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CHAPTER SEVEN: FRACTURED BONDS
The last school bell rang, signaling the end of another exhausting day at Hawkins Middle School. Rowan and Max met at their locker, their expressions still etched with frustration from earlier. They had both silently vowed to distance themselves from the group after being treated poorly.
"Hey, Rowan. Max. Have you seen Dustin? We're supposed to meet after class," Lucas appeared suddenly, but Rowan wasn't about to give in. He was still seething with anger and determined to keep his distance.
The siblings ignored him, Max slamming her locker shut with force before storming off. Rowan followed suit, pushing off the locker with pent-up frustration.
"Rowan!" Lucas called after them, but Rowan shook him off, his irritation growing by the second. "Come on! We've gotta go look for Dart."
"Yeah, good luck with that," Max muttered under her breath as she quickened her pace, her anger fueling her steps.
Rowan tried to catch up to his sister, but she was moving too fast, her determination evident in every stride. Lucas caught up to Rowan, trying to reason with him, but Rowan wasn't having it.
"What is wrong with you?" Lucas pleaded, his voice tinged with frustration.
"What is wrong with me?" Rowan shot back, shoving Lucas' hand off his shoulder with a look of disbelief. "What's wrong with you?" He spat.
"I don't understand," Lucas pleaded, his confusion evident in his tone.
"No! I don't understand!" Rowan retorted, his frustration palpable. "You act like you want me to be your friend, that you want us around! But then you treat us like garbage!"
"That's not true!" Lucas protested, his voice tinged with desperation.
"Bullshit!" Rowan fired back, his words cutting through the air like a knife. "You go and hide in your stupid little AV room, keeping secrets like we're in second grade or something. You know, I thought you guys wanted us in your party. I thought you wanted me in your party!"
"We do. But it's..." Lucas' voice trailed off, his expression pained as he struggled to articulate his thoughts.
"But what?" Rowan pressed, his tone accusatory.
"There... there are just things," Lucas finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "Things we can't tell you, all right? For both of y'all's safety."
"Our own safety?" Rowan echoed, his disbelief evident in his tone.
"Yes!" Lucas affirmed, his words tinged with urgency.
"Because you don't think I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself? Or that Max is a girl?" Rowan's voice cracked with emotion, his frustration reaching a boiling point.
