(1) California to Hawkins (Max Mayfield/(Fem)You)

-Chapter 6: The Pollywog-

The next morning, I had mostly forgotten about what happened. Well, not really. I knew what happened would haunt me for a while, but I'm also glad that I knew what Billy was like. I knew that when he was nice, it is best to take it and not trifle with him. Not unless I had a sure way to best him. I sat up in bed and stretched my limbs before going to my closet to gather my outfit for today. After changing, I took Max's skateboard, my backpack and hauled it downstairs where my family were eating. "Morning, Sweets. Waffles?" Mom asks, holding out a plate. I take one and place it between my lips before grabbing an apple for later and waving. I usually did that. I was always in a rush because you could really never know how things go out there. Plus, I like going to school a tad earlier so I actually have time to greet my friends. I was skating to school today, so I needed extra time anyway. I left the house, locking on my way out and finished my waffle before placing the board on the ground.

I take a deep breath and begin skating. I'm fine. I'm fine. Not wobbling, yeah. Until I heard the loud rumble of an engine I knew too well. I put my head down, willing the driver not to see me as it drove past me. Please. Please. I silently beg to myself until the engine fades away. My heart beats again as I release a breath. He's gone. I skate to school, actually getting better! I could get a decent speed without falling which made the ride faster.

Finally, I arrive at school and spot the boys already at the bike parking place. I skate up to them and as I approach, they look up. "Whoa! Y/N! When did you get a skateboard? Or even learn to skate?" Lucas asks. I smirk as I circle them with the skateboard. "Who taught you to skate?" Mike repeats, tilting his head. I loved this. They found it so interesting that I could kinda skate now. They didn't know a thing. I smiled at them in response, stepping off and stepping on the edge, making it flip up and into my hands. "Did you buy a skateboard?" Lucas asks. 

I don't reply and Lucas looks at it for a moment before his eyes widen. "Wait, guys. The skateboard belongs to-" He gets cut off when we hear the familiar ringing of a bell. A bike bell. My bike bell. We turn to see Max riding up to the bike parking area and skidding to a stop. Kinda. "Hey." She says, hopping off it. The boys look from Max to me and me to Max, confused. "Y/N, why is Max riding your bike?" Mike asks. "And why are you riding Max's skateboard?" Lucas asks.

Max smiles and parks my bike. "We switched." She says as if it was nothing. "Now, Y/N, show me some improvements!" She says. I nod and start skating, 'skillfully' picking up speed, turning and stopping back at where I started. "Tada!" I say. She nods, a grin on her face. "Better than yesterday!" I hand the board to her and she takes it before we turn back to the others. "So, you two casually switched. When did you even have time to learn?" Mike asks, non approval on his face. "Actually, after school. And we rode home together too." I say. "So THAT'S how you knew her address," Lucas says. "You knew her address?" Mike asks, surprised. The school bell rings and we all turn to face the school. I notice Mike looking at Max with a non approving look. He noticed that I saw him and immediately switched focus. What's up with him???

We went to class and sat down, Dustin not here. For some reason. Mr Clark started talking about the American Crowbar Case when he FINALLY showed up. He apologises and sits down. As he does, he turns to us and whispers "We need to meet at the AV club at lunch. I have something you won't believe." He says. We all look at him confused. "AV club, Lunch." He repeats before Mr Clark calls him out. "Dustin!" He says. Dustin immediately turns to him "Yes my lord?" He asks. "Would you care to join the class now?" Mr Clark asks. Dustin nods and faces forward. Not before shooting us glances.

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At lunch, we all follow Dustin into the AV club room where he closes the door....and locks it. "Dustin. What's wrong?" I ask. He looks at us in the eye, each of us, one by one. He then takes his bag and pulls out something....that moves. "What the hell is that?" I ask, stepping backwards. Dustin just grins his toothless smile before holding this...thing up. "His name is D'artagnan. Cute, right?" He asks, looking at us. Some of us smile awkwardly, others just look confused. I was confused. "D'artagnan?" I ask. "Dart for short." He says. "And he was in your trash?" Max asks, recalling the story he told us. "Foraging for food."

He corrects her before turning to her. "You wanna hold him?" he asks her. She holds up her hands in defence, shaking her head. "No, no" She says. Dustin just grins and walks forward. "He doesn't bite," He adds. "I don't want to-" She gets cut off when he places it into her hands anyway. Her eyes immediately widen and she gags a little "Oh god, he's slimy" She says before turning to me with apologetic eyes and placing it in my hands. I grimace at the feeling "Oh gosh, get him off me." I say, passing it to Lucas. "Ugh, he's like a living booger." He says, passing it to Will "Ugh, oh, god." He says, passing it to Mike. Mike just lifts him up, examining it. "What is he?" he asks. Dustin just smiles and looks at Mike. "My question exactly."

Dustin then proceeds to grab a bunch of books from his backpack and slam them on the table. "At first, I thought it was some type of Pollywog." Dustin says, looking at us. "Pollywog?" Max questions, a confused expression on her face. "It's another word for tadpole." Dustin clarifies. "A Tadpole is the larval stage of a frog." Dustin continues, as if he forgot Max was in fact, in our grade too. I see her annoyed expression and cut in. "She...knows what a Tadpole is, Dustin." I say. "All right, then. Then you'd know that most tadpoles are aquatic, right?" He asks us. We all nod, confused. What was he getting at?

"Well, Dart, he isn't." Dustin says, only increasing our confusion. So, he has a tadpole-like creature that acts nothing LIKE a tadpole. Totally makes sense. "He doesn't need water." Dustin adds. "Yeah, but aren't there non-aquatic pollywogs?" Lucas asks, not convinced. "Terrestrial Pollywogs?" I ask, using whatever knowledge of pollywogs that I had....which was about it now. "Yep. Two to be exact." Dustin says. "Indirana semipalmata and the Adenomera andreae" He says, as if we knew the scientific names of terrestrial pollywogs.

We just nodded anyway. "One's from India, one's from South America" He adds. "So...how did one end up in my trash?" He questions, looking at us as if we knew the answer. "Maybe...some scientist brought it here, and it escaped?" Max offers, seemingly only slightly convinced at her own reply. Mike then cuts in, staring intently at Dart. "Do you guys see that? Looks like something is moving inside it." He says, causing us all to look closely. He moved the lamp so that it directly shines on Dart and instead, it seems to hurt Dart, causing him to screech and attempt to escape, jumping straight into Dustin's hands.

Dustin reassures Dart while Max and I share suspicious and concerned looks. What was this thing....and how did it get here? "Reptiles are cold-blooded. Ectothermic, right?" Dustin asks us. We nod in response, letting him know we were following. "They love heat, the sun. Dart hates it. It hurts him." He says. "So....if he's not a pollywog..." I begin. "And not a reptile..." Lucas adds. "Then I discovered a new species." Dustin says, grinning a toothless grin. At that moment, the bell rings, signalling us to class and we file into the hallway. 

I had a bad feeling about Dart. I followed them, noticing Will acting weird. "You okay?" I ask him as the others walk ahead, chatting, Will just looks at me with a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." He says. I didn't believe him, but pushing him wouldn't help. Last year was....something. I nod, smile back and catch up to the others, catching Max by the wrist. "Don't leave me behind." I say. She just grins and slows down to match my pace, my hand still on her wrist. "Never." 

Word Count: 1485