DONTMAKEMEFALLINLOVE || Billy Hargrove, Stranger Things

Season 4 Bonus Chapter III.

Diana hadn't stepped into Hawkins High in almost a year, yet nothing had changed. They all knew where the counselor's office was, so it wasn't difficult to know which door to open to get inside, and which hallway was the shortest to Ms. Kelley's office. When Max found Chrissy's file, she also found Fred's. Diana watched as Max sat on the chair in front of Ms. Kelley's desk and Dustin and Steve peered over her shoulder. As Max read, Diana curiously watched her. The farther Max's eyes went down the files, the more her eyebrows creased and her mouth gradually turned downside. Why would Max be upset over a file? "Max?" Diana called out.

The girl stayed still in her seat. Max didn't address anyone, didn't even look in anyone's direction. Diana didn't catch her eyes or her face. It was as if Max was paralyzed in her seat. "Max!" Diana called out.

"Max!" Dustin shouted next to her when he took notice of his friend's state.

Max ignored their calls. Quickly, Diana reached out to her. When Diana and the others were close enough, she realized Max was in a trance. Would shaking her even snap her out of it? "Max?"

Diana's question was answered when Dustin began violently shaking Max. Dustin and Steve were repeatedly shouting out her name, but the girl wouldn't budge and her eyes never moved. Diana was hovered over the desk in front of Max, studying her. For a moment it appeared as if Max had stopped breathing. Suddenly, Max snapped back into reality. Her head almost headbutted Dustin because of how close he was, but Dustin and Steve jumped away. "Shit, Max!" Dustin yelled through his panting.

Max's eyes returned to reality in front of her. For a split second, Diana swore Max's eyes changed from milk white to her usual blue color. "You were in a trance," Diana stated, "and you saw something."

It took a while for Max to respond. All Max did was nod to confirm Diana's statement. "Guys," a voice said from behind them, "we're here."

All four teenagers had forgotten Robin and Nancy were on their way to the school. Diana looked up from Max and found both girls already staring at Max. Had they seen what just happened too? Probably. Nancy appeared about ready to dissect what had just happened.

"A clock," Max breathed, "there was a clock on the wall."

Max must've felt like a fish on a hook when everyone turned gawk at her. Her voice was ready to crack if she spoke another word. Silently, Max stood from her chair and scooted past Dustin. Robin and Nancy shuffled away from the door to make way for Max to leave the counselor's office. The rest of the group followed her. At another hallway that intersected with the one they were at, Max stopped in front of long corridor. At night, Hawkins High School was a tad bit creepy. "It was here," Max said to the others behind her, "right here. It was so real. And when I got closer, suddenly I just woke up."

Diana turned to Robin and Nancy. "It was like she was in a trance."

"Exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy," Dustin added as he looked at his sister. Diana shifted her eyes to Dustin and had already found him fixed on her. Dustin was trying to indirectly tell his sister Eddie wasn't the culprit.

Max turned to face the others. It was the first time she had faced them since before her trance-like state. Some people held flashlights in her face and through the shining beams on her, Diana noticed Max's glossy eyes. "Fred and Chrissy both came to Ms. Kelley for help. They were both having bad headaches that wouldn't go away..." Max paused, "then the nightmares. Trouble sleeping, they'd wake up in a cold sweat. Then they started seeing things, bad things, from their pasts. These visions kept getting worse and worse until eventually everything ended."