ZOOMER GIRL // MAXINE MAYFIELD

CHAPTER TEN ~ THE SNOW BALL '84

Word Count: 1488

  This is it guys! Please let me know what you think and if you think I should continue Max and Francis' bond in season three? I'd like to but haven't decided if I will or not yet! Enjoy!

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              One Month Later

     "There! You got it!" Mom grins at Will as they dance and I can't help but giggle at the two. Jonathan has Bob's camera and recording them as they dance. 

     "Do you always have to be filming everything?" Will asks, looking to our big brother as he grins. 

     "No, no. Just the good stuff." Jonathan laughs when Will spins mom out and into me. She quickly grabs my hands and starts leading me in a dance and I can't keep my laughter from bubbling over.  

     "Are you sure people still dance like this, mom?" I giggle at her scoff of mock offense. 

     "Yeah. It's what's happening." 

     "Is it what's happening?" I glance  to Jonathan. 

     "Yeah, yeah, it's what's happening." He smiles and mom spins me out to Will. We both start laughing and playfully dance back and forth. When Will tries to spin me though, I switch and force him to spin, making him trip over his own feet and fall onto the couch. Another fit of laughter erupts and I land next to him trying to catch my breathe.

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     Running late to the school dance was never a part of my plan. But I had to get dressed and it look longer than I expected it to. Mom helped, which was so nice considering I was afraid she would be mad. But when I looked in the mirror, I felt good. The pant suit mom and the boys helped me pick out was perfect. If not just a little too big.

     Though once I actually get to the school, I feel like I might lose my lunch from the nerves. "Frankie, it'll be fine!" Will calls into the bathroom and it almost makes me laugh trying to picture him awkwardly standing at the door of the women's restroom. 

     I take a few deep breaths before I finally look at myself in the mirror. The suit is loose but so comfortable. The shoulders are a little wider than my own and the waist of the pants is nearly a perfect fit. The wide belt hits the fact that I broke the top button in my rush to get the suit on. Mom spent several hours trying to get the french braid in my hair just perfect. Which she did. Slowly, I smile at my reflection. This is what I want. It'll be fine.

     Walking out of the bathroom, Will grins as soon as he sees me. "Yes! The others are already at a table, c'mon." I laugh at Will's excitement as he grabs my hand, and it just makes me that more excited too. We make it over to the parties table just in time to see Dustin swatting away Lucas as he reaches for his amazing hair. 

     Will's laughter catches the others attention and they all pause when they see me. I smile before fidgeting with slightly too long suit sleeves to avoid eye contact. 

     "Holy shit." The boys all do a little 'ohh' before anything else, making me laugh but I freeze again when I catch Max looking at me. Her attention makes my face burn and the butterflies in my stomach pick up double fold. 

     "You look awesome, Frankie." Max finally says after Mike shoves her shoulder, and I think her face might flush but I don't say anything about it as I smile. 

     "Thanks, Zoomer. You look really pretty." The words slip out before I can stop them and my heart feels like it forgot how to beat when I see Max's eyes widen. But then I notice the smile and the darkening of her freckled cheeks. 

     After what feels like hours of talking, the boys run off to do something or another and Max and I end up sitting at the table ourselves. We talk about this and that before 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' starts to play and Max gets a wicked grin. She doesn't even let me finish my sentence before she's on her feet and pulling me with her.

     "C'mon, Byers. We can't spend the whole night at this stupid table." Max's eyes are brilliantly lite with the lighting of the dance and it makes me pause. But when I look out at the dance floor, all I see are staring, judgmental faces. It makes my heart drop.

     She must see my doubt, because Max has my fingers laced with hers as she leads us onto the dance floor. "They don't matter." She whispers and I barely catch the words before Max is spinning us like a couple of little kids on the play ground. It catches me so off guard that the laughter comes before I've even fully processed it. We clumsily dance like this through out the song. Poorly yelling out the lyrics as we do. 

     I can see people staring but I only really notice Max. Her face is flushed and she has the biggest grin I've ever seem on her face. We spin around again and her hair flies out beautifully, even as it catches some kid in the face. We both just laugh harder. By the end of the song, I'm a giggling mess. Max isn't much better either, bumping into me as we start to walk of the dance floor. But when 'Time After Time' starts playing, everyone pairs off as they start slow dancing. Everything in me wants to ask Max to dance. I know it isn't normal but seeing her look so beautiful and happy makes me just want it more.

     Sudden, said girl catches my hand and drags me behind her again, leading me right out of the gym doors. Max pulls me with her into the girls bathroom and quickly checks under the stalls. "Max, what are you doing?" The redhead doesn't answer as she passes me to lock the bathroom door and I give her a confused look.

     "Sh." She hushes me and pauses before grinning. "Listen, we can hear the music."

     "Yeah, so?" I shake my head and Max rolls her eyes.

     "Dance with me, Byers." She states, grinning as she holds out her hand. I know I'm staring again, but this time I can't help it. 

     "Like, like slow dance?" I slowly stutter and Max's face flushes a little bit but she nods. 

     "I didn't think you would agree out there." She shrugs a bit and drops her hand to her side again and she laughs a little bit. "Or maybe you would have, you're brave but I'm not." 

    I don't know what to say, so instead I hold out my hand. She grins and takes it. I pull her towards me slowly and Max puts her hands on my shoulders and I settle mine on her waist. The first few steps are a little awkward as I stare at our feet, making sure I don't step on hers by mistake. After a moment, Max giggles and shakes her head.

     "You feel like a wooden board." She steps closer so that she can put her hands behind my neck. I stumble right as she does and step on her foot. 

     "Shit! I'm sorry." I feel her fingers lace against the back of my neck as she giggles and my face feels like it's on fire as I look up to meet her eyes before back at our feet. "Stop that." 

     "Stop what?" Max asks, raising her brows as she looks at me.

       I just shake my head. I stare at the my feet as we swing slowly back and forth before I notice Max's silence. When I glance up at her, she's already looking at me and it makes slow down some.  "What?"

     "Can I kiss you?" Max's eyes widen a beat after she says it and I know she didn't mean to say it out loud but I can't stop the smile that takes over my face. Nor can I stop the warmth that follows too. 

    "Yeah." I move a little bit closer, and standing like this, I really notice the few inches in height I have on Max now. Though that train of thought is thrown out the window when Max leans up and kisses me. It's fast and barely there but at the same time, it feels like the whole world has stopped for us. As soon as Max pulls back, she's smiling and her face is as dark red as her hair. And when I just grin, she presses her face into my shoulder, her arms tightening just a bit over my shoulders and I just rest my chin against her head.

      The smile on my face does leave for the rest of the night.