MADMAX

"I try to laugh about it, cover it all up with lies.~"

A young voice is heard through the room

"I try to laugh about it, Hiding the tears in my eyes.~"

The strumming of a guitar bringing the lyrics together.

"Because boys, don't, cry.~"

Dylan Harrington practicing one of his favorite songs by the Cure, he'd been doing pretty well on his guitar given the fact he only had books to teach him.

And he could only practice when both of his parents weren't home. Thankfully enough for him his parents had left for a 3 week business trip, which means he didn't have to hide what he liked and he could do what he wanted.

Well when Steve wasn't also around, but his brother wasn't an asshole so he left him alone.

  "Boys don't cry, boys don't cry~"

Dylan stopped playing his guitar when he heard his super comm

*Dylan! Do you copy! Dylan it's Dustin do you copy!*

Dylan reaches over and grabbed his super comm extending the antenna placing his guitar on his bed flat.

*Yea, I copy* Dylan said

*Whats your haul?* Dustin asked

*shit!* Dylan thought, he rushed over to his desk looking at every drawer until he had about 2 dollars in quarters.

*um about 2 dollars.* Dylan responded out of breath.

*alright that's fine, In total me, you, and Lucas have 8 dollars.* Dustin said *we're riding by your house, right now. Over and out!*

Dylan quickly put his converse on and ran down the stairs, he then put his jacket on by the door over his sweater. And rushed out of the house getting on his bike and meeting up with Dustin and Lucas at the end of the street.

__________________________________

Dylan, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin all ride together Side by side towards the arcade. Dylan parked his bike neatly on the bike rack and looked to his right seeing Joyce Byers car, Will in the passenger seat.

"Hey!" Dustin yelled to Will as the rest of the boys just waved excitedly   The 5 boys then walked together in the arcade, the first game they went to was Dragon lair _______________________________

The party was crowded around the game, Dustin playing it trying to beat Dylans top score.Lucas was on Dustin left side as Will and Dylan were on his right. Micheal's hands on Dylan's shoulder peering behind him.

"Oh Jesus! I'm in uncharted territory here, guys." Dustin exclaimed

"Down! Down! Down!" Lucas yelled as Dustin clicked away at the game.

"I'm going! I'm going!" Dustin yelled back as he moved the stick around.

Dustin was doing pretty well so far, as he got closer to the sword that he needed to kill the dragon but he wasn't quite there yet."I got it ! I got it!" Dustin yelled

"To the right! Dustin right!" Dylan yelled, helping him as much as he could.

Their voices clamored together, the atmosphere grew stressful

"Okay! Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!" Dustin yelled, he grew distracted and lost the game as he didn't move to the right and was blasted with fire."No, no. No!" Dustin exclaimed as he started kicking the machine. "I hate this overpriced bullshit! Son of a bitch! Piece of shit!" Dustin yelled.

Dylan leaned against the machine looking at Dustin with a smirk. "I guess Dusty isn't good enough yet, but don't worry you'll get there one day, but for now princess Daphne is still mine!" Dylan said victorious.

Mike gave him a weird look which Dylan just winked at him in return.

"You know what whatever. I'm still tops on centipede and Dig Dug." Dustin said before they were interrupted by the annoying worker. Keith

"You sure about that?" Keith said shoving a Cheeto puff in his mouth.

Dylan couldn't help but feel grossed out by Keith, he was weird and always had Cheeto puff dust on his uniform.

"Sure about what?" Dustin asked his voice cautious. Keith just looked at him rubbing his fingers against his shirt, leaving another stain."You're kidding me. No, no, no" Dustin expressed as he ran to Dig Dug looking at the top scores

"NO! NO! NO!" Dustin screamed as he saw he was now in 2nd place with a score of 650990.

Dylan was shocked as he was always impressed by how high Dustin could get on Dig Dug.

"751,300 points!" Will yelled

"That's impossible!" Mike said

  "Not for MadMax." Dylan huffed

"Who's MadMax?" Dustin asked Keith

"Better than you." Keith replied as Dustin flipped him off.

"Is it you?" Will asked

Keith scoffed "you know I despise Dig Dug."

"Then who is it?" Lucas asked

"Yeah, spill it, Keith." Dustin demanded

"You want information, then I need something in return." Keith said looking at Mike shoving another Cheeto down his throat

The party then all looked at Mike , Dylan didn't understand what was going on until he remembered Keith had a big crush on Nancy.

"No, no, no. No way. You're not getting a date with her!" Mike exclaimed.

"Yea are you crazy that's my brother's girlfriend!" Dylan replied giving Keith a nasty look.

"Mike come on, just get him a date, and I'm sure Steve won't mind." Lucas said

"I'm not prostituting my sister!" Mike yelled back. "And uh yea I think Steve will mind!"

"No, don't get him the date. Know what? he's gonna spread his nasty-ass rash to your whole family!" Dustin argued pointing at Keith's face.

"Acne isn't a rash and it isn't contagious, you prepubescent wastoid!" Keith defended himself

"Acne isn't the only thing he should be worried about." Dylan responded looking Keith up and down.

"Okay! Let's talk about your face! just as dumb as your brother." Keith said digging in his bag in Cheetos.

"They aren't related you idiot." Dustin defended Dylan.

"Nice perm."

"Oh now you're gonna make fun of my hair!"

Dylan tuned them out as he went to the water fountain in the back, he looked up and saw a girl walking out of the arcade, she had curly blond hair tide up in a low ponytail, round green eyes, and slightly tanned skin with freckles.

She was wearing an oversized jean jacket, with a long sleeved red shirt. She had on dark navy jeans and wore at least 4 bracelets on each arm.

Dylan didn't know why but he was entranced by her, she was beautiful. She caught him staring but Dylan couldn't stop, she gave him a small smile and walked out.

  Dylan was about to follow her before Mike and Will walked in bumping into Dylan."Shit, sorry guys."

"You're good, let's go on Dig Dug, where were you going Dyll?." Mike asked looking at the boy. "No where-yea, n-no where." Dylan exclaimed as he followed Mike and Will to Dig Dug. For the first time in a while Dylan wasn't fazed by his nickname, or payed attention to Dig Dug, he was just zoned out.

Who was that girl?________________________________

Micheal seemed to notice Dylan behavior, and when it was just Mike and Dylan riding together to the Wheeler house, he asked him about it.

"Hey Dylan?" Mike asked as he stopped his bike by his mailbox looking at Dylan.

"Yea?" Dylan's asked

"You okay? Like really okay? You seemed zoned out at the arcade." Micheal questioned "like you weren't talking-"

"Oh, you upset I wasn't talking to you wheeler?" Dylan says playfully

Mike blushed "what! No! Shut up! I'm serious." He looked away sheepishly

"Nah, I'm fine Mike, just tired." Dylan said

"Alright, well good night see you tomorrow." Mike said

"Yep, tell Karen I said good night!" Dylan yelled in a seductive tone as he rode away.

"Gross dude!" Mike yelled as he chuckled, he looked at the boy riding away, still curious and worried

What is on your mind Dylan?________________________________

Dylan got home and went straight to his room, doing his daily routine. Brushing his teeth, showering, looking at his scars, then putting his sleepwear on. Except he had picked up a new hobby other then guitar Writing in his journal.

Today I saw a girl, she was beautiful, her style was cool and her hair was pretty she was also so confident, but in a good way, I think I'm just mostly excited by how she distracted me I didn't think about him, I didn't think about his brown eyes or his freckles, I didn't think about his black hair that curls at the end. Or his pretty smile-

Dylan quickly ripped the page out and tore it apart before he threw it in the trash. He had been having thought about someone he didn't want to think about, his best friend.

Every touch lingered on him and he's favorite song was when he talked to him, he could listen to it for hours. He wasn't supposed to care for him He wasn't supposed to want him

And to make matters worse, his father was right. But Dylan couldn't help it

He couldn't help but love Mike wheeler. The way Mike would remind him of every beautiful thing The moon, flowers, oceans, mountains, snow, the feeling of holidays, a warm fireplace, an interesting book, and thousands more.

But it also made Dylan feel fear, more fear than he had felt before. The thought of losing everyone over this, it's like his powers all over again, a new secret.

It's kinda ironic, out of all the things Dylan has gone through, the thing he fears the most,

is love