"Bye, Wink." Jude kissed the top of Winkles head, pulling his shoes on his feet. He made sure to lock the door, his dad working late for the night. Jude shoved his book and flashlight into the basket on his bike, kicking off as he road through the trailer park. He knew he had to get to the mall quick, despite in the back of his head knowing there'd be a delay.

"Man of the hour." Lucas whistled when Jude road up next to him, Will, Max, and Corey. Corey was Max's friend friend the skate park, dragging him along most of the time. Jude didn't mind him, a bit shy and didn't always know when Jude wasn't being serious, but he liked him.

"Aw, have you been talking about me, Lucas?" Jude gave a cheeky grin, dropping his bike to the ground. "I feel so special."

"Oh, we've been talking about you, for sure." Max agreed.

"Not the best things, though." Corey admitted with a guilty look.

"Definitely not the best things." Will agreed.

"What? You've found something wrong with me?" Jude gapped in disbelief, taking his book and flashlight from the basket. "Please, do tell. I've been trying to find something."

"Get out of here." Max shoved his head to the side, getting a laugh. "Mikes not with you?"

"Probably off, skipping through meadows or sharing milkshakes with my lovely cousin." Jude exhaled with a raise of one eyebrow. "Michael Wheeler is the least of my worries."

"Do you still think he stole Little Woman? Jude, he did not." Lucas gapped with a shake of his head.

"I know for a fact he did." the Mackenzie boy pointed with a knowing look. "He's evil! Spawn of satin."

"Well, that spawn of satin, is coming this way." Corey pointed out, nodding backwards as Jude turned, seeing Mike peddling their way. He sighed, watching his grown out hair flop in the wind, yellow usually being a color Jude hated until these very moments.

"You're late." Lucas said in annoyance.

"Sorry." Mike hurried to jump off his bike.

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

"Yeah, if you keep whining about it. Let's go!" Mike cut in quickly, looking to Jude. "Why'd you bring a book and flashlight?"

"Because I was thinking we'd all be here on time so I could read while the previews played." Jude mocked, keeping up with his pace as they walked through the mall. "But, no, of course not."

"Let me guess. You were busy." Lucas smacked his lips to mimic kissing noises.

"Oh, yeah, real mature, Lucas." Mike rolled his eyes. "I didn't know Corey was coming."

"Max invited me." he said, staying near her and Lucas.

"Yeah, I did." Max said confidently.

"Oh, El, I wish we could make out forever, and never hang out with any of our friends." Lucas continued to mock on, making Jude turn and hit him with his book. "Ow. Sorry, you want me to add you in?"

"Gross!" Jude gave an insane look, his voice ten times higher.

"Oh my god, don't yell." Mike gave him a weird look. "We're in the mall."

"I w-" Lucas began to mock again, being cut off.

"Lucas, stop." Max rolled her eyes.

"Will and Corey think it's funny." Lucas laughed.

Corey tried to hide his laugh. "Not true."

"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.

"Romantic time? What? In a bedroom with comic books and the same conversation over and over?" Jude scoffed at Mikes words. "So romantic, I can feel my eyes turning into hearts."

"Oh my god, like you'd do any better." the Wheeler boy scoffed in disbelief with Jude. "You'd idea of a date is taking a girl to a book store."

"Stacey had fun!" Jude defended himself.

"Yeah, so much fun that her entire friend group no longer thinks your cute." Max pointed out. "About time you are humbled."

"I am plenty humble." Jude rolled his eyes. "I can be humbled and still know i'm the cutest guy in Hawkins."

"Dustin went to his brain." Will pointed out.

"Lady killer." Lucas mocked as they pushed past groups of people, mumbling their apologized, trying to hurry toward their destination as quick as they could.

"Mike!" Jude huffed as they collided harshly, both stumbling to the side.

"Ow, sorry!" he threw his hands up.

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

"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. Jude gave a snort, him and Mike sharing a shocked, yet comical look.

"Oh, woah." Corey nodded his head with a clear of his throat. "Didn't see that one coming."

"Never do." Jude hummed, they ducked into Scoop Troupes, Mike taking the lead as he hit the bell repeatedly.

"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, mainly to Jude. "You said last time was the last time."

"This time is the last time, is what I meant." Jude nodded his head, shrugging his shoulders. "It's like smoking!"

"How is this anything like smoking?" Mike asked as he stayed close by as they went through the door, ignoring Steve.

"You say it's the last time but it never is, you gotta slowly get yourself out of the habit." Jude hummed, pulling the collar of the green crop top, that he cut himself for summer. "You think Corey is okay to be here?"

Mike laughed. "He's Max's friend."

"What if something accident slips and he runs to the government with it?" the Mackenzie boy pointed out with a risen eyebrow.

"That's what i've been trying to say but noooo, no one listens to me." Mike tossed his hands up in surrender. "No one listens to you either."

"Which is weird if you think about it." Jude pointed out with a nod of his head. "We are the beauty and the brains. That's who i'd listen to."

"Oh my god, both of you are so annoying." Max rolled her eyes from behind the two, the group of teens pushing their way through the doors opening to finding available seats.

"See, Lucas? We made it." Mike spoke past Will.

"We missed the previews." he whispered in return.

"Still made it. Fart face." Max joked slightly.

"Here, new boy." Jude tossed Corey a bag of popcorn. "Eat up."

Will handed out the drinks and the candy. Jude shoved in closer to Mike. "I can't see over this dudes head."

"Just-" Mike yanked on his neck, getting a wince as Jude practically was hunched over. The movie began before the projector blackened, making the entire theatre call out in anger. "Come on!"

"Dude, seriously." Jude huffed, holding his video camera. "I was gonna make loads of money off of this."

"Woah, illegal activity?" Corey looked his way in questioning.

"Only illegal if you make it illegal." Jude rose an eyebrow his way.

"I don't think that's how it works." Will shook his head slightly.

"Uh, it obviously is. Why do you think i've never been arrested?" the brunette have a wink. "Think harder,
not smart."

The projector came back on, the theater flooding with cheers as Jude tossed a hand full of popcorn up into Mikes face to celebrate.

niles fitch as...
Corey D'marco

•

kylie speaks

shut up they are so
cute.