1983 || Stranger Things

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ғɪᴠᴇ | ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɴsʜᴇᴇ

      Max looked out the window at the fog, and Julie noticed her staring. "It's cool, isn't it? The fog?" she said, and Max looked over at her and nodded.

      "It looks like the ocean." Max said sadly.

      "Yeah, it does." Julie agreed, offering Max a sad smile before going back to her bat.

      "So you really fought one of these things before?" Max asked. Steve and Julie looked at each other before looking at Max and nodding. "And you're, like, totally, 100% sure it wasn't a bear?" Julie and Steve nodded again.

      "Shit. Don't be an idiot. Okay? it wasn't a bear." Dustin butted-in, his harsh words directed at Max.

      "Hey." Julie said, shaking her head at Dustin when he looked at her.

      "Why are you even here if you don't believe us? Just go home." Dustin did not infact listen to Julie. Julie was kind of shocked, as she had never seen Dustin act like Steve before. He also didn't know that Max and Julie would rather be anywhere than at home.

      "Geesh. Someone's cranky. Past your bedtime?" Max said as she stood up and made her way over to the ladder that had been set up.

      Julie put her hand out to Max, and Max accepted her fistbump as she walked up the ladder. Dustin started pacing with his hands in his pockets as Julie waited for his explanation. "That's good. Just show her you don't care." Steve said to Dustin, and Julie's eyes widened as she did a double take.

      "I don't." Dustin said, but Steve winked at him. "Why are you winking, Steve? Stop."

      "Wait, wait, wait. Max is the girl you like?" Julie asked.

      Dustin didn't answer, and instead looked down at the ground. Julie gasped. "Dustin! If you told me I would've told you that acting like you don't care would backfire with Max!" she said, leaning her head back against the wall.

      Dustin just shrugged and walked away, leaving Steve and Julie to entertain themselves. After a few moments, Steve took a large deep breath, before taking a shot. "Hey, J?" he asked, looking at the girl.

      "Yeah?" she said, looking at him.

      "Is Max your sister or your step-sister?" Steve asked, tilting his head to the side.

      "Step-sister." Julie answered, but it seemed that Steve was even more confused.

      "So, how are you related to Billy?"

      Julie chuckled. "Okay. Let me explain this to you slowly. Billy is my twin brother, meaning we were born on the same day, but I was birthed first. Got me so far?"

      Steve rolled his eyes. "I know what twins are." he said.

      Julie raised her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, then. Billy and I's mom and dad got divorced years ago. Do you know what that means? it's when a mommy and a daddy don't love each other--"

      "Oh, my God, Julie. Jesus, I know what divorce is. How does Max fit in?" Steve cut in, growing more irritated by the second.

      "Max's parents got divorced, and like four years ago, my dad married Max's mom. I came here for two years, and now we're all here. Not that interesting." Julie finished her brief life story, drumming her fingers against her bat lightly.

      "Why did you come here?" Steve asked.

      Julie never got a chance to answer Steve's question, because something was coming. Julie cupped her ears with her hands and groaned. "J? What's wrong?" Steve asked, kneeling in front of the girl.