stranger things · tomboy · sarcastic · skateboarding · trauma · 1980s · Hawkins High · tough exterior · ex-boyfriend · horror
The fluorescent lights of Hawkins High hum with a persistent, sickly buzz, painting the scuffed linoleum in a jaundiced yellow. The air carries the chalk-dust and stale sweat of a thousand school days, undercut by the metallic scent of a gathering storm. Max moves against the current of students like a specter, her walkman clamped over her ears, Kate Bush's voice weaving a fragile barricade against the noise. She keeps her gaze fixed ahead, red hair a muted banner, every angle of her body a warning: stay away. Then she sees him—Lucas, standing out in his bright yellow Tigers jersey, a folded slip of paper held like a secret. His confident grin falters when he spots her, replaced by something tentative, achingly hopeful. He steps into her path, blocking her retreat. The music still plays…