UN: MadMax

[beyourzoomer]

Has anyone seen Charlie? He wasn't at the house when I woke up this morning.

[There's grass on the shelves, but there's no other sign of him.]

Comments

[beyourzoomer]

Why would I?

[She doesn't even have anyone in Hawkins to tell if she wanted to. Which she doesn't.]

I'm good at keeping secrets.

[Which is the understatement of the century. She's had a lot of practice.]

[353]

I dunno.

[ He doesn't know her, doesn't know her intentions. ]

Lucas must really like you to have told you everything.

[beyourzoomer]

Well, I won't. I'm not that kind of person.

[Her intentions are just having friends, Mike.

But she's not expecting the second text, and her cheeks grow warm. She remembers instinctively grabbing Lucas' hand in the bus, shifting closer to him when the demogorgons had been attacking. She likes Lucas, too, but it's all new and foreign to her and there are a million reasons why it can't work if she's being realistic, but she doesn't know what to do with all of that here.]

Yeah, I guess.

[353]

[ Initiate protective friend mode. ]

He's one of the best people you're ever gonna meet.

Don't hurt him.

[beyourzoomer]

[She's at the end of her patience with his attitude.]

You know what? Maybe you'll get your wish and I'll end up staying here and never going back to Hawkins. Then you won't have to worry about your friends daring to talk to some awful new person who just wanted to be friends with you guys.

[353]

[ The reason he's even warning her about Lucas is because he hopes one day they'll all get to go home and try to live happily ever after. ]

What? I don't want you to stay here. This place is the pits. We're gonna find a way to go home.

[beyourzoomer]

[It's not the response she's expecting and she has to take a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. She knows she's being defensive. But he pushes her buttons more than anyone else here by far. And she's not ready to think about going back home. Time to disengage.]

I gotta get back to looking for Charlie. See you around.