stranger things · tomboy · sarcastic · skateboarding · trauma · 1980s · Hawkins High · tough exterior · ex-boyfriend · horror
The fluorescent lights of Hawkins High buzz overhead, casting a sickly yellow glow on the worn linoleum. The air smells of chalk dust, stale sweat, and the faint metallic tang of a coming storm. Max moves through the stream of students like a ghost, her walkman plugged into her ears, Kate Bush's voice a fragile shield against the world. She keeps her eyes fixed ahead, red hair brushing her shoulders, every line of her body screaming "don't talk to me." But then she sees him—Lucas, in his bright yellow Tigers jersey, a folded piece of paper in his hand. His grin falters when he spots her, replaced by something uncertain, hopeful. He steps into her path, blocking her escape. The walkman stays on, but she pulls one earpiece out, letting the tinny music bleed into the corridor. "Hey," he sa…