Shared Trauma (Stranger Things AU)

[7]

OCTOBER 31ST 1984 - BOKWRM MEETS MADMAX

"You guys wore your costumes to school?"

"Yeah, and NO ONE dressed up Ve!"

"Jess, Dustin." Ve reminds him, Dustin tensing.

"Shit, sorry V-Jess! I'm just not used to-"

She pressed a kiss to his cheek, flushing red as he looks at her with wide eyes, slowly melting into a happy smile.

"It's okay. Just, not so loud. Don't want to risk anything."

Dustin held her hand, pressing a kiss to her cheek, Ve holding back from bursting out into sobs.

God, she missed him.

"But anyway, that wasn't even the craziest part! After school, we were almost run over by a car!" Dustin adds, Ve spinning to him, widening her eyes.

"What?!"

"Yeah! The asshole driving didn't even try to swerve out of the way!" Mike exclaimed, Ve growing angry.

"Who was the asshole? I'll kill them." Ve growled, Lucas, laughing nervously.

"Ve, we love you, but please don't. Besides, if it wasn't for Max-"

Ve freezes, eyes widening.

What-

What did he-

"Who?" She whispered, in horror.

Please...please don't let it be Max, Billy's little step-sister Max.

"Oh yeah, so there's this girl, Max Mayfield who's new at school, and she goes by Mad Max in the arcade, and she steered the car right out of the way before it hit us."

She took in a shaky breath.

No...

No.

No no no no!

NO!

"Who...who was driving the car?" She whimpered.

"I think it was her brother? It probably was a sick joke." Dustin says, Ve looking away as she covers her mouth in horror.

God, Billy...

He...he tried to KILL her boys?

For some joke?

She swallowed back her urge to cry, because she can't explain to the boys that the asshole who tried to run them over was the asshole who's taking care of her.

Hiding her.

Protecting her.

How can you explain that?

She sniffles, wiping her nose.

Ok, maybe she can talk to Billy about it later.

Maybe it was a huge misunderstanding.

But, as she tried to convince herself this, the more she got angry.

Sure, she's gotten attached to Billy as time went on and saw him as a brother...

But...

The Party was her family FIRST.

And he ALMOST KILLED THEM.

She inhaled angrily, Dustin noticing and pulling her close, Ve calming at his touch and smiled sadly at him.

"I'm glad you want to protect us, but we can't always solve it with murder, Ve. Besides...I doubt we'll run into him again."

Ok, that last part was wrong but...he has a point.

She can't kill Billy, no matter how angry he made her for almost running over her boys.

But...she's definitely going to talk to him about it.

But for now, Ve wrapped her free arm around him just as he had his free arm around her, smiling happily.

She'll be angry later.

X

An hour later, the Party is discussing Three Musketeers when someone jumped them, the boys screaming as Ve froze, hiding behind Dustin.

Then, the person laughed, taking off their mask to reveal;

"Holy shit, you should have seen the look on your faces!"

Max Mayfield.

Billy's adoptive younger sister.

Ve smiles nervously at her as the boys quiet down.

"And you? Who screams like that? You sound like a little girl." She gestures to Lucas, causing Ve to giggle, catching Max's attention.

"Who's this?"

Ve looked to Dustin who noticed and grins.

"This is Jessica! Jess to her friends. She's homeschooled, that's why you've never seen her at school."

Ve waves at her, Max arching an eyebrow.

"She's a bit shy," Mike adds, glaring at the redhead, earning an elbow from Ve.

"Am not!" She hissed.

Just not very trusting.

"V-Jess you are the DEFINITION of shy." Lucas teased, earning a glare from the teenager.

"Bite me, Sinclair." She hissed.

To make a point, she marched up to Max and held out her hand.

"Jessica Hernandez." She introduced herself.

Max grins.

"Max Mayfield." She says, taking it and shaking her hand.

"Max? As in MADMAX? In the arcade?"

"Who's asking?"

"BOKWRM." Ve smirks, Dustin shrieking 'WHAT?!' in the background.

"Holy shit, YOU'RE BOKWRM?! YOU BEAT MY SCORE ON DIG DUG WITH 980,000 POINTS!" Max exclaimed, the boys sharing shocked glances at each other.

Ve shrugged, smiling.

"No biggie."

Max scoffs, grinning.

"All right, I like you. You're with them?"

"Yeah! They're my-"

"We're her boys! Right, Jess?" Lucas says, walking to them, before adding;

"Strictly platonic though."

Ve blushes but beams at Lucas for remembering what she had called them that night when her parents threatened them.

DON'T TOUCH MY BOYS!!

"Yeah. They're my boys." She says.

Max smirks.

"The girl of the group is the leader? Why haven't we crossed paths yet?"

Because your brother doesn't want you to know that he's hiding a superpowered girl.

"Anyways, let's hit up Loch Nora, that's where the rich people live."

Max wrapped an arm around Ve and, despite that inner voice telling her she shouldn't try to be friends with her, since Billy didn't want her talking to Max, she ignored it.

Billy pissed her off.

So, what's one harmless night with her going to do?

She doesn't even know who exactly she is.