Separate Ways | Stranger Things |

Chapter Three

October 30th, 1984

At recess, George found himself stalking the new girl. He felt uncomfortable the entire time but the others were determined to find out if she was MADMAX or not. What they'd do after they found out, George had no idea. It wasn't like they were actually going to confront her about it. It was just something to do, he figured.

The five of them, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Will and George, stood at the fence, watching Max learn tricks on her skateboard from across the playground.

"There's no way that's MADMAX," Mike scoffed.

"Yeah," Will nodded, "Girls don't play video games," he said earnestly, though sounding like he was lost in a daydream.

"Nick plays video games," George pointed out and Will nodded at that too.

"Then she's clearly not a girl," Dustin teased, grinning and poking George in the side.

George smiled, shaking his head at Dustin, knowing it was meant as a joke.

"I'll say she's a girl," Lucas grinned.

"Hey!" George hit him on the arm.

"Look," Lucas interjected, rubbing his arm, "All I'm saying is, someone's gotta be MADMAX, girl or not. And her name is Max."

"So what?" Mike huffed. He wasn't keen on this whole MADMAX business.

"So," Lucas pestered, "How many people do you know called Max?"

"I don't know," Mike shrugged off so he wouldn't have to admit that Lucas might have a point.

"Zero," Lucas answered for him, leaping at the chance to prove himself right, "That's how many."

"Yeah, and she shows up at school the day after someone with the same name breaks our top score," Dustin reasoned.

"Exactly!" Lucas added, "She's gotta be MADMAX."

George had to admit, it was a bit of a coincidence.

"But," Mike stammered, like he was thinking up an excuse, "Girls don't play video games!"

"Nick does..." George countered, "Plus, she's got a skateboard," George added, gesturing to Max from across the playground, "That's pretty cool. I'd say she plays video games too."

"Nick doesn't have a skateboard!" Mike argued, "So she's not cool. So girls don't play video games."

"Nick has a car," Dustin shrugged. Lucas nodded, agreeing that, skateboard or not, that was pretty cool.

"Plus," Dustin continued, pointing to Max as she did a kick flip, "She does look pretty awesome."

They all turned to look at her. Even Mike who maintained he didn't care.

"Pretty awesome?" Mike scoffed, "You haven't said two words to her! How would you know?"

"I don't have to talk to her to know she's-" Dustin began but stopped mid sentence, looking around the playground, "Shit, I've lost sight of the target!"

In the split second they'd looked away to argue amongst each other, Max had disappeared. They all five of them began scouring the playground.

"Oh, there!" Will exclaimed, pointing across the playground to where Max was standing at the top steps, about to head inside. They ran over to watch from behind a different fence. Max saw them and the all ducked down. Cautiously, they peered over the top of the fence. Max was still looking at them when she screwed up a scrap of paper and tossed it into the bin below then headed inside.