𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 | ᵐᵃˣ ᵐᵃʸᶠⁱᵉˡᵈ

CHP6-JUNKYARD

VAL, LUCAS, DUSTIN, STEVE, AND MAX were sat inside the bus, and it was now dark outside. "So... you really fought one of these before?" Max asked, breaking the silence. Val nodded. "And you're like, totally, one hundred percent sure it wasn't a bear?" The redhead asked. "Shit, don't be an idiot. Okay? It wasn't a bear. Why won't you believe us?" Dustin yelled. "Just go home," Dustin said, walking towards his chair. Val rolled her eyes and headed towards the stairs.

"My turn, Lucas, it's super stuffy in here,"
she said, walking over to the ladder, slowly climbing up it. She sat at the top of the bus,the sky was so beautiful, the stars and moon shined brightly, and the fog was wrapping around them like a blanket.
She heard someone creep behind her she turned to see Max. "It's kinda awesome, " Max said. "Huh?" Val looked at her confused. "The fog,  I mean. It looks like the ocean," Max said, smiling. "You miss it?" Val sighed. "What?" Max asked, looking at the brunette.

"The ocean. The waves? California?" Val said, looking at her hands. Max looked out into the distance, " Hawkins seems pretty lame, i bet." Val sighed. "No, no ,no, it's not that. It's just," Max stuttered. "My dads still there. So..." Max, looking at Val. "Why?" Val asked, confused. "It's this legal term called divorce ," Max chuckled.

"See, when two married people don't love each other, anymore they -" Max said. "I know what divorce is, Mayfield, " Val sighed. "My mom and stepdad just want a fresh start away from him. As I'd... as if he was the problem, which is total bull. And things... are just worse now. My stepbrother's always been a dick, but now he's just angry... all the time and... Well, he can't take it on my mom, so..."

"So he takes it out on you?" Val asked. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. It's just... I know that i can be a jerk like him sometimes, and I do not want to be like him. Ever. I guess I'm angry, too, and... I'm sorry. Jesus, what's wrong with me? You probably think I'm a total freak now."

"Hey. No, you're not a freak, and you're nothing like your brother, okay?" Val told her. "You're cool and different. And you're super smart. And you're,like, totally tubular." she joked, making Max laugh. "Nobody actually says that, you know." Max told her. "Well, I do now." The Harrington girl told her.
"And it makes you seem really cool."  Max said. "I like talking with you, MadMax."

"And I like talking with you, V." Max told her.
"Hey, uhm, I don't wanna be nosey, but yesterday, before you got to school, Mike was telling me how it was your fifteen birthday. Were you like held back a year or something. I mean, I thought you were like a super genius," Max giggled. "It's a long story." Val said. "I've got time." Max said.

"Why were you held back, Val?" Max asked."I've always really struggled with... food and eating... my mom used to put me on these crazy diets. And it really affected me growing up, and it still does, but it got so bad two years ago, and i was just really struggling, and well, I had to repeat seventh grade." The girl told her. " And I know, it seems dumb. Like struggling with food, it sounds insane. Believe me, I know I'm a freak, my brother reminded me of my daily of it for years. But then, one day last year, he just stopped. It was around the time Will went missing."

"And my parents are barely eve home, and when they are, they just make it so much worse, for both of us... but mainly me. They've always liked Steve more, and they never even tried to hide it. But whatever, right?" Val explained. "Val..."

Before Max could finish her sentence, they heard a loud growl. "What the fuck is going on up there Val?" Steve asked. "I don't know!" Val said. She grabbed her binoculars and looked through them, "I've got eyes! Ten o'clock! Ten o'clock!" Val yelled. She suddenly felt the bus shake, and Steve walked out with his bat.

Val watched as Steve walked out into the dark with his bat. Val looked out through his bonculars and spotted another demo- dog to the right of Steve. "Steve! Watch out! Three o'clock! Three o'clock!" Val yelled. Dustin opened the door to the bus. "Steve! Abort! Abort!" He yelled. The two demo-dogs ran towards him and he dove out the way, landing on a car's bonnet. Before hitting a demo-dog with his bat.