"one way or another, i'm gonna find ya."

★・・・・・・★

Amber walked home, still thinking of how to not get someone mad at you. It really bothered her that Max was mad at her, but it was kind of understandable. She saw her mom's car in the drive way. She loves her mom, she just didn't like when she would get drunk like she normally did.

"I'm home!" Amber called out

"Get over here!" Mrs. Wilson called out.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Amber asked tiredly.

"What's wrong? What's wrong!?"

"I don't understand, Mom."

"Where were you!"

"School?"

"Don't talk back to me!"

"I wasn't, Mom. I was just saying," she said tiredly.

"It's your tone. Go to your room and don't come out."

"Okay," Amber said as her voice cracked a little.

Amber went up to her room and closed her door. She sighed as she lay down on her back, staring at the ceiling. She looked at her hands in confusion as black mist came from her hands again. It reached her ceiling and wrapped around her ceiling fan. Amber started freaking out because she didn't know what to do. She put her hands behind her back and the black mist disappeared.

"What the hell," Amber murmured.

-

The next morning Amber got up and saw her parents and Kristen at the dining table.

"Good morning," she said

"Morning, sweetie," her mom said.

Normally when her mom would get drunk, she'd be better in the morning. Like the hangover wasn't even there. And it was, yet again, one of those times.

Amber sat down and her mom gave her a plate of French toast. Amber's little sister Callie, started pouring a bunch of syrup on her French toast, making it soggy.

"That's enough, Callie," Mrs. Wilson said.

"Uh-uh," Callie responded.

"Dad?" Amber asked.

"Mmm-hmm?" Mr. Wilson replied.

"When Mom's mad at you, how do you make her not mad?"

"Hmm. That's a great question. How do you, hon?" Mrs. Wilson said as she acted like she was interested.

"First, I apologize. Then, I get your mother whatever she wants."

"Even when she's wrong?"

Mr. Wilson set his paper that he was reading down and said, "She's never wrong, sweetie."

"That's right," Mrs. Wilson said as she chuckled.

Amber got up from where she was and took her plate to the kitchen.

"Not hungry?" Mrs. Wilson asked.

"Not really."

"Where are you going?"

"To hang out with Katie H.," Amber lied.

Amber ran outside, grabbed her bike, and went to the arcade to set up something for Max up. She got to the arcade and asked Keith to help her set it up. She even bribed him by saying she'd get Kristen to go on a date with him. But, she had to warn her sister first.

"Hello?" Kristen's voice came through the phone.

"Hey, sister. So, I might've told Keith that you would go on a date with him in order for me to apologize to my friend," Amber said as she laughed awkwardly.

"Amber Wilson! I swear to God!" But before, she could say anything else, Amber hung up and went in the back.

Amber sat in the back waiting for Max, when the lock unlocked and in came Max and Keith. Amber saw Max and smiled at her, while Max looked annoyed. She walked in and Keith said,
"You better get me that date now, Wilson."

"I told you I would."

"And keep things PG in here, all right?"

When Keith said that, Amber and Max gave him a disgusted look. Keith closed the door and Max said, "What is this shit, Shortcake?"

Amber slightly smiled at the name but said,
"Sorry. I just needed a safe place."

"A safe place to what? Be creepy?"

"Listen, I'm going to tell you the truth about what happened last year. But if anyone finds out, you could be arrested. Possibly killed."

"Killed?" she questioned.

"I need to know. Do you accept the risk?"

"Oh, my God! This... this is so stupid."

"Do you accept the risk?" Amber pressed.

"Yeah, sure, fine. I accept the risk," Max said as she sat down. "Let's hear it."

"Last year... Will didn't just get lost in the woods. He got lost somewhere else."

-

"And that's the last we ever saw of her," Amber sighed. "After that, she was just gone. I can't believe it's been that long. It feels like yesterday."

"Yeah. I mean, I bet. Wow."

"It's crazy. I know," Amber sighed.

"It's crazy, but... I really liked it."
"Liked it?"

"Yeah. Well, I mean, I had a few issues."
"Issues?"

"I just felt like it was a little derivative in parts, but," Max shrugged.

"What are you talking about?" Amber asked.

"I just wish it had a little more originality. That's all."

Amber's temper got the best of her so she raised her voice as she said, "You don't believe me?"

"Amber. Come on, seriously? How gullible do you think I am?"

"Why would I make this up?"

"I don't know. To impress me or something? Or you're just, like, insane."

"I tell you all this! I mean, top-secret stuff! Risking my life! And this is how you react!?"

Max chuckled as she said, "Risking your life?"

"Oh, so this is funny to you?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "I mean, stupid. But funny."

Max walked to the door and opened it.

"Where are you going?" Amber asked.

"Story times over, isn't it?"

Max walked out to an arcade game, Amber following her.

"What's wrong with you? I gave you what you wanted," Amber spoke.

"I wanted to be a part of the group, not a part of some joke."

"It's not a joke," Amber shook her head.

"You did a good job, okay? You can go tell the others I believed your lies if it gets you experience points or whatever."

Max started to walk away but Amber grabbed her arm.

"We have a lot of rules in our party, but the most important is, 'Friends Don't Lie.' Never ever. No matter what."

"Is that right? Then how do you explain this?" Max said as she grabbed the OUT OF ORDER sign taped on the video game.

"I had to do that. To protect you."

"To protect me from who exactly? The big bad government baddies from Hawkins lab?"

"Lower your voice."

"Or maybe it was to protect me from the Demogorgon from another dimension."

"Max, I'm serious shut up!"

"Oh, no, no! You know what it was? It was Eleven. The girl-" Max tried to finish, but Amber put her hand over her mouth to get the girl to shut up.

"Stop. Talking. You're going to get us killed. Do you understand?"

Max removed her hand from her mouth and said,
"You're serious?"

"I really wish I wasn't."

"Prove it."

"I can't."

"So what? I'm supposed to just trust you?"

"Yes."

Billy's car engine started revving and Max looked over and grabbed her skateboard. They walked over to the window to see Billy's car waiting for Max.

"Shit. I gotta go. Um..." Max started. Max turned around to face Amber and grabbed her hand. "Don't follow me out. Okay?" Then she walked out of the arcade.

"Do you believe me?" Amber started as she walked out.

Amber stood in the doorway and saw Max drive off. She walked out and saw them drive away, Max looking back at her. She ran into Lucas who was at the arcade and must've gotten there while she was telling Max.

"Hey, Amber," he greeted the girl. "Was that Max?"

"Yeah. I, uh, told her," she admitted.

"It's fine. It was really time for her to know. Anyway, see you later."

She walked to Keith and said she'd get him the date but she knew she wouldn't. She walked back to her bike and went home, thinking of Max.

-

Amber was sitting on her bed, sketching a drawing she had to do her her English class.

She picked up an eraser when all of a sudden, she saw a black mist coming from her hands again. She dropped her things and shot up.

"What the fuck!" She exclaimed. "What the hell is this?"

She then felt the need to start running. She didn't know where to. She ran and ran until she was with Steve Harrington and Dustin.

"Amber?" Dustin said.

"I- I don't know!"

"Well, come on. Dart got bigger and I trapped him in my cellar."

"What?" she questioned him.

"Amber! Dustin!" Steve shouted. "Come on!"

What the hell?