Road Trip 1988 - Stranger Things Fanfiction

Chapter 7: Austin Part 2

The first bottle brought a good buzz between the group; there was goofy dancing and singing that left everyone smiling and laughing. They had even tried to play Truth or Dare, but that quickly fizzled out when Dustin flaked out of every dare he was given.

The final straw was at the prospect of streaking, "I haven't worked out in a while guys," he said, "so that'd just be a mess for innocent bystanders."

"You've never worked out!" Mike pointed out skeptically, a hand being thrown over his mouth shortly after. "Quiet!"

So, truthfully, they could've gone without opening the second bottle, and saved it for another night, but Lucas insisted due to his long days of travel and remaining stress about getting pulled over.

"Fuck that, I'll have it to myself!" he insisted.

That's not how it went, however, and he and the two girls were currently downing half the bottle mixed with orange juice.

"Don't you think this could get messy," Will whispered to Mike, the least drunk of the group.

It's not that the boy detested alcohol, it just always concerned him. He saw what it did to his father and, ultimately, how it was one of the factors that ended his parent's marriage. It just seemed to have the ability to bring out different sides to people that could sometimes be very worrying.

Mike watched the way Lucas, Max, and El split the drinks and cheered every time, admiring the smile on his girlfriend's face.

"They're just having fun, Will," Mike insisted, "it'll be fine."

Everyone was sitting around the room chatting, late-night tv on as background noise. Dustin had already passed out face first on the floor and Lucas seemed to be following, slumped against the bed as he laughed at Max recounting the first time she taught El how to skateboard.

"It really was the cutest shit I've ever seen," she says, "she was all confident and smiley and then she hit a rock and would've fallen right on her face if she wasn't a cheater!"

El gives an innocent smile, remembering how she just floated to her feet, "It would've hurt!"

"That's the fun in it!" Max screeched happily, "you get battle scars!" she says, stumbling up to top off her cup.

"Jesus, Max," Mike says, "you're gonna kill yourself!"

Max waves her hand dismissively, tripping over her own feet. "Well, I have to build up an immunity," she says as it's the most obvious thing in the world, "I can't be that college freshman puking at every party."

"Oh shut up," Lucas says sleepily, "you're gonna be that freshman anyway."

Max ignores him, the reoccurring topic of college making her uncharacteristically emotional. "Guys, we should all go away together! Wouldn't that be so cute!"

They all knew Max showed her emotional side when she had a few drinks in her. Once after a house party, on the walk home, she went on a 30-minute monologue about how grateful she is to have "the best fucking friends ever!"

"And where do you suggest we go?" Mike asks sarcastically, wrapping his arm around El's shoulder and pulling her into him.

"New York! We could all come back with rap skills like Will!" she said playfully, pointing at the boy.

He just giggled, "New York had nothing to do with that, it's just one of my hidden talents!"

"Well, we all know Mike's gonna be in Massachusetts," Lucas points out, "hasn't he been working towards MIT since, like, birth?"