✓ Her Mixtape, Stranger Things

iii. chaotically soft

　Max's lips curled to a smile as Rue giggled, squinting at the sun, she said; "That was terrifying! I love it!"

　She helped her stand, taking her hand tenderly.

　Rue felt herself lose focus for a moment as Max helped her on her two feet. She blinked a few times, feeling . . . more than one emotion at once, and one of them wasn't her own.

　She made eye contact with Max, which lingered a little longer than she'd like to admit. Standing so close she noticed the tan on Max's skin, making her freckles more prominent. Rue didn't know how, but she could practically feel what Max felt, at the moment happy but worried. She jumped out of her trance when Max looked away from her green ones and looked behind Rue.

　"Hey, don't get freaked out," she started, squeezing Rue's hands. "but those boys from Science are looking at us."

　Rue narrowed her eyebrows, blinking away the lightheaded feeling and slightly turned her head, glancing at the four boys arguing over each other. She turned her head back around when she felt Max let go of their hands.

　"Don't worry about them — " Rue was about to explain that she knew them, but then looked at Max in confusion as the girl kicked up her skateboard after scribbling on a piece of paper.

　"What are you — ? Where are we going?" Rue asked when Max grabbed her hand and started to pull her back to the school. She watched Max throw the paper in the trash and then pulled her inside.

　Rue followed her as she walked down the halls, which were decorated from head to toe with cut out bats and ghosts and pumpkins for the Halloween season. She sniffed, feeling her nose run. God, she hated flu season.

　"I'm sorry about them," Rue smiled sympathetically as the two girls walked down to Max's locker. "They can be creeps, but they're nice."

　"You're too kind, Rue, it's fine," Max said, waving her free hand in the air before turning the corner. "Just wait until they open the note," She laughed.

　Rue slowed her steps when she saw Will walking down the hall with the principal, both of them making their way closer to the girls.

　"Ruth Newby," the principal said, making Max stop laughing. "Will's mother is here to pick you up early."

　"Oh," she frowned. Rue glanced at Max who smiled.

　"I'll call you," she waved as Rue joined will, both of them walking towards the front doors after stopping at her locker to grab her things.

　Rue pulled on the straps of her bag, looked down at Will, who looked like he was going to throw up. Everyone was staring at Will. She nudged his shoulder, making him look at her, "You okay?" she asked.

　"Yeah — yeah," he shook his head. Rue knew he wasn't, and she also knew not to pressure him about it. She wouldn't like it if someone forced the truth out of her either.

　The two walked out of the school to find Joyce standing in front of her mint green car, a cigarette at hand. She looked up at the two and smiled, waving at them. Rue returned one joyfully as Will only smiled.

　The two kids got in the car, Rue sitting in the back. "I'm gonna drop you off at my house while I take Will to the doctors. Is that okay, Sweetie?" Joyce asked her, smiling a kind motherly smile at her from the rearview mirror.

　"Yeah that's fine, thanks." she nodded. Rue truly loved Joyce's motherly appearance, Joyce may never replace her real mom, but she sure was a close second.

　Rue sat quietly, staring out the window. Her arms wrapped around her bag as she tried not to focus on every bump the car made while driving, but instead, she let her mind wander. Not too deep though, if that happened, she'd never find herself again.