*edited as of 6.29.2022*
*Y/n)'s POV*
Dustin and Lucas were out behind a car in the parking lot scoping out for Max. I leaned my back against a car door, looking at my cuticles. "Still no sign?" Dustin asked.
Lucas, with the binoculars said, "Jack shit."
"(Y/n), what are you doing?" Dustin asked and I looked up to see him an eyebrow raised.
"Just watching you two gawk like idiots." I said. "Plus, I don't want to be any part of this. I don't like spying. You both realize how wrong this is."
"Oh, dammit." Dustin ignored me and checked his watch. "Mom is gonna murder us."
"So, go home, guys." Lucas said, turning to with a shrug. "I'll radio when she comes." I raised an eyebrow at him. Lucas was being awfully generous today-.
"Oh yeah, nice try." Dustin said before I could. "You just want us out of here so you can make your move."
Of course he was. I rolled my eyes.
"Oh, 'cause you're such a threat." Lucas said.
"That's right." Dustin grinned, and he showed us his teeth. "She will not be able to resist these pearls."
Lucas and I made a disgusted face and turned away as he purred.
"What's wrong with your brother?" Lucas asked me.
I started to answer, until Dustin's eyes widened. "Ten o'clock, guys. Ten o'clock."
"What?" Lucas asked as Dustin shook him. He pointed to the car rolling up to the arcade. "Oh!" He put up the binoculars.
We watched her screaming back at someone in the car.
"They're arguing." Lucas reported. "They're arguing!"
"Is that what that was? I had no idea." Lucas glared at me. "Obviously, we see that, Lucas. I don't even know why you need those."
"God, you're so stupid." Dustin said.
I watched as the redheaded girl slam the door shut and gave the man a middle finger. I wondered if they were siblings.
The two boys were still gazing at what just happened. "Wow," I said, then I snapped my fingers in front of their faces. They blinked several times back to reality. "Right, so if you two are done drooling over the new girl, let's go join her-."
The boys started to panic a little after listening to my plan. They both grabbed my wrists and pulled me back.
"Geeze, what's wrong with you two?"
"That's gonna totally jeopardize this whole plan of ours!" Lucas said.
I rolled my eyes and decided to walk inside the arcade. My brother and Lucas were scrambling to catch up to me, fumbling over panicked words.
I wanted to introduce myself to Max. It just didn't feel right spying on her. The boys caught up to me and pulled me back into a booth. We just watched her focus on the game.
"She's..." Dustin said, and Lucas and I sat back in our seats.
"Mad Max." The three of us said with a grin.
~~~
Later that night, we headed home.
"Mike?" I had taken Dustin's headphones from him. "Mike? Do you copy?"
"Hello?" He answered, the static crackling.
"Mike, it's me, (Y/n), you know, your girlfriend?" I pouted. "What are you doing on this channel again? We've been trying to reach you all day. We were right. Max is Mad Max!"
"I'm a little busy, (Y/n). Sorry." Mike said and he signaled off on me. I was taken aback and my smile faded.
"Wow, what's his deal?"
"What do we do now?" Lucas asked after a moment of silence. They didn't bother to ask me if I was okay because the look on my face already told them.
"We stick to the plan." Dustin shrugged.
"Mike's not gonna like it." I said, even though Mike abruptly blew me off.
"Last time I checked, sis, our party is not a dictatorship. It's a democracy."
"What if Max says no?"
"How can Max say no to these?" Dustin asked and purred again.
"Dustin...we told you to stop that." I said. Lucas and I groaned and rolled our eyes.
Dustin chuckled to himself.
"(Y/n) and I will see you tomorrow."
"Later you two." Lucas waved goodbye and turned to his driveway.
Dustin parked the bike on the driveway and I hopped off the bike. We started to head inside our house until we heard something in the shed, it was almost a...chirping sound.
"Hey," I whispered. "Did you hear that?"
"Mews?" Dustin called out and made some kissing sounds to see if our cat was outside.
"Mews?" I also made some kissing sounds as well to grab Mews' attention. The sound we heard was gone.
"Come on, lets get inside." We hurried up the steps together and walked in the house.
~~~
*Will's POV*
I stayed in my room that following night, working on the Zombie Boy sketch. Everyone had that nickname for me ever since I returned to school.
Jonathan knocked on my door. "Hey, bud." Jonathan called out to me and I looked up. "I didn't know what you'd like, so I got a variety." He set three VHS tapes on the side. "Take your pick."
"Whatever you want." I shrugged, continuing my drawing.
"All right." He said and then sighed. He sat down in front of me on my bed. "What are you working on?" He looked over at my sketch and I ignored him. "Zombie boy? Who's Zombie Boy?"
"Me."
"Did someone call you that?
I didn't answer.
"Hey, you know you can talk to me." He said, calmly. "You know that, right? Whatever happened. Will, come on, talk to me."
Suddenly, something inside me snapped.
"Stop treating me like that." I said, agitated.
"What?" He asked. "Like what?"
"Like everyone else. Like there's something wrong with me."
"What are you talking about?"
"Mom, Dustin, Lucas. Everyone." I exclaimed. "They all treat me like I'm gonna break. Like I'm a baby. Like I can't handle things on my own. It doesn't help. It just makes me feel like more of a freak."
"You're not a freak." Jonathan said.
"Yeah, I am." I said, "I am."
"You know what?" Jonathan asked and then sat back in my bed. "You're right. You are a freak."
I looked up at him in confusion. "What?"
"No, I'm serious. You're a freak. But what? Do you wanna be normal? Do you wanna be just like everyone else? Being a freak is the best. I'm a freak."
"Is that why you don't have any friends?" I asked him straight up.
He chuckled at me, but was also shocked at my question. "I-I have friends, Will." He chuckled again.
"Then, why are you always hanging out with me?"
"Because you're my best friend." He said, patting my leg. "And I would rather be best friends with Zombie Boy than with a boring nobody. You know what I mean?" I didn't quite understand that, so I stayed quiet. "Okay, listen. Who would you rather be friends with? Bowie or Kenny Rogers?"
I made a disgusted sound.
"Exactly. It's no contest. The thing is, nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world. You got it?"
"Well-." I started to say. "Some people like Kenny Rogers."
"Kenny Rogers?" Bob came walking down the hallway. "I love Kenny Rogers." Me and my brother started snickering and he walked in the room. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing." I giggled.
Bob picked up the VHS tapes and picked one out in front of us. "Mr. Mom." Bob whooped and walked away. "Perfect!!"
I placed my hand over my forehead and laughed with my brother.
By the time the movie was finished, everyone went to bed. It was 1am, and I needed to go to the restroom. Once I finished peeing, I went to wash my hands, and then I heard a soft, rumbling sound.
I walked out the restroom and saw it thundering outside. Which was weird, because the weatherman didn't mention anything about it storming tonight.
My eyes widened when the lightning flashed red, and my front door creaked open. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight. I found myself walking towards the storm.
I saw it. In that whirlpool of the storm. The monster.
It was there, waiting for me.