July 4th, 1985

Starcourt Mall

No keys, no car. No car; means no quick escape.

"So what are we supposed to do? Just book it out of the mall parking lot? Like that isn't suspicious." I whispered to Dustin and Erica from our place hurdled in the corner of the shaking elevator while Steve and Robin continued to laugh like maniacs in the background. "Hate to burst your bubble, Nell. But I don't think they're gonna be booking it anytime soon." Erica pointed out as she shot a glare at the pair over her shoulder.

"Exactly my point. We are screwed; for all we know, there could be a bunch of guards waiting for us behind those doors." I stated, pointing a stern finger at the metal doors in front of us. "Or the coast could be clear, then all we have to do is blend in... Get lost in the crowd."

Erica struggled to nod in agreement, "What crowd, genius? Hardly anything is open and we're in what's supposed to be a stockroom; meaning only employees come to this side of the mall."

Dustin shrugged awkwardly as the elevator came to an abrupt halt. "I said it cloud be. Give me a break..." He groaned before moving to open the elevator doors, Erica following close behind him. "Where are we going?" A voice questioned all too close to my ear, causing me to jump away and bump into someone else.

"Jesus, Robin... Stop doing that, please." I sighed, placing a hand on my forehead before pulling the two towards the doors as Dustin pushed them open.

The dark night's sky greeted us, a sky much like the one we had left behind when we first entered the elevator. It felt almost as if no time had passed, everything that surrounded us was exactly how we left it. All that had changed was us and what we now knew.

The two teens on either side of me gasped in delight as they stepped out of the elevator and into the loading dock of the mall, both staring up at the sky with wide eyes. "Oh my God... That tastes so good!" Robin grinned as she opened her mouth and tilted her head back as if to catch falling snow or rain. "Steve, can you taste the air?" She questioned the boy quickly, resulting in him mimicking her actions.

"You see any guards, Nell?" Dustin shot a sarcastic grin over his shoulder and we approached the locked gates of the exit of the dock. Rather than giving the young teen any satisfaction in being right, I rolled my eyes and kept my gaze locked on Steve and Robin. "I taste it! I taste it!" Steve cheered, his wide eyes darting between Robin and me.

"Oh, shit..." Dustin's silent swear caught me off guard, pulling my eyes away from the two teens, I spotted what worried him. Not too far from us; just behind the locked gates of the loading dock stood two guards armed and aiming their weapons at us. "Stop!" One of the guards yelled as the other used a key card to open the gate.

"Come on!" I yelled, pulling Steve and Robin out of their drug-induced haze. "Why are we running?" Robin questioned as we hurried back towards the mall with the guards yelling in Russian from behind us. "Just go with it!" I yelled as Steve fumbled with the door only to be pushed in by Dustin.

This section of the mall was meant for employees only, aiding in delivering supplies and shipments to the many shops that resided in Starcourt. The only problem was, that the employees that we had with us could barely walk in a straight line much less recognize what building they were in.

The sound of the guards' shoes squeaking against the polished floor alerted us of just how close they were.

"In here..." Dustin hastily whispered before opening a random door and motioning for us to hurry inside before quickly closing the door behind us. "This isn't Scoops-" Steve whispered to Dustin only for the boy to shush him, pressing a finger to his lips as the sound of shoes squeaking grew closer before dwindling down the hall.

Slowly, Dustin reopened the door before peeking his head out into the hall; giving us the signal to follow him out. "Where are we going?" I questioned him, he was running through these halls as if it was second nature like he'd done it before. "Just trust me." Was his only response as we continued to pull Steve and Robin down the hall before coming to a halt in front of another door.

Holding onto Steve and Robin, I watched as Dustin checked the coast before waving us in, "All clear." He whispered before sneaking into the hallway. The door connected to another hall, though rather than the cold, white walls of the previous hallway, the one we walked down now was painted a deep purple, with various movie posters hanging from the walls while the short fibers of the carpet were decorated with various shapes and bright colors.

"Seriously? Again..." Steve groaned out as I pulled him and Robin down the theatre's hall and into the dimly lit hall that connected with the auditorium. "How many more times do I have to see this movie, Nell..." Steve groaned into my ear, earning a loud shush from Robin. "No talking in the cinema."

Rolling his eyes, Steve came to a halt in the middle of the hall before reaching into the trash beside us, pulling out a half-empty bag of popcorn. "Gimme..." Robin whispered as Steve lazily shoved a handful into his mouth, pulling the bag away from her.

Ignoring the two, Dustin pushed open the double doors to the theatre as Marty McFly called out the Doc's name. "What did I tell you?! Eighty-eight miles per hour!" Doc's cheer filled the crammed auditorium. "Come on..." Dustin whispered, leading us down the aisle as his eyes scanned for open seats.

The only unoccupied seats rested in the front row. The only catch was that only four seats were empty and they rested on opposite sides of the aisle, splitting us apart. Pushing the two teens into the first two seats, Dustin instructed them to stay seated.

"No, no, no! These seats are too close!" Robin complained from her seat as she glared up at the screen. "Dude, these seats blow!" Steve groaned, staring up at the screen as if he was in pain. "Then don't watch the movie." I whispered to him, but Robin was quick to interject. "What if we wanna watch it?" She bickered.

"Then watch it!" Dustin yelled at the two, earning a loud shush from the man that sat behind the pair.

Robin and Steve quickly turned around to shush the man much to his annoyance he fell back into his seat. "Sorry... Just whatever you do. Don't. Go. Anywhere." Dustin instructed the two, enunciating his words as much as he could. "Fine, Dad." Steve mumbled sarcastically earning a chuckle from Robin.

Keeping an eye on the two teens; Dustin, Erica, and I hurried to the opposite side of the auditorium. "Sorry... Sorry..." Dustin whispered as we passed the front row before him and Erica took the two seats while I kneeled in the aisle.

"Okay, it's official. I'm never having kids." Dustin muttered as he released a loud huff. "What are we doing here?" Erica questioned from beside him. "We're laying low. Cooling off." He informed her simply. "Like Oswald." He added.

"Wasn't Oswald killed in a theatre?" I questioned with a quirked brow. "That was a week later." Dustin groaned out, blowing off the chance that this could end badly. "The point is, his plan didn't work." Erica stated with a roll of her eyes. "It was a setup." He pointed out.

Resting my forehead on the seat armrest, I rolled my eyes as the two continued their back and forth argument. "What?" Erica scoffed. "He was just a patsy." He rebuked. "Oh, tell me you're joking-" Erica was cut off by a woman shushing her.

Much like before, Dustin just turned in his chair to shush the woman before turning back to Erica. "We need to get out of here..." I mumbled to the two in the hopes of getting back on track. "Alright, you two just watch Tweedledee and Tweedledum," Dustin instructed as he unzipped Erica's bookbag. "Make sure they don't go anywhere." "Where are you going?" I questioned the boy, watching as he pulled his walkie from the bag and stood from his seat. "To find us a ride."

~~~

A harsh nudge in my side pulled me out of the darkness that I hadn't even realized I fell in. "Shit... My bad." I whispered, rubbing my fists over my eyes as I tried to stay awake and keep my eyes from crossing. "Do you have a concussion? You can't fall asleep if you have a concussion." Erica whispered to me, her eyes wide and for once she almost looked worried.

Shaking my head gently, I rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm fine... Nothing I can't handle." I mumbled as the sound of rushing footsteps approached us.

Dustin came to a stop, kneeling beside us as he tried to catch his breath. "Do either of you have any batteries? Double-A?" He questioned. "Why would I have batteries?" Erica squinted her eyes at the boy. "I always carry batteries." Dustin mumbled awkwardly. "Then what's the problem?" She questioned.

"I need eight." He stated glumly. "Of all the things in your fanny pack, you didn't pack eight batteries?" I groaned, placing my head in my hands yet again. "Shit... Guess we'll have to go to plan B." He muttered, looking down at the ground in thought. "Plan B? What's plan B?" Erica questioned as Dustin's eyes drifted past and onto the opposite side of the auditorium.

Following his gaze, our eyes landed on two empty chairs. Chairs that were meant to be occupied by Steve and Robin.

"Where... are they?" Dustin seethed, his eyes locked on the folded-up seats before darting back onto Erica and me. "They were just here..." Erica groaned, looking around the dark theatre to see if the pair had just run up the aisle and back into the hall. "They can't have gone far..." I mumbled, standing from my seat and hurrying into the aisle.

Dustin was quick to stop me by grabbing onto the sleeve of my jacket, "What are you doing? You can't just go by yourself." He pointed out, Erica nodding in agreement. "Dustin, we can't keep running in and out of the theatre and the three of us wondering outside is going to attract some seriously undesired attention."

"And what if you pass out again? Like that doesn't look bad." Erica pointed out much to Dustin's confusion. "Again? Nell, you can't go alone." He tried but I quickly stopped him. "I'm fine. Look, if I'm not back in ten minutes then you guys can come looking. Just promise you'll act natural."

The two shared a contemplated look before hesitantly nodding, Dustin taking my empty seat before looking down at his watch to start the timer.

~~~

It feels wrong to walk through the hall of a cinema alone, passing separate auditoriums that's film could be heard through the thick doors and walls. Ignoring the workers that watched me from behind the concession stand, ducking my head down, I moved in the direction of the woman's restroom.

Losing my balance suddenly, I leaned against the doorframe that led to the bathroom and struggled to regain my balance. "All right, my turn." Robin's voice sounded distorted like it was fazing in and out of reality. Or maybe that was just me. "Hit me." Steve's voice didn't sound any better as tightly shut my eyes, desperate to get a grip and shake off the sudden nausea that washed over me.

"Have you... ever been in love." Robin questioned softly as I slowly regained control of my breathing, placing my hand on the handle to the restroom, I moved to push the door open but was stopped by Steve's answer.

"Yep. Nancy Wheeler. First semester, Senior year."

He didn't even hesitate. He didn't stumble over his answer or have to take a second to even think about it. Because that's the thing about the truth, it doesn't always have to be forced out.

"Are- Are you still in love with Nancy?" Robin's question came out in a hushed whisper but I still heard it, she almost sounded like she didn't want to hear the answer. I shouldn't want to hear the answer and yet I find myself frozen in my place behind the door. "No... I found someone that's better for me." He answered softly, allowing me to release a gasp that I hadn't released I was holding, it was strangled and easy for them to miss. "It's crazy..."

The pair stayed silent for a moment before he continued, "It's just this girl, we barely talked in high school... It was my fault, I kept pushing her away. Blocking her out. I'd lie to myself, tell myself that I was doing it because Tommy H. would've made fun of me or because I wouldn't be... prom king if I was associated with her. But it's all just a bunch of bullshit."

Steve took in a deep breath before continuing, "I mean this girl is so smart, like freaky smart and just... jaw-droppingly stunning even when she's acting like an idiot... She's unlike anyone I've ever met. She keeps choosing me and I keep ruining it." He groaned the last part out awkwardly before the bathroom fell silent. "Robin? Robin, did you just OD in there?" He questioned the silent girl.

"Nope... No, I'm still alive." Robin responded softly. "Ew, don't do that the floors are disgusting in here..." She groaned at Steve who I assumed slid under the stall door. "Yeah, well, I've already got a bunch of blood and puke on my shirt, so... you know. Big deal."

Robin laughed half-heartedly at his statement before falling silent again. "Seriously, Robin. What is it?" Steve questioned. "It's nothing." She blew him off. "Robin... Come on."

"Look... You don't need to know. Because if you did know, like if you really knew... You wouldn't want to stay friends." She finally groaned out. "No, that's not true. No way that's true." He tried to reassure her but she was quick to stop him again. "Listen, Steve... It shocked me to my core but I actually like you. Like really like you." She admitted carefully. "But I'm not like your other friends."

Steve hummed awkwardly, "Yeah, that's exactly why I like you?" He muttered.

"Do... Do you remember what I said about Click's class? About me being jealous and, like, obsessed?" Robin questioned him quickly, much to my confusion. "It wasn't because I had a crush on you. It's because... she wouldn't stop staring at you." She admitted finally. "Mrs. Click?" Steve questioned, obviously just as lost as I was.

Robin released a forced laugh, it nearly sounded like it pained her to laugh off his assumption, "Eleanor... I wanted her to look at me. But... she couldn't pull her eyes away from you and your stupid hair. And I couldn't understand it, because all you did was ignore her and you asked dumb questions. And you were a douchebag. And- And you didn't even like her... and I would go home and just scream into my pillow." Robin confessed, not even taking a moment to breathe, it was almost as if she stopped she wouldn't have it in her to continue.

"Yeah, but... Nellie's a girl." Steve stated the obvious, causing me to shut my eyes painfully tight. "Steve..." Robin whispered, waiting for him to realize what she was getting at. "Yeah?" He questioned awkwardly before slowly falling silent. "Holy shit..."

"Told you she'd pass out." Erica's voice caused me to jump away from the door, quickly turning to find Dustin and Erica approaching me. "What happened?" Dustin questioned, throwing his hands in the air as his eyes darted between me and the bathroom door. "I think I need to sit down..." I mumbled awkwardly before sliding down the wall, "They're kind of having a heart-to-heart in there." I informed the two, only to earn an eye roll from both of them.

"We don't have time for this." Dustin groaned before pushing open the door. "Okay. What the hell?" Dustin scoffed at the pair, the two teens quickly laughing him off. Guess the drugs hadn't worn off quite just yet...

~~~

We remained hidden in the woman's restroom until chatter filled the lobby outside once the picture came to a close, the patrons now exiting their respective auditoriums and flooding into the theatre's lobby and out of Starcourt. Pulling open the door, Dustin watched as the crowd of people moved towards the exit. "And..." Dustin whispered as we peered over his shoulder, watching as the crowd grew denser. "Blend."

Piling out of the restroom, the five of us carefully dispersed into the crowd and tried to blend in. Only thing is, our rigid forms practically stuck out like sore thumbs in the crowd of cheerful moviegoers as they excitedly talked about the film they had just finished. We were quite literally stiff as boards and silent as we walked with the crowd. "Well, shit... That worked." Erica mumbled, looking around to take note of how nobody paid any mind to us.

"Of course, it worked..." Dustin mumbled back, he and Erica leading the way out of the theatre while Steve, Robin, and I awkwardly trekked behind them. "We just have to get on the bus with the rest of these plebes, and home sweet home, here we come."

His words caused me to tsk lightly under my breath. "Uh, Dustin?" I whispered to him. "What?"

"Yeah... We might not wanna go to your house." I informed him awkwardly. "Why?" Dustin questioned, looking between the three of us confused. "Well, I might've told them your full name..." Steve mumbled to the boy. "What is wrong with you?" Dustin tried to keep his voice down but couldn't hold back his glare. "Dude, I was drugged." "So?" Dustin questioned quickly.

Steve furrowed his brow as he tried to think over what his other options were. "So?" He retorted. "So, you resist. You tough it out. You tough it out like a man." Dustin ridiculed him causing Steve to quickly latch his hand in mine, "Well, that's easy for you to say. They weren't torturing your girlfriend."

"Uh... Guys." Robin quickly stopped the two's fight, bringing all of our attention onto the two guards that lingered by the exit, stopping each shopper as they left the mall. "Abort..." Dustin whispered, slowly pushing us back into the mall as one of the guards spotted us in the crowd. "Abort. Abort!" Dustin yelled at us, forcing us to break out into a sprint toward the escalators.

Only thing was that the ground floor of Starcourt was closed, meaning that the escalator was shut down and two velvet ropes now blocked both staircases. "Right..." Robin whispered before moving in front of the small space that separated the stairs, using the piece of metal as a slide down to the ground floor.

"Come on, let's go. Let's go!" Steve yelled at us, while I helped Dustin and Erica down the slide before following close behind them, Steve wasn't far behind. "Come on..." Robin whispered, leading us through the shutdown Food Court, the only thing lighting our path through the mall was the neon signs of the closed shops.

After many failed attempts of trying to find a shop in the Food Court to quickly hide in, we were left with only one option, the Great American Cookies stand. It wasn't guarded or blocked off and didn't offer us much protection besides concealment from the guards so we quickly ducked behind the counter and clutched onto one another.

"Shit, shit, shit..." Dustin whispered under his breath as we listened to the sound of multiple guards' shoes scuff against the polished floor. Clutching a hand to his shoulder, I raised a finger to my lips in the hopes of silencing him.