Teenage Dirtbag (Eddie Munson x OC)

Buzzer-Beater

Steve and Dustin led the group, walking ahead of everyone else. The two were constantly bickering over which direction they should take. Dustin thought that they should follow his compass, but Steve thought that they should just trust his direction since Steve practically invented the popular make-out spot and has been there more times than he could count.

Then, Nancy and Robin walked behind them. They seemed to be in content silence, speaking occasionally. Jackie found herself glad that two of her friends were becoming friends, considering how tense things were back at the library.

Max walked behind the others, moving by herself. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her eyes on the ground. It was as if she was in deep thought, thinking about everything that had been happening. Her aching mind deserved a break, and the more Jackie tried to look after the poor girl, the more that fact began increasingly clear.

Then, Jackie and Lucas walked together. They stood a few feet apart as they walked through the woods, so they weren't necessarily walking together. Rather, they were just beside each other.

Lucas couldn't take his eyes off Max, and likewise, Jackie couldn't stop looking at Lucas- but for two completely different reasons. Jackie felt sorry for the two kids but was also waiting for Lucas to say something to Max. The young couple had caught Jackie's eye over the past few days. Her love for the two kids, as if they were her siblings, runs deeper than she initially thought possible. It hurt to her to see them like this- so pained, so distant.

He was looking at Max. The way her red hair reflected the forest leaves and the bark from the looming trees. How terrified she looked at all times and how it looked as if everyone move she made was labored. His eyes softened as he looked at her.

Jackie took a few steps closer to Lucas, nudging the boy with his shoulder. Her overnight bag that she never got to bring into Reefer Rick's was slung over her shoulder. A smile formed on her gloss-covered lips. "You should talk to her."

Lucas looked down at her, scrunching up his face in confusion. "Who?"

"Max," She whispered as if it were obvious, trying to keep her voice down. "Talk to her!"

He then paused, stopping in his tracks. Jackie paused with him for a moment. Up ahead, Max continued to walk forward, further away from the two. Once she was far enough away, Lucas started to speak again.

"I've tried to," He sighed, still keeping his voice hushed. "It's just- I don't know if she gets what I'm saying to her."

Jackie looked at him with a knowing glance and a smile tugged on her lips. "And what is that?"

Lucas went quiet for a moment as they continued to walk forward. The leaves on the ground crunched beneath their shoes, stepping over the roots in the ground. "I don't know," He finally stated. "I don't know how to tell her that I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Everyone Vecna attacks. Max, Patrick, Fred, Chrissy," He gestured vaguely to Jackie beside him. "You. They have all something in common, they're all going through something. I feel bad that I couldn't have helped her."

"Oh," Jackie hummed, looking down at the ground and then back up at the boy. "That's not nearly as cool as the bold declaration of love I was hoping for."

Lucas' eyes then widened as he stared at Jackie. His jaw fell open. "No, that's- that's not what I was going for... I don't- Max and I-"

"Lucas," She stopped him, a huff of laughter falling from her chest. "Chill."

They continued to walk. Up ahead, Dustin and Steve still argued. As much as it pained her to admit, Steve's sense of direction was leading then to Skull Rock, despite what Dustin argued about his compass. Max was still quiet. Robin and Nancy still talked amongst themselves.