ᴍᴀɴɪᴀᴄ, ᵐᵃˣ ᵐᵃʸᶠⁱᵉˡᵈ ⁺ ᵉˡᵉᵛᵉⁿ ʰᵒᵖᵖᵉʳ

⁰⁰³

⎯⎯fuck the police!

Mike, Lucas, and Dustin pulled up to Hawkins Middle School, securing their bicycles in the bike rack. Students wandered to and fro around the school, aimless chatter filling the air. The breeze ruffled their hair as they shuffled towards the entrance.

"That's weird, Will's usually here by now," Mike commented, brows pinching in worry as he gripped the straps of his backpack, glancing around for his soulmate with a frown. "I mean, Morgan not being here isn't surprising but Will?"

"I'm telling you, his mom's probably right," Lucas tried to assure Mike, both him and Dustin speeding up to walk beside their friend. Mike had told the two about Joyce's call to his mom earlier in the morning — apparently, Will wasn't home in the morning when she and Jonathan had woken up. "He probably just went to class early again."

"Yeah, he's always paranoid Gursky's gonna give him another pop quiz," Dustin piped up.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Well that's because Gursky has it out for us," he groaned dramatically. "Ever since Morgan egged his car, he's been waiting for us to slip up to get us into detention since he couldn't prove it was her."

"He deserved it," Mike said, glancing over at him. "He went after Will first — of course Morgan's going to retaliate."

Lucas tossed his hands up in a 'don't get mad at me' gesture. "I didn't say he didn't deserve it," he rushed defensively. "I'm just saying that Will is probably in class right now because he doesn't want to be late to Gursky's class and risk detention."

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen," Troy interrupted and the Party paused, turning to face the older boy who grinned an ugly smile. "Step right up and get your tickets for the freak show. Who do you think would make more money in a freak show?" He punched Lucas in the shoulder, "Midnight?" He turned to Mike, "Frogface?" He shoved Dustin as the boy grunted, "Or Toothless?"

Andrew — Troy's best friend — sighed and stroked his chin, miming a thinking pose before he gestured to Dustin. "I'd go with Toothless," he said, mocking an over exaggerated lisp of his words.

Dustin puffed up angrily. "I told you a million times," he ranted, "my teeth are coming in. It's called cleidocranial dysplasia."

"'I told you a million times'," Andrew taunted again as Troy chuckled.

"Do the arm thing," Troy demanded.

Dustin sighed heavily. "I don't want—"

"Do it, freak!" Andrew snapped.

Dustin pursed his lips before shoving his jacket off and rolling his arms forward and yanking. His arm popped out of socket with a loud crack and the two bullies groaned in disgust.

"God, it gets me every time," Troy groaned, laughing. "Come on, do it again."

Lucas scowled and stepped forward. "That's enough."