Elizabeth Tate isn't that well known in Hawkins Middle School, but it is known that it wasn't likely she talked to anyone in the so called 'party'. One night, while walking home in the dark, she sees some large un-human creature. And the next day, W...
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My hair blew in my face when a car whizzed by, blasting music into the silent night.
I scoff to myself, continuing my way to the arcade on my now fixed bike.
Mike, and also Will's brother, Jonathan, helped me clean it up and make it so it wasn't creaky, it was as good as new.
I turn into the parking lot, seeing Lucas, Dustin, and Mike putting their bikes on the bike rack just then.
I wave, greeting them as I do the same.
A car horn beeps, and we look over, seeing Will and his mom had pulled up.
"Hey!" Dustin calls.
Will walks up, and immediately we rush in, all of the boys scrambling to Dragon Lair.
But, I shuffle over to Pac-Man, that had a kid playing at it.
After dying, he pushes the coin in again, repeating this action several times.
"Hey, shithead," I call, gaining the boys attention, "There's other people that want to play," He just shrugs, cursing as he dies again. He slides another coin in. I push him aside, "You're dead, alright? So go to the end of the line and wait like the rest of us."
"Move outta my way," The kid sneers, pushing me back and going back to the game, "Don't have a cow, it's just a game."
This boy was getting on my nerves. I huff out a annoyed breath, curling my fingers into a fist, just as I was about to make a move, an arm grabs my wrist.
"Hey, Liz, calm down." Mike sighs.
I uncurl my fingers, looking up at Mike, "I-I'm calm. I'm calm."
The kid at the arcade game snickers, shaking his head, but not looking up from the game.
I bite the inside of my cheek, as Mike leads me away from the boy, seeing my aggravation, "Someone beat Dustin on Dig-Dug," Mike mentions, "He's no longer the top player."
"Really, who?" I ask.
"Someone named Mad Max." Mike answers as we meet with the boys. Dustin was arguing with Keith.
The boys were asking who 'Mad Max' was, when Keith says, "You want information, then I need something in return."
The boys look to Mike, and it takes me a moment to catch on.
"No, no, no. No way. You're not getting a date with her." Mike shakes his head furiously.
"Mike, come on, just get him the date." Lucas pleads.
"I'm not prostituting my sister!" Mike exclaims.
"But it's for a good cause." Lucas presses.
"No. Don't get him the date," I point a finger at Keith, "Nancy has a boyfriend. Leave Mike alone, it's not happening."
"Know what? He's gonna spread his nasty-ass rash to your whole family." Dustin claims.
"Acne isn't a rash and it isn't contagious, you pre-pubescent wastoid." Keith grumbles.
"Oh, Im a wastoid?" Dustin asks, amusement clear in his voice, "She wouldn't wanna go on a date with you. You make, like, what? $2.50 an hour?"
"Nice perm." Keith sarcastically compliments.
"Gonna make fun of my hair?" Dustin chuckles, patting his curly head.
"Keith, just go," I purse my lips, "Honestly, we don't care who they are."
"Yeah, we'll find out who he is sooner or later." Lucas shrugs.
"He?" I question, looking to Lucas.
"Yeah, he," Lucas raises his eyebrows, "You can't seriously think that a girl beat Dustin?"
"That's a bit sexist, don't you think?" I lick my upper lip.
Keith spins around, continuing to munch on his cheese curls.
"Well, I...I just don't think that a girl would be able to get this high of a score. I mean, 751,300? That's a lot of poi-"
"Believe what you want to believe," I cut him off, "Not stopping you."
"Sorry, Lizzie," Lucas grins, "I'll let you use some of my coins in exchange for your forgiveness."
I laugh, "Fine."
"Hey, have you seen Will?" Mike whispers.
I turn, seeing that Will wasn't next to me like he was minutes before, "Uh, no...he was just-"
"I'll go and find him." Mike tells me, walking away.
"Oh," I stare, watching as Mike storms away, "O-okay."
|
I hung upside down on my bed, my face starting to turn red as I talked to Lucas, "Yeah. He got me the brown care bear, it's sweet."
"OoOoo, a care bear." Lucas teases.
During the summer, when Lucas and I were hanging out, I had spilled out to him my crush on Mike, and every since then I always told him everything, him doing the same to me.
"Shush, Lucas," I giggle, lifting up my head and grabbing the brown bear, "It's adorable."
"You know, he gave you the TenderHeart bear. Maybe he's trying to say something?" Lucas suggests.
"He doesn't like me, Lucas," I sigh, setting down the bear and standing up, pacing my room, "It's a claw machine, he was just getting the easiest one to get."
"Mhm," Lucas hums, "I have to go to bed now, but I'll see you at school tomorrow. Bye, Lizzie."
"Bye, Lucas." I smile, before setting down the walkie-talkie.
I look to the bear sitting on my bed, creasing my eyebrows together. Maybe what Lucas said was true. Maybe he does like me. No. I shouldn't get my hopes up.
I sit at the edge of my bed, glancing up at the two sheets of paper pinned to my wall. I frown, looking back down to my feet.
After Ten and Eleven's death, I felt as if I had begin to change. I get angry at the little things, and only talk to people inside the party.
People like Will, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and even Nancy and the other teens.
I never thought about talking to anyone else, afraid that I'd be replacing Ten, although I knew she could never be replaced.
Even in the short time I knew her, we had grown close, and I knew that we had clicked. But, of course, that had gotten taken from me, and I'm sure that I couldn't feel that type of connection with anyone else again.
But, that would all change tomorrow, when I meet someone that goes by the name "Mad Max".
