cassie explained to Mike with a nod of her head. "Just saying."

The screen went black, upsetting the entire theatre as they yelled out in agony and anger. Cassie looked around. "Breaker blew?"

"Ghost?" Lucas suggested.

"Boogie man?" she rose her eyebrow.

"Boogie man." her and Lucas confirmed on sync together.

"Jesus, I can't." Max shook her head. Thankfully, to put her out of her misery, the movie came back on.

"Woah, he got you good." Cassie whipped Lucas' eyes the next morning when they attempted to surprise Dustin, only for him to spray Lucas in the face with the hair spray Steve had given him for the Snowball last year. "Is your pain unbearable and coursing through your veins, readying to fly free from your lungs?"

"Yes, Cassie. It so is." Lucas touched his heart.

Max looked at Cassie as they shared a look. "He's mocking me."

"He so is." Max agreed.

"Is that a new zit?" Lucas pointed to the little red dot on Max's chin.

She gapped at him. "What is wrong with you?"

Cassie inhaled when she held his head under the faucet. "I knew it. His pain was so terribly painful that he needed to just let it free from his lungs and throat. Do you feel better Lucas?"

"Oh my god." Lucas came back from under the water, accepting the towel Cassie held. "I do. Thanks, Cas."

"Guys, come on!" Mike called as he passed the kitchen.

"Where are y'all going?" Lucas looked oddly.

"To call Dustin's girlfriend." Will said in return, following.

"Girlfriend?" the three yelled out, hurrying after.

Only Cassie hadn't realized she'd dropped her little note book. How To Get Over Lucas Sinclair written on the third page.

•

kylie speaks

cas<3