𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 -- s. harrington

→ thirty-three.

"DO YOU COPY? This is a code red," Lucas's voice flooded the ears of the three girls and they all groaned aloud at the audacity Max's ex-boyfriend had. How dare he wake the three girls up from their peaceful slumber?

          Valorie stretched her arm out and grabbed onto the walkie-talkie. "Max, your boyfriend is calling," she teased and lifted her hand up, passing the walkie up to Max who was laying on her bed with her eyes barely open. "I could tell him to buzz off."

          "I repeat, this is a code red," Lucas said into the walkie-talkie again, rolling his eyes and sighing once he released the button that allowed him to talk. He pushed the button again, "Max? Do you copy? This is a code red."

          Max scoffed and took the walkie-talkie from Valorie's hand, bring it up toward her mouth. She pushed the button and sighed. "Shut. Up," she snapped and released the button, pushing down the antennae. "I hate boys," she muttered and shut off the walkie-talkie so Lucas couldn't reach her anymore. The redhead rolled over in bed and brought the blankets up to her neck, closing her eyes.

          "Amen to that," Valorie said and pressed her hands together, bringing the tips of her fingers to her lips as if she was praying.

          Once all the girls had finally started to drift off to sleep, the phone in Max's room began ringing loudly.

          The angry redhead sat up in bed and pushed her hair out of her face. "You've got to be kidding me," Max muttered and threw the blankets off herself. She stepped out of bed quickly, being careful not to step on Valorie as she marched over to the phone. She quickly brought the phone up to her ear and sighed. "I'm sleeping. Go away."

          "This is Mike. Do not hang up," the Wheeler boy said into the phone. "Something happened. Something bad. Our very lives could be at stake."

          "Tell Lucas to leave us the hell alone before I punch him," Valorie grumbled and covered up her head with the blanket.

          "What are you talking about?" Max questioned and furrowed her eyebrows, causing the other girls to lift their heads up from the pillows and look toward their redhead friend.

          "Just come over to my house," Mike said and sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "We'll explain everything."

          "What?" Max questioned.

          Valorie propped herself up onto her elbows and furrowed her eyebrows, wishing she could hear the conversation happening over the phone. What? She mouthed out to Max once they locked eyes, causing the redhead to shrug. Valorie rolled her eyes and fell back against her pillow, closing her eyes. "I'm going to kill those boys!"

          "Hurry," Mike said and hung up the phone.

          Max lowered the phone and set it down against the receiver, ending the dial tone. She chewed the inside of her lip and turned to her friends, looking back at forth between them.

          "What did he say?" Eleven questioned and furrowed her eyebrows, glancing down at a very angry Valorie before looking back at Max.

          Max didn't respond, just stared down at the floor near her feet. Whatever was happening and whatever was going on, they needed to do something about it and fast.

* * * *

Andrea huffed out a sigh and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Dustin pace back and forth in front of the three teenagers who sat silently at the table, all three of them barely listening to what the younger boy was saying.