Family Line - Dustin Henderson

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River chased Max down the corridor, he'd spent the while day at school trying to talk to her but it was like unless they were alone she didn't want to acknowledge his existence.

"Hey, Hey Max!" She stopped walking once she got to his locker, she nodded in his direction but didn't turn to face him as she put her books in her lockers, "Are we going t-t-trick or treating this year, i'm gonna be a ghost. I could m-make you a costume as well."

"Yeah, sure." Max nodded, "As long as you make the costume."

They both spun round when someone cleared their throat trying to catch their attention, River recognised the boy with curly hair as the one who did the drum roll yesterday. His name was Dustin. The other boy River didn't know the name of but he hung around with Dustin.

"Hi, Max." The curly boy started, "I'm Dustin, and this is-"

"Lucas." The other boy introduced. River smiled noticing them wearing ghost busters costume's. He wished he was brave enough to wear a costume like that to school and not care about what other people though of it.

"Yeah, I know." Max nodded, "The stalkers."

"Uh, no. Actually..." The boys stuttered before Lucas spoke up, "We weren't stalking you."

"No, no, no." Dustin nodded, "We were just concerned because, you know, your new and all."

"Yeah, for your safety."

"Mmm-Hmm. There are a lot of bullies here."

"So many bullies, it's crazy."

"Is that why your wearing proton packs?" Max questioned.

"Well, these don't function. But..." Dustin pulled a hand made ghost trap from behind his back, "I do have this handy-dandy little trap here. And look it even opens and closes. Look, look, look..." He pushed a button and the box sprung open.

"That's c-c-cool." River smiled looking towards the trap, taking a step out from behind Max.

"Oh, thanks, River." Dustin nodded a little ashamed that he'd only just realised the shorter boy was there, "So we were talking last night," He pointed between himself and Lucas, "And you're new here, so you probably don't have any friends to take you trick-or treating, and you're scared of bullies, so we were thinking. That it would be okay id you come with us. You too River."

"It'd be okay?" Max frowned.

"Yeah." Dustin nodded, "Our party's a democracy and the majority voted you could come."

"I didn't realise it was suck an honour to go trick-or-treating with you."

"We know where to get the full-sized candy bars. We figured you want in." Dustin explained.

"That's presumptuous of you."

Dustin froze for a second obviously not understanding what she'd said, "Yeah, totally. Uh, so you'll come?" Max rolled her eyes slamming her locker shut and dragging River off down the hallway.

River stood infront of the huge mirror on his wall he held a small purple hair clip in his hand, he'd need it to keep his hair out his eyes when he put the sheet over his head. Max had brought it for him last year for his birthday, it had also come with a light blue one, but he'd never worn it, he was too scared of what his dad would say.

He shook his head placing it in his hair smiling at himself in the mirror before pulling the sheet over his head. He grabbed his bucket of the side along with another sheet which he'd cut eyes out of for Max.

He pushed the door into her room freezing when he found her already dressed up as Michael Myers, she spun round to face the boy her eyes landing on the extra sheet he was holding, "Oh, right. Sorry, I was gonna go trick-or-treating with Lucas and Dustin."

"But you said you'd go r-r-round with me. I even made your costume." River held the sheet towards her.

"I know, but Billy almost ran them over earlier, I wanted to apologise. And they might be my only shot at having actual friends." 

River nodded thinking back to their drive home from school when Billy had sped up when he spotted the four boys on their bikes and had tried to run them over. Luckily they had dove out of the way just in time.

"Okay." River nodded trying to hide his disappointment.

"You know you could come with me," Max suggested, "They did invite you."

"No, they didn't" River shook his head, "They were just being polite. They only wanted you to go."

"River, i'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"Max." He cut her off, "It's fine. i'll just go round by myself." He left the sheet he'd made her on the chair before leaving her room, walking towards the door, not giving Max a chance to chase after him.

River smiled looking into his bag of sweets he'd collected all through the night, it was almost full now. He'd seen Max walking with Dustin and Lucas earlier and immediately turned in the opposite direction, and to be quite honest he now had no idea where he was.

Part of him wanted to go and join them, but Max wanted to make friends. She wouldn't be able to do that if he was there, he was weird, annoying and he just wasn't someone people wanted to be friends with.

"Look what we have here." Two older kids suddenly walked out infront of him bringing him out of his thoughts.

River turned in the other direction only for him to be pulled backwards by the sheet covering his face causing it to fall towards the floor. The boys eyes widened pointing at the hair clip in his hair, "What the heck is that." River's fists tightened closing his eyes trying to keep his breathing steady.

"What sort of faggot wears a hair clip." One of them laughed pushing him backwards, his head clashed harshly against the floor, tears gathering in his eyes. He quickly blinked them away, boys don't cry. That's what his dad was always saying. 

"Hey!" A voice yelled from behind him, the boys looked up, "Leave him alone." The two teenagers quickly ran in the opposite direction taking his bag of sweets with them.

River felt hands pulling him to his feet before sitting him down on the curb, "Hey, are you okay?" The young boy nodded looking up the the older boy, frowning at the sad look on his face.

"Are you o-okay?" River asked back.

"Yeah, i'm fine." He nodded, "Just had a fight with my girlfriend," He held his hand towards River, "I'm Steve, Steve Harrington."

River shook his hand, "R-River."

"So why they picking on you?"

River shrugged, "I don't know, never m-m-met them before. I'm just an easy t-target I guess," Steve furrowed his eyebrows confused, although he never got the chance to say anything else as a new voice joined the conversation.

"River!" The boy flinched quickly standing looking towards the floor. Billy came storming over glaring at Steve, "What the heck you doing with my brother, Harrington."

Billy glared between the two his eyes stopping on the hair clip in River's hair, "What the fuck is this!" He reached forwards pulling it out his hair causing the boy to groan in pain holding his head.

Billy looked the boy up and down, "If I ever see you wearing one of these again I will tell dad. I don't need people knowing i'm related to a queer." And with the he dropped the purple clip on the floor stomping on it causing it to smash into two pieces.

"I'm n-not gay." River muttered under his breath, Billy didn't hear it but Steve did. No one spoke as Billy grabbed his brothers arm pulling him in the direction of his car. 

Neither of them uttered a word to each other all the way home, River immediately ran out the car when he got home, going straight to his room ignoring Max who called after him, slamming his bedroom door shut before hiding in his blankets trying to stop the tears from spilling down his cheeks.