"My god, what are you reading now?" Mike huffed as Jude bumped into one of the desk, walking into class with his nose in a book. Mike was ignored, more so not heard, "Jude!"

Jude snapped his head up, blinking at Mike before looking down at his page, "Michael, you made me loose my spot!"

Before Mike had the time to answer, Jude wacked Mike with the back of his book before sitting down. Mike gave a look of disbelief, "Ow! I said what are you reading?"

"I was reading The Shining but now I have lost my place." Jude sassed, putting his book mark in his book and pushing it down into his backpack. Mike noticed his nail polish was no longer on his nails, staining his fingers though, "I feel off my bike on the way here, twice, carrying three days worth of bags."

"Bags?" Mike gave a look of disbelief.

"Two more in my locker." Jude nodded, straightening his pencil holder and taking one of them out.

"Why do you need three bags for three days?" Lucas turned around with a judging look.

Jude rolled his eyes, "I couldn't fit my books, my school supplies, and my clothes all in one back, Lucas."

"Drama queen." Dustin commented.

"Jonathan wanted me to tell you about a book, it's called..." Will trailed off as he tried to think of the title, "It's called..."

Jude rose a eyebrow, face reddened slightly at the mention of Jonathan, "Want me just to walkie you later about it?"

"Yes." Will confirmed.

"The human brian." Mr Clarke grabbed their attention as he laid a plastic model before the class, "I know. I know, it doesn't look like much. A little gross even, right? But consider this. There are a hundred billion cells inside of this miracle of evolution. All working as one. No, no, I did not misspeak. I did not stutter. A hundred billion."

The class was silent, Jude rose his hand. Mr Clarke nodded, "Ah, yes, Jude."

"What happens if someone, not to name names, is less intelligent then the rest of us? Would they have less cells?" Jude spoke up, making sure to look at Mike. The Wheeler boys mouth dropped.

"Nope, not at all. Good question though." Mr Clarke gave him a grin. The door closing got their attention, turning to find their principle and a redhead girl walking in.

"Ah, this must be our new student." Mr Clarke smiled.

"Indeed it is. All yours." principle said as all eyes sat on the new girl, who'd began trying to walk to a seat.

"All right. Hold up. You don't get away that easy." Mr Clarke stopped the girl from hurrying away, Jude turned to look past Dustin's head more, "Come on up, don't be shy. Dustin, drum roll."

Dustin took a deep breath before drumming on one of his hard covered books.

"Class, please welcome, all the way from sunny California, the latest passenger to join us on our curiosity voyage, Maxine." Mr Clarke introduced the girl, who looked as though she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"It's Max." she corrected him, the boys jaws dropped.

"Sorry?" Mr Clarke looked her way.

"Nobody calls me Maxine. It's Max." she nodded her head, looking down mainly.

Mike looked over at Jude, "Did you hear what she said?"

"I'm in the same room, yes." Jude whispered back.

"Well, all aboard, Max." Mr Clarke smiled, letting her move toward the seat in the back. The five turned to watch her sit nearest the window, turning around quickly when she met their eye.

"There's no way that's Mad Max." Mike spoke as the five watched the new girl skate down the walking rails.

"Yeah. Girls don't play video games." Will agreed.

Jude squinted as he watched her though the gate, "She's pretty."

"Pretty?" Mike asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, she's got red hair." Jude shrugged.

"Every girl you've ever liked had been blonde." Mike rolled his eyes.

"Doesn't mean I discriminate against the beauty of redheads." Jude shot back at him.

"But her name is Max." Lucas cut in.

"So what?" Mike huffed.

"So, how many Maxes do you know?" Lucas rolled his eyes. Mike shrugged, "Zero. That's how many."

"She shows up at school the day after someone with her same name breaks our top score. I mean, you kidding me?" Dustin added in, leaning on the gate more to watch her.

"Exactly. So she's gotta be Mad Max. She's gotta be." Lucas nodded quickly, Max getting off her skateboard.

"And plus she skateboards, so she's pretty awesome." Dustin grinned as Lucas did the same. He hit Jude, "Go talk to her, Lady Killer. Make her by our friend."

Jude's jaw dropped, "Are you shitting me?"

"You have the attitude to talk to awesome girls." Dustin reassured him with a quick shake of his head, "And you're simi attractive."

"Awesome? You haven't even spoken a word to her." Mike said in disbelief.

"Didn't you think I was awesome before speaking to me?" Jude gave him an eyebrow raise.

"No, you threw a box of crayons at me and couldn't say yours Rs." Mike rolled his eyes his way.

"I don't have to speak to her. I mean, look at her." Dustin argued with him, the boys turning back and seeing the girl gone from her previous spot, "Shit, i've lost the target."

"Oh! There!" Will nodded over toward the nearest door, watching at Max dropped a note into the trash can and walked inside. The five hurried over quickly, Dustin diving in quickly. The remaining four gave awkward waves to a huddle of girls passing them.

"Got it! There we go." Dustin grinned as he pulled a crumbled paper out, pulling it open.

"Stop spying on me, creeps." They all read from the paper. Jude laughed loudly.

"William Byers." the principle spoke from behind them, having the five turn his way, "Your mothers here."

"You're still here?" Mike asked about an hour after school let out, walking outside and seeing Jude sat on the side walk with his three bags.

Jude turned to look back at him with a odd look, "What are you doing here?"

"Setting up for AV club meetings tomorrow." Mike said as he looked around the empty parking lot, "Is your mom coming?"

"She's suppose to be." Jude said as he stood up, throwing one of his bags over his shoulder, carrying the other two in hand, "I'm tempted to make a run for it into the woods."

Mike gave a snort, "Like last year?"

"Maybe minus the van flipping part." Jude flashed Mike a side grin, looking down the sidewalk for any sight of his moms car.

"I thought I heard her." Mike spoke up, gaining Jude's attention again, "El, on the radio."

"Is wasn't her?" Jude sighed.

"No." Mike shrugged, "If she was here-"

"She'd save me from going to my moms." Jude laughed, looking over at Mike, who laughed too.

"Probably so." Mike agreed, "I'll wait with you until she shows up."

"I-" Jude began, on que, a honk came down the road. Jude turned as he looked, the green car parked before the school as Jude and Mike shared a look.

"Sorry, i'm late, baby. I was picking up those frozen pizzas you like." the voice of Becky Ives rung as she got out of the car, smiling at her son, who she hadn't seen in months.

•

kylie speaks

yk- i'm surprised
non of you picked up
on this when it said in
the intro that el and
jude looked similar.

anyways, sassy bf who
reads and is also lady
killer.

i'm gonna make y'all
a list of books that jude has
rn.