Summer in Hawkins felt like it belonged to Starcourt Mall.

The air inside was always cooler than it should’ve been, blasting against sunburnt skin, carrying the smell of pretzels and chlorine from the pool down the road. They treated it like a second home—loitering without purpose, leaning on railings, arguing about movies they’d already seen twice.

Walker showed up late, as usual, skateboard tucked under one arm, hair still damp like he’d just showered in a rush.

“You miss roll call,” Dustin announced dramatically.

Walker squinted at him. “We have roll call now?”

“Yeah,” Lucas said. “You failed.”

She laughed, nudging Walker’s shoulder as he dropped down beside her on the bench outside Scoops Ahoy. “You’re lucky Steve’s working.”

Steve leaned halfway out the shop window, sailor hat crooked. “Lucky is my middle name.”

He slipped them a free scoop like it was nothing, winked, then disappeared before his manager noticed. Walker stared at the ice cream in his hands like it was sacred.

“Dude,” he said. “I would die for this man.”

They wandered the mall aimlessly after that—arcade noises clanging, neon lights reflecting off polished floors. Walker kept bumping into her on purpose, pretending it was an accident, laughing when she called him out.

At the arcade, he got competitive in the dumbest way—cheering too loud, blaming the machine when he lost, bragging when he won by accident.

“Rematch,” he insisted.

“You already lost twice,” she said.

“Yeah, but this time I’ll emotionally prepare.”

Later, they sprawled on the floor outside the movie theater, backs against the wall, waiting for Steve to sneak them into the late showing. Walker lay flat, hands folded on his chest, staring at the ceiling like it held secrets.

“This is the best summer,” he said suddenly.

She turned her head to look at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “No school. No parents hovering. Just… this.”

She smiled softly. “You’re getting sentimental.”

He groaned. “Never mind. Don’t ruin it.”

Inside the theater, they shared popcorn, knees brushing. Walker whispered commentary that made her laugh when she shouldn’t have, earning them a few annoyed looks from people actually trying to watch.

Halfway through the movie, he leaned over and murmured, “I’m bored.”

“You begged to come.”

“I beg a lot,” he shrugged.

When they walked out into the warm night air, the mall lights glowing behind them, everything felt slow and golden. Dustin and Lucas ran ahead, arguing again. Steve yelled after them to “stay where I can see you.”

Walker lingered beside her.

“Hey,” he said, quieter now. “Tomorrow, same thing?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Same thing.”

He smiled—that crooked, easy smile—and bumped her shoulder once more, gentle this time. “Cool.”