BRUTAL
chapter eight
stupid party
ADRIAN WAS GRABBED BY THE SHOULDER WHEN HE SAT DOWN ON THE STAIRS JUST OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL, CAUSING HIM TO JUMP. He didn't mean to, but he looked up, revealing his face to the boy behind him.
"Holy shit. Are you okay?" Mike sat down next to him, getting a better look at his face. "I'm fine." He didn't notice the three other people behind him. "What's wrong?"
Max walked in front of him, inspecting him as well. Her jaw dropped and she gently grabbed his chin, holding it up so he could inspect it.
"We should get you to a nurse," Max suggested.
"Guys. I said I'm fine!" He shouted at them, his voice deeper than they expected. He pulled his knees up to his chest and laid his head down, his brown hair blowing in the wind.
Mike sighed from beside him but got up and walked away. Trying to reach the Byers on the school phone.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Max asked, her eyebrows scrunched together. "Yeah. It was just some kids wanting to let all their anger out. It didn't even hurt." Adrian lied, a small smile on his face.
Max bit her lip and gave Lucas and Dustin a look. The two boys shrugged and the redhead sighed, deciding not to push it.
"Anything?" Lucas asked, causing Adrian to turn to see Mike running back over. "We need to talk. AV room. Right now." Adrian was grabbed by his hand and pulled up.
Adrian furrowed his eyebrows at Mike, who was still holding onto his hand. He yanked his hand away and waited for Max to get up. "Party members only." Adrian scoffed and backed down the steps, falling back into a seated position.
"Come on, Mike." Dustin tried to reason. "No! This is non-negotiable." Mike three at him.
Dustin and Lucas both turned to Max and Adrian, sympathetic looks on their faces. "Sorry, Max and Adrian."
"Sorry."
Max scoffed and sat back down, her skateboard leaning up against her knees.
"Ridiculous," Adrian spoke bitterly. "I know." Max leaned her head against her hand, her cheek squished.
"Wanna come with? I heard that they're selling chips at the cafeteria." Max smiled and nodded. Adrian stuck his hand out and helped the girl up, the two of them walking side by side to the cafeteria.
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Adrian was walking next to Max as they exited the school, ignoring the boy that was following after them. "Hey, guys! Hey, Where are you guys going? Come on! We've gotta look for Dart." Lucas spoke from behind them.
"Yeah. Good luck with that." Max spat, bitter from earlier. The two of them walked ahead, completely ignoring Lucas.
"What is wrong with you?" Lucas asked, apparently oblivious. "What is wrong with me? What is wrong with you?"
"I don't understand," Lucas spoke, causing Max to scoff and quickly turning around, unknowingly bringing Adrian with her.
"No! I don't understand! You guys act like you want me to be your friend but then you just treat me like garbage." Max spoke nothing but the truth.
"That's not true!" Lucas tried to speak, but Max wasn't having it. "Yes, it is! You just go and hide in the AV Club keeping secrets like we're in second grade or something."
Lucas looked towards Adrian to help, only to realize that the boy was on her side. "You know, I thought you guys wanted me in your party." Max crossed her arms over her chest.
"We do. But it's..." Lucas trailed off, seeming like he didn't know what else to say.
"But what?" Max asked bitterly. "There... there are just things. Things we can't tell you, all right? For your own safety." Lucas told the girl, hoping he could make her understand. "My own safety?"
"Yes!" Adrian held his bike with a tight grip, glaring at Lucas with an angry look. He was seething and was trying so hard not to smack the boy across the face.
"Because I'm a girl?"
"What? No!"
"Did you keep secrets from El?" Adrian furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side when Max mentioned the name. "Who's El?"
"How do you know about El?"
"Did you?" Max pressed. Lucas sighed. "That was different. Trust me. Okay?" Adrian chuckled, infuriated. "That was just.. just different."
"Okay. You know what? Forget it, okay? I don't wanna be in your stupid party anyway. I'm out. Have a nice life." Max said before walking away.
"Max!"
"You still stink by the way." Adrian laughed at the girl.
"Come on, man. Can you tell me why she's so angry?"
Adrian turned to Lucas, glaring at him once more before getting on his bike and riding away.
He turned onto the street and rode quickly to get to Mike's house. The boy was already there, not caring about looking for Dart anymore."
He leaned his bike against the wall like he had the night before and crawled up the roof, opening the window that was unlocked.
"I have a front door. You know that, right, Romeo?" Adrian glared at Mike, walking over to his bag and zipping it up, placing it onto his arm.
Mike watched the boy with a raised eyebrow and shot up when he noticed that he was about to leave.
"Woah. Where are you going?" Mike asked, his hair laid on his head messily. "You obviously don't want me here, so I'm going to find somewhere else to stay," Adrian told him.
Mike put an arm in front of him and pulled him back. He reached forward and locked the window, standing in front of it.
Adrian sighed before setting his bag down at his feet. "What? Are you gonna tell me how much you hate me? How you can't stand the sight of me? Joe annoying-." He was cut off by a hand being placed over his mouth
Adrian stumbled back in surprise but quickly caught his balance, placing his hands on Mike's shoulders. "Shut up." Mike grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into the bathroom.
"Sit," Mike told him and Adrian listened, sitting down on the closed toilet. Mike grabbed a rag and got it wet before walking over to Adrian, sitting on the side of the tub.
Mike brought the rag up to Adrian's face and gently wiped on the dry blood that was on his face. "Who even did this to you?"
Adrian pursed his lips and looked down, but Mike lifted his chin before bringing the rag back to his face.
"Troy," Adrian answered in such a small voice it shocked Mike. He felt his blood boil but kept calm. "Why?"
Adrian felt tears returning to his eyes. "He-uh-he found out." Adrian swallowed down tears when he spoke. "Found what out?"
"That I'm..." Mike nodded his head in understanding. He noticed the glazed look on the boy's eyes and his face softened.
Adrian felt a tear fall down his cheek before he just started to full-on sob. He fell forward, his arms wrapping around Mike quickly.
Mike, who had no idea what to do in this situation, just wrapped his arms around the boy in hopes of calming him down. "It's okay."
"Everything's gonna be fine," Mike whispered into the boy's ear. "I never wanna go back home. Please don't make me go back home." Mike felt awful.
Adrian's life was complete shit and he didn't even know what to say to calm him down.
Once he realized that Adrian was starting to have a panic attack, he for sure thought he was screwed.
"Adrian. Breath. Just breath. In. Out." Adrian tried but he couldn't.
Mike remembered reading somewhere that if you got someone to stop breathing, even just for a few seconds, it would calm them down.
"Hey. Hold your breath. Okay? Like this." Adrian nodded and took a deep breath, holding it for as long as he could.
When he let it out again he already felt calmer. "Where did you learn to do that?" Adrian asked the boy in front of him.
"I'm not sure." He answered in full honestly before giving the boy another hug to calm him down even more.
i was so close to making them kiss in that panic attack moment because of that one stydia scene, but i decided to make you guys wait mwahaha