· 。ﾟ☆: *.☽
˚ ₊ ♡ ❰  𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙸𝙻𝙻𝙴𝚁  ❱ ˖⋆࿐໋ ⋆ ✰
CHAPTER SEVEN ━━
ghost in need of ghostbusters

═════ ∘◦ 👻🔦🧸.༄ ◦∘ ═════

      ZERO WAS GETTING MORE AND MORE ANXIOUS with each passing hour after the girl who introduced herself as Max left him alone in the worn down shed with nothing more than a blanket and a flashlight. In the back of his head there still was a voice telling him she would betray him.

      The blonde hadn't closed his eyes for more than a couple seconds at the time as he rested against the cold wood behind him, his eyes trained on the door and his ears strained to pick up any signs that he was about to get caught.

      Slowly moonlight faded into the beginning of dawn as streaks of orange and yellow blended together and peeked through the gaps in the shed. His eyelids felt heavy and the boy was sure dark blemishes were prominent under his eyes.

      The blonde sat up straighter when he heard noise coming from the house, and he held his breath, like he expected them to hear him. His brown eyes were trained on the door, his heartbeat picking up when footsteps approached his hideout.

      Zero bawled his fists into the blanket, eyes wide in fright when the door swung open and for a moment he was blinded by the sunlight just peeking above the treeline before a figure blocket the light out.

      He released his tight grip on the blanket however when he noticed the familair redhead standing in front of him with a curious expression etched on her pale face. "Relax, it's just me." She chuckled softly before quickly shutting the door behind her.

      Zero just nodded as he casted his gaze down in embarrasment.

"I'm the only one awake right now. My step-brother, uh Billy he never wakes up on time, makes us hurry to get to school." Max rambled to fill the awkward silence.

      "School?" There it was again, the same word kept coming back.

      "You know right? School, the place each kid thinks is hell?" She chuckled but her smile faded as Zero remained oblivious. "You... you don't know what school is?"

      Zero shook his head. "I, I do not know." He confirmed with a shrug.

     Max frowned in confusion as she took in account how Zero didn't seem to speak proper English either, the fact he tried to hide in their shed, how he didn't know what school was. "Where are you from Zero?"

      Zero bit the inside of his cheek. "Nowhere."

      The redhead furrowed her eyebrows, "You must come from somewhere? How about your parents where do they live?"

      "Parents did not want me they told me." The blonde replied after a second.

      "Who's they?" Max pressed on, leaning in closer to the teenage boy in front of her.

      Zero didn't answer her question, instead he averted his gaze to his left, a frown etched on his face before he whispered, more to himself than to Max. "Will..., I find Will." His voice grew louder as he spoke before suddenly stood up, startling the redhead who scrambled to her feet when the blonde tried to pass her.

      "Hey! Hey, Zero! Stop!" She took a hold of his shirt, trying to pull him back but the blonde was stronger than her. "You can't just go out there! No one knows who you are."

      Zero turned around, his eyes blown wide with panic that made Max worried beyond believe. He looked like hell at that moment.

      "I find Will." He repeated in determination as Max finally released her hold on his shirt when she heard him fully now.

      "You mean Will Byers?" She wonderd out loud, while Zero suddenly nodded frantically.

      "Where is he! I need Will!" The boy exclaimed.

      Max pulled the blonde away from the door by his sweater sleeve, trying to stop the boy from making too much noise before she started to talk. "Look I know Will, we go to the same school. I can bring you to him but you'll have to listen to me okay?"

      Zero nodded, "I can listen." He assured the redhead as he focused on her again.

       Max gave him a small smile. "I can't let Billy see you or anyone for that matter. "If I tell you where to go, do you think you can get there?"

      "Yes."

═════ ∘◦ 👻🔦🧸.༄ ◦∘ ═════

MAX FELT PANIC SET IN HER VEINS AFTER SHE jumped out of her step-brother's car, only throwing up a middle finger in response to his shouting. Her eyes darted around, searching for the blonde stranger but she couldn't spot him anywhere. She knew it could be he was still walking, but something told the redhead that wasn't the case.

     Suddenly her eyes widened when she spotted the blonde walking among the other students, sticking out like a sore thumb among the smaller children. He looked mighty confused as he followed behind a group of kids. And then his eyes met hers and she watched relief wash over the boy, she watched as he opened his mouth to shout her name.

      She quickly shook her head, her arms waving for him to close his mouth. Luckily Zero seemed to understand what she wanted as he approached the redhead quickly.

      "Will?" He asked as soon as he stood in front of the girl, and only now did she realise how tall the blonde was. He looked like a giant compared to her.

      "We need go find him, he has to be somewhere around here. Just follow me and keep your head down." Max instructed as she motioned to boy to follow her.

      She watched with a frown, as Zero took her words too serious and lowered his head, his gaze on the pavement. "No, you don't have to look down." She watched as the boy gave her a confused look. "Keep your head down means you don't attrack attention to yourself."

      Zero nodded before the two set to look for Will Byers. The two walked quietly through the crowd of kids, the blonde akwardly looking around him from time to time.

      "I see Mike." Max whispered as Zero knitted his eyebrows together. "Who?"

      "He's best friends with Will." Max clearified. "He probably knows where Will is. I must warn you though he doesn't like strangers for some reasons and he doesn't really like me."

      Zero nodded, a bit impatiently as the redhead talked about the raven haired boy she pointed out, standing with two other kids on the grassfield he remembered all to well.

      "Let's go." She grabbed his sleeve again and dragged him over to the three boys. The two boys Max didn't talk above seemed to brighten up at the sight of her while the boy she called Mike rolled his eyes.

      "Where's Will?" The redhead immediatley asked as soon as she was close enough to the trio standing in a small circle.

      "Why do you care?" Mike inquired with a raised eyebrow as a curly haired boy nudged him harshly.

      "Well he needs to talk to him." The girl pointed at Zero whose eyes widened when everyone turned to him like they hadn't noticed him before.

      "Who are you?" The dark skinned boy asked confused, but Zero didn't say anything as he started to ask about Will.

      "I need Will. Where is Will?"

      "Why would we tell you?" Mike asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

      "Danger. The Upside Down."

      Those words seemed to register to the boys as Max watched their whole demeanor change in seconds and she gave Zero a strange look. "The what? What are you guys talking about?"

      Suddenly everyone was in motion as Mike spared Max a quick glance. "That's non of your buisness." The boy swiftly turned back towards the blonde. "You need to come with me, now."

      Zero only nodded as Mike quickly adressed his friends. "Make sure no one will notice I'm gone guys."

      And like lightning the two were gone, leaving a confused Max standing with Lucas and Dustin.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬