MARLEY // Max Mayfield

Arcade

"You got that dinner tonight right?" Marley questioned, taking one of the eggo's from the toaster and plopping it in her mouth. She grabbed one of Steve's too-big leather jackets and flung it over her shoulders, getting ready to go to the arcade.

"Hey, that's my jacket!"

"Oh, you'll live," Marley huffed, rolling her eyes and doing up her shoelaces.

"And yes, yeah Nancy and I are having dinner at -- at Barbara's parent's place," there was a silence between the two as Marley slowly looked up from her shoes. "Marley don't."

"I didn't say anything," Marley stated cooly and went back to her other shoe.

"You were thinking about it. I know you think it's your fault, Nancy does too," Steve tried, crouching down in front of her, "but you've both got to understand it's not."

"And you'd know that how Stevie?" Marley bit and then sighed, shaking her head, "sorry...she just...I passed that library so many goddamn times while I was in that place...so many times."

"You didn't know."

"I know..." Marley sighed, looking up at the ceiling and then back at her brother, "I'll be going then."

"Excited for your date?" Marley laughed slightly at his attempt to shift the subject.

"It's not a date, Max just invited me to the arcade," Marley shrugged, standing up and stuffing the roll of quarters she hadn't used a few days prior into her pocket. "It's friendly."

"Sure, sure," Steve waved off, "you taking your bike? Show it off a bit?"

"Stevie," Marley warned lowly but grabbed her bike pack anyway and swiped up the keys for her lock, "see you tonight."

"See you Marzipan," Steve teased, standing at the door as the girl ran out to get her bike from the bushes. "Stay safe! And get me a gift! You forgot to win me something last time!"

"Ok! Bye Steve!" Marley shouted back, kicking out of the drive and pedalling down the street, she stood up and let the wind whip against her face, turning down a road that led into town, that feeling of freedom filling her lungs. She adored biking. She drove her feet forward faster and hummed a few songs to herself, her Walkman hanging at her hip and her headphones loosely dangling around her neck, the music playing loud enough for her to hear over the wind.

It was at times like this that she dreaded living so far away from town, Loch Nora was nice don't get her wrong, it was just so upper-class and away from everyone, it sort of made her feel isolated in a way. Of course, she was grateful for what she had and acknowledged her privilege and if it meant taking a longer bike ride to town she'd happily do so if it meant she lived where she lived. There were just moments where she wanted to be closer to her friends.

A Blue Camaro raced past her and she swerved out of the way in time to dodge getting hit, she continued forward, casting a look over her shoulder as Max's brother's car grew smaller and smaller. Close call, she noted and pulled into the arcade lot a good ten minutes later.

Docking and locking up her bike she ran her fingers through her hair and entered the Palace Arcade. Her gaze immediately drifted over to the Dig Dug machine where the one and only Max Mayfield stood, racking up points like Marley had never seen, not even she could compete if she were being honest. And she was.

"Woah, Mayfield, a heck of a score you got there," Marley voiced, leaning against the machine, Max's breathing hitched and she messed up, depleting her last life. Marley winced and pulled out a quarter. "My bad," she smiled sheepishly, holding it down to the girl. Max sighed and cursed under her breath, turning to look up at Marley.