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Suspended

"Okay remember, if anyone sees us, look sad," Mike said to the group as they walked into the school. El held onto Mavis's hand in a comforting way, she looked at Mavis's darker pink dress then back at her lighter pink one. Mike began tugging on the AV club room door.

"It's locked" he sighed while looking back at his friends again.

"What were you expecting it to be? Opened?" Mavis asked him a disbelief as Mike rolled his eyes at her.

"Hey, do you think you can open it?" Dustin asked El while Lucas started to tug on the door.

"Leave her alone," Mavis said as she swatted Dustin's hands away as his hands shot up in serenader.

"Boys? Mavis?" Mr. Clarke's voice was heard, making them turn around quickly with a gasp.

"Assembly's about to start," their teacher said, eyeing each of them.

"We know, we're just... you know" Mike lead on before Lucas cut him off.

"Upset" he nodded as Mr.Clarke frowned.

"Yeah definitely upset" Dustin agreed.

"And we needed alone time, together" Mavis added while pushing El a bit behind her, even though it was no use considering the, now blonde, was taller.

"To cry" Dustin finished off as Mr.Clarke gave them a sad look.

"Listen, I get it. I know how hard this is, but let's just be there for Will huh? And then, the Heath Kit is all yours for the rest of the day" Mr.Clarke said as he dangled the keys in his hand as Mike grinned.

"Oh, I don't believe we've met, what's your name?" Mr.Clarke smiled as he looked at the girl behind Mavis.

"Elev-" She began but was cut off.

"Elenor!" Mavis shouted over her causing Mr.Clarke to jump slightly.

"She's my ugh-" Mike began to make an excuse.

"Cousin!" Lucas shouted, finishing for him.

"Second cousin" Dustin grinned while going along.

"She's here for Will's funeral," Mavis said with a fake sigh as Mr.Clarke nodded.

"Ah well welcome to Hawkins Middle Elenor, I wish you were here under better circumstances," Mr.Clarke said to her with a kind smile as El watched him for a moment.

"Cool," El said as Mavis shut her eyes in embarrassment.

"Thank you" The blonde quickly corrected herself.

"Where are you from exactly?" Mr.Clarke asked after hearing her broken English.

"Bad place-" El began to say the wrong words again before she was cut off.

"Sweden" Dustin said to him,Mavis looked back at El with a small smile.

"I have a lot of Swedish family" Mike nodded his head, hoping they covered the story well.

"Even though he looks irish." Mavis cleared her throat.

"She hates it there" Dustin pointed out.

"Cold," Lucas said as he rubbed his arms.

"Very cold, so we warm her up as much as possible" Mavis said with an awkward laugh. She grabbing Els's arm to drape over her shoulders as Mavis hugged her waist.

"Subzero" Dustin said up at the man. who gave them all an awkward look and swallowed.

"Shall we?" he said while motioning them to the gym.

"Yup," Mike said as the five followed him into the gym, where Dustin swung the doors open, bcausing the Gym to all look their way.

"Abort" Dustin whispered while turning away.

"Let's go," Mavis said as she turned as well but Mr.Clarke used his hand to spin them both around as the five all hurried toward the bleachers to find the first open spot.

"Look at these fakers" Mike flared as he looked around at the crying kids around them as their principal talking on a mic about grief and other sorts.

"They probably didn't even know his name until today" Lucas scoffed as Mavis nodded in agreement.

"I wanna shove their faces in a locker" Mavis glared as she hear Troy and James giggling a few feet away.

"Who even cares about this? It's stupid. He was such a great student, he's gonna leave a hole in the community" Troy quoted their principal with a laugh as the group of friends all glared their way.

"Mouth breather," El said as Mavis peeked over at her and smiled.

"Hey! Hey! Hey Troy!" Mike glared after the bell rung and everyone hurried off the bleachers.

"You think this is funny?" Mike asked him as the older boy gave him a look.

"What'd you say, Wheeler?" Troy asked as Mike began to stutter slightly, causing Mavis to step forward and shove the boy behind her.

"You heard what he said, we saw you laughing back there. That's a really screwed-up thing to do, even for you, who's known for making low blows" Mavis glared at him as her friends watched intently.

"Didn't you listen to the counselor, Fish Eyes? Grief shows itself in funny ways. Besides what's there to be sad about? Wills in fairyland flying around with all the other little fairies... all happy and gay" Troy said as he and James laugh while turning away. Mavis's nostrils flared as she shoved the boy, causing him to fall forward.

"What's your problem by-" James began but was cut off by her fist slamming into his nose.

"There goes the last strike" Dustin sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"You're dead, Hilton! You're dead!" Troy said as he charged at the girl before stopping suddenly as if he was frozen. The group of students around them all watched oddly, confused at the situation before urine began to drip down his pant leg.

"Dude, Troy peed himself" A guy from the group yelling, making everyone laugh. Mavis looked back at El. who smiled as she wiped her nose and turned away. Mavis grinned until she noticed her principal with a sigh as he waved her over.

"Don't push her power too hard, I'll meet you guys after" Mavis said to Mike quietly as she walked off to follow the principal into his office.

"We have a strict no-violence policy here at Hawkins Middle, Mavis. You're lucky it was us to catch you and not the police this time" he said as he looked toward her where she slumped down in the chair.

"He was making fun of Will" she mumbled, playing with the hem of her dress.

"So instead of talking maturely or going to an adult, you decide to throw a punch and shove? Someone could have gotten seriously hurt, James' nose could be broken" the Principle said as Mavis stayed silent.

"I know right now is a very difficult time for you and your friends... but this isn't the first time this has happened. What about when you threw Stacey against the lockers and threatened to put glue in her hair? Or when you busted Stevey Perez's lip open so hard he had to have stitches?" the man asked her as Mavis rolled her eyes.

"So what? You wanna give me a week of detention or something?" she shrugged as the older man sighed.

"I'm afraid that won't work this time... we're going to have to suspend you," he said as Mavis shot out of her chair.

"Suspend me? Suspend me? Is that a joke? Over me standing up for my friend, who's dead!" she shouted as he held a hand up to silence her.

"For how long?" she questioned after lowering her voice down, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Two weeks, when you return I expect a less violent side of you. The phone is open if you would like to call your Mother so she can pick you up" he said while not making eye contact with the raging girl as he motioned to the phone behind him.

"No, I'm good. Not like she'd answer anyway, but hey... you already know that" she glared while grabbing her bag and walking out the office, slamming the door behind her as she rounded the corner to the AV room. Mavis then noticed her friends pushing El in a wheelchair toward her.

"I told you to be careful with her!" Mavis shouted at the group.

"No time! We've gotta go" Lucas explained while grabbing her arm and dragging her out of the school.

••••

ugh love a baby who got suspended