The next morning, Cal woke up to the sun shining brightly onto his face from his window. He groaned and slowly sat up, yawning and stretching his arms. He got out of bed and started to get dressed.
He exited his room and went downstairs to find none other than Steve Harrington making breakfast while also brushing his hair.
"Finally, I was gonna leave you behind if you didn't wake up soon" Steve said with a small chuckle, handing Cal breakfast. Cal just shook his head, amused at his brother's actions
"Yeah, yeah. Give me 5 to eat, then we can go" Steve nodded and went to the garage to get the car ready. He quickly ate it and once done, he went outside and grabbed his skateboard and hopped in the car. Steve smiled, putting on his sunglasses. "And off we go!" Exclaimed Steve as he drove off towards Hawkins Middle and High.
"How was Trick-or-Treating last night?" Steve asked.
"It was really fun. We went to a bunch of different houses, but no one recognised who we were dressed up as so that was annoying. But then red-" Before he could continue, Steve interrupted. "Red?" He asked.
Cal slowly felt his cheeks heat up a little,"Y-Yeah my friend. Her real name is Max, but I call her red." He explained, peaking Steve's interest about this new friend. Steve sent the boy a quick smirk as Cal continued.
"Anyway, she joined us and we started to trick or treat together, but Will had another episode so Mike took him home. After that we all parted ways while I walked Max home" He said.
"So tell me more about 'red'"
"Well, for starters her brother is Billy," Steve scoffed at that name. "But she's nothing like him. She's completely different from him and all the other girls, but in like, the best way possible. Everytime I'm around her, I find myself lost in her ocean blue eyes and that bright smile on her face." Cal sighed out with a smile. "She makes me really happy. I haven't felt this happy since, well, you know" He finished as the two brothers pulled into the parking lot.
Steve took off his sunglasses and looked towards Cal with a shocked expression, carrying a huge grin as well. "Dude, you've got it bad for her," He said. "I can't really give relationship advice but all I can say is just be yourself." Cal nodded as he opened the door and made his way to Hawkins Middle School.
"Hey Blue!" Cal heard someone shout. He smiled as only one person called him that.
He turns around to find the red-haired girl running towards him.
"Hey Red, what's up?" He asked the girl.
"Nothing really. Wanna walk to class with me? I have a couple questions."
"Sure, why not?" He said as they both walked side by side into the school.
"I still don't get why they call him 'Zombie boy'. I mean I get it. He got lost in the woods for a week or something, but why is he a zombie? Because everyone thought he was dead?" Max was asking Cal questions about Will's disappearance last year. He didn't really want her to get involved with the upside-down and stuff like that. That would mean she would figure out what he is and he didn't want to lose her.
"Yeah, I mean we had a funeral for him and everything. It was horrible." Cal explained as he moved closer to trying to avoid the kids in the hallway, grazing his hand against hers.
"After a week?" Max questioned as they made it to their lockers, both grabbing their books.
"Well you see some other kid drowned at the quarry. We all thought it was Will because his body was super decomposed." Cal explained further as he closed his locker and the two of them now walked to class.
"What? Okay, that's not funny Blue." Cal sighed and turned his head towards the girl
"It's not a joke, Red. It's public knowledge. You can ask anyone and they'll tell you the same. Just don't ask Will, he's sensitive about this stuff." Max shook her head as they entered the classroom.
"Okay Blue, I trust you." She said, sitting down in her seat behind Cal. He smiled at her and sat down in his seat.
10 minutes passed and Mr Clarke was currently teaching the students about a man named Phineas Gage and something, something, metal rod in head, something, something. Cal had stopped paying attention half way through. The boy was about to fall asleep when the door slammed open.
"I am so sorry Mr Clarke." Of course it was Dustin who burst through the door, holding his Halloween prop. "Really I am so sorry, please continue with the class, don't mind me." He stammered out. Cal saw him whisper towards the boys before he turned to face him and Max.
"Av club, lunch" He whispered to the two. Cal smiled tiredly and nodded his head, while Max gave a forced smile and an aggressive thumbs up.
The Lunch bell finally rang and Cal basically sprinted out the door towards the AV Club. Halfway towards the AV Club an arm laced around his, locking together. He looked at who the arm belonged to and Cal smiled.
"Hey Blue," Max said, smiling at him.
"Hey Red, you excited for this awesome meeting?" he playfully said. Max shook her head with a smile as they entered the AV Club, joining the others who were huddled around Dustin's contraption.
Dustin opened the contraption and revealed a slimy creature that did not look like anything they've seen.
"His name is D'artagnan. Dart for short " Dustin said, picking up the creature and holding it in his hands.
"Three musketeers?" Cal asked. Dustin nodded, happy someone understood the reference.
"Cute, right?"
The group stared at the creature with wide eyes. Cal could see Will looking uncomfortable and even backing away from the box
"And he was in your trash?"
"Foraging for food. Wanna hold him?" Dustin asked, giving the creature to Cal.
"Dust I swear to go-" Cal was interrupted by Dustin putting it in his hands anyway.
"Ew, he's so slimy!" Cal yelled out, passing it over to Max.
"Ugh- He is!" Max yelled, passing the creature to Lucas who quickly passed it to Mike.
Mike examined the creature that was in his hands, "What is he?" He asked Dustin.
"My question exactly. At first I thought it was some type of pollywog." Dustin explained.
"Pollywog?"
"It's another word for tadpole," Cal answered for Dustin, who nodded his head.
"A tadpole is the larval stage of a toad-"
"I know what a tadpole is."
"Alright, then you know most tadpoles are aquatic right? Well, Dart isn't. He doesn't need water."
"Yeah, but isn't there another type of pollywog?" Cal asked, still confused on where Dustin got this thing. He was starting to have a bad feeling about this.
"Terrestrial pollywogs? Yep. Two to be exact. Indirans semipalmata and the Adenomera andreae. One's from India, one's from South America."
"Okay, then how did one end up in your trash?" Cal questioned.
"Maybe some scientists brought it here and it escaped?" Max suggested looking at Cal, who was looking back at her.
"Do you guys see that? Looks like something is moving inside of it." Mike grabs the table lamp and moves it above the creature which lets a deafening screech.
"Woah, It's okay, it's okay. I got you little guy." Dustin said, lifting the creature into its hands. " I know you don't like that. That's another thing. Reptiles, they're cold-blooded. Ectothermic, right? They love heat, the sun. Dart hates it. It hurts him."
Cal wasn't liking this. That screech sounded way too familiar. He couldn't put his finger on why, but he knew this was going to be very, very bad.
"So if he's not a pollywog or a reptile..." Lucas trailed off.
"Then I've discovered a new species." Dustin smirked at his best friends.
The bell goes off, startling all of them. They all leave the AV room and head to their class.
"We gotta show him to Mr. Clarke." Lucas suggested it to Dustin.
"What if he steals my discovery?"
"He's not gonna steal your discovery Dust."
"You know, I'm thinking about calling it Dustonious Pollywogs. What do you think?" He asked Max.
"I think you're an idiot," Max chuckled at the boy.
"When I become rich and famous for this one day, don't come crawling back saying, "Oh my god, Dustin, I'm so sorry for being mean to you back in 8th grade." Cal chuckled at his friend's antics.
"We'll see buddy"
The party and Max were now in a classroom gathered around a desk with Mr.Clarke, eager to hear his thoughts.
"This is the reason I was late for Class"
"Pretty neat. These doors function?" Mr Clarke asked with a smile, examining the box. Cal smiled at their teacher's response while he moved more towards Max until their arms brushed together. Max started to lean on it a little bit.
"Well, yeah obviously. But it's not the trap. It's what's inside"
"Consider my interest piqued."
All right, first, let's clarify that this is my discovery, not yours."
"Dust!" Cal yelled, running out of patience
"Just show him!"
"I'm just trying to clarify-"
"Dustin!" Max yelled this time.
"Okay, fine." Dustin then looked at Mr Clarke, about to speak before Mike and Will slammed the door open.
"Stop!" Mike yelled as he grabbed the trap. "I'm sorry Mr. Clarke, It was just a stupid prank."
"What are you doing?"
"We need to go. Right now." Mike continued while walking backwards, pointing his finger at his friends.
"Mike!" Dustin shouted.
"Right now!" Mike yelled and ran out the room.
The kids ran after him towards the AV Club. Cal was behind them with Max by his side. Soon the AV Club was in sight. The boys went in and Cal grabbed Max's hand and was about to go into the room but Mike stopped him.
"Party members only."
"Dude, what the hell?!Just let her in." Cal shouted at Mike, starting to get irritated.
"It's about the upside down." Mike whispered to Cal as a look of shock spread across his face. He turned towards Max, who carried a look of disappointment, before turning back to Mike.
"Sorry Mike, but I'm not going unless Max is as well" He said, causing Mike to scoff and shut the door right in Cal's face.
The boy sighed before feeling a warmth cover his hand. He looked over to see Max holding his hand.
"You don't have to stay out here, if you don't want to. I don't mind." Max said, Cal noticed the lie, as she looked up at him before the boy shook his head.
"Nah, It's okay. If it's that important they can tell me about it later. For now, I'll just keep you company Red." Cal said, giving the girl a smile.
Max gave a small smile back before she sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall, as Cal joined her.
The two talked for a while, but Max was starting to get irritated that they wouldn't let them in. Max gets up and starts banging on the door.
"Hello? Hello?" Max yelled, hoping they would hear. "Guys, come on. Can we come in yet?"
"No!" Mike yelled back. Cal just groaned. Mike can be really annoying sometimes. Yeah, it's a serious topic, but he could at least not be as big of a dick as he was.
Max was fuming, pissed that not only were they not letting her in, but also Cal. The boy noticed her getting mad and stood up, making his way over towards her. Cal grabbed Max's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, causing the girl to look at him.
"You're cute when you get mad Red." He said, trying to somewhat calm Max down, as he gave her a playful wink.
Max smiled as she calmed down, her face tinting red, before she got an idea. The redhead let go of Cal's hand and walked over to her bag, pulling out a bobby pin, as Cal gave her a confused look. She then kneeled in front of the door and started lockpicking it as Cal watched her with awe
"So not only do you skate and play videogames, you also can lockpick? You just get better and better Red" He complimented, Max shaking her head with a smile.
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me Blue"
"Well hopefully in time I will"
Before Max could respond, she successfully unlocked the door. She looked back to Cal with a smirk, standing up, before turning back towards the door, about to open it until it slammed open, Dart running out the room and into the hallways.
Cal quickly grabbed Max before she fell and moved her close to him so she didn't get trampled by the boys who exited the room.
"Holy shit!" Max yelled, clutching Cal's arm.
"Where did he go?" Lucas yelled.
"What was that?" Call asked, still holding onto Max.
"Dart!"
"You let him escape!" Mike yelled at Max. Cal had enough.
"Hey, don't blame her!" Cal snapped at the boy, pushing him away.
"Why did you attack him?" Dustin asked Mike.
Mike rolled his eyes. "Come on." Mike said, running away from the group.
"Don't hurt him! Don't you hurt him!"
Cal sighed before turning to Max "You good?" He asked her. She nodded her head. Cal smiled in return.
"Good, cause we gotta lose slimeball to find" He said, grabbing her hand and making their way down the hallway.
After about 5 minutes Max and Cal were just wandering the school talking to each other. He was trying to lighten her mood after Mike blamed her for letting Dart escape, which he found completely bullshit. If he had just let them in, Dart wouldn't have escaped.
Cal looked over at the red-haired girl, noticing how defeated she looked. "Hey, don't let Mike get to you, okay? He's just being an idiot"
"But he's right, I let Dart get out and now we're stuck looking for him."
"It's not your fault, really. If he had just let us in, this wouldn't have happened." Cal sighed. "He's also under a lot of stress. Recently one of our good friends, uh, moved away. Mike liked her a lot, so it hit him the hardest." Cal said softly.
Max looked over to him. "Oh shit, I'm uh, I'm sorry. I had no idea." She said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's all good. I'm gonna go check the art room, you go check the gym and we'll meet up back here, sounds good?" Cal asked with a smile. Max nodded and they both went off to their destinations.
The young boy searched everywhere in the art room, every crack, cupboard and opening possible but found nothing. Cal sighed and made his way towards the gym. He was about to enter the gym but saw Mike and Max talking inside. Cal decided to be a nosey fucker and listen in.
"Well I could be your zoomer." Max said, circling Mike on her skateboard.
Cal smiled at what she was doing. He was hoping that Mike would give in and allow her to be in the party.
"That's not even a real thing."
"It could be. See, zoomer." Max scoffed as she continued circling him.
"Mind blowing"
"Come on, you know you're impressed."
Although Cal was happy they were interacting without Mike yelling at her, he couldn't help the jealous feeling growing inside of him. As he continued to watch the two, he couldn't help but glare at Mike.
Cal, without thinking, used his powers to push Mike over, at the same time as Max fell. His eyes widened as he realised what he did, thinking he accidently hurt Max. He quickly went inside and sprinted over to the two.
"Holy shit are you two okay?" He asked the two, helping both of them onto their feet.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just like a magnet or something pulling on my board. Weird right?" she asked, rubbing her wrist she landed on.
Mike shot a glare at Cal, who immediately started to get nervous. "Y-Yeah definitely weird" He stammered out. " Are you sure you're both okay? I could go quickly get ice for y-"
Max put a hand on his shoulder and Mike softened his glare a little, but still held it. "We're fine Blue. Now come on we still have a slug to find" She said, grabbing his hand as they both exited the gym.
"Guys... I found him" Wills voice came through the walkie talkie. Max and Cal's faces lit up, finally this search will be over.
"Where?" Dustin asked
"In the bathroom by Mr. Salemos."
"Copy that." Mike commented as everyone rushed towards the location.
When Cal and Max made it, they were met with Lucas, Mike and Dustin, the latter looking clueless.
"Where is he?"
"I don't know... he's not here, maybe Will has him?" Dustin suggested.
"Where is Will?" Mike asked, looking around for said boy.
"Oh shit"
To be continued