Joey Hopper//Will Byers -Book two-

MADMAX: Part one

I frantically knock on the door, bouncing on my toes in anticipation. Finally the door swings open.

"Joey!" Will shouts, bringing me into a hug.

"Don't suffocate me, tall boy!" I exclaim, wiggling out of his grasp.

That's my new nickname for Will. You see, somehow over the summer Will became a frickin giant. I guess that's not completely true. He's still shorter than everyone except me in the party. He just grew so much that now I look even smaller than I already did. Annoying, right?

Will laughs as he lets me go. We run straight to his room, already in a lot more of a rush than we usually are.

"You're twenty-eight minutes late, Joe." Will says as he starts digging through his dresser.

I smile up at him as I search the floor of his closet. "So you were counting?"

He lightly blushes before we both start giggling. We both acknowledge the kiss that we shared last year, at the same time though we both kinda just try to ignore it. We're only in eighth grade after all, why would we want to ruin our perfectly good friendship just for some puppy love? A small part of my mind whispers, but it's not puppy love. I do love him. I tell that part to shut up.

"I found it!" Will shouts as I turn around to see him holding up the baby blue piggy bank.

Written on the side of the thing in sloppy writing it says:

JOE AND WILL'S PROPERTY DO NOT TOUCH!!!

"I can't believe it!" I gleam, "is it still full?"

You see, one boring summer day when we were eight we decided to have a lemonade stand battle. We both got crates, made signs and lemonade. We set up our stands right next to each other. In the end neither of us really won sense no kind hearted person would buy from just one of us. We tied and with our collective money, we decided to put in all in a piggy bank for a really important day. I'm proud to tell you all that today is that day.

Will shakes the pig around and we both hear the clatter of loose change.

"On three," Will says.

I nod my head and we both hold one end of the piggy bank.

"One-"

"Two-"

"Three!"

With that we both throw it to the ground. The two of us drop to our knees and start hastily collecting the coins, trying our best to avoid the broken pieces of glass.

"How much do you have?" I question.

Will finishes counting out the coins in his hand. "Two dollars. What about you?"

A wide smile comes across my face, "four."

"Really!" Will says with a laugh, "that's six bucks, we definitely are gonna have the most."

Will's mom suddenly comes through the door. "Is everything okay? I heard a crash."

"It's okay miss Byers." I say, looking up at her. "We were just getting some money for the arcade."

She looks slightly concerned about all of the scattered glass but she ultimately just says, "well you two better get in the car if you don't want to be late."

.

.

.

We pull up to the arcade just as I see Mike, Lucas and Dustin ride in on their bikes.

Will's mom honks as she stops the car.

"Hey!" Dustin shouts as Lucas waves.

Will's mom turns to the two of us sitting in the back. "Okay Will, so I'll pick you up in two hours. Do you need a ride home Joey?"