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queenofcandynsoda · 4 years ago

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Liverless

(Slightly, Hikari, and Peter to @opotakuism)

The night was cool and dark. The full moon is shining on the waves. As a large ship travels through the waves, the clock strikes midnight. Four men are patrolling on the deck. All of them are wearing Marine uniforms. They are carrying rifles on their shoulders and their eyes are observing outside of the ship. Despite there is no danger, the men are constantly alert in case of any surprise attack.

One of the marines, named Ali, is observing the stern side of the ship. He is young and newly recruited. He is rather nervous as he didn’t expect to be thrown into a sailing Marine ship so soon as a night watcher. Especially in the New World. He worries that there would be a surprise attack if the ship is too close to a Yonko’s territory.

“Hey, Ali!” This shout pulls Ali away from his thoughts and turns to the lieutenant and navigator of the ship. “How’s the night treating ya?” The young marine sighs, “It’s alright” He looks back up to the sky. He turns to the front to see two stars, with the second one is on the right.

“This is strange.” The lieutenant mumbled to himself. “Is there a problem, lieutenant?” Ali asked his superior and the lieutenant shows him the item he’s holding, a compass. The compass needle is constantly spinning around with no clear direction. “That’s not good. This could set us to get lost. “What should we do?” Ali asked.

“Drop the anchor! We can’t risk getting lost at night!” The lieutenant shouted to the helmsman, who then pulls a lever, causing the anchor to drop. “But… Captain’s orders are to keep sailing…” Ali hesitated.

“We will have to dock here for the night. At least by morning, the compass will be working better.” The lieutenant reassured Ali. “It won’t be too bad. The captain will understand. Besides, we have done this several times so there’s nothing wrong to worry about.” Ali reluctantly agreed with the lieutenant. The idea of being anchored in the New World feels uneasy to him.

“I just need you to be on the stern for a while as I check this out. Your shift is about to end so it won’t be too long.” The young marine agreed and looked back at the stern. He looks at the ocean in front of him. Ali shouldn’t be too afraid of the New World. As long they stay in course, they won’t get attacked. Since they are in they’re anchor on a route where no Yonko or their allies pass through, the ship is safe from any harm.

He starts to feel drowsy. He rubs his eyes to stay awake. It’s strange that he starts to feel tired since he slept all afternoon to have enough energy to stay awake.

Ali looks up to see some dust falling on him. It was bright and dark blue. Ali gathers a bit on his hand as it stops flowing down. Suddenly, his eyes started to get droopy. He grips on the rails as his legs collapsed. He ends up letting go and his eyes closed, drifting off to sleep.

Ali wakes up and raises himself up from the ground. He realized that he had fallen asleep on his shift. If the captain knows about this, he could get a suspension or worse. He looked at his watch and it’s 1 AM. He realized that this is very unusual because his shift is supposed to end at 12:30 AM. Ali is wondering why did no one else come. Against his judgment and the rules, he leaves the stern side of the port and starts to investigate.

He walks around the ship’s deck and he sees that the other three marines are missing. Ali starts to head below deck to the cabin. He suddenly has a gut feeling, telling him to not go to the cabin. However, he goes into the hallway to the cabin, gripping onto his rifle. On his way to the cabin, he looks at the walls and the doors on the side. He opens each door and positions his rifle as if he’s ready to shoot. He is checking if there’s an intruder. Fortunately, all the rooms are completely empty and nothing appeared to be unusual. Ali took a sigh of relief as he goes to another room.

Then a thud from the cabin catches his attention.

Ali tries turning on the light but it seems that it has no power or that the light bulbs stop working. He takes a step forward and hears a puddle below him. It sounds like he stepped on one. But it’s impossible for water to drip or a pipe break. He kneels down to touch the puddle and step back to the hallway for light.

His fingers are covered in blood.

Ali felt panic around his body

He hears another thud but it sounds more wet, like a butcher cutting flesh. Ali quietly goes to the utility room to grab a flashlight and goes back to the cabin. He turns it on and looks at the group. It confirms that there is a puddle of blood below him. Ali moves the flashlight around and his heart sank.

The entire crew is deadly pale as blood comes out of their noses and mouth. He looks down to see the Captain, with a gun on his hand, with his neck bitten off and a hole on his abdomen. Ali turns to see the lieutenant lying on his chest with several stab wounds. The recruit moves his flashlight to show more of his twenty-seven fellow marines dead, most of them are still in their beds. Ali is on the verge of tears as he moves the flashlight, getting closer to the source of the noise.

The light exposed a figure on top of a recently deceased marine. He turns to Ali in surprise. The figure appears to be a fair-skin preteenage boy with vibrant autumn orange hair and yellow eyes. He wears a kimono shirt with shorts. The two biggest features to him are the fox ears and tail. It reminds Ali of the Mink tribe but the child appears to be mostly human. He could be a hybrid or a devil fruit eater.

He noticed the boy has a sword on his left hand, digging into the abdomen of his deceased ally. Ali wasted no time in grabbing his rifle and positioned himself to shoot when he saw it. He shouted, “Stand down! Or I will shoot!” His heart is racing in fear and his arms are shaking. The figure however didn’t listen to him. Instead, he went closer to the small window. “I’m warning you! Stand down!” Ali shouted in fright. The figure continues to ignore him. He turns to the window to look directly at the full moon. Ali is about to shoot until he noticed that the figure is transforming.

His once autumn orange hair radiantly changed into cold glistening silver as the moon, growing as it reaches down his legs. Claws grow as hooked blades, black thorn tattoos flourishing through his arms, neck, and cheeks. His bushy tail sprung as it counted from one.

Two.

Three.

Four.

It did not stop until they grew nine.

His almond eyes of yellow pupils shaded in red, sclera bleached in black. The half-fox mink flashed a mischievous grin, exposing his canine fangs, growling in anticipation... for the kill.

Ali paled as he is about to pull the trigger. However, it seems as the figure disappeared as soon he shoots at it. The marine is shaking in terror and looks around for the figure. Suddenly, he felt a sharp and burning pain in his chest. Ali starts gasping for air as tears fall from his eyes. He looks down to see the figure slowly stabbing him with his clawed.

His clawed hand impaled his prey's chest. Fingers squeezing the lungs to detect his favorite part until it was found under the rib cage on the right side of the abdomen. He paid no attention to Ali’s painful scream, nor the warm crimson spilled from the hole his hand dugs in. The figure sighed in satisfaction as he grabbed the liver, pulled away from Ali’s now cold, unmoving body, and collapsed on the ground.

The half-fox mink looks at the liver. It’s big and untainted by alcohol and drugs. Its crimson color looks tasty to him. He starts to chow down on the organ. Having it being torn away from a terrified Marine gives it a more satisfying sweetness. His den-den mushi rings in his pocket, causing him to answer it. “Hello?” He responded.

“Are all the Marines dead, Slightly?” Asked the voice. The voice sounds masculine yet childish.

“Yes, Hikari…~ I had an easy time killing them off with Black Bow’s Sleeping Dust…~” Slight amused to the voice, now known as Hikari.

“Are there any weapons…?” Hikari questioned him. “There is an abundance of weapons here along with some sea stone…~ All in good condition…~” Slightly grinned as he wiped the blood from his mouth. “Great job…~ Get your fleet to raid the ship and I’ll send it off…~ Peter will be happy with this…~” The voice from the other end finally said before he hung up.

Slightly picks up a cutlass from the captain’s corpse. It has a golden handle and is in great condition. It seems like it has been recently made. “Tiger Lily will love this…~” He smiled as he leaves the ship, letting his fleet to raid the ship.

#Liverless #one piece #one piece fanfiction #slightly #lost boys pirates #Halloween #hikari #one piece descendants #one piece au

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a-edgar-allan-hoe · 2 years ago

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Crimson and Clover

Eddie Munson x Reader Part 2

Part 1

A/N: So I finally caught up on starting the 4th season of Stranger Things and being that punk/metal kid that I was in high school (and still am lol), I became obsessed with Eddie Munson and his music taste 🙃. The dynamic between Eddie and reader is inspired by 10 Things I Hate About You. Reblogs and feedback is much appreciated, I love hearing y'alls thoughts! And let me know if you would like to be added to the taglist. Hope y’all enjoy! 💜💜💜

Summary: Imagine being the new kid at Hawkins High School. After a series of traumatic events that led you repeating your senior year of high school, your parents send you off to live with your Aunt and Uncle and your cousin, separating you from your home and your band, where you find yourself in the small town of Hawkins.

Notes and Warnings: language, violence, gore and horror themes, smoking, mentions of drug use, mentions of past abuse, sexual themes. Angst. Slight enemies to lovers trope. Oblivious pining. Slow burn? Reader is over the age of 18. Reader is also a bit of an ass but Eddie low key enjoys it.

(I had to make a few changes to the story, so this takes place some time before spring break)

A slight hint of a frown had etched itself onto Eddie’s features, now occupying the complacent smirk that was once there as he tried to make sense of his current mess of feelings. He could not quite figure it out, but what he felt was like a strange concoction of dumbfound, indignation, and dare say, even a bit of arousal as he headed back to his table, where his Hellfire Club awaited him with eager ears and eyes of inquisitiveness.

“So?” Mike was the first to speak, nearly jumping out of his chair as the metalhead came back over to take a seat at his spot at the end of the table. “What happened? Did she say yes?”

“She’s….” Eddie huffed out with a shake of his head and a scoff, brows raised above his eyes that formed creases across his forehead as he sat down, trying to find the right words to describe you before shoving his fork a little too aggressively into his meatloaf. “She’s somethin alright.”

“Was she mad?” Dustin added in, scared that the older student was going to wring his neck for daring him to speak to you in the first place. “She looked mad. Did she spit on you?”

"No, she didn't spit on me Henderson, relax.” Eddie rolled his eyes as he took a bite out of his food, moving the piece of meatloaf around in his mouth as his thoughts slowly drifted to the gutter, particularly the spitting part, and especially, ESPECIALLY on being on the receiving end.

"Then what did she say?" Dustin pestered before dropping his voice to a low whisper as he leaned in towards the metalhead who only gave the boy a weird look from under the curly strands of his long hair. "Did she threaten to cut off your balls?"

"What?" Eddie scrunched his nose at the younger student's absurd question. "The hell Henderson. No, nothing like that."

"I heard she cut off some dude's balls."

"Dude." Mike rolled his eyes at Dustin's comment. "You're seriously just making shit up."

"I'm not!"

"Yeah, where'd you get all this information from anyways?" Gareth asked the younger student with a look of doubt while the others did the same.

"Lucas, duh." Dustin rolled his eyes. "I thought I already said that."

"I mean," Jeff remarked, shrugging his shoulders as he crossed his arms over his chest. "She looks like the type to cut your balls off."

"Exactly!" Dustin spat out, throwing his hand out to Jeff in a dramatic gesture before slapping his palm against the table and gathering a few stares from those around them. "See, someone gets it."

"Gets what?"

"That she's a criminal."

"You're so full of shit." Mike squinted at his friend, knowing damn well the boy was fawning over you the moment you stepped out of your car. “Weren’t you geeking over her this morning?”

“Uh NO, I was geeking over her car. There’s a difference. And besides, that was before I found out she’s some psycho liverless...kidneyless killer who cuts off guys’ balls.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever Dustin.” Mike rolled his eyes before tuning to Eddie. "Wait, so what did happen?"

"All I can say is ten out of ten would not recommend." Eddie shook his head, twisting his lips in displeasure as he finished up his food. "She is literally the spawn of Satan himself.”

"Wait, so is that like a bad thing?" Mike cocked his head back with a confused expression, not sure why Eddie would necessarily be put off by the idea considering his interests and personality, not that the student was a full fledged satanist.

"Uh yeah." Eddie gave a slow nod of his head and an emphasized quirk of his brow. "I meant it as in she's absolutely heinous, like something straight out of Stephen King. She’s literally Freddy Kruger in the flesh.”

“Why, is she all burnt up too?”

“I meant as in her personality Wheeler. PERSONALITY. Get with the program.” Eddie sighed before getting back up with his tray to throw away the trash on top.

The Hellfire group followed the back of Eddie's head as he made his way over to the trash can, waiting till the older student was out of earshot before huddling together to discuss the encounter amongst themselves.

"What do you think she said to him?" Eddie's bassist brought up, eyes wide with uneasiness.

"I don't know, but from the looks of it, it wasn't anything good." Jeff stated.

"I'm tellin ya," Dustin nodded his head as he tried to put his point across, "she threatened to cut off his balls."

"Dude! Shut up!"

Eddie had been standing over by the trash can that sat a couple feet away from the restrooms while his group sat debating their theories with each other, emptying the contents of his tray into the garbage before setting the empty plastic tray on top along with the other hideous pale sand-colored ones, all while his thoughts remained of you. Specifically your eyes and the way you stared up at him, despite the pure contempt that was evident behind the mesmerizing hues of your irises. If he thought you were attractive when he first saw you at a distance the moment you stepped out of that beauty of a muscle car in the school's parking lot, then god was he wrong, you were even better-looking up close. And that voice of yours, it was like an orgasm for his ears, and usually his music was the only thing that had the power of doing such a thing. And though he nearly folded just at the sound of your voice, he almost could not stand the words that formed from it. Why did you have to be such a dick.

And as Eddie stepped away from the trash can that was near the restrooms, ready to make his way back to his table, he felt someone slam harshly into him, knocking the air out right out of his lungs and nearly knocking the poor fool off his feet. With a stunned expression as he gathered his balance, he looked towards the fleeing fugitive thinking it was one of the boys from the football team trying to be funny, only to see the back of a disheveled head of hair, a black leather jacket, a pair of washed out jeans, and those damn black Dr Martens boots. Y/l/n?

Confusion masked Eddie's face as he watched you dash out the cafeteria doors with a slight quiver in your step, catching a glimpse of the panic-stricken look that veiled your eyes before your form disappeared behind those doors. The hell was the matter with you? Furrowing his brows and giving his left arm a stretch, he rubbed his hand against the sore area on his bicep with a wince from the way you collided into his left side just a mere seconds ago. Jesus. That actually really hurt. And as he winced again, face twisted into a stung expression as he was sure your little quarterback moment was going to leave a bruise, he only became more puzzled seeing your cousin Sydney rush after you calling out your name. What the hell happened? Your first day here and you were already a mess.

Your eyes were distant, glazed over with the interweaving of the visions of your past and your current reality that seemed to divide and connect and overlap over each other, forming an intricate framework like that of a spiderweb, trapping you within your own consciousness that even you yourself were unsure you had any control of at the moment. Your back was pressed against the cold metal of your locker door as you zoned in on the ugly terrazzo floor of the school’s hallway beneath the soles of your boots, mindlessly flipping open the lid of your zippo lighter with your thumb before closing it back up using your forefinger in a series of sharp clicks. The cool metal case of your lighter was cold within the grasp up your warm fingers, contrasting against the heat of the small flame.

The depths of your mind were reminded of the crimson, blood-filled water that pooled at your feet not too long ago in the girls restroom. And of that voice, that god awful voice of that woman you tried so hard to forget. And that wave, that dark colossal ocean wave that seemed to crash into you, swallowing you whole and blinding your senses. You winced, squeezing your eyes shut against the image that flashed before you as you moved your fingers more rapidly against the metallic lid. The harsh clinking of metal against metal deafened your senses, getting faster and faster and muffling out the sounds of everything else around you as you repeatedly opened and shut your lighter.

CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK

“Hey.” You nearly jumped at the feeling of a hand on your shoulder, opening your eyes back up to see your cousin. “You okay?”

"Yeah, I'm fine." You lied through your smile, closing your lighter back up and shoving it into the pocket of your jacket. You had a bad trip once, long ago, remembering the details and the sensations you felt then. But this, this felt so real. Too real.

“You sure?”

“Mhm.”

“I mean, you nearly gave me a heart attack back there. You were burning up pretty bad.” Sydney closed her locker before facing you, clutching her textbook against her chest as she tried to read your face.

“Must’ve been my uh……vertigo. It can get pretty bad.”

“Oh my god.” Sydney widened here eyes as she straightened up from leaning against her locker. “Do you need to go to the nurse?”

“For them to tell me what I already know? Yeah no thanks. I’m fine really, no need to worry about me.” You wished you could have told her what happened back there, recount every detail as it was still fresh in your memory. But you could not. And even if you did, no matter who you told, no one would believe you. They would just think you were some druggie wacked out on something.

“If you say so.” Sydney sighed, pursing her lips before swaying slightly on her feet as she stared up at you, trying to find the courage to ask you something. “Hey…..can I ask you a favor?”

“Shoot.”

“You think you could um….” Sydney lowered her voice, glancing around the students from under her mascara coated lashes to make sure no one would overhear as she cleared her throat. “Could you um……pick me up some marijuana?”

“Pick you up what?” You snapped your head towards her, looking down at her with a puzzled expression. Did you hear that right?

“Shhh.” Sydney hushed, giving another careful glance around before leaning closer towards you. “You know, marijuana.”

“You want me….to get you weed?” You quirked a brow.

“………..yes.”

You stared down at your cousin with an amused expression, seeing the way she became embarrassed by the look you gave her before throwing your head back with a combination of a scoff and a laugh. “Oh that’s hilarious.”

“I’m……I’m serious.”

“And why exactly would you need that?” You turned to face her, leaning your left side against your locker before crossing your arms over your chest.

“Well…….it’s just for Josh and I. We’re watching movies at his place tonight.”

“We as in, just you and him?”

“Yeah?”

“And why exactly do you need me to get it?”

“Oh come on y/n. You know I can’t exactly be seen meeting up with the local drug dealer. You on the other hand-“

“Right, I fit the typical smoke-pot-all-day-everyday image. Got it.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Sydney sighed. “I just could really use some for tonight and you’re the only person who can get it for me.”

“And I don’t suppose your little boyfriend can get it either.” You sighed with a roll of your eyes. “Alright fine. How much do you need anyways?”

“About half an ounce.”

"And where am I supposed to meet up with this.......local salesman?"

"At the trail behind the school fields after school."

“Drug dealer in the woods. Right. Not creepy at all. You got the money for it?”

“Uh…..yeah. Yeah I do.” Sydney zipped open her backpack, reaching her hand inside the front pocket before handing you some crumpled up cash.

“Uh Sydney….”

“What’s wrong?”

“This is nearly not enough.” You held up the cash she gave you after straightening them out. “Ten bucks is about half of the price for half an ounce.”

“Oh, shoot.” A disappointed expression crossed her soft features. “I didn’t know. This is my first time buying and-“

“You know what. It’s cool. I’ll uh…..pay for the rest. My treat I guess.”

“Oh my god.” Sydney gave a breath of relief before squeezing you with a hug. “You’re a life saver.”

“Uh-huh. Don’t mention it.” You grunted out from her bone-crushing hug.

“You are totally the best!” Sydney squealed as she pulled away before looking behind you with a smile and a wave.

“Oh god. Who now?” You slumped your shoulders, dreading yet another human interaction and turning around to see a boy with light brown neatly-arranged hair and wearing a green letterman jacket heading in your direction.

“Josh!” Sydney let out a small giggle.

Oh god.

“Hey baby.” Sydney’s boyfriend came over, putting his arm around your cheerleader cousin before the two of them shared a kiss.

Any longer and you were going to hurl.

"Ah. You must be Sydney's older cousin from Utah." The boy smiled once he noticed you, reaching over to give you a light bump on your shoulder like you were one of his basketball buddies.

What....in the hell. He did not just do that.

"Seattle actually." You corrected him with a forced smile, especially after eyeing with distaste the way his knuckles came into contact with your shoulder. Sydney’s boyfriend or not, you already had an aversion to him and you just met the dude. Cheers to being a misanthrope hippie. “Well would you look at that," you glanced down at your watch, "I gotta get to class. See you lovebirds later."

Grabbing your backpack, you headed off to your next class which happened to be one of the only subjects you were looking forward to: classic literature. With one of your backpack straps slung over your shoulder, you entered the classroom, peering inside to see that only a select few had already been seated; the nerds, who, much to your relief, chose the seats near the front. You navigated your way over to the empty chair that sat at the very back corner, your hair falling over the sides of your face as you cast your gaze towards the floor before plopping down on your seat and setting your backpack on the ground between your legs.

You sighed, closing your eyes and rubbing your fingers in circular motions against the skin of your temple before opening your eyes back up at the sound of students drawing near. Glancing up towards the door, you watched as students slowly began to pile in, praying that none of them would take the spot next to you. Lucky for you, your wishes were soon fulfilled, for each student that walked through the door, each of them avoided the empty seat that was next to you on the right.

Propping your arms up on the small wooden desk, you sat back in your seat with a slouch, spreading your legs open in a more comfortable seating position that would have made your mother and her caviar-eating lady friends clutch their pearls. You became focused on your pencil as you twirled the thing between your fingers, watching it move around in a yellow blur. You almost did not notice the last student to walk through that door, the way he stood under the door frame searching for an empty seat before landing on the only one that was left vacant, the one right next to you. And as he moved his eyes just an inch over to see which unlucky student he had the pleasure of being stuck with, much to his displeasure, there you were, sitting a space beside the only chair left in the damn class. This was definitely worse than he had imagined.

"Great." The student cursed under his breath before making his way over, seeing that you were much too preoccupied to notice him.

The spinning of your pencil came to a stop between your fingers once you heard a pair of footsteps approaching in your direction, along with the slight clinking of a metal chain that synced along with every movement. It felt as if your stomach was churning, slowly turning into concrete as a dreaded feeling washed over you. And as you looked up to meet your fate, ready to face the consequences of your own prejudices, you were only met with the displeasure of the one person you did not want to bump into ever again.

"You have got to be kidding me." You blinked with a dramatic roll of your eyes, the frown on your face only deepening the closer he came. Your little wish to have the seat be left empty had completely backfired on you, coming around and striking you right in the rear. And boy was it a literal pain in the ass.

“Well, look what we have here. If it isn’t Joan Jett’s evil sister.”

“Well if it isn’t the wannabe Eddie Van Halen.” You curled the ends of your lips up into a smile before dropping it as quickly as it appeared. “You think calling me an evil Joan Jett is gonna offend me?"

"Someone's excited to see me." Eddie smirked, plopping his backpack down on his desk before sitting on the chair with a slump.

"You wish." You crossed your arms over your chest, staring straight ahead at the front of the classroom as you tried to ignore the metalhead next to you, whose brown eyes kept tracing over the lines of your profile.

“You know, you should join the football team with the way you nearly knocked me down on my ass back in the cafeteria.” Eddie brought up, attempting to take the lighthearted approach as he was afraid of how you would react to a direct one. You did not seem like the type that would answer well to ‘hey, by the way, you alright? You looked freaked the fuck out back there.’

Shit. You clenched your jaw at the mention, tapping your pencil against the desk as you were once again brought back to that horrifying image that you experienced back in the restroom. Out of all the people who had to see you looking like Animal from the Muppets caught up in a frenzy, it had to be none other than this band shirt, denim-clad, ring-wearing asshat.

“Ew. That was you?” You made a face. “Ugh. Now I definitely need to douse myself in bleach.”

“Oh come on.” Eddie feigned a hurt expression, placing his hand over where his heart was. “I can’t be that bad now can I?”

“Are you always this annoying? Or do you just show off when I'm around.”

“Ouch. I was gonna say it comes with the whole package sweetheart.”

“DON’T call me that.” You glared at him just as the professor walked in, greeting himself as he wrote his name on the chalkboard.

“What, sweetheart?” Eddie smirked as he placed his elbows up in the table to lean towards you, watching how your eyes narrowed and enjoying the way he was getting under your skin despite the complete and total jerk you were. “What would you prefer? Babe, sugar, honey bunny, pumpkin, darling, sweet cheeks?"

“God you’re-“

“Charming? Dreamy?"

“Despicable.”

“Despicable?”

“You know, nauseating, aggravating. There’s a thing called a dictionary.”

“I-I know what that means.” Eddie’s lips formed into a tight-lipped smile, slowly getting irritated by your oh so hospitable personality.

“You do?” You feigned a shocked expression. “Well congratulations. I was beginning to believe you didn't even know what a dictionary was in the first place. You deserve a gold star for your outstanding effort.” You rolled your eyes before facing the front and raising your hand.

“Uh yes miss…..” The teacher acknowledged you, pausing since he did not know your name.

“Y/n.” You cleared your throat. “Could I please use the restroom? There’s something in the air that’s making me sick.” You turned towards Eddie with a glare as you said the last part, only to receive a look that lacked amusement on his end.

“Uh-huh. Just don’t take too long.” The teacher waved you off.

“Thanks.” You grabbed your backpack, giving the metalhead one last glare before leaving the classroom.

“Jesus.” Eddie slouched back, watching you disappear out the door with a shake of his head. “What a-“

“Fuckin dickhead cumwipe.” You cursed under your breath once you entered the hallway, raising your hands up and balling them up into fists before dropping them back to your side with a frustrated groan as you barged out the front doors. First the incident in the restroom now this. Fuck it. You did not have the energy for this. Nor did you want to be here in the first place. And as much as you tried to forget the image, of that blood filled bathroom and the shouting of that horrid voice, the more it bound itself to you until you heard it echo within the depths of your mind.

With another string of curse words trailing off your tongue, you stomped over to your car, pulling out your pack of cigarettes and placing one between your lips before lifting your lighter towards the end with trembling hands. You tried to steady the thing, struggling to keep your hands from shaking like a leaf caught up in the midst of a strong breeze as you watched the tiny flame go everywhere but the end of your cigarette.

"Fuckin...stupid piece of cancer shit!" You growled, yanking the cigarette from your lips and chucking it it far off into the distance.

"Y/n?"

You spun around on your heel in panic at the sound of your name being called, afraid you were going to receive another one of those awful visions but instead being faced with a head full of long red hair and a familiar face you had not seen in a long time.

"Max?" You furrowed your brows at the girl before you. What the hell was she doing here? "What are you doing here?"

"I go here." Max gave you a bemused look, nearly forgetting that you had moved to Seattle before she moved here. But what were you doing away from Seattle in the first place? "What are you doing here?"

"I'm staying with my Aunt and Uncle.......the Andersons."

"Wait." Max let out a small scoff. "So Sydney Anderson is your cousin?"

"Yeah."

"........I didn't know that."

"Not many people do." You let out a soft chuckle. "So how have you been? I feel like it's been forever." Though it did feel as if it were forever. You had first became acquainted with Max back in California when you were an employee at a small surf shop near the beach, where you would work after school on the days you were not out catching the waves or skating down parts of the neighborhood you had yet to discover, back before your…incident…before everything went downhill.

Max’s step-brother Billy Hargrove had also been an employee at the time, working alongside you at the small surf shop. The two of you were not considered the best of buddies, due to your clashing personalities and the fact that you thought he was an arrogant prick to begin with. But if there was one thing the two of you got along over, it was surfing, cars, and music. It was not long until you had met his step-sister, Max Mayfield the day she had stumbled into the shop looking for Billy while he was out with some girl. And since that moment, after the two of you shared snide yet humorous comments in regards to the older boy, the two of you grew into buddies ever since, much to Billy's annoyance. As time went on, Max had practically become like a little sister to you, and you an older sister to her. And though the young girl did not want to admit it, your move to Seattle had affected her a lot, especially since you were just about the only friend she had, someone she could skate with, someone she could look up to.

"I've.......I've been okay." Max put on a smile, though her eyes told another story.

"That's good. How do you like it out here? I know it's a big change from California."

"It's............alright. Not too bad.”

Your face turned to that of concern, sensing the desolation that resided in her, a silence that was unlike the spirited girl you remember her by, but you chose not to inquire into it, knowing how much you did not like people infringing upon your own troubles without your request. "So, you ditching class huh?"

".........yeah. Just……..don't wanna be here right now."

"Same." You sighed. "Hey uh, sorry you had to see that, you know, me acting like a complete shithead. I uh, I've been having a bit of a rough day."

"You and me both I guess." Max tried to force a smile, not that she was not relieved and happy to see you after so long, but more so of the nightmares she has been having after loosing Billy. Now that you were here, standing before her, wearing just about the same style of clothes you wore then, she was suddenly reminded of the days that were, of the days where things felt somewhat peaceful. And as she glanced up at your face, reassuring herself you were the same person she knew those years ago, her eyes caught the scar that lined your cheekbone, it’s small raised surface casting a slight needle-like shadow from under the sun’s rays. She swore that was not there before.

“I uh got it from a small accident……broken glass.” You lied after seeing the way the young girl’s eyes fixed upon it, something that you had learned to become accustomed to after the many stares you would receive every time you went out in public.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. It wasn’t anything major.” You stuffed your hands into the pockets of your leather jacket, shifting your weight onto your other foot. “I was uh....I was actually about to head down to the local diner-"

"Can I come?" Max quickly blurted out, a hidden desperation that threatened to scream out from behind her eyes before she stopped herself, lowering her gaze to the pavement beneath her vans. For the first time since Billy's death, after avoiding her friends here at Hawkins, she did not want to be alone, as if the single thought terrified her. "I mean, it's okay if you don't-"

"No, you kidding me? It's totally cool. I'd love to have you for company." You told her. "I'll get us some milkshakes and we can catch up on.......whatever the hell it is we need to catch up on. Whaddya say firecracker?"

“Sounds good." Max nodded her head, the hint of a genuine smile just barely appearing on her lips upon hearing the nickname you had given her back in California.

“Awesome. My car is right over here." You gestured over to your Dodge, walking towards it while Max followed closely behind.

"That's.......your car?"

“Mhm. My 1970 Dodge Challenger RT.” You smiled as you gave the top of your car a light smack. “Got her a few years ago.”

Max let out a scoff, shaking her head as she admired the classic muscle car. “Oh Billy would’ve shit himself in jealousy.”

“Would’ve?” You quirked a brow, not sure if you had heard that correctly.

“I meant would.” Max quickly covered up with a lie. So you had not heard anything yet. You must have arrived here not even half a week ago. “You know, once he gets a look at it.”

“He still got that Camaro huh?”

“Mhm.” Max frantically nodded her head as she got in the passenger seat after you. It was not that she did not want to tell you the truth, Billy’s death was just a topic she did not want to touch upon.

The drive to the diner had been a quiet one, as Max and you had been much too preoccupied with your own worries. Your cassette of The Cramps played through your car's speakers after the endless searching of the local radio stations only to find them lacking. Your eyes were focused on the road ahead, your fingers drumming along to the music against the steering wheel while Max went through your cassettes.

“What’s this band?” Max held up a cassette, turning it around as she looked it over.

“That,” you turned to quickly see which cassette she was holding up before facing back on the road, “that band is called Melvins.”

“Melvins?” Max made a face. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“They’re underground. They’re a part of the Seattle Sound.”

“Seattle Sound?”

“It’s a new genre forming from where I was living in Seattle. It’s like a blend of metal and punk. There’s a couple bands like Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, Green River, Alice In Chains and this newer band called Pearl Jam. I can put you together a mixtape if you want.”

(I know Pearl Jam was formed in 1990 and Alice In Chains were formed in 1987 but let’s just pretend because they’re one of my favorites lol.)

"Sure, that would be cool actually." Max sat back in the leather seat, putting away your cassettes before staring out at the window, a citrusy and woodsy scent filling her nostrils from the Little Tree air freshener that hung from your rear-view mirror as she watched the trees blur past, thinking of how she would ever tell you the news of Billy's death.

The Diner was nearly empty by the time you arrived, not yet filled with the bustling of students who flocked here in large numbers to socialize and make out after spending their day sitting behind a desk facing a blackboard. Three or four adults, mainly in their forties, and a few elderly couples sat about at the diner, their faces content with the lives that they have lived as they conversed with their friends and partners.

Max and you had sat at one of the booths near the window, looking out at the plain view of the tall trees that blanketed the woods beyond, hiding whatever creatures dwelled within. A few cars would occasionally drive by on the road at the far end, their manufactured bodies a stark contrast to the natural environment behind them.

"So how's Seattle?" Max was the first to speak up, moving her straw around in her glass of strawberry milkshake.

"I mean........" You pulled your chocolate milkshake closer to you, the glass cold and wet in your hands from the condensation as you plucked the cherry off the whipped cream before popping it in your mouth as you tried to find the words to describe where you lived. "Well, it's not Chicago or New York, but it's nice as its own city. The coasts and the nature parks are a must see though. And the music scene is great. My band and I did a couple local gigs and stuff, nothing too big."

"You're in a band?" The blues of Max's eyes slightly brightened. "No way. What's it called?"

"It's a girl band, Seattle Sound and all but….a bit angry.....kinda like Alice In Chains…..if that's a way to describe it. I play guitar and lead vocals. We're still working on a good name though."

"What is it?"

“Um...…….The Gorgons.”

"The Gorgons?" Max tilted her head before taking a sip of her milkshake, curious to know what went behind the inspiration.

“It’s uh, based off of Greek mythology. Long story short, these three sisters were punished for the sin of a man and were turned into these snake-haired monsters. We uh……we thought the theme was still prevalent in this day and age.”

"I like it. I think it's a good name."

"Yeah? I mean it’s either that or The Devil’s Rejects or some other shit. You should come see us play one day.........once I go back of course."

"That depends, is your band any good?" Max teased.

"I can't believe you just asked that." You jokingly gasped. "Of course we're good.......at least I think so. What, you questioning my skills Firecracker?"

"I just want to make sure." Max muttered, swirling the pink contents of her glass with her straw before gasping at the small sugar packet that you tossed at her. "Hey!" The girl gave you a playful glare, scoffing before flicking some whipped cream in your direction.

"Maxine Mayfield. You did not." You gaped, swiping your fingers across your cheek to see your fingertips covered with the white whipped cream.

"Oops." Max snorted, trying to hold back her laughter before breaking into a fit of giggles at watching you wipe yourself off.

"You little brat." You shook your head with a scoff before laughing along with Max, happy to see her beaming again as if whatever cloud you had sensed hovering over her had disappeared, revealing the vibrant girl you once knew underneath. And for once, even if it were for just a short while like this very moment, throwing your heads back in laughter while your milkshakes slowly melted away, the two of you had forgotten your troubles as if they merely a blade of grass in the distance. If only it were to remain that way.

By the time that you had dropped Max off at her place, after handing her a small piece of paper with your address written on it and promising her that your home was a safe haven if she ever needed it to be, you were already heading right back to the place you had gotten away from in the beginning. Right back to the dull, institution-looking school for your little meeting with the local potions merchant. Your music blasted through your speakers as you once again pulled into the parking lot, rolling your windows up before taking your keys out of the ignition. You sat there for a moment, leaning back in your seat and biting your bottom lip in contemplation as you drummed your fingers against the fabric of your jeans. After jumping back and forth from the what-ifs and what-nots, you reached over to the passenger side and popped open your glove compartment, staring inside at the small black and silver handle of your switchblade, tucked away with your papers and your plastic cassettes and your red and white boxes of your Marlboro cigarettes.

“Fuck it.” You huffed, taking your switchblade and slipping it into the back pocket of your jeans. After all, you had no idea who, or even what, would be waiting out for you in those woods. And given the nightmarish scene that you witnessed in the girls bathroom, you did not want to be unprepared. Not again.

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