Isn't It Strange? (Max and Eleven AU | Elmax)

S c h o o l

School, I'd like to say I was excited but I wasn't. The only reason I agreed to school in the first place was because that was an option for me to see Mike for a few extra hours of the day. It seemed almost like a necessity. I was walking down the halls. My hair had grown out slightly, Hopper said it'd be better, so that people wouldn't think I came from a bad place. I became more wary of the people I was around. No one was looking at me and to me that's all I was hoping for. I searched frantically for a familiar face when I suddenly saw Max. I stared at her for a bit, she didn't hang around us ever since the snowball. She told Lucas that she didn't feel welcomed and that kind of caused them to drift apart. I wasn't really affected considering the events of where I haven't even properly introduced myself. Surprisingly she now hangs out with the mouth breather and his friend. Troy Harrington and James. The people who hurt my friends. The people I hurt. Max was walking past me and I caught her eye, she just half-smiled and looked back down to the floor, I do feel bad for never giving her the time of day, but she never really seemed that affected by it anyways.

"Hey El" I heard a quiet voice from behind me, I spun around and saw Will with dark bags under his eyes. "You heard?" I asked with a whispered tone, the tears welling up in his eyes were enough for me to get my answer. I pulled him into a reassuring hug, reminding him I'm always there for him. Suddenly I remembered my pact. "Do not get attached" I pulled away and looked him in the eyes. So much of him reminded me of Mike. It hurt, almost too much.

Will and I made our way through the halls with the occasion comments "Hey Zombie Boy", "Look it's Zombie Boy" comments like these were said throughout our journey to first period. I tightened my hands into fists, using the advice Mike used to give me "Don't use your powers if you're able to handle issues in more normal ways."

I checked my timetable "Maths?" I asked, Will smiled at me softly and nodded his head, "remember the numbers Lucas and Mike were helping you with, you're really good at it now, maybe even better than most of the kids in our Grade" I shook my head looking at the floor with a cocky smile. I was pretty good at the numbers. "It's totally because her name is a number itself" I heard Dustin's voice approaching. "Shut up Dustin" Will said, trying to sound protective and I just laughed "yeah, shut..up Dustin" I said, trying to sound as protective but I couldn't, I just sounded like a four year old repeating their mother's phrases.

"Oh well, El has Maths, I have Chemistry, how about you Will?" Dustin asked already pulling Will's timetable out of his hands. "Hey-" Will was cut off as Dustin suddenly started speaking, "History, Maths, English, Theatre?" Dustin exclaimed reading the last word. "Will Byers is taking Theatre?" he started laughing "Dustin, give it back" Will said, his face going all red. "What is.. theatre?" I asked unsure. I haven't actually chosen what I was going to learn yet, the Principal told me to try out everything and see what I like best throughout the week.

"Theatre is something girls do" Dustin said in a cheeky tone. "It is not!" Will said getting all defensive. "It's an art, wouldn't you like to act like someone you're not for once?" he asked, clearly upset by Dustin's words. "Uhh no, actually I'm pretty content with who I am thank you" he chuckled slightly pushing Will's petit body. "I'm joking Will, I'm happy you're expressing yourself" he smiled patting his best friend on the back "Anyways El, Theatre is where you act and do shows and-" Will was cut off by a loud noise that scared me, causing me to hide behind the boys. "Eleven it's alright, it's just the bell, when you hear that, you go to your lesson and when you hear it while you're in class, it means you go to your next class" Dustin explains. I nodded and said my goodbyes, finding my way to Maths. I knocked on the door, it's been 5 minutes since  the loud noise went off. 

"Hello?" I muttered entering the class "El!" Lucas exclaimed, I immediately sent him a stern look "I mean, Jane! Great to finally meet you" he said standing up grabbing my hand and moving it up and down multiple times. "Weirdo" I whispered to him, he chuckled and saved a seat for me. "Ah, you must be Jane Hopper" the tall lady with the weird hair standing in front of the class said. "Teacher" I replied, "Yes" she giggled "That's me. Why don't you introduce yourself to the class?" She said resting her hand on the back of my shoulder pulling me closer towards her and the class. "Introduce?" I asked, she had a puzzled look plastered on your face. "Alright change of plans" she said as the class snickered and began whispering. "How about I ask you questions and you answer them so your classmates get to know you better?" She asked, I didn't know what a 'classmate' was but I nodded anyways. 

"So where were you before moving to Hawkins?" she asked me smiling. I stood there thinking of everything Hopper and I had spoken about. "My mother passed away back in Washington, my uncle Hopper is now looking after me" I muttered, trying to remember the phrases and speeches Hop had encouraged me to memorize. "She looks a lot like that weirdo from the Quarry" I heard Troy whisper to James, it was loud enough for the majority of the class. "Oh, you mean the one who forced you to piss your pants?" Lucas spat out dryly at Troy, I couldn't help but giggled to myself. Troy stood up ready to get defensive and possibly hurt Lucas but, the red haired girl pulled him back down and muttered something to him. 

A while throughout the class I heard Max raise her voice. "Oi Harrington, quit it will you. Did you're mom ever teach you not to stare, you know? Manners? Oh wait never mind, considering the fact you push kids down to the ground and from what I heard you basically force kids to jump of cliffs while you pull their friends teeth out" I stiffened at the mention of when I had broken Troy's arm after saving Mike from the cliff. 

Troy left the classroom clearly pissed, with James walking after him like a little puppy. Something clicked inside me, Max just stood up for me. I turned around and stared at Max, once she noticed she fixed her hair and smiled back, shortly looking down at her work again. I just continued smiling, looking at her with my head rested on my hand. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all. 

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Author's Notes:

Can someone please let me know if you like this story at all, if not that's fine :) 

Hope you liked this part. Next part coming soon x 

-Gemma