Together Again

Chapter 3 - The Flower (part 2)

  As soon as his mom and brother left, Will ran out the door and grabbed his bike. Buddy, his dog, ran after him. "Go home!" Will instructed Buddy, they were going to the arcade, so Buddy couldn't come.

  As Will was biked towards the trees, Buddy, from the yard, started barking at something in the woods. Will thought nothing if it and continued towards Lucas's house.

  He arrived at Lucas's house and found Dustin and Max already there. They were just awkwardly waiting outside his front door. Why?

  "Why don't we go in?" Will suggested

  "Listen." Max whispered.

  They stood there quietly and listened. From inside they could hear Lucas's voice. "Mom, I don't want to have to take Erica with me." There was a pause. "She's bratty and annoying! We shouldn't be stuck with her! She's like 10!" They could hear some stomping before Lucas angrily burst out the door, Erica behind him. "Sorry guys, we have to take this brat with us"

  Disappointed, the five of them tried to come up with something different to do, they were going to go to the arcade, but with Erica with them they couldn't.

~After Max and Lucas broke up~
  Lucas and Max had just broken up the day before. Lucas was still feeling terrible. He didn't want to have to talk to Mike, Dustin, Will or Eleven, but he wanted to go to the arcade, because it made him feel closer to Max. He couldn't go alone or he would look like an Idiot, so he reluctantly invited Erica. When they arrived at the arcade, she only wanted to play the girly games, and would throw a fit if Lucas wanted to play something else.

  About 2 minutes into their time there, Lucas realized that she sucked at video games, he tried to give her tips, to help her, and she refused to take them. Sometimes he forgot that she was not one of the guys, and would yell excitedly what to do at her, just like Dustin, Will, Mike and Max would do to each other, and then she would throw a fit and say that she knew what she was doing. She didn't.

  Every time she lost a game, she would start screaming. Lucas was so embarrassed to be there with her. This was the worst time he had ever had at the arcade. Why did he bring her? Why did he have to break up with Max? He wanted Max back.

  The arcade was now out of the question. "I just got a Nintendo at my house, and I have some old toys from when I was little Erica could play with. It's a win win." Everyone in the group agreed that was best, except Lucas

  "What about—" he started, Max knew what he was asking and interrupted.

  "My stepdad is making Billy apply for a part time job today, so he won't be home." Now Lucas agreed that would be a good plan.

  The 5 of them headed off towards Max's house on their bikes, but they had to bike on the road instead of through the trees because Erica was not a great biker. They also had to go way slower so that she could keep up. The trip took like 10 minutes longer than usual.

  When they finally arrived at Max's house, Max went to find her toys and Lucas followed her, Dustin,Will and Erica sat on the couch. Max led Lucas to her attic. As she was searching through old bins for her barbies, Lucas took her hand and turned her towards him. She giggled and leaned in for a kiss, just as their lips touched they heard a voice downstairs.

  "What are you little pieces of **** doing here?"

  Billy! They climbed down the ladder leading to the attic and then raced into the living room. Billy stood in front of them. Will and Dustin were silent. "We're here to play Nintendo, is there a problem?" Came Erica's voice.

  "Erica!" Lucas shushed.

  Billy turned. "Lucas Sinclair. If I remember correctly, you broke my little  sisters heart. What makes you think you can be in this house?" Billy taunted

  "Billy, what are you doing here?" Max interrupted

  "Don't want to get a s****y job. How could you let this guy in the house Maxine?"

  "I broke up with him, not the other way around. And we're back together now! But I think it's none of your business!"

  Lucas was silent, none of their friends knew that they were dating again, as far as they knew, they were just friends again. But no one questioned it at the moment.

  "Maxine, Maxine, your so naive, everything is this house is my business."

  Suddenly the door opened, and in walked Max's stepdad. He was already yelling. "Billy! Why are you home you piece of **—" Neil, her stepdad stopped when he saw Max's friends sitting there. Even Erica was silent. Neil saw Billy standing facing Max, looking angry. "Billy!" He yelled. "See me in the other room! Now!"

  As Billy rushed away to the other room, Max hustled her friends out the door, Lucas was the last one out, right before Max. He heard something that he shouldn't of. He heard the sound out a hand striking a face, then he rushed out the door. Terrified about what was going on in there.