𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 ➼ 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘍𝘪𝘤²

5☾︎

✩✩✩

I got to school before the boys and as I walked up to the building I saw Max. "Max!" I yelled chasing after her. She rolled her eyes and kept on walking. "Max!" I caught up to her and walked next to her into the school.

"What do you want?" She asked. ouch, but I deserved it. 

"I wanted to apologize for last night. I didn't mean to be rude to you it's just." I looked down trying to find the words, "It's just that I'm very protective of Will. 

"I didn't mean to be offensive to him, I hope he knows that." She sighed apologetically

"He knows, and I know too but he's not one to protect himself so I try to do it for him and it's not something I like to admit but I'm trying to get better at it. I just went crazy because some kids bullied him and I think that's what made him act out."

"It's ok I think I get it. I wouldn't let someone be mean to a guy If I had a crush on him either." She nodded understanding, but she didn't

"Ew, what?" 

"You do have a crush on him right?" She stopped so we could talk.

"Gross! Never." I physically shudder at the thought. gross. "He's just my friend, he's practically my brother. He's family."

"Oh, sorry I just assumed." She trailed off

"Well, guessing isn't your strong suit." I laughed and she chuckled. We resumed walking around the halls while Lucas saw us and caught up. 

"Hello, ladies," Lucas said in a British accent. joining our conversation. 

"Hi, Lucas," I say shortly.

"I still don't get why they call him zombie boy." I opened my mouth to tell her the same thing I told her when she first asked but she beat me to it, "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."

"Yeah. I mean, everyone thought he died-" Lucas didn't finish before I interrupted. 

"Everyone but me and Mike." I turned to look at Lucas, "I told you he was alive but noo." I turned back to Max, "Mr. I Don't Believe You over here, " I pointed at Lucas, "didn't believe me but I was right." 

"Are you done?" Lucas gave me a look.

"Yup, done, sorry, continue."

"We had a funeral for him and everything." Lucas continued,

"After a week?" Max asked. 

"Well you see, some other kid drowned at the quarry and we thought it was Will because his body was super decomposed," Lucas explained going over the cover story we were all trained to tell. 

"What?" Max stopped to look at Lucas and me. "ok that's not funny."

"It wasn't a joke, all right? It's public knowledge. You can ask anybody." Lucas said. 

"Except Will because he is really sensitive about it." I finished for Lucas. Max nodded with a scared look on her face. Then we continued walking again.

✩✩✩

Mr. Clarke talked about the American crowbar cade but I was too busy to care... I looked out the window thinking about El. Dammit, I'm thinking about her again. I tried to focus but couldn't so I doodled on my notes. Will turned around in his seat and I thought he was looking at me, but he wasn't. So I turned to look at what he was looking at and I saw it was Max staring at him. She tried to turn her head before he saw but I know he did.