Tw - panic attack, implies abusive homelife
Are you gonna take him back?
Unless he gives me a good reason, no.
THE MALL WAS CLOSED. The only thing illuminating the building was the neon lights.
Dustin, Savannah, Robin, and Steve still stood in the back room of Scoops Ahoy, Savannah had almost left but Robin had convinced her to stay.
She obliged only because both Oliver and Viola had called her, saying they were going to spend the night at their friends
Viola also filled her in on everything that happened, making her laugh so hard her stomach began to hurt. Teenagers, man, they could be dramatic.
""The week is long, the silver cat feeds, when blue meets yellow in the west."" The four said together, confused.
They all packed up their belongings, closing up the ice cream shop as they did so. "I mean, it just.. it just can't be right." Steve said, slamming the gate that closed the shop to the floor, attaching it to the lock on the floor. "It's right." Robin shot back. "Honestly, I think it's great news." Dustin said as the three began to walk away from the ice cream shop, Steve still locking the gate.
"How is this great news? I mean, so much for being American heroes. It's total nonsense." Steve rose from the floor, following after the trio. "It's not nonsense. It's too specific. It's obviously a code." Dustin said. "He's probably just mad Robin could solve it in a day and he would've never solved it." Savannah teased. Steve shot her a glare for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"Why do you only pick on me?" He asked. "'Cause, you make it easy to!" She threw her arms out. "Besides if I picked on Dustin I'd be a bully and if I picked on Robin I'd never forgive myself." She leaned on the boy. "You're my last option." Savannah shrugged.
Steve shoved her off him. "What do you mean, a code?" He asked Dustin, getting back to the task at hand. "Like a super secret spy code." Dustin said. "That's a total stretch." Savannah muttered, her voice echoing so they could hear her. She was walking aimlessly through the mall, ahead of the group "I don't know, is it?" Robin asked, looking over at the girl ahead of them. "You're buying into this?" Steve asked. "Listen, just for kicks, let's entertain the possibility that it is a secret Russian transmission. What'd you think they were gonna say, "Fire the warhead at noon"?" Robin asked.
Dustin nodded. "Exactly."
"And my translation is correct. I know that for sure, so..." Robin trailed off, the clogs in her brain turning. ""The silver cat feeds." Why would anyone talk like that unless they're trying to mask the true meaning of their message?" Robin asked. Dustin nodded again. "Exactly."
Robin went on. "And why would anyone mask the true meaning of their message unless the message was somehow sensitive?" Dustin agreed with the short haired girl again. "Exactly."
Steve shrugged, finally agreeing. "So I guess that confirms your suspicion." Robin said, looking over at Dustin. "Evil Russians." Robin chuckled, looking over to Savannah who was staring at one of the carousel rides, squinting her eyes. "I can't believe I'm about ti agree with this strange child, but, yeah, totally evil Russians."
"So, how do we crack it?" Dustin asked. "Well, I guess we translate the rest and hopefully a pattern emerges." Robin shrugged while shaking her head. "A pattern. Right, like maybe "silver cat" is a meeting place?" The curly-head suggested as they walked past Savannah who still stood, her eyes squinted on the pony ride labeled "Indiana Flyer".
"Or a person."
"Or a weapon."
Steve slowed down, seeing the girl just standing there. "Hey, Harrington." Savannah motioned for him to come here as the two others kept walking. "You have a quarter?" She asked, turning to look up at him. "Why?" He asked. Savannah started humming the tune that was in the background of the Russian tape making Steve's energy spike, he quickly began to dig through his pockets.
"Where are the S children?" Robin suddenly said, turning around to see Steve digging through his pockets as Savannah had her hand out.
"Hey, doofuses. What are you doing." Robin yelled towards the two. Steve looked through the coins in his hands. "Uh, it's a quarter. We need— Do you have a quarter?" He yelled at the girl. Robin chuckled as she and Dustin jogged towards them. "Sure you guys are tall enough for the ride?" Robin teased as she pulled a quarter out of her pocket. "Quarter, Robby!" Savannah yelled suddenly.
Robin threw the quarter at the two, it almost his Steve in the face but Savannah quickly grabbed it before it could, turning and putting it in the coin slot, the three gathering around her as she was still sat crouched next to the horse.
"Daisy Bell" Began to play, Steve also listening closely. "You guys need help getting up?" Robin continued to tease. "Shh!" Steve shushed her making Dustin chuckle. "Would you two just shut up and listen?" Steve pointed to the horse.
Dustin's smiled dropped, realization clouding his face. "Holy shit. The music." He took off his backpack, grabbing the tape recorder out. Robin stared at the three clueless, confused. "The music!" He exclaimed again as he pressed play on the tape recorder.
The Russian man was heard speaking, the same song playing in the background as he did. "I don't understand." Robin shook her head. "It's the exact same song on the recording." Savannah answered. "Maybe they have horsed like this in Russia." Robin suggested. ""Indiana Flyer"? I don't... I don't think so." Steve read off the name. "This code, it.. it didn't come come Russia."
Savannah looked up at the three. "It came from here." She whispered.
•••
"ANGEL" PLAYED FROM ELEVEN'S radio, Max jumping around in the brunette's room while El and Viola sat on Eleven's bed, looking through magazines.
Max sang along to the song. Viola smiling at the red-heads upbeat energy. Eleven bopped her head along to the beat as she turned to a page in a magazine that revealed Ralph Macchio. Viola noticed this and moved across the bed, laying her head on Eleven's shoulder, looking at the picture.
Max chuckled as she saw what her two friends where looking at. "Oh, you guys found Ralph Macchio." Max said in a funny voice. "Macchio?" Eleven asked, looking at the girl. "Yeah, he's the Karate Kid." Max said before slamming a hand down. "Hai-yah!" The three laughed.
"He's so hot, right?" Max gushed. Viola nodded along. "He's the reason I still have hope in men, to be honest." The brunette revealed while grabbing another magazine. Eleven furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, looking over to Viola. "Huh?"
Viola chuckled. "I'll explain later." She whispered, Eleven nodded in response. "I bet he's an amazing kisser too." Max said. Eleven scrunched her face up. "Hey, uh..." Max got up and sat on the bed. "is Mike a good kisser?" She asked. Viola stuck her tongue out while making a grossed out sound. "I don't know. He's my first boyfriend." Max nodded. "Ex-boyfriend." She corrected. Eleven nodded, her face visibly dropping.
Viola placed a hand on Eleven's. "Don't stress about it." She said, calming Eleven down. Viola had a tendency to do that. To calm people down in stressful times. She learned it from Savannah.
"Yeah, he'll come crawling back to you in no time, begging for forgiveness." Max added on. "I guarantee you, him and Lucas are, like, totally wallowing in self-pity and misery right now." She laughed. "They're like, "Oh, I hope they take us back."" She mocked.
Viola raised a brow. "Are you gonna take him back?" She asked. Max shrugged. "Unless he gives me a good reason, no." She answered making the brunette smile, her whole physical demeanor changing.
Her shoulders relaxed and her face formed a soft smile. Max noticed this and smiled more. "God, what I wouldn't give to see their stupid faces." Eleven's smiled brightened. Viola could see she had an idea. "Come on, El. Share with the class." She nudged the brunette's side.
They were watching Eleven put a blind fold on. The radio now having static coming out of it instead of music.
Viola took a seat beside Eleven while Max sat on the bed. "Holy shit, is this really gonna work?" The red-head asked excitedly. Eleven just nodded calmly. "Holy shit, this is insane."
"Max."
"Yeah, quiet. I'm sorry." Max tapped a finger against her thigh at an increasing speed. Probably a mix of anxiousness and excitement. Viola chuckled moving to sit with her back against the bed, putting her hand on Max's. She figured the red-head would just start fidgeting with her fingers.
She was right.
Max grabbed her hand and started twirling the rings on Viola's fingers, along with running her fingers across the indents in her hand.
Eleven let out a breath before focusing on finding the boys.
In Eleven's eyes she saw the boys in Mike's basement. Oliver and Will once again sat at the DnD table, Mike was stress eating on his couch and Lucas was trying to calm him down. "What did I do wrong?" Mike asked in a rush, stuffing chips into his mouth. "Do I have to go through this again?" Lucas asked.
"I see them." Eleven suddenly said. Max dropped Viola's hand and moved onto the floor next to her instead. Viola went to put her hand back in her lap but Max grabbed it before she could. "What are they doing?" The red-head asked. "Eating." Eleven replied.
She watched as Mike stuffed more food into his mouth. "I just don't understand what I did to deserve this." Mike complained, Oliver sighed, getting sick of the complaining. He'd rather be with Max, Eleven, and Viola then the boys. "Nothing. Nothing. That's my whole point. You are the victim here." Eleven looked at the multiple empty bags of food on the basement's coffee table that say in front of the couch. "I know. It's just, why is she treating me this way?" Mike continued on.
"I don't know.."
"What did I do wrong?!"
"Mike! Relax. Just relax." He crossed Mike's legs for him. "Okay? Stop asking rational questions." Mike nodded. "I know, I know, you're right. Yeah."
Lucas nodded. "I know. Because women act on emotion and not logic." Mike said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Precisely." Lucas agreed. "It's a totally different species."
Oliver winced. He had lived with women his whole life and he knew for a fact that was bullshit. The only time girls let their emotion get ahead of them was usually on there period, he learned that the hard way.
Let's just say later that day he slipped a note with some of Viola's favorite chocolate under her door. He was forgiven.
Eleven furrowed her eyes brows at the boys words. "They say we are "species."" Eleven muttered, updating the girls. Viola and Max looked at each other before turning their attention back to Eleven. "What?" They said at the same time. ""Emotion, not logic."" Eleven continued to quote.
"What?" Max yelled.
"Guys, it's ready." Will suddenly said, getting Oliver excited. "Will, not right now." Lucas shook his head. "They broke up with you. What else is there to talk about?" Will exclaimed, flailing his hands around. "Tons." Lucas replied. "Yeah, we're trying to solve the great mystery of the female species." Mike said.
"You guys are horrible boyfriends. Sorry. Ex-boyfriends." Oliver said leaning back into his chair. Lucas furrowed his eyebrows. "You've never had a girlfriend? What do you know." He said to the boy. "I have sisters. I know a lot." Oliver pointed out.
Lucas shook his head, thankfully missing his slip up when he said "Sisters" instead of "Sister".
Will didn't though.
Suddenly Mike let out a loud burp. Oliver winced and shook his head in disgust. Mike chuckled. "Dude, you can smell the nacho cheese." Will groaned in disgust.
"I got that beat." Lucas suddenly said. "What?" Mike asked clueless. Will and Oliver began to shake their heads. "Oh, no." Will muttered. "No, Lucas, no."
Eleven looked at the boys, confused until Lucas lifted his leg and let out a long fart.
El pulled off her blindfold with a disgusted and shocked face on. "What happened?" Viola asked nervously. Eleven broke out into laughter as she stared at the two girls, falling onto her floor, not speaking.
"What? What happened?" Max asked looking down at the girl beside her who just kept laughing and laughing. Viola began to laugh at Eleven, Max soon joining in as well.
A car approaching made them stop laughing, they quickly turned the radio channel back ti music, grabbing magazines.
Viola laid on Eleven's bed, her head hanging off the side while she held a magazine over her face.
The door slamming made Viola flinch and sit up quickly. Sounds of yelling flashed through her ears. "Hey!" Hopper's voice yelled, only making her anxiety rise. "Max?" Viola muttered, tapping her thumb against each one of her fingers. "Hey!" Hopper yelled again.
"Red?" Viola asked louder. Max quickly stood up and walked over to Viola. Eleven quickly stood up as well as Hopper's loud stomps got closer. "When I say three inches, three—" The door slammed open, hitting the wood wall with a band, Viola stuffing her head away from Hopper and into Max's stomach. "Hey, Red. Just, uh. I dunno." She played with the back of Max's shirt as the other girls turned to Hopper. "Do you knock? Jeez!" Max said. "Yeah! Jeez!" Eleven agreed. "Oh, hey. I'm sorry." Hopper said, making eye contact with Viola who looked petrified.
Max let the girl continue to play with her shirt since it calmed her down. Her breathing quickened though. "I thought that, uh—"
"Mike's not here." Max quickly answered, trying to get Hopper to leave. "Max and Viola wanted to have... a sleepover." Eleven explained quietly, trying not to be too loud for Viola's sake. "Is that... okay?"
Hopper looked like he was a mix of drunk, tired, and angry. Viola's least favorite combination.
More words were exchanged but it was fuzzy in Viola's mind. Memories flooded as she clung to Max like a koala.
When Hopper left Max crouched down to look at Viola eye to eye, holding the brunette by her face. "Viola, breath. Please." Viola hadn't realized but she was hyperventilating. She began to get light headed. "Okay, uh... what did you teach me about panic attacks." Max searched through her brain until she remembered. "What are five things you can see?" She asked, beginning to play with Viola's hair knowing that also calmed the girl.
"Uhm, El's posters, the radio, myself in the mirror, you, and El."
"Four things you can touch?"
"You, El's bed, the wall, El."
"Three things you can hear?"
"The music, Hopper's TV, the wood creaking."
"Two things you can smell?"
"Wine, smoke."
"One thing you can taste?" Max chuckled towards the end of her sentence.
Viola laughed with her. "I dunno.." She trailed off before shaking her head. "I'm okay now, I'm sorry." She muttered while pulling away from Max. Viola hid her head in her hands, embarrassed. Max and Eleven both shook their heads. "I'm sorry Hopper scared you, I'm sure he didn't meant to." Eleven rubbed the girls arm making her calm down a bit. "We're good, what are we doing next." She said brushing it off, wanting to move on.
She hated that her parents still had power over her. Even if they were more than two thousand miles away.
A/N
i wanted to add something different to this chapter since the only one who's had like a real panic attack/home flashback is savannah.
warning yall now oliver is next. i haven't gone that much into detail about him yet but i am so excited to when i get the chance