Flames | Madwheeler |✗|

9 | Stormy Weather

"you've got a fire inside, but your heart's so cold."

[ chapter nine ] → stormy weather

      Maxine Mayfield walked through the halls of Hawkins Middle School, her skateboard hanging limply at her side, as she searched for the party. She hadn't hung out with Lucas and Dustin in a while, too caught up in her own problems.

     She had just reached her locker when she heard someone yelling her name. She turned around and was surprised to see Annika barreling her way towards her. A smile graced her features and her eyes were alight with excitement.

     "Max, you'll never believe what happened! I have great news!"

     Max rose her eyebrow quizzingly, "What's up?"

     "Okay, so my dad works for this lab and-"

     Max felt her blood run cold. Annika's father worked at a lab, could it be possible that he worked at Hawkins National Laboratory?

     "Which lab?" Max asked, cutting the girl of mid-sentence.

     Annika looked startled by the tightness in Max's voice, and Max could have sworn she saw a hint of worry in Annika's eyes before they faded back to normal. Max shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, she always over analyzed everything.

     "Umm...I don't know, Genevex I think, he's the new director of MKU."

     Max scratched her brain trying to think of any possible way this new information she learned had anything to do with the upside down or Hawkins lab, but she came out empty handed. Max was pretty sure she had never heard the project MKU before, so she let it go. Telling herself to relax, and that not everybody in Hawkins was somehow connected to the upside down.

     "Oh ok, w-what did you want to tell me?"

     It was like the mood had instantly been lifted. Annika's face transformed as well, and she went back to the giddy girl who had been calling out Max's name only moments before.

     "My dad has a co-worker who got him two tickets to see the new musical show in downtown, and he gave them to me, and I'm giving one to you, so you can come with me!"

     Max looked at the girl, a wide grin breaking across her face, she had been wanting to see the musical happening in downtown Hawkins for quite some time now, but couldn't afford the tickets.

     "Are you sure?" Max asked she didn't want to intrude.

     Annika nodded, "Of course Max, your my friend and I want you to come."

     "Okay." She said softly, "I'd love to come."

     Annika squealed, clapping her hands together before dragging Max towards their Math classroom, all the while telling Max about how much fun it would be.

     Max let out an exhausted groan, letting her head fall back onto Mike's bed. The rest of the party was coming over to Mike's house in a matter of minutes, and they still had so much to get done.

     "This is hopeless!"

      Mike rolled his eyes, leaning against his headboard, "We're almost done."

     Max sat up and looked at him, she pointed towards their project, a mess of paper and eraser marks situated in between them,

     "This is not a project, it's a disaster."