"So, do you think about your real mom?" Max asked as her and Rocky now shared a bag of cheez-its . "I mean, not real, but...like, who gave birth to you."

"Yeah, I have a picture of her." Rocky leaned his head against the wall. "I think she would be kinda cool. That's how I imagine her to be."

"Your dad never talk about her to you?" Max frowned her eyebrows in the slightest.

"He didn't really know her." Rocky said honestly. "I mean, they met once, and then she was pregnant. But, he didn't come around until she died at the hospital and she wrote him on my birth certificate before they prepped her for the surgery."

"That sucks." Max said honestly.

"Yeah, but my Mom did really good filling that role, even though she didn't have to." Rocky pointed out, thinking of Joyce. "She'd do anything for me."

"She's a good mom." Max nodded, thinking of every memory she'd had with Joyce. "She's crazy, but she's a good mom."

"Hopper says I remind him of her back in high school." Rocky cracked a minor grin. "Which is funny, since she's not my biological mom."

"Biological." Max nodded. "That's the word I was looking for."

"What about your dad?" he tilted the bag to her more. "He's still in California, right?"

"Yeah, he's the best." Max smiled. "I really miss him."

"You can't go visit or anything?" Rocky hummed.

"I did at the beginning of summer, but it was barley a week." she explained with a shake of her head. "My mom, she just doesn't take my feelings into consideration. Like, yeah, moving wasn't in her control either, but i'm not allowed to even talk about my dad because Billys dad is so insecure."

"What an asshole." Rocky said in return as they neared the end of the bag. "Maybe that's why Billy is such a dick."

"No, that's exactly why he's such a dick." she corrected him with a serious look. "Not that i'm defending him."

"I saw you guys." Rocky admitted as Max look over. "You were walking from the middle school, and he was just so pissed off at you."

"He just hates me." Max admitted. "Like, resents me."

"Well, that's crazy." Rocky tilted his head in her direction. "He should know that hating the devil can only end badly."

Max cracked a grin. "I hate you."

"I know." Rocky smiled, looking up as the lights blinked. His eyes shifted to his brother a few feet away. "Will, are you okay?"

He looked over at him in a panic. "He's here."

A roar echoed in the distance, the four standing up and crowding together as they met up with Mike and El once more, letting her lead as they ran down the hallway. Rocky wrapped an arm around Will as they jogged, all crowding together as they hurried up the stairs. The sound of metal hitting metal filled their ears.

El lead the group still. They came across Jonathan hitting the door with a fire extinguisher. El hurried forward, Rocky shoved Will and Max behind him as he stood behind El. A giant, slug like, creature turned their way, breathing heavily in their direction.

"What the f-" Max began before the creature shrieked loudly. As he came their way, El yelled as she used her powers to slam it against one wall, then the next, doing that a few times more to the ceiling and floor.

She backed up some as the creature came at them again, yelling once more before throwing it out of the small window. Rocky held El's arm. "You good?"

"Good." she nodded her head. "Glad didn't try to punch it."

"Yeah, that would have been bad." Rocky nodded his head, handing her a tissue for her nose before they followed the rest of the party outside to see it seep into the storm drains.

"Rocky." El pulled the blind fold off with an annoyed look. "Stop."

"Sorry." he stopped his fidgeting. Mike wasn't too fond of the idea of El looking for the source on her own, Rocky volunteering to keep an eye on her. "Can I ask you something."

"Yes." El nodded as he sat infront of her with crossed legs.

"Does your dad like my mom?" Rocky gave a curious look.

"Like?" El looked in confused. "Like...would go to the snowball together?"

"Yeah, does he?" Rocky nodded his head in questioning.

El gave a innocent shrug. "Something about a date."

"She keeps talking about wanted to move." Rocky leaned on his knees. "I just don't understand why she wants to move if something is happening there."

"Leaving?" El frowned.

"She's been talking about it." he shrugged. "My principle thinks it's a good idea too. Think he just wants to get rid of me."

El gave a minor smile. "Mouth breather."

•

kylie speaks

el and rocky's siblings
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