EPISODE FIVE
dig dug.

THE NEXT day was a saturday. nova had mixed feelings about the weekends. it was great having a break from school, but it meant she would be at home with her dad and brother. however, billy had surprisingly agreed to drive nova and max to the arcade. nova was excited to be able to play a game of dig dug.

"if you're not out in an hour—" billy began as he pulled up and both girls got out the car quickly, "walking home," they both said at the same time.

"yeah, yeah. we know, billy." nova finished as billy rolled his eyes.

"hey! watch the attitude, shitbird." she only rolled her eyes, following max inside as they flung their middle fingers up at him.

nova made her way over to dig dug, max following as she stopped. 'our of order!' she scoffed, and max groaned as keith, the arcade worker, walked over.

"sorry about that, road warrior." he ate his cheeto, his fingers covered in orange grease.

"what happened?" max raised her brows.

"short circuit on the motherboard. a real bummer. but fret not. i got another machine up and running in the back." keith spoke in a monotone voice.

"that's kinda creepy he's trying to get us to go to the back..." nova mumbled as max hushed her and followed the older boy.

"can i have a cheeto?" nova asked as they walked over to the back room. he looked down at her and thought for a moment.

"just one." he allowed and she smiled, taking one and patting him on the shoulder.

"hold these. but do not eat any more!" he said as he unlocked the back room. of course, nova ate another cheeto whilst he wasn't looking. the door opened and nova almost dropped the bag of cheetos in annoyance.

lucas sinclair sat with a nervous grin, causing both max and nova to scoff in annoyance. nova walked in first as she glared at keith.

"you better get me that date now, sinclair." he said before holding the door handle, glancing between the three. "i told you i would." lucas huffed.

"and keep things PG in here, we good?" he winked unsubtly at nova and max who pulled a face and then nova turned to lucas.

"what is this shit, stalker?" max glared as she crossed her arms.

max sighed, "sorry. i just needed a safe space." he stood up to face them, looking serious.

nova stepped forward, "a safe place to what? be creepy?"

max cracked a smile as lucas shook his head. "listen," he stepped closer to nova, as if it was top secret. "i'm gonna tell you the truth about everything that happened last year...but if anyone finds out, you could be arrested...possibly killed."

nova scoffed at this and sat down. "killed?" max mocked.

"i need to know. do you accept the risk?" he asked, nova looked up at him. she couldn't work out if he was messing with them or not.

"oh, my god. this is so stupid." max scoffed.

"do you accept the risk?" lucas asked again, seriousness in his tone.

nova stared up at him in worry, glancing at max who nodded slowly. "yeah. we accept the risk." she responded quietly. something told nova she would regret that one day.

lucas sat down in front of them as nova crossed her legs and sat on the desk whilst max sat on a stool. "let's hear it, then."

"last year...will didn't get lost in the woods. he got lost somewhere else."

LUCAS HAD explained everything to the two girls. all about hawkins lab, eleven and her 'powers', the upside down, demogorgons, how eleven saved all of them and disappeared, and about will's episodes.

nova listened with a slight frown. it was a lot to take in. and honestly? she wasn't even sure if she believed lucas. it was something that only happens in movies.

"and that was the last we ever saw of her. after that. she was just gone. i cant believe it's been that long. feels like yesterday." lucas finished as nova sat back in interest.

"yeah...i mean, i bet." max spoke up. lucas glanced at nova to see her reaction, but she didn't really have one. she was just deciding on whether she trusted lucas enough to believe him. "wow."

"it's crazy. i know..." lucas nodded as max sat up.

"it's crazy, but...i really liked it." max said as lucas frowned and nova shook her head in annoyance. here we go.

"max." she warned.

"you...liked it?" lucas frowned, glancing at max who smirked.

"yeah. well, i mean, i had a few issues." she began sarcastically as nova groaned quietly.

"issues?" lucas questioned.

"i felt it was a little derivative in parts." max shrugged as lucas waved his arms slightly. "wait..w-what are you talking about?"

"i just wish it had a little more originality." max began as nova rolled her eyes, "max, c'mon."

"you don't believe me?" lucas realised as he sat back. he looked at nova, and frowned, "do you believe me?"

it took her a few moments, and lucas wondered if she had even heard him. did she believe him? she looked at max, and then at him, before slowly nodding. "...yeah i believe you, why not?"

"seriously?" max almost scoffed as nova shrugged.

"he seems weirdly scared. and it would explain why mike is so secretive." nova explained briefly and max rolled her eyes.

"come on, you two. how gullible do you think i am?" max shook her head.

"why would i make this up?" lucas exclaimed as max shrugged.

"i don't know. to impress nova or something? or you're just, like, insane..." max spoke in annoyance, nova blushed slightly as lucas stared at max in annoyance.

"i tell you all of this. top secret stuff! risking my life, and this is how you react?" lucas stood up, pointing at max who chuckled.

"risking your life?" she mocked, humour laced on her tone. nova even cracked a smile at the drama, obviously not understanding how serious it actually was.

"oh, so this is funny to you?" lucas scoffed out a laugh, rubbing the side of his face in regret.

"i mean...yeah? kinda funny. it's stupid. but funny." max shrugged as nova looked at lucas who looked very annoyed.

max then began to walk out, as lucas called out, "where are you going?" he groaned as nova followed max, lucas running after them.

"story time is over. isn't it?" max raised a brow. max and nova walked out, knowing they didn't have a lot of time before billy came as lucas chased them.

"what's wrong with you? why cant you believe me, like novs? i gave you what you wanted." lucas caught up to them.

max scoffed, turning to face him. "i wanted to be part of the group, not a part of some joke!"

"it's not a joke." lucas repeated, eyes wide as he looked around, hoping no one would hear then.

max smiled bitterly, "you did a good job, okay? you can go tell the others nova and i believed your lies if it gets you experience points or whatever."

"max, c'mon..." nova spoke as she followed her to dig dug, lucas then turned to max. "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?" she rolled her eyes and pointed to the fake sign on dig dug, "then how do you explain this?"

she handed the paper to nova, who stuck it onto lucas' shirt, and he sighed.

"i had to do that. to protect you both." lucas repeated as max groaned again.

"protect us from who, exactly? the big bad government baddies from hawkins lab?" max exclaimed as lucas widened his eyes.

"lower your voice." he whispered, looking around them.

"or maybe it was to protect us from the demogorgon from another dimension?" people started to look over at them with frowns.

nova cleared her throat and whispered, "max..i think you should stop."

"oh, no, no! you know what it was? it was eleven! the girl—" max shouted, but lucas covered her mouth before she could speak anymore as she widened her eyes.

"stop talking! you're going to get us killed. do
you understand?" he whispered as max pushed away from him.

"you're serious?"

lucas looked at her and then at nova who raised her brows. "i really wish i wasn't." he whispered as nova looked at max with wide eyes.

max shook her head. "prove it."

lucas looked at nova for help, but the girl just shook her head. "i can't."

"so what? we are just supposed to trust you?" max scoffed as lucas nodded with wide eyes, "yes."

"i trust you, lucas." nova spoke up softly. before he could reply, both nova and max's eyes widened as they heard billy's car pull up.

"shit." nova whispered.

"we gotta go..." max said as she looked at billy, who was already watching with a slight glare, obviously being able to see lucas.

nova turned to the boy, and held onto his hand as he widened his eyes nervously. "don't follow us out..okay?"

they left the arcade and hurriedly got into the car as billy looked away, shaking his head. "the hell i tell you?"

"we're not late." nova spoke up rudely, and billy scoffed, "you know what i'm talking about." he rested his head against the seat.

"oh, lucas?" max frowned as billy scoffed.

"so he has a name now, huh?" nova rolled her eyes at him.

"i'm pretty sure he's always had a name." nova began, as billy looked at her coldly. she sighed, looking up at him. "it's a small town. we weren't hanging out...he just bumped into us on the way out, i told him to fuck off."

"hm. well, you know what happens when you lie." billy said simply as nova's eyes widened slightly, looking offended. "we're not lying."

he turned to face her, and she stared back, he drove off with a shake of his head as nova glanced out the window to see lucas watching from outside. she prayed billy didn't see him.

they finally know!!