𝐈'𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 | ᴍᴀx ᴍᴀʏꜰɪᴇʟᴅ x ᴏᴄ

ɹuoɟ-ʎʇɹıɥʇ

꧁꧂

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-ꜰᴏᴜʀ: ꜱʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ꜱᴛᴀʏ

"Many of residents we spoke to voiced similar concerns to us." Staring at the TV, I thought away to myself. The moment I return to Hawkins, someone dies. It's a really, really cheery area, by the way. "Grief, shock, disbelief, anger. Everyone wants to know the same thing: how can so many tragedies befall a once-peaceful town?" Who's gonna tell the reporter? That this place is literally haunted? "All eyes are now on the police for answers. Is the new chief of police, Powell, in over his head? Or is he the very saviour this town needs?" Most of me was gonna go with no, I won't lie. "We'll be here for the rest of the day, right here on channel nine-"

"This is horrible..." I murmured, arms crossed as I leaned up against the kitchen entrance. The mother and son duo agreed with me, not looking away from the TV and the reporter on it.

"In the meantime, we recommend you to keep your doors and windows locked tight-"

Mrs Henderson kissed the new cat multiple times on the head, while Dustin tore his eyes away from the screen, now over at me. The look in his eyes was pure worry and terror. "My heart can't take it anymore." His mom said. "It just can't take it." Oh, if only she knew... The boy was obviously worried, probably thinking the worst of the death already. Jesus I only just got back in town and a kid had died?

The doorbell rang as the news continued on the TV, with all heads turning towards it, including the cat. Dustin gave me a nod to answer while he bothered his mother with something. When opening up the door, my heart stopped for a second.

Max.

Maxine stood there, heavy breathing as she stared right back at me. Was she here to talk about what I had said the night before? No. That I was sure of. It was as though the girl had ran here (which would've worried me if she did considering where Dustin had told me where she was staying now). There was a traumatised look in her eyes, like she had seen something she wished she hadn't seen.

"Max?" My eyebrows turned down as I stared back at her, no longer caring at all about the love life I had going on. This girl was haunted by something she knew. Oh dear God give me strength...

⊹˚˖⁺

"Chrissy Cunningham?" The boy repeated, pacing back and forth in his room.

"I'm confused- who?" I asked, looking between the two.

"She's a cheerleader, she was in the middle yesterday in the hall." Max said, trying to jog my memory, because she really thought I was paying attention to the cheer routine yesterday...

"You're sure it was Chrissy?" Dustin asked Max, obviously not sure of Max's story that she had come to us with. I had seen one whole photo of Eddie in my life, and he was not the kind who I would think would hang out with cheerleaders. Or maybe Hawkins has really changed since I was last here...

"Yes, in her cheerleader outfit." Max confirmed, fiddling with her fingers as she spoke. "Same thing she was in when I saw her with Eddie."

He turned to look at her, like it was obvious. "Well, did you tell all this to the cops?" He asked her.

"No..." She murmured. "No- but I- I can't be the only one who saw them together. I mean they stood out." Watching the two panic, I stood there by the boy's closet, thinking. Why had Max come to us about it? I got it, Dustin was good friends with Eddie, but he had told me that there was a distance between the party members now, and I don't think she was just turning up here with no good reason. There was something else.