CHAPTER THREE.
BEST HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR

☆ミ ☆彡

HALLOWEEN WAS PROBABLY CHALLAN'S FAVORITE HOLIDAY. For reasons she felt were obvious. It was actually kind of pathetic. She loved that she could dress up as anything she wanted. She could wear masks, face paint, wigs, anything really to disguise herself. No one would ever know that it was her underneath her costumes and she loved it. For one night a year, she could be someone else. Sometimes she wished she could be someone else permanently.

She was sitting at the breakfast table, eating cereal alone. Her father had gotten off a shift at the fire station early that morning and was asleep and her mother was at work. Because it was Halloween, she didn't have ballet today after school and her father could sleep in and not have to worry about taking her.

She watched as the wind gently rustled the trees outside her kitchen window as she finished up her cereal. Once she was done, she grabbed her backpack and left the house, locking the door behind her as she went to the bus stop.

Challan's house was never decorated for Halloween. Her mother never felt like there was any point in doing it. Trick-or-treaters hardly came to their house for candy, their parents were probably too afraid that the candy would be poisoned or something. It honestly bothered Challan. She would pretend that it didn't but of course it did. She really hated Hawkins.

The bus pulled up to her stop and she quickly got on, making her way to the back. She jumped over the leg of a kid who stuck his leg out in an attempt to trip her. After sending him a sharp glare, that sent a lot of fear into his body, Challan sat down in an empty seat in the back, looking out the window as the bus continued to school.

As soon as the bus got to school, Challan instantly wanted to leave. She stepped off the bus, a scowl on her face as she made her way to the school's entrance. Her eyes landed on four boys wearing matching Ghost Busters uniforms. She recognized them as Lucas, Dustin, Mike, and Will. The four boys looked embarrassed as the kids around them began to laugh and point. For a moment, Challan felt relief that the attention wasn't on her for a change. Maybe that was selfish. But as the boys continued being laughed at, Challan couldn't help but feel bad. She understood what it was like to be made fun of.

She cautiously made her way over to the four who seemed dejected as they stood in front of the bike rack. "Hey," she said softly. The four looked over at her, their faces all holding different expressions. Dustin's mouth dropped open, Lucas looked nervous, Mike looked shocked, and Will looked scared. She almost rolled her eyes at them.

"Cool costumes," she complimented. The four looked at each other before looking back at her.

"Uh, t-thanks. Thank you," Dustin stuttered. The rest of the boys muttered 'thank yous' as well. Challan nodded, sending them a small, and hopefully not intimidating, smile before continuing on her way into the school.

She walked to her locker, opened it up, and began pulling things out of her backpack and stuffing them in. She pulled out the things that she needed for her first class and closed her locker. Her eyes landed on Max Mayfield, who was skateboarding down the school hallway. Max took notice of Challan, sending her a wave. Challan timidly waved back as Max continued down the hallway, stopping at her own locker.

Challan turned her head to see Lucas and Dustin staring at her in confusion. They were probably wondering why the redhead waved at her. Challan raised her eyebrows at the two and they quickly turned away, embarrassed at being caught. Challan shook her head slightly and walked to her class.

••••

Challan probably would have enjoyed school more if it weren't for the bullying. Today was no different than any other day. In fact, Halloween only made things worse. Every year she would be asked stupid questions like if she and her mother would jump on their broomsticks and fly around town, casting spells. And other dumb shit too. She was used to it but was also getting very sick of it.

She sighed as she opened her locker, putting the notebook in her hands into it and rummaging through her locker for the one she needed for her next class.

"Hey!" A voice called from a distance, the person making their way over to an unsuspecting Challan.

Challan's eyes were still in her locker, not registering that the greeting was meant for her. Max stopped behind Challan as the curly-haired girl pulled a notebook from her locker. "Hey," she repeated but got no response. Max tapped Challan's shoulder, startling her. Challan turned around, relaxing a little when seeing who it was but also keeping her guard up.

"Hey, didn't you hear me?" Max asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"S-sorry. I didn't realize you were talking to me," Challan responded lamely.

Max shrugged it off and grinned, eyes lighting up. "You going trick-or-treating tonight?" She asked.

Challan froze, eyeing the redhead suspiciously for a moment as Max waited patiently for her to respond. "Um, uh, yeah?" She finally answered.

Max nodded her head, "Cool. Do you want to go trick-or-treating with me?"

Challan didn't respond, just stared at Max, trying to figure out if she was messing with her or not. Her eyebrows were furrowed and a frown adorned her lips.

At her silence and facial expression, Max deflated slightly, "Y-you don't have to or anything if you're already going with people."

"No, I'm not going with anyone," Challan denied.

The two stared at each other for a moment, both trying to figure out what to say as the air between them grew awkward.

"So, do you want to go with me?" Max repeated.

"Really?" Challan asked in disbelief.

The noise that came out of Max's mouth next was almost a small snicker, and Challan knew what that meant. It was just a joke. Of course, it was a joke. Of course, Max would be like everyone else, new or not. She had been right to be suspicious of her.

But Max's next words surprised her.

"Yeah, really. I don't really know anyone but you and those stalkers, kinda. They invited me but you know, they're stalkers. I'd rather go with someone who doesn't spend their time watching me from a distance," the redhead said with a chuckle. Challan wasn't sure who the stalkers she was referring to were but she was too nervous to ask.

"You want to go trick-or-treating... with me?" Challan questioned, the very idea of it being too absurd in her mind.

"Yes?" Max grew confused. Did Challan not want to go with her? "If you don't want to that's fi—"

"No! I want to it's just..." she trailed off, beginning to feel embarrassed.

"Just what?" Max asked curiously.

Challan contemplated even saying it, not wanting to feel any more embarrassed or worse, scare the girl off in case she actually didn't know. "No one's ever asked me to go trick-or-treating with them before," she finally admitted, causing Max's face to fall. Challan sighed, looking around the hallway. "Because, because of the rumors," she continued.

"The rumors?" Max questioned. The redhead had a general idea of what Challan was referring to, of course, she did. It's all anyone would talk about when Challan was around or when Max would ask people about the Logan girl. But she wanted to make sure Challan wasn't referring to something else.

Challan sighed, "The witch rumors about me and my family. That me, my mom, my grandma, that we're witches and cursed the town. Those rumors. I know you've probably heard them, especially today. Everyone has." Challan didn't meet her eye, which Max noticed.

The redhead looked around, seeing the stares and whispering of the other students who watched the two girls converse. Max rolled her eyes at them before looking back at Challan.

"Yeah, I've heard the rumors," she confirmed and Challan's shoulders dropped further, which she noticed.

"You wanna know a secret?" Max asked suddenly. Challan held in a sigh as she looked up at her curiously and Max leaned in. "I don't really believe in witches all that much."

A grin spread across the Mayfield girl's face when seeing the small smile come to Challan's face at her words.

"So... trick-or-treating, where do you want to meet?" Challan asked timidly.

Max's grin widened, "Your house? If that's okay. Mine is... a mess."

Challan nodded, "Sure." She then pulled a pencil out of her backpack before opening the notebook in her hand to a blank page. She wrote down her address and telephone number before tearing the page from the notebook and handing it to Max.

Max's smile remained on her face as she read over the address before looking back up at Challan. "Cedar Way Lane?"

Challan could feel herself growing embarrassed. The houses in her neighborhood were fairly cheap and it's where a lot of people who struggled with money lived. Challan wouldn't call her family poor but, they weren't exactly rich either.

"Yeah," Challan nodded, preparing for the worst.

"I live up Old Cherry Road," Max informed. That was another old neighborhood with affordable housing. It was fairly close to Cedar Way Lane, a short biking distance. Challan felt herself relax a little, knowing Max wasn't about to make fun of her.

"See you tonight at, 6:30?" Max asked after a beat of silence. Challan's smile brightened.

"See you at 6:30," she confirmed.

Max wiggled her eyebrows before walking away, folding the paper as she went and sticking it into her pocket.

A warm feeling began to swell in Challan's chest. An unfamiliar sense of happiness. She maybe had a friend. She couldn't wait to tell her parents.

••••

Challan and Max had talked throughout the day in the classes they shared and even sat together at lunch. She didn't want to be dramatic or anything but it was probably one of the best days, if not the best day, of her life. She's smiled more today than any other day in all of her thirteen years of living in Hawkins.

After school, she made her way to where the buses were parked, Max walking beside her as she made her way to the high school where her stepbrother was. Max didn't tell Challan much about her stepbrother, Billy. Only that he was an asshole. The buses came into view and turned to Max as they got closer. "See you tonight?" She asked, needing another confirmation.

"Yup," Max nodded.

Challan sent her a wave, watching as Max got on her skateboard and skated the rest of the way to her brother's car. The boy was leaning against his car, smoking a cigarette. His eyes were narrowed into a glare and directed at Challan. He glowered at her before looking at Max, saying something to her. Max looked over at where Challan was standing before turning back to her brother and speaking. Challan made her way onto the bus, feeling Billy's angry eyes burning into the back of her head.

She's seen that look before, many times. It didn't take a genius to know what it meant. She heaved out a sigh as she made her way to the back of the bus, sitting down in an empty seat and casting her gaze out the window, her excitement for tonight dimming a little.

••••

I don't know who needs to hear this but Billy Hargrove is a racist. I don't understand how some people can't see that when it was very obvious. The Duffer Brothers and Caleb McLaughlin have confirmed it. It's a fact. I still don't understand why there's so many fics for his character. Anyways, Challan is half Black so Billy's definitely not gonna be thrilled with Max and her hanging out (as you can see at the end of this chapter). I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please vote, comment, and support, it gives me the motivation to actually write.