Sev looked around curiously. Surrounding her was miles and miles of what appeared to be smoke, but there was no fire in sight. Dry laughter emitted from all around her, making her whip her head in each direction she heard it in. 

"What a foolish child." An anonymous voice tormented, and although she couldn't see anyone, she knew exactly who that voice belonged to. "You are sick Seven. I can make you better." 

Her hands covered her ears, desperate to drown out the frightening voice she thought she had escaped a year ago. "Go away." She spoke barely above a whisper, but her tone was stern. Her hands involuntarily glowed red, scaring herself. 

"Your powers are out of control, I can help you with that." The voice seemed to be getting closer but Sev couldn't bring herself to look up. Her eyes stayed trained on the floor, praying for it to all go away. 

"I don't need you." She spoke louder than before, and this was true. She didn't need him, nor did she ever. He only ruined her life. Sev was happier than she had ever been now that she was living with the Wheeler's. She was treated as a normal human being, not as some lab rat that needed to be poked and prodded to reach its full potential. 

"Of course you do, I made you stronger. If you come with me, you'll find Eleven again." At those words, Sev slowly lifted her head up in disbelief. Everything around her seemed to go quiet as she could only focus on the words he just spoke. 

"You're lying." She seethed. Her hands glowed brighter as her powers channeled the anger she felt towards the man for bringing up someone who was dead because of him. 

"Why would I lie?" 

"El is gone. She's gone because of you." 

"That's not true, Sev. I didn't kill her." The man spoke as someone who was defending himself, but Sev could hear the taunting in his voice. 

"You might not have killed her," she spoke once again, she hadn't realized how ragged her breathing had become until now. "But you're the reason she's dead." 

"Seve-" 

"No!" Sev cut him off as the power that was building up in her hands finally released itself, shooting at him with full strength, and he fell to the ground in pain. But as soon as he hit the ground, he was no longer Dr. Brenner. 

"Sev?" The frightened voice of El spoke. Sev slowly raised her head up at the voice she missed so much. She crawled towards her, but half of El's body had been burned from Sev's powers, and she realized that instead of hitting someone she hates, she hit the person she cared most about. 

"El? El, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to!" Sev apologized profusely. 

"Why would you hurt me?" El asked, and Sev could hear the pain and betrayal in her voice. 

"I-I didn't know it was you!" 

"I thought you loved me." She choked out, before her eyes slowly closed, and her body went limp in Sev's arms. 

"No!" 

"Sev!" 

"No! No!" 

"Sev!" Nancy spoke as she crawled in bed with the frightened girl. Sev instantly wrapped her small arms tightly around Nancy. "It was just a dream Sev, I promise." 

"I killed her." She sobbed, her broken voice making Nancy want to hug her tighter than she ever has. 

"No you didn't. You didn't kill her, okay? You didn't." She soothed, running her hand over the girl's tangled hair as she laid them back down. "You're safe now. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you." 

And Sev believed her. Nancy had never given her a reason not to. All she's ever done is protect her. So with that newfound comfort, Sev slowly drifted off into a now-peaceful sleep. 

(❥✗❍✐★)

"Meet the human brain." Mr. Clarke spoke as he set a prototype of the human brain on his desk. Everyone in the class had been completely ignoring him except for everyone in the party, who found the lesson rather interesting, as they always did. "I know. I know, it doesn't look like much. A little gross even, right? But consider this. There are a hundred billion inside of this miracle of evolution. All working as one. No, no, I did not misspeak. I did not stutter. A hundred billion." A knock on the door pulled everyone out of the lesson as the principal walked into the room. "Ah, this must be our new student."

Mr. Clarke guessed as Sev diverted her gaze to the beautiful redhead, awkwardly standing by the teacher's desk. 

"Indeed. All yours." The principal stated before walking out the classroom. The new student, desperate to get away from prying eyes, tried to make her way to a desk in the back of the room, but was stopped by Mr. Clarke. 

"Alright, hold up. You don't get away that easy. Come on up, don't be shy." He told her before turning to Dustin, who was sitting in the front row, on the left of Sev. "Dustin, drum roll please." 

Dustin closed his textbook, before repeatedly slapping his hands on the cover, mimicking a drum. 

"Class, please welcome, all the way from sunny California, the latest passenger to join us on our curiosity voyage, Maxine!" 

"It's Max." She corrected as all the smiles on the party's face, except for Sev's, dropped as they immediately recognized that name. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"Nobody calls me Maxine, it's Max." She repeated. 

"Madmax." Lucas mumbled. 

"Well, all aboard Max." With those final words, the girl was finally able to make her way to the only available desk. 

All five members of the party turned around in their seats to look at the mesmerizing redhead, who they believed had beaten Dustin's score. Sev turned to face Mike, a cocky smirk clear on her face. "I told you it could be a girl." 

(❥ꪝ❍✐★)

After class ended Sev decided to approach Max at her locker. She walked up to her slowly, not wanting to scare the girl away, and once she knew Max was aware of her presence she spoke up. 

"Hi." She greeted, an excited smile clear on her face. 

"Hi?" Max greeted back as more of a question, she didn't think that anyone would talk to her on her first day. 

"You're pretty." Sev spoke before she could think it over. She bit her lip, hoping that the phrase wouldn't scare her away. 

Max instantly felt her cheeks heat up as a pink hue set place on her cheeks. She racked her brain for a reply that didn't make her sound stupid. She had never been called pretty by someone who wasn't her mother. "Thanks, but who are you?" 

"I'm Sevannah, but my friends call me Sev." 

"Am I your friend?" The redhead asked timidly. 

"I would like you to be, but that's up to you." Sev answered. 

"How about this? I'll be your friend, if you come to the arcade with me today." She proposed the idea. 

"Sounds awesome." 

"Great, meet there at 4, Sev." Max winked before walking away, making butterflies swarm in Sev's stomach. She had just talked to a very pretty girl. When she finally snapped out her daze, she let out a small squeal at how successful the conversation had gone. 

I know this is short, and I apologize for that, but I wanted her and Max's hangout (*cough cough* date) to be in a separate chapter from Max asking her to hang out.

Next chapter won't be as emotional as this one was in the beginning, but I do plan on giving it one slightly emotional scene, but it's not Sev that's upset.

Also, how cute was there little awkward encounter? I thought it was pretty cute, but what do you think?