"Jude, get in here!" Mike yelled from the other room.

"I'm a little busy, Michael!" Jude called back in annoyance, trying to rinse Lucas' eyes after Dustin sprayed him harshly when they snuck up on him.

"Better?" Max asked as Jude pulled him up from the sink, drying his eyes with the towel.

Lucas blinked, rubbing at his eyes again. "Is that a new zit?"

"Oh my god." Jude grasped the bridge of his nose. "Yup, i'm out of here-"

Jude was cut off by Lucas crying out as Max shoved his head back under the sink. The Mackenzie boy crept behind the wall, looking into Dustins room. He looked to Mike, who was wrapped up with El. Corey sat awkwardly on the bed, clearly not knowing his place.

"Lady killer!" Dustin shot up with a bright grin. "Judith!"

"How was- ohhhh!" Jude groaned as Dustin lifted him up in the air. "So much affection."

"I dig this look." Dustin pulled on his crop top slightly. "Summer clothes?"

"Cut em myself." Jude said confidently. "You met Max's friend Corey?"

"Oh, yeah, cool dude." Dustin nodded his head, yanking Jude into the group more. "You're gonna love this okay. Guess what?"

"Oh god." Jude gave a panicked look, looking to Mike. "How bad is it?"

"Pretty bad." he answered in return.

"I've got a girlfriend." Dustin said with a shimmy of his shoulders. "You aren't the only lady killer around here."

"I still don't know why we call him that." Corey said with wide, panicked eyes. "It is not okay to kill ladies, Jude. It's staring to freak me out."

"Me too." El nodded her head.

"No, it's not-" Jude started, shaking his head. "Mike, you explain while I-"

He faced Dustin, high fiving him. "A girl! Is she sweet? Is she cute? Blonde? Brunette? Red head?"

"Brunette, and you get to meet her." Dustin said, lifting his bag up. "Help me!"

"Okay, i'll get this end." Mike grabbed one of the ends of the bag. "You get that one."

Jude lifted, the pair walking out the door together. "Can you believe he's got a lady?"

"I can't." Mike said honestly, snorting suddenly. "How are you the one without a girlfriend?"

"Will and Corey don't have girlfriends either." Jude pointed out, walking after Dustin as El trialed behind them.

"Yeah, but we all knew you'd be the first one to start dating." Mike said, staring at the back of his head. "Ever since Jennifer Hayes wrote your name on her hand in sixth grade."

"I don't know Mike, you probably jinxed me." Jude answered in return. "I could get a girlfriend if I wanted to."

"Oh yeah?" Mike asked with raised eyebrows. "So, you're just enjoying the single life then?"

"Hell yeah, I made the single life my bitch!" Jude called back over his shoulder, holding the equipment more. "Besides, I need to focus on tanning this summer. My dad says i'm blinding him with my pale skin."

"That can happen?" Corey asked.

"Blind means...no eyes?" El asked curiously.

"Oh my god." Mike and Jude mumbled on sync.

"It means you can't see. You still have eyes." Jude spoke to his cousin. "And no, Corey, that can't happen. He wasn't being serious."

"I can't handle this anymore." Corey huffed loudly. "I never know if you are being serious, Jude! I keep thinking you are a blind lady killer."

Mike laughed. "Jude would kill himself if he was blind."

"It's true, how would I read?" he spoke out loud. "And how would I know if i'm grabbing the peanut butter jar or the marmalade?"

"Wouldn't both be fine?" Mike asked, getting an offended look over his shoulder. "What?"

"Marmalade is like a sweaty armpit." Jude gagged. "Of course you would like marmalade."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Mike shot back defensively.

"You know, i'm pretty sure people in Utah have telephones." Max called from the back, huffing as she carried the ice chest.

"Yeah, but Suzie's Mormon." Dustin said back.

"Like Anne Frank?" Jude asked with a crazy look. "Is she Anne Frank?"

"Anne Frank is no longer alive, Jude. That was jewish." Mike corrected him.

"My grandparents are Jewish." Corey nodded. "I don't think they are Anne Frank."

"They could be." Jude pointed out.

"She doesn't have electricity?" Lucas gave Dustin a questionable look.

"That's the Amish." Max rolled her eyes.

"Like the pilgrims." Jude nodded.

"Nope, wrong again." Mike shook his head. "Where were you in history class?"

"You know I shine bright in science!" Jude defended himself.

"What are Mormons?" Will asked.

"Super religious white people. They have electricity and cars and stuff, but since i'm not Mormon, her parents would never approve." Dustin spoke from the front with a longing sigh.

"Can't you fake it?" Corey asked curiosity.

"Damn, Corey!" Jude whistled. "I think we're a bad influence on you."

"It's all a bit...Shakespearean." Dustin hummed.

"Shakespearean?" El gave a questionable look.

"Fancy reading." Corey informed her. "They are very literal and don't confuse me."

"Dustin, do you know how many romance novels I read? Forbidden Love never ends the way you want it to." Jude spoke his way, rubbing his sore arm.

"Like Romeo and Juliet." Dustin gave a longing look.

"Yeah, didn't end the way you think it did, man." the Mackenzie boy agreed.

"Don't they kill themselves?" Mike asked.

"Yup, and she was only thirteen. It's weird as shit. Not my style." Jude nodded his head, looking back at Mike as he continued to listen to Max and Dustin bicker slightly. "I prefer Little Woman but, you know, someone stole it."

"Oh my god, how many times do I have to tell you? I didn't steal Little Woman!" Mike defended himself.

"Liar!" Jude yelled.

"Oh, I took Little Woman." Dustin spoke up as Jude looked over in disbelief. "Incase I missed you when I was gone."

"Ha!" Mike called out. "Sounds like someone owes me an apology?"

"Can't imagine who that someone might be." Jude shook his head.

"Little Woman?" El gave an odd look. "Small...people?"

"That's what I was wondering." Corey agreed.

"It's about strong woman. They aren't little, only seen as little." Jude called back. "I can quote it if you want."

"No, please!" Mike begged with a loud huff, dropping his half of the equipment. "This was fun and all, but uh-"

He tapped his watch as El cut in. "I have to go home."

Corey took Mikes place on lifting the other side with Jude. Dustin pointed to the top of the hill. "We're almost there."

"Sorry, man." Mike shrugged his shoulders. "Curfew."

"Good luck." El smiled.

"Bye, El." Corey waved to her, wincing as he fell back when Jude dropped his end. He reached over, yanking the water bottle from Max and chunking it at the back of Mikes head.

"Ow!" the Wheeler boy spun around with a look of disbelief. "Did you just throw that at me?"

"Son of a bitch!" Jude shoved a finger his way. "You deserve it!"

Mike grabbed the bottle, throwing it back as Jude ducked with a gasp. "Did you just try to throw it back?"

"You did it first!" Mike yelled.

"Guys!" Max tried to cut in, Jude and Mike both starting to yell at each other on sync. "Guys!"

Mike walked up the hill some, Jude chunking the water bottle as it smacked him right in the middle of the head, throwing his body back.

"Oh, shit!" Corey gapped at the hard hit.

"Oh, that's it!" Mike yelled, holding his face as he lunged for Jude, tackling him as the Mackenzie boy yelled out.

"Here we go again." Will sighed loudly.

"Ow!" Jude yelled with Mike head butted him, the two rolling on the ground and trying to have their advantage above the other. Jude lifted his leg, kicking Mike in the back multiple times.

"Do they not realize that-" Lucas began, being cut off by Mike and Jude both rolling violently down the hill, yelling out in panic, but not being able to stop. "-we're on a hill."

•

kylie speaks

as embarrassing as it is,
i was laughing out loud
while writing this.