THE KIDS AND STEVE wait for Max to get out the house, Lucas looks over at Armani who looks around nervously. She wished she didn't pull herself into this shit.
"are you ok, Armani?" Lucas asked tapping her shoulder.
She didn't respond she ignores him staring at the tress and the birds.
he scoffs shaking his head walking back over to Dustin. Max finally walked out the house, she was shaken by something. she quickly walked to Steve's car.
"Hey, that was longer than twenty-seconds." Steve calls out.
Max walked past, everyone notices her actions.
"Hey, whoa. You all right?" Steve asked.
Max gets in the back seat.
"I'm fine, just drive." Max shrugs.
"Did something happen?" Lucas asked glancing at her.
Max avoids eye contact, "can we please just go?"
Jordyn stuffs her clothes in her duffle bag, Mike came in the room.
"You're packed already, huh?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, i didn't really unpack anything." Jordyn shrugged closing the bag.
Mike drops his luggage and sits on the end of the bed.
"Where's Will?" Jordyn asked looking up at him.
"Still packing."
Jordyn nods.
"Hey guys ar-." Will was cut off by the sound of skidding tires.
"That was fast."
Jonathan walks in the room carrying a backpack, "you guys ready?" he asked.
the kids nod.
Will grabs a rolled up painting and puts it in his backpack.
"What's that Will?" Jordyn asked.
"Oh this, just a lil old panting." Will shrugged with a smile on his face.
"Sure I-." He was cutoff by the sound of a gun.
The quad jumps and look towards the hallway
"what the hell was that?!" Jonathan jumps "stay here!" he tells the kids.
Jonathan has his back to the wall as he heads to the living room, Harmon shoots back, then someone else shoots back with an automatic. Jonathan runs back to the room.
"What's going on?" Mike asked.
"Get bac- what's she doing?" Jonathan cuts his self off staring a Jordyn with a confused expression on his face.
Will and Mike glance at Jordyn, Jordyn had one leg out the window as she was getting ready to jump.
"Jordyn! What're you doing!?" Mike yelled at her.
Her head shoots up, she gives him a confused look, "bitch let's go! don't have me sitting nowhere and they shootin downstairs!"
"ooh that rhymed, bitch i got bars!" Jordyn beamed.
"Get out the window Jordyn, it's no time to joke around we have to go!" Jonathan yelled.
"Yeah that's what i'm doing, i'm going...... out the window!"
"What if they drive off and they see you running and shoot you to death."
"you right, you right." Jordyn nodded taking her leg back in closing the window grabbing her bag.
A man outside the room smashes the glass, shooting his automatic, pieces from the wall fly everywhere.
Mike, Jonathan, Will, and Jordyn run towards the living room, the man on the porch shoots fire, Harmon takes cover behind a wall, he motions to the kids.
"Move! Move!" He yells.
Harmon shoots back at the man on the porch cover for the kids. The kids take cover with Harmon behind a wall.
Harmon turns his attention to the man at the window running towards them from Will's bedroom.
"Follow me." Harmon told the kids.
They follow him to the kitchen, the door which leads to a garage opens, two open shoots at them, the kids duck into a room Harmon shouts back, a lead men falls, the second man takes cover, Harmon ducks behind a wall to reload.
"What the hell is going on!?" Mike asked.
"Just stay there." Harmon replies, he turns and rushes to the kitchen he shouts at the second shoulder behind a wall in the garage. The man shoots back, Harmon ducks into the dining room, then turn towards the front door.
"Stay down!" He yelled.
Jordyn peaks to see Wallace's dead body on the floor her jaw drops then a random man falls next to him.
"ooh shit!"
"I shoot you run!" Harmon yelled.
Harmon covers as the kids run towards the front door, Harmon kept shooting until he is hit.
"Aww fuck!" Jordyn sighed.
Jordyn runs over to Harmon, Will and Mike following as they helped him to the van.
"What the hell is going on?" Argyle asked.
Will opens the side door and climbs in, Mike, Jordyn, Harmon, and Jonathan follow.
"Go, go, go, go!" Jonathan yelled.
Argyle's eyes widen when he sees Harmon bleeding.
"Whoa is that real blood man!?" Argyle asked in shock.
"DRIVE!"
"Okay, all right. But-." He freezes when he sees a man approach with a gun in his hand.
"Oh my God, why's that guy holding a gun!?"
"DRIVE!"
Argyle then speeds the van away.
"Turn here." Max spoke. "Here?" Dustin asked.
Max nods. The car turns and rides up the long roadway into the cemetery.
The car comes to a stop, Max gets out and heads into the cemetery, she holds an envelope addressed to Billy. Jordyn told Armani all about him, she told her about everything. Armani still doesn't believe about a "Demogorgon or a "Mind Flayer"
Lucas goes after her. "Max, Max wait." He calls.
"Lucas, please, just wait in the car." Max sighs.
"Just wait. Please, listen to me."
Max stops, she and Lucas face each other. Armani scoffs and shook her head.
"He's still in love." She thought.
She rolls her window down to listen to the conversation trying to ignore whatever Steve and Dustin were talking about.
"I know something happened back there with your mother. Was it Vecna?"
"I told you, i'm fine. Ok? I mean, as fine as someone who's hurtling towards a gruesome death can be."
"Max, you know you can talk to me, right?"
"Yeah, I know that."
"Okay, then why do you keep pushing me away?"
"Because you're dating Armnai, i know it. I heard you guys talking. And i don't want it to make it seem that we still...... like each other.
Lucas takes the letter from his pocket. "Look, i don't need a letter. Just talk to me, to your friends, we're right here. I'm right here, ok?"
"Just wait in the car, this won't be long."
Armani scoffs.
The kids wait in the car for hours it felt like, Armani was just about to walk home, she was already heated with Lucas.
"All right, it's been long enough!" Steve gets out the car, the other 3 just stare.
"Steve, just give her some time." Lucas spoke.
"I have all right, Sinclair. I'm calling it, she wants to get a lawyer, she can."
Steve jogs over to Max.
"So...... Armani, Lucas. are you guys gonna go ahead and tell us- shut up!" Armani cut him off rolling her eyes.
They stood in silence for minutes, it was really awkward.
They then heard Steve yelling and it caught their attention.
"Max, wake up! Max!"
"Something's wrong." Lucas speaks.
"Guys!" Steve called.
The kids rush over to Steve and Max.
Her eyes were to the back of her head, Armani looks at her in confusion.
"What's wrong with her?" She asked.
"She's..... she's there." Lucas eyes widen.
"Where?" Armani asked.
"Max, you gotta get outta there!" Lucas yelled.
"Can you hear me!?" Steve yelled.
Steve grabs Dustin by his jacket collar, "calm Nancy and Robin go get em, Go! Call them!"
Dustin runs back to the car.
Armani bends down to Max's level harshly grabbing her shoulders and shaking her.
"WAKE UP!" She screams.
"She won't answer! We have to think of something!" Lucas yelled.
"Nothings working! Should we hit her or something!?" Armani asked shaking Max.
"MAXINE CAN YOU HEAR ME! GET OUTTA THERE- JUST WAKE UP!" Armani yelled shaking her.
"Stop shaking her! Nothings working!" Steve yelled.
"We'll just keep trying!" Armani yelled and continued to shake her.
Dustin rushes back with a Walkman and cassettes.
"What is this?" Lucas asked.
"Her song? What's her favorite song?!" Dustin asked.
"Why?"
"Robin said if she listens, it-if- it's too much to explain right now. WHAT'S HER FAVORITE SONG!?"
The kids search through the cassette tapes, Armani picks up a Kate Bush tape Hounds Of Love.
"She was humming a song of this album in my fifth period, she's always humming it, try this! I think it was Running Up That Hill, just try it i don't know!" Armani hands Steve the tape.
"How did you know that?" Lucas asked.
Steve takes out the tape and pops it in the Walkman, Dustin puts the earphones over Max's ears.
"Now!" Dustin yells, Lucas presses play.
"MAX! CAN YOU HEAR US NOW!?" Armani asked.
Max rises off the ground, the kids back up watching Max levitate.
"what the fuck?"
"MAX CAN YOU HEAR US!?" Lucas yelled.
"MAX WHATS GOING ON!?" Armani yelled.
"MAX!"
Max's eyes open wide, she falls to the ground in a panic. Lucas hugs her tight, Max sinks back into his arms, she begins to calm down.
"I thought we lost you." Lucas said tearfully.
"I'm still here, i'm still here." Max said out of breath.
Dustin and Steve hang their heads, Armani sits on the ground, tired.
Armani's done
•••
Armani stomps walking to her house, Lucas following her.
"Armani please, please let's just talk- NO Lucas! i'm done with this!" she interrupted finally looking at him.
"Armani..... can you tell me why're you're so upset?" Lucas asked grabbing her hand.
"Lucas..... i can't keep doing this." She shakes her head.
"I know it's a lot and i wish i didn't pull you in this." Lucas sighed.
"Yeah i'm sick of this...... and you and Max." she folds her arms.
"what? what'd i do?" He asked with his face scrunched.
"you still have feelings for her, your only with me for what? i dont even know why we're together, Lucas!"
"what do you want me to do to make this relationship work?" Lucas asked stepping closer.
"I want you to tell everyone we're dating, and stop being afraid to hold my hand when we're around her!"
he takes a step back, "I- i can't do that....."
she scoffed, "this isn't gonna work Lucas, i don't wanna be in a private relationship."
"i'm sorry, Armani I- no.... its over Lucas, we- we're not meant to be. it's you and max.... you still love her."
he sighs and hung his head.
tears started to build up in her eyes, "Lucas i...... i really liked you i really did...."
"i liked you too, Armani." Lucas held her hands, "and i'm sorry, i- you're just.... i-."
Armani removes her hand from his shaking her head, "i'm done with you and this.... bye Lucas." she walks away from him.