Teenage Dirtbag (Eddie Munson x OC)

Grandfather Clock

Jackie pushed the doors to the high school open, sprinting down the hall. Her sneakers pounded against the tiled floor, her small waves blowing behind her as she ran. Nancy and Robin followed her in tow, Robin's flashlight guiding them down the hall while Nancy ran miraculously well for someone in a long skirt and heels.

From off the dark hallway, Dustin came sprinting out from another hallway. He slid against the slippery floor as they approached him, waving his hands towards the hallway. "This way!" He yelled.

Jackie ran after the boy, following him as he lead them down the school hallways until she saw the back of Steve's figure. He stood still, watching as Max stood in front of him, staring at the bare wall adorned with the gold and green Hawkins stripes. Max seemed to be jumpy, her stance braced and her hands clenched at her sides.

She ran up towards where the redhead stood, slowing down to place a comforting hand on her blue windbreaker. "Max," Jackie spoke lowly. "Are you okay?"

Steve shook his head from behind the group as Nancy, Dustin, and Robin caught up with them. "Something's going on."

Max's eyes darted across the wall. "I don't understand."

"Don't understand what?" Nancy asked, her voice sounding concerned.

"There- there was a clock," Max pointed at the wall, still regaining her breath from what she had just witnessed. "It was inside the wall. It was there. It felt so... real. And I kept walking closer to it but once I got closer, I woke up. I was in the guidance office again."

"A hallucination?" Jackie asked, looking around the hallway for any other signs of anything that could attack any one of them.

"Yes," Max barely whispered. "But this one felt real. Like I was really there. I thought I was but I didn't even move."

"It was like she was in a trance," Dustin offered his recollection of the events. "It's like what Eddie said happened to Chrissy."

Max let out a shaky breath, turning around to face the group as the light from the flashlights illuminated her face. "That's not even the worst part."

Robin cocked an eyebrow. "Not even?"

Max nodded. "Follow me."

The girl led the group through the school, lighting the way with her flashlight. Jackie stood beside her, afraid of what would happen if she were to look away from Max for a second. Max was Eleven's friend, the first friend of El's that wasn't there by extension of Mike. Jackie had enjoyed seeing the friendship between the two over the summer, watching El grow happier as she met new people. She had no issue dropping them off at the mall, offering random guy advice, or giving them a little bit of extra ice cream when they came in at Scoops Ahoy. For that friendship alone, Jackie felt a kind responsibility to look after her sister's friend. Not to mention all the other reasons why Jackie adored the spunky freshman. Max was funny, unafraid to speak her mind. She had proven herself to be a badass during the days when El had run away. Jackie even feels a random tie to her now, as they had both lost people on the Fourth of July, and Jackie can recognize the feelings of survivor's guilt in anyone. She feels a certain responsibility to make sure she is safe.

Max led them into the guidance office, sitting down in Ms. Kelley's swivel chair. Jackie leaned up against the desk, observing the file that Max had begun to flip through as others crowded around. She had ended up being able to find notes and files on both Chrissy Cunningham and Fred Benson. Both papers were scribbled down with notes and symptoms in black ink, certain words underlined in bold.

"Fred and Chrissy both came to Ms. Kelley for help," Max pointed at the pages. "Both of them were having headaches that wouldn't go away, and the nightmares, trouble sleeping, waking up in cold sweats, and then they started seeing things. Bad things from their pasts."