𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚎,

𝚆𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚎.

𝚆𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚊 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝.

𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜.

𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚙𝚞𝚜𝚑 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚍𝚐𝚎.

𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚎.

𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔.

𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎

𝙾𝚏 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜,

𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜.

Lennon took two finals after being assigned as the new flyer and only by the end of the day did she find Max.

The girl kept her head down and if it weren't for having Dustin, Jane, and Lucas by her side, she would've been concerned. If she was upset, being around friends was assuring.

She kept her eyes on the ground and she had a pair of headphones dangling around her neck when Lennon approached the younger kids.

"Max. Hey," Lennon sidled up beside the girl and caught her nervous stare. When she realized who it was, she avoided Lennon's gaze and started to walk a little faster.

"Max," she repeated, earning the stares of Jane and Lucas as she continued to follow the girl.

"Why don't you try talking to Billy?" Lucas butted in, quickening his pace and walking beside Max as she pulled her headphones over her ears. "He's been trying to find you all day," Lucas grumbled.

"What?"

Lucas stopped in his tracks while Jane and Dustin followed Max to the front doors. He sighed and Lennon stopped chasing the girl to hear what he had to say.

"I know you're new, but Max is your friend," Lucas defended her passionately. "And just because you've made a bunch of new friends being on the team doesn't mean you can just desert her because you're basically high school royalty now. How can you just betray her like she didn't mean anything to you?" Lucas narrowed his eyes contemptuously, ridiculing Lennon as a sea of people moved around them.

"I didn't," Lennon informed, "That's what I'm trying to tell her..."

"So..." Lucas shot her a look of scorn. "Kissing the brother that torments her every day is what? A kindness?" Lucus shot her a look of disgust.

"You don't know the half of it, Sinclair," she leered darkly.

His words ignited a flame in Lennon that she hadn't felt for a long time. She felt passionate and empowered to do what was right. Lucas was acting like he knew what he saw for certain but that wasn't the case. She couldn't blame him for jumping to conclusions but to spread lies about her... It was infuriating.

"And before you go off to all your buddies with half-assed truths, filling in the blanks where you see fit to make yourself look more resourceful to compensate for..." she eyed him up and down mockingly. "Other things," she earned his fear and backed off. "Consider the fact that some heroes might be other people's villains and some villains are their own heroes, you don't know shit unless you've seen it from every perspective," she poked him in the chest, not seeing that people were watching before leaving him in the hall as she sprinted towards the doors.

She slowed to a jog as her eyes scanned the clusters of people leaving. Lennon was asking around for the girl but nobody cared. Surely she had passed someone, but they wouldn't notice her because she only had the boys from the Hellfire Club and Jane to have her back.

After all, in that society, what would the quiet new girl have to offer?

Lennon thanked everybody even though they didn't necessarily deserve it and she went on her way. She wasn't going to give up because nothing in the world meant more to her than explaining everything to Max. She needed to let her know the truth.

For once, she didn't care if she seemed desperate or insane or even weak. She wasn't concerned with what people thought of her looking for some freshman girl who just moved to town. She didn't care. She just needed to fix it with Max.

Then it clicked.

She stopped in her tracks and ran towards the cars parked by the side exit.

Max couldn't drive and Billy mentioned that she caught a ride without someone before... She was more than likely waiting for Billy or Lennon was too late and they had already left.

She wondered if Billy stuck around to look for her. People were telling her about it but she didn't believe it because she didn't tell him that she was interested in him. But then again, she didn't shoot him down either...

She hoped they were both still there and went towards the side of the building, knowing if Billy left school for lunches he'd want a quick and easy exit.

She found the car soon enough.

1979 Chevy Camaro. How fitting... I basically kissed my brother 2.0. Great. I hope he's not as much of an ass...

Max was sitting in the passenger seat with her headphones still on her head. She was coldly staring out the window like she was lost or depressed and Billy occupied the seat beside her. The engine roared as Lennon caught the sight of them and she hurried over to them before they could go anywhere.

"Billy!" she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth and grasping the attention of the man who was causing her a whole lot of trouble.

But even if she knew he would make her life Hell before she kissed him, she would've done it again if it meant she could see Eddie. The only thing she wasn't sure about was if she would've done it because she was falling for the older man or if she just wanted to make sure he didn't OD that day. It was a terrible thing to walk into and that made it difficult to know why she cared. Was it because she was a decent human being or because she cared for him more than most others?

"Hello," he drew out suggestively, shooting those big blue eyes at her as he was fiddling with some gum he had between his teeth. He was looking at her playfully, eying her from his open window and causing Max to turn to see who he was addressing.

Lennon ignored him.

Billy's eyes transformed from lustful to disappointed but they stayed with Lennon as she circled around the car

"Max," Lennon called out softly, leaning down to meet her eye. Max didn't look up. As Lennon did with Billy, she ignored her.

Max turned slightly in her seat and stared down at her Walkman uncomfortably. She didn't want to talk to Lennon and it was obvious.

"Max, please," Lennon begged but just as she looked up into Lennon's apologetic eyes, they squinted with a sarcastic smile as she began rolling the window up.

Lennon sighed and took her hands off the door as the smaller girl put glass between them.

"Hey," Billy scowled, shoving Max with his elbow but the window had closed entirely and they began to mutter and mumble amongst each other.

She accepted that whatever it was that they were discussing wasn't for her ears but instead of being shunned, the window was rolled back and Max was not happy about it.

"What?" she was irritated and impatient now. Whatever Billy had said to her must have been persuasive because Max was finally going against everything inside her and giving her a chance.

"Can I please explain myself?" Lennon begged, hugging her jacket as the cold made her bones ache.

"I'd rather not hear more about the gory details," she shot Lennon a look of disgust.

She sighed. "If I tell you why I..." her eyes went to Billy who was staring at her mischievously from the driver's seat. Lennon looked away and ignored him. "If I tell you whole the story, I can't have other people knowing about it."

Lennon wasn't making sense and Max was looking back at her like she was crazy. Lennon noticed and fell back slightly, rolling her eyes and trying again.

"That's kind of the whole point I did it, actually..."

"What?" Max shot one eyebrow up in question, thinking this girl was good with words until this very moment.

"Would you let me explain?" she retorted. "Alone?"

Her eyes went to Billy. He didn't look offended but instead, he smiled.

"You got a ride?" Billy asked charmingly.

Lennon tried not to show her amusement and nodded.

"Max, get out," he ordered her.

Max turned to him incredulously and cringed. "No."

"I said get out the car, Maxine," his voice got terse and angry as he faced her with furrowed brows and an unnerving look of aggression on his face. "Go with her."

"Don't call me that," she spat back bitterly.

"What? Your name?" Billy shook his curls loose in disbelief as he derided his little sister.

"It's okay," Lennon intruded. "If she doesn't wanna come with me, it's fine," Lennon assured, hating to see how he treated Max. "We can talk tomorrow-"

"Nah, nah, nah," Billy leered at Max. "Go with her," he pointed to Lennon gently but his tone was still harsh. "I'll pick you up when it's convenient. Go!"

Max rolled her eyes and groaned.

She swung the door open and almost pushed Lennon out the way as she followed orders.

"Hey!" Billy yelled, noticing the disrespect Max showed to Lennon.

"No," Lennon quickly approached him with her hand up in defense. "It's fine. The house is down Creekside. The two-story. I will talk to you later," she replied quickly. She didn't stay to hear if he said anything afterward because she was off following Max as soon as the door was slammed shut.

She was disgruntled with Billy, not Max, and as she turned away from Billy, she saw Max trudging through the crowd of rowdy teens making their way home.

Lennon hurried to catch up.

"I didn't kiss Billy because I like him," Lennon immediately assured her.

Max grumbled something under her breath and continued to walk across the expanse of the parking lot.

"I kissed him because I..." Lennon got self-conscious. She wanted to trust Max, but it was still scary confessing something to someone new after everything she went through earlier that year.

Lennon groaned and took Max by the shoulder. "Because I'm seeing someone else!" she blurted out, gaining the attention of a few goths who turned in question.

Max was staring up at her with bewilderment but Lennon's head snapped in the direction of the kids climbing into the back of an old Ford. "Friend..." she said loud enough for them to hear before turning back to Max.

She had shoved Lennon's hands off of her shoulders before taking a step back and meeting her nervous stare with consideration now.

"Are you okay?" Max pondered in shock. Lennon was usually so calm and laid back. She seemed calculated and intelligent but now she was acting like she was going to burst at the seams. She was a mess. She said things that didn't make sense, she stumbled over her words, and her eyes weren't careful and caring anymore. They were a vibrant green and constantly moving like flies trying to find a safe landing.

"No..." Lennon slumped her shoulders and bent her head to the crystal white sky as little flurries landed and melted on her skin. "No, Max, I'm not," she laughed painfully.

Her sudden smile caused Max's concern to grow.

"I think I'm going insane..." she giggled, turning back to the girl and restraining the tears. She had her hands on her face now as she tried to bring some color and warmth to them. She wanted to ease her nerves but that was going to be difficult when confessing her feelings to someone she couldn't trust. But this was the only way to get her peace of mind back. She had to do it.

"Yeah," Max shot back quickly. "You look like you're going insane."

"Great," Lennon shrugged and avoided her eyes until she could keep herself from falling apart. "I want to tell you whatever people are saying about..." Lennon trailed off, realizing they were surrounded by people with ears and took the girl to the side of the building before lowering her voice. "About Billy and me... It isn't true. None of it," she promised.

"Look," Max sighed. "I'll get over it. I'm just tired-"

"No," Lennon scoffed. "That's not it at all..." Lennon took a deep breath and closed her eyes to recenter herself. "I mean... Billy and I aren't even... Oh, for fucksake. I don't like him," she spat out bluntly. "No offense," she furrowed her brows sympathetically and met Max's attentive eyes.

Max took a second to process Lennon's words. She was staring perpetually at the reckless brunette before bursting into laughter.

She threw her head back in elation before using her hand to cover her humor. "Oh my god," she giggled, pushing herself against the wall and opening her eyes to see Lennon standing there with a puzzled look scribbled across her face. "Please say it again," Max continued to laugh until her belly ached.

"Whuh-" Lennon huffed out incredulously, feeling left astray as she uttered mean things to someone who cared about the person she was talking about. She reeled back and felt her smile betray her. "I don't understand..." she took a step back and stared at the smaller girl with sheer fear in her eyes.

"I have never heard anybody..." Max was interrupted by another fit of laughter. "I've never heard anybody else say they didn't like Billy..." she wiped under her eye. "I'm sorry," she shook her head slowly and fought the amusement.

"I didn't..." Lennon sighed. "I don't want you hating me for doing something as stupid as that," she explained thoughtfully. "Your friendship is so much more to me than him. I just needed to let you know..."

Max's crinkled eyes turned soft as she stared up at Lennon. She hated her after hearing about it all break from her step-brother's mouth but she could tell Lennon was being genuine and caring now. There was no reason not to trust her. She had shed a skin right in front of her and all of a sudden, Max realized she and Lennon weren't all that different once stripped of their uniforms and social status.

"Yeah," Max's eyes fell to her shoes momentarily as she scratched at the back of her arm absent-mindedly. "I'm sorry I was being a dick earlier..."

"It was well-earned, I know," Lennon quickly assured.

"I just wanted to explain myself. I don't like him and I'm not planning on seeing him and I... I've gotten myself into a bit of trouble with someone I can't have people knowing about so I sort of needed to kiss Billy. I didn't know what better way to alleviate some suspicion and kissing him made sure people didn't catch onto my real... interest..." Lennon looked away shyly before offering Max a hopeful smile.

Lennon needed support. She could taste the worry on the tip of her tongue as she confessed her true intentions to Max but because the girl seemed so selfless and open-minded, and because her friendship really did mean that much to her, she needed to surrender.

"Interest?" Max's bottom lip popped out with a curious and charming smile. "What is it? Like a sport?" Max giggled, knowing all too well what Lennon was insinuating but the clarification was too humorous to ignore.

"No," Lennon laughed, shaking her head and curling a strand of hair around her ear nervously.

But that was the difference with Max. Like with Nancy, her nervousness wasn't deeply rooted. She didn't think she was capable of being picked apart if she said the wrong thing to them. They weren't as self-satisfying as the rest of the people at Hawkins. They weren't judgmental. So when Lennon was nervous around strangers, and most of her peers and classmates, she had to fear her reputation, her acceptance, and her entire livelihood on what she looked like and what she said.

But with Nancy and Max, Lennon knew they would at least give her a chance to explain. They wouldn't ridicule her without having a good reason and they weren't actively trying to hurt her. The nervousness she felt around them was a different kind of nervousness. She wanted them to feel good about whatever she was going to say. She wanted acceptance, but she also wanted agreement. She was nervous about how she would affect them, not the other way around.

"He's not a sport. He's..." Lennon turned away and blushed at the thought of those brown eyes she missed all day. "He's the only person who makes me feel like I can be myself and he's the only person who hasn't made me feel like the new toy you get on Christmas as a child," Lennon shook her head in small adjustments as she explained to Max what it felt like being the new shiny toy of Hawkins High.

Max knew it was the truth too. She had seen the way people stared and being the invisible kid in the classroom, she heard a lot about her too. Some people would be derogatory and some people would be obsessive but too afraid to even smile at her. The attention she received made Max sick only because she pitied her for having to deal with it.

And even though guys didn't blatantly walk up to Lennon and pester her, she could feel their eyes and that made it almost worse.

Max understood her better after that. Lennon had let Max in. She admitted to being new to all the popularity but Max didn't find the sudden change odd because Lennon seemed to blend in so easily. It didn't seem disingenuous but it was a conscious forefront Lennon showed and Max was open to the idea of this mysterious girl being someone nobody knew.

"Seeing as it's the eighties and there are no Capulets or Montagues around anymore..." Max drew out suspiciously. "I can only wonder what makes this certain 'interest' so repulsive to society that you would sink as low as kissing someone like Billy of all people," Max cringed at the thought.

Lennon scoffed. "Listen, he's not that bad..."

"Ew," she flared her nostrils. "No. Please stop, I'm gonna barf," Max held up her hand to her mouth and pretended to feel dramatically ill.

Lennon smiled tenderly and obliged. "He's..." she drew out as the words weren't coming to her. "Not the kind of guy that would be good for my reputation..."

"And hanging out with me is?" Max pointed out.

"You're different..." Lennon's tone turned vague and high-pitched as she avoided giving away too much about this mysterious person of interest. "He's not just ignored by people he's outlawed. People say the worst things about him and I needed a reason to see him without my brother thinking I was... Disobeying him and being apt to put myself in danger. But I'm not. He isn't who everyone thinks he is..."

Lennon looked over at Max to see if she was boring her or losing her interest but Max was still looking back at Lennon attentively. She mentally thanked the girl and felt more safe being with her. "But none of that matters because people wouldn't believe him even if he tried..." she sighed.

"Should I be worried?" Max asked in disbelief. "Sounds pretty severe..."

"No," Lennon shot her a soft smile. "He's not perfect but he's good. He's like a salted chocolate bar," Lennon thought of him affectionately. "People will taste the salt and spit it out before realizing how sweet the inside is... People think he's a monster without knowing what lies on the inside and because they already think he's salty, they won't try him again..."

Max's lip pouted again sympathetically as she fought the smile rising to her lips. "Alright... You're starting to sound like one of those ridiculous romance films."

"Sorry," Lennon mumbled, shaking her head to clear her thoughts and casting her gaze out to the parking lot before seeing Brontë pull in.

"You're falling for this mysterious chocolate bar, aren't you?" Max tilted her head up slightly as her teasing yet tender tone turned Lennon's head.