Feelings, Max Mayfield ¹ ✓

v. dustin's new pet

   "The case of Phineas Gage."

   "Phineas Gage."

   "Page 104."

   "104? 104."

   "Focus."

   "Focusing. Focusing." Dustin mumbles, opening his textbook. Liz smiles at him as she turns her attention back to Mr. Clarke.

◌ ◌ ◌

Once lunch rolled around, Liz started walking straight to the AV Room, not even going towards the cafeteria. She runs her hand through her hair, and wonders what it is that Dustin has to show them. A hand touching her shoulder makes her jump slightly but she smiles once she sees the familiar redhead, "H—Hey Max."

   "Hey, Liz." She smiles. Liz loved her smile, but she hardly ever smiled around the boys, unless she was looking at Liz. "You going to the AV room?"

"Yeah." Liz answers, a small blush trailing up her neck, which she desperately tried to ignore. "Wait... are you?"

"Yeah, Dustin invited me." Max answers. She notices Liz's nervous face, and puts on a confused one. "What's wrong?"

"It's just... whatever Dustin wants to show us probably isn't going to be cool or fun... so... maybe you should just go to lunch instead." Liz suggests, trying to get Max to not come. Liz wanted to be friends with Max, just friends, but she doesn't want Max to get tangled up in everything involving the Upside-Down and Eleven.

   "Trust me, whatever Dustin has to show us is going to be a million times better than sitting in that lunch room alone." Max says, chuckling slightly. Liz sighs, not realizing that Max still didn't have any other friends. She smiles at Max and they continue walking to the AV room.

   They finally get there and Liz opens the door causing Dustin to sigh, "Finally! Why took you guys so long? Lock the door."

   Liz lets Max in before shutting the door and locking it as Dustin requested. She walked over to the table that everyone was crowded around and stood between Max and Will.

   "Okay so, the thing that is in this box was found by me in my trash, and could possibly be a new scientific discovery." Dustin explains before clicking the button to open the box making the group peer over the table to look in it. Liz's eyes widen at the lizard creature, but she has a bad feeling that it's not what it seems.

"His name is d'Artagnan." Dustin informs. He puts his hand in the box, and picks up the creature, holding it in his hands. He smiles at it. "Cute, right?"

"D'Artagnan?" Mike questions, confused about the name.

"Dart for short." Dustin states.

   "And he was in your trash?" Max questions, making Liz furrow her brows.

   Dustin nods, "Foraging for food."

   "You wanna hold him?" Dustin asks Max.

   "No, no." Max shakes her head. Dustin tells her that it's fine, and that he doesn't bite. He holds out his hands and forces Dart into Max's hands. "I don't want to–Oh, God, he's slimy!"