Her Mixtape (Extended Version), Stranger Things

𝖝𝖛𝖎. The Pollywog

"So you don't know what any of that was about?"

Rue had shrugged, playing with a strand of her hair, "It was probably a panic attack or something. I get them all the time."

Rue Newby had been helpless, and Max's curiosity had been irritating her like an annoying itch she couldn't reach. After pulling Lucas further down the hallway, she felt herself slouching as she asked, "I still don't get why they call him zombie boy."

"Who?"

"Will," Max sneered, squinting her eyes at him as she held her skateboard tighter, "I mean, I get it. He got lost in the woods for a week or something, but why is he a zombie? Because everyone thought he was dead?"

Lucas puffed out his cheeks and threw his head back while tugging on the straps of his bag. "Yeah," He grimaced before glancing at her, "I mean, we had a funeral for him and everything."

Max scoffed, "After a week?"

"Well, see," He sighed, "some other kid drowned at the quarry. We thought it was Will because his body was super decomposed—"

"What?" She cut him off, stopping Lucas from stepping further. "Okay, that's not funny."

"It's not a joke, all right?" He frowned, "It's public knowledge. You can ask anybody. Except Will, because he is really sensitive about it. All right?"

It must be some sort of sick joke. At least, that was what Max wanted to believe. But the look on his face scared her into thinking it was true. "...Okay."

Lucas began to walk away, thinking the conversation was over, but Max caught up with him again as he turned the corner. "What about Rue?"

He gave her a strange look, "What about her?"

"Didn't the whole thing freak you out last night?" Max asked, "Her fight with Mike, and then the blood. She says it's just a gene thing and completely dodges the question. Honestly, it's starting to piss me off. Like, I get it, it's a genetic thing but I'm sure there can be some sort of treatment for it, you know?"

"She said it's a gene thing?" Lucas asked. And he nearly bumped into a poor sixth-grader who tried to make their way to class between the sea of kids. "As in, she inherited it from her family?"

"Yeah, that's how genes work, Stalker." Max rolled her eyes. "So, what do you think?"

"The party has their theories."

"Theories?" She snorted, shaking her head. "God, you guys are weird."

Lucas hadn't said anything after that. When they walked into the classroom, he quickly sat in his seat and began to whisper with Mike and Will.

Max spotted Rue near them, but her attention was driven by the dark-haired girl sitting next to Mike Wheeler. Her name was Kimberly, Max remembered. The girl had a lollipop at the end of her lips as she spoke with Rue, who crouched next to her desk and listened with wide eyes, taking in every word that came out of Kimberly's mouth before she'd add something to their conversation.

Max had only realized she had been staring when the two abruptly stopped talking after Kimberly whispered something in Rue's ear. Rue seemed confused before she turned her head and spotted Max. Her puzzlement quickly morphed into a look of delight as she smiled and waved at the redhead cheerfully.

Max could feel her surprise as her eyebrows shot up to her forehead. She felt embarrassed but hid it well as she lazily waved back at Rue before making her way to her seat.

Max flopped on her chair, dropping her bag and skateboard at the side of her desk. Naturally, her arms crossed themselves over her chest as she turned to look out the window. She sat like this for nearly a minute until Mr. Clarke entered the classroom and asked everyone to return to their seats.