MARLEY // Max Mayfield

Second Chance

"Dusty, set me a pudding," Marley grinned, jogging into the kitchen and slapping her arms around Lucas and Dustin's shoulders. Dustin turned and motioned to the pile he had in his arms and she took one, "Thank you boo," she hummed and jogged over to where the spoons were kept, rifling through the copious amounts of unsorted utensils and miscellaneous junk. "The fuck does she have an adult magazine in with the spoons?"

"Lunch Lady Phyllis is a freak, I've been telling you!" Dustin shouted.

"Hey, never said she was a freak for havin' them," Marley pointed out, waving a too-large spoon she had found at Dustin, "just saying why does she have them in with the spoons, why not in with the plates or something? Or better yet, why not at home?"

"See. She's a freak," Dustin reiterated, chocolate pudding cups stacked up to his chin.

"You win. You win," Marley sighed, shoving a spoonful of pudding into her mouth, "I'm gonna go see El and Mike. Have fun hoarding," she waved, jogging out of the kitchen and into the main cafeteria. Eleven and Mike were sat talking by the window and Marley being Marley decided to hop in on the conversation. Chocolate pudding in hand she slumped into the chair that was positioned so she was staring at the two of them.

"When all this is over, you won't have to keep eating junk food and leftovers like a dog anymore," Mike continued as if she wasn't there and Marley held her spoon at him.

"What's wrong with being a dog? Dog's are cute," Mike only rolled his eyes and looked back at Eleven.

"My mom, she's a pretty awesome cook," He resumed and Marley nodded, scraping at the bottom of her cup idly, "She can make you whatever you like." Eleven went ridged with excitement, staring at Mike hopefully.

"Eggos?"

"You like eggos?" Marley pipped up and Eleven nodded enthusiastically, "You might as well marry me already, sorry Mike, I'm swooping in on your girl," she teased and Mike flipped her off.

"Anyway, yeah, eggos, but real food too," Mike tried to continue but Marley, determined to annoy the boy, threw her pudding cup at him.

"Eggos are real food!" He shushed her impatiently and she shut up for the moment, bending her spoon back and forth until the metal grew warm.

"See, I was thinking, once all this is over and Will's back and you're not a secret anymore, my parents can get you an actual bed for the basement, or you can take my room if you want? Since I'm down there all the time anyway," Mike grinned and Marley actually gagged.

"Trust me, you do not want to stay in his room, there's like this smell that only comes out at night, totally rank," she warned, exaggerating everything with her various hand movements.

"Marley..." Mike groaned. Marley put her hands up in the air as a surrender and stood up, backing away slowly.

"Fine, fine, all this love is making me sick anyway," she shrugged, hopping onto the ledge of the window and staring outside. Her breathing fogged up the glass and she sighed, wiping away the condensation, only to see Mike leaning in and kissing Eleven through the reflection. Her eyes went wide and she spun around, actually falling off of the window sill and landing on her ass.

"Holy shit!" she wheezed, scrambling to her feet, "Mike, you -- you kissed a girl!" She continued, like the idea itself was the furthest thing from rational she had ever voiced, "before me! Jesus Mike, I didn't think you had it in you!"

The sound of cars pulling up pulled Marley from her daze and she grinned, "Nancy!" The two of them shouted in unison and Marley turned, running out of the cafeteria. Mike lagged behind a moment to reassure Eleven of his return.