five

-

THE FIVE OF THEM watched as will left the school with joyce after his episode.

"okay, that totally freaked me out." max comments. "did that not freak you guys out?"

"two episodes in two days." lucas says.

"it's getting worse." mike adds.

"you think it's true sight?" lucas asks them.

"what's true sight?" max asks.

"it's nothing." y/n replied as joyce started her car engine.

-

the next day at school, y/n, max, mike, and lucas were digging in the trash, looking for dart.

"stop being a baby and do it already!" mike tells max.

"this is so disgusting. is this really necessary?" max asks mike.

dustin then ran up to them. "what the hells going on?"

"what do you think?" mike retorts.

"we're looking for dart." max adds.

they saw things being tossed out of the trash, then lucas pops up, and climbs out of the trash.

"well, well, well." lucas says once he spots dustin. "look who finally decided to show up. after i drew the short straw. real convenient."

"you stink!" max insults lucas, and moves away from him.

"hi, max." dustin greets with a smile.

"hi?" max replies, a little confused.

"where's will?" dustin asks.

"he'll be here." mike replies.

"are you just gonna stand there?" y/n asks dustin, then tosses him a spear. "or you gonna help?"

they started poking at the trash bag with our spears, in hopes of finding dart.

-

while mike was at school, during passing period, he went to the telephone, and called joyce.

the phone rang a few times, but there was no answer, then a voice message came.

mike angrily hung up the phone, since joyce wasn't answering.

"anything?" lucas asks mike.

"we need to talk." mike demands. "av room. right now."

max started to get up.

"party members only." mike reminds max, preventing her from going.

"come on, mike." y/n tries to convince him.

"no!" mike refuses. "this is non-negotiable."

"sorry, max." y/n apologizes, feeling bad.

-

"will didn't want me to tell anyone, but on halloween night. he saw something, a shadow in the sky." mike explained. "and if will really has true sight, if he can really see into the upside down, i think will saw the shadow again yesterday."

"so that's why he was frozen like that?" dustin asks.

"maybe." mike replies.

"can it hurt him?" y/n asks, concerned. "i mean, if this shadow thing isn't from our world.."

"i'm not sure, dustin?" mike says.

"well, if you're in another plane, you can't interact with the material plane, so theoretically, no. the shadow can't hurt him." dustin explains to them.

"yeah, if that's even what's happening." mike adds. "this isn't d&d. this is real life."

"so what do we do?" lucas asks.

"we acquire more knowledge." mike replies. "i'll go to will's after school. see what's going on. you guys stay here, and find dart."

"dart? what's he gotta do with this?" dustin asked in confusion.

"will heard him in the upside down." mike confirms. "i don't know how yet, but he's gotta be connected to all of this. he's gotta be. if we find dart, maybe we can solve this thing."

-

max was getting things from her locker, then y/n walked up to her.

"hey, max. have you seen dustin? we're supposed to be meeting after class." y/n asks the girl.

max just ignores y/n, and slams her locker.

"max?" y/n chased after her. "hey, max! hey, where are you going?"

max just kept ignoring the girl and kept walking.

"come on!" y/n tells max.

max got up and started walking, also ignoring y/n.

"come on, we gotta go look for dart." y/n reminds max.

"yeah, good luck with that." max coldly tells y/n.

"what is wrong with you?" y/n asks max. "why are you ignoring me all of a sudden?"

"what is wrong with me? what is wrong with you." max turns it on her.

"i don't understand." y/n complains as she continued to follow max.

"no!" max stops y/n, and turns to face her. "i don't understand!"

max paused for a second before continuing. "you guys act like you want me to be your friend, and then you just treat me like garbage."

"that's not true!" y/n defends.

"yes it is!" max intervenes. "you guys just go and hide in the av club keeping secrets like we're in the second grade or something. you know, i thought you guys wanted me in your party."

"we do. but it's.." y/n trails off.

"but what?" max demands eagerly.

"there are just things.. things we can't tell you guys for your own safety." y/n calmly tells max.

"my own safety?" max sarcastically asks.

"yes!" y/n quickly responds.

"because your friends won't let me since i'm a girl?"

"what? no!" y/n replies.

"did you keep secrets from el?" max asks as she furrowed her brows.

"that's not the point!" y/n defended.

"did you?" max repeats, her voice getting a little louder.

"t-that was different." y/n stutters. "trust me. okay? that was just.. just different."

"okay." max felt like she had enough. "you know what? forget it, okay? i don't wanna be in your stupid party anyway! i'm out."

"have a nice life." max comments, then max started walking to billy's car.

"max!" y/n shouted, hoping to solve this.

usually, when y/n gets into an argument with someone, even her friends, she just drops it, and moves on.

but with max, it was different. she didn't know why, but it was different for max.

but max didn't respond to y/n, she just kept walking away, blocking her voice out.

billy saw max from afar, he started making his way to the drivers seat.

"that kid you were talking to, who is she?" billy asked max.

"she's no one." max quickly replied as she got into the front seat.

"no one?" billy asked, not convinced.

"this kid from my class." max, almost too aggressively said.

billy lit his cigarette, and placed it into his mouth.

"why was she talking to you?" billy asked.

"it was just about a stupid class assignment." max responded.

"then why're you so upset?" billy asked her.

"i'm not!" max exclaimed.

"she causing you trouble?"

"why do you care?"

"because, max," billy began. "you're a piece of shit, but we're family now, whether we like it or not, meaning i'm stuck looking out for you."

max rolled her eyes. "what would i ever do without—"

billy grabbed her wrist. "hey!"

max widened her eyes in fear. "this is serious shit, okay? i'm older than you. they tell me that y/n's a queer." billy insulted "and something you learn is that there are a certain type of people in this world that you stay away from, and that kid, max.."

billy then gripped max's wrist harder. "that girl is one of them. you stay away from that queer, you hear me? stay. away."

billy then angrily let go of max's wrist.

max's eyes began to water, and she looked out of the window as billy began to speed away from the school.