MARLEY // Max Mayfield

Act 3 Prologue

The summer of 1985, it was a hot one, to say the least, and for Marley, one filled with boredom. In all honesty, she just wanted it to end so she could get into Highschool already, with Steve now working at the new Starcourt Mall that had opened and her part-time job at the pool as a, reluctantly given, community service from Hopper after he caught her spray painting Old Man Jean's confederate monument; she didn't get much free time and when she did it was alone, besides the weekends when Max went around for movie night.

Groaning, she rolled out of her bed, grabbing some shorts and a button-up from her drawer. It was her week off thanks to Billy covering her shifts for extra cash, it went against the whole reason for the community service charge but Marley didn't complain, in fact, she revelled in it, spending that entire day in bed with bags of fast-food by her as she played her Atari. Though it was nice and minimal, Marley felt something missing.

With a stretch, she yawned, hearing the satisfying click from her spine as she tossed on her shirt, leaving the buttons undone in favour of pulling up her pants. While it wasn't uncommon, Marley still noticed the emptiness of the house as she stopped in the kitchen, her bare feet slapping against the tiles being the only sound. She sighed and grabbed a box of eggos from the fridge, throwing them into the toaster with relative ease.

The clock ticked away on the far wall and Marley sunk into one of the kitchen seats, staring down at her swinging feet, the sound echoing in her mind eerily. She shook her head and grabbed her Walkman, slotting the headphones over her ears and drowning out the ticking noise. How she hated how the smallest things would set her off. It could be so stupid sometimes. A clock, for example, she always likened it to the one in the Upside-down, ticking her life away and then, another model would be trees, she could no longer walk through the forest on her own for fear of getting pulled into one.

Her eggo's popped up and out of the toaster, falling to the countertop.

"God..." she yawned again, her eyelids half shut as she took of her headphones. The humidity in the air was greatly effecting her will to stay awake and she did not appreciate it. A resigned sigh left her as she hopped down from her stall and scratch at her abdomen, just below her scar and slightly above her belly button. She grabbed her eggos, not minding as they burnt the pads of her fingertips and just shoved one of them in her mouth, humming as she walked into the living room.

The doorbell rang and she stopped, hovering over her couch and swallowing down her food. She wasn't expecting any visitors at this time of night. With a slight hesitance, she sauntered over to the door and pulled it open, keeping her hand on the doorknob, ready to swing it shut if it was some preacher ready to pray her gay away.

But it wasn't, instead, a familiar head of red hair greeted her, setting her eyes wide and her lips in a grin, eggo still in her mouth. Max reached up and took the treat from between Marley's teeth, plopping it in between her own.

"Max? Why are you here, it's not Friday?" Marley was genuinely confused and just stared down at the girlfriend as she buttoned up her shirt for her.

"Not happy to see me?" Max teased, holding the eggo from her mouth as she reached up and placed a kiss on Marley's cheek, the Harrington paled and pulled the girl inside, making sure to survey their surroundings before she slammed the front door closed. "Oh, shit, sorry."

"Hey, it's not you're fault I live in a Homophobic neighbourhood," Marley smiled, "And contrary to your claim, I am ecstatic to see you," she continued, picking Max up and swinging her around.

"Marley!" Max squealed with a beaming grin, "put me down!"

"Yes, my lady," Marley complied, setting her back on the floor and kissing her nose, "Might I ask what brings you here, Lady Mayfield?" she bent down on one knee, taking up Max's hand and kissing up her arm and until she pulled her down and got to her cheek, "I'm sure I could fancy a guess. You just wanted to see me?"

"No actually," Max smiled playfully and pulled away, leaving her wounded knight to dramatically fall to the floor like she had been stabbed, "Dork. We're going to watch a movie remember?"

The girl groaned, laying flat on the ground, closing her eyes as if dead, her tongue poking out of her mouth. Max giggled and kicked at her leg, prompting the girl to sit up with a pout, "I don't want to, why can't we just stay here and watch a movie!"

"Because it's not just us two, the boys will be there too," Max smiled fondly and Marley groaned even louder, holding her head back and staring at the redhead, Max shook her head and leant forward, placing a long kiss on her lips. "Up, up."

"Mayfield..." Marley grumbled.

"Harrington..." Max mocked, looking back at the girl as she tossed her a pair of shoes.

"I don't wanna!" Marley whined all the while slipping her shoes on and doing up her laces.

"Too bad, we've been planning this for ages," Max continued, swiping up Marley's bike keys and wallet. "Here."

"Thank you, baby," Marley mumbled, begrudgingly taking the objects and stuffing them in her pocket. Max smiled softly and wrapped her arms around the girl's neck from behind, kissing at her ear quickly.

"You're welcome, Bub. Now stop sulking will you?"

"Fine, fine," Marley sighed, standing up and picking Max up with her, the shorter girl let out a yelp of surprise and wrapped her legs around her girlfriend's waist, the eggo she still had clutched in her hand right in front of Marley's mouth, "Is this some...carrot on the stick type shit?"

"Huh? Oh," Max laughed and waved the treat in front of Marley's face, taunting her playfully, "You want it?"

"Well, it is mine..."

"Not any more," Max grinned finishing it in a few bites. Marley turned her head and looked at her, an unimpressed look on her face, Max just smiled and gave her another kiss, considerably brightening up the Harrington's mood. "You taste like eggos. That should be enough."

"I didn't even get to eat the eggo..."

"You got to kiss me though."

"Fairtrade."