fuego. lumax

Chapter 2: THE GONE

After

𝐓he next morning Max didn't go to school, Lucas looked absentmindedly at her empty chair beside him he was wondering where the girl could be, was she sick? No, he was not sick, Did she go on a trip? But then why wouldn't she tell him last night? Maybe she slept in? Dustin tapped his shoulder and he suddenly glanced up to his friend, Dustin smiled with his newfound teeth.. well not so newfound... he has had them for almost a year! Dustin kept on smiling as he tried to cheer Lucas up.

"Don't worry man! She must've been sick!" Lucas half-heartedly nodded and instead of looking at the empty chair beside him he glanced at the board. She was not sick!

Other students entered the classroom and it turned louder and louder with every passing minute. The bell rang and the noise didn't diminish just as the chair beside, Lucas was still empty. Mike glanced at his friend with a nervous expression but then as soon as Mr. Clarke asked for attention he turned his head towards the teacher not wanting to talk to any of his friends. He was not supposed to be here! Or at least that is what he promised...

The class went by smoothly or at least that is what Dustin thought, he had been focused and interested, eager to understand Mr. Clarke's next lesson. Dustin looked over at Samantha who smiled weakly, she was clearly preoccupied about Max despite Dustin's repeated statements that she was okay.

Will had been nervous, where was Max? Why is is she missing? He thought about his red-headed friend trapped somewhere in the Upside Down and a shiver ran over his back, he did not wish that kind of fate on anyone. A familiar feeling dwelled in the pit of his stomach when he thought of Max... not again!

Mike couldn't bring himself to look at Lucas, he felt ashamed.... he knew all of the reasons Max was gone but he also knew the reasons she would come back. She had to come back! She needed to help him fulfill his promise and she also needed to save Lucas! Max had cried last night, a lot, and Mike had too. He remembered going outside at around 11:00 pm just to find nobody in Mirkwood, a great deal of planning and sweat just to fail! And now he was uninformed, was she really going to do it? Was she really-

The bell interrupted Mike's thoughts and before any of them could react Lucas had shot out the door and down the hallway. Dustin and Samantha shared a single glance and ran out the door pushing through students. Mike and Will were stuck in the multitude and could only stretch their necks and call out their friend's name. Lucas kept on running, dodging and thinking, he could hear Dustin calling him but he kept his gaze ahead. He burst through the front doors and quickly mounted his bike skirting off into town. Mike and Will caught up to Sam and Dustin, they were all panting.

"You know who he reminds me of?" asked Dustin and all three of them shook their heads, "You Mike," muttered Dustin. Will and Sam looked confused at Mike who just rolled his eyes.

"Well at least there is the Mike I know!" teased Sam as she pocked his arm, Mike flicked off her finger and turned back into school.

"We will talk with Lucas later," he stated and one by one entered the school once again.

☏

Lucas rode his bike like never before, his legs pounding on the pedals and his face contorted into complete focus. He only needed to reach one place, just one! The townsfolk moved aside as the boy zoomed past them, some of them even muttering silent curses. Lucas smiled once he recognized the road he was entering and pedaled even faster. His legs started slowing down once he started reaching a white house and without stopping entirely he dismounted his bike and ran up the steps to the fron door, almost tripping on the stone path while doing it.

"Mrs. Hargrove! Mrs. Hargrove!" screamed Lucas while pounding on the door, A red-headed woman opened up and frowned.

"Lucas? What are you doing here!"

"Max!" he called into the house but the woman pushed him outside and closed the door behind them.

"She is sick," said the woman but Lucas shook his head.

"She has come to school sick before!" he protested, "You are lying Ms. May-- Hargrove!" he realized as he pushed past the woman into the house. Nothing would stop him from getting to Max.

Not this stupid door.

Not these weights.

Not this stupid-

Max was not in her room, Lucas heard Ms. Hargrove coming angrily behind him and shut the door, locking it. He looked around her room and saw that her skateboard was missing, he opened up the nightstand drawer hoping Maxine Mayfield would forgive him. There was only one book, Lucas picked it up confused. Max had never talked about reading... had she?

The book had a cowboy or something in the cover, it was titled The Lone Ranger Rides North, it had an arrow drawn in the cover, it pointed... up? Lucas glanced up into Max's roof only to find a poster that was not there before.

Mike is our  Paladin

Will    is   our   Cleric

Dustin  is  our  Bard

Lucas is our Ranger

El    is      our    Mage

Max is  our Zoomer

Sam   is   our   Monk

She must have done this poster last night, before leaving, cause she did not know about El before... something caught Lucas' eyes, the word Ranger... of course the book! He could almost hear Max's voice mocking him. 

Way to go Sherlock!

Lucas looked again at the book and opened it up, the first page contained the title and highlighted in red marker where the words, Rides North. Lucas tucked the book in his pocket and quickly hopped out the window, running out the front door to get his bike. As he mounted his bike he saw Ms. Hargrove looking at him, her eyes were stern and menacing. 

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Things are getting real! This is the first glance at Sam's character! Which of course is portrayed by Lizzy Yu... somebody please get me gifs of this girl! I could not find a single one and that makes me so sad... Also, she has bangs now and looks amazing?

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