teenage tragedy (Max Mayfield)

3. three

Cammie lay on the grass hours later, staring up at the setting sun. Max's head was resting on her stomach, Cammie's fingers twisting flowers and braids into her red hair. Will was handing her flowers he was picking beside her, while Lucas watched Dustin speak into the microphone.

Cammie would've been incredibly relaxed right now, if Dustin's voice wasn't burning a hole in her brain after three hours of continuous calling for Suzie.

"Suzie, do you copy? This is Dustin. Over. Suzie! This is Dustin. Do you copy? Over. Suzie, this is your Dustin. Do you copy? Over. Suzie-"

"Dustin, come on! She's not there," Max snapped.

Cammie's fingers stilled in Max's hair and Max looked up with a frown.

"Why'd you stop?" she said.

"Sorry, love," Cammie said, kissing her forehead before continuing to braid her hair with flowers Will was offering her.

"She's there, all right? She'll pick up," Dustin said.

"Maybe Cerebro doesn't work," Will said.

"Or maybe Suzie doesn't exist," Lucas scoffed.

"She exists!" Dustin snapped.

"She's a genius and she's hotter than Phoebe Cates? No girl is that perfect," Lucas said.

"Is that so?" Max said, a teasing lilt to her voice. "Cam, you think the same?" she said.

"No. You're perfect," Cammie said. Max smiled softly up at her. "And I believe you, Dustin. Suzie might not have set her radio up, yet. She only would've gotten back home a few hours ago. She's probably with her family," she said.

Cammie's walkie buzzed in her backpack and she waved her hand, letting it levitate over to her.

"Yo, Cammie," Steve's voice came over it.

Cammie had bought Steve a walkie the previous Christmas so he could keep in touch with her when she was out with her friends.

"Hey, Stevie," Cammie said.

"If you and Max want a ride home, you better tell me where I'm picking you up from," Steve said.

"We're up a hill, right now, so we'll walk home," Cammie said.

"Alright, but dad said he wants you two back by ten and it's already eight thirty," Steve said.

"I thought he left this morning," Cammie said.

"No, it's tomorrow morning. He wants to say goodbye before he goes," Steve said.

"Okay, we'll leave now," Cammie said.

She put her radio back in her bag and got to her feet, Max groaning as she stood up as well.

Cammie walked over to Dustin and pulled him into a hug.

"She'll answer soon. Don't even worry about it. I bet she's just as hot and smart as you say," Cammie whispered. Dustin smiled.

"Thanks, Cam," he said.

Cammie hugged Lucas goodbye, then Will, and then grabbed Max's hand again.

"Let's go home," Max said, swinging Cammie's hand.

"What movie are we watching tonight?" Cammie asked.

"It's your turn to pick," Max said.

"Uh, Jaws?" Cammie said.

"You hate horror movies," Max said.

"It's not horror, it's a shark," Cammie said.

"You hate blood, and sharks," Max said.