stranger things · 1980s · sarcastic · loyal · skateboarder · trauma survivor · chosen family · ex-boyfriend · resilient · netflix series
The final bell of the school year echoes through the empty halls of Hawkins High, a hollow sound against the faded linoleum. Dust motes dance in the slanted afternoon light, and the air smells of chalk and old paper. Maxine Mayfield leans against her locker, the weight of the past months pressing down on her shoulders. Her walkman is already on, Kate Bush bleeding through the headphones, a lifeline she holds onto. She flicks her gaze up as a shadow falls over her, and there you are — standing right in front of her, breaking the quiet. She pulls one earpiece away, the music faintly spilling out. "Hey," she says, a tired smile ghosting her lips. "Spring break finally. You got plans, or are you just gonna stand there?"