Notes:

Manda's Note:
Hey guys! Well... if anyone actually reads this trash. I've been working on this stuff for a good almost 2 years now and usually, it's just my little project that I share with a couple of friends. But after one of my best's decided to throw her hand at HP I figured why not post some of my crap here. But yeah. enough of my babbling. Let me give you a little bit of insight here...

while we all love the fact that stranger things is set in the 80s. I decided a while ago to dabble in tossing the kids into current time. Needless to say, they lose a hell of a lot of innocence when that happens. Um, so everything that happened with the upside-down still occurred the way you know it. Billy's still dead. All of that. There are just little bits that are changed due to the time changes.

I will also tell you that this is in no particular order but if I decide to keep posting what I have I'll always let you know where in the timeline it falls at the beginning of the chapter. There is a continuous thread, but the flashbacks to everything in the past will always show up in a random fashion.

yeah, that's about all of the rambling I can think of.
If you take the time to read my crap awesome! I appreciate you. I hope you enjoy this strange swap in time and that the characters still reflect those that you love.

August of Last Year

There was something about press gatherings that never failed to make her jittery. It reminded her of the sirens and lights that had filled the mall that warm July evening. The one that she tried so hard to block from her mind.

This wasn't anything like that.

The logical part of her brain knew that her agent had been right and that this was the best way to gain exposure and get her work out there. Her work and the work of the at-risk youth that had an exhibition up for opening weekend. That was the most important thing to her. Exposure. Exposure so that the doors of 7 Waves could stay open. So that she could pay her rent for the gallery and her share of hers and Mike's place. So that she could keep those kids creating and let them know that they didn't have to go down any bad paths and whatever the shit else have you.

Max didn't know anymore. She was itching for a cigarette or a hit. Either one would have sufficed.

"Miss Mayfield, may I say… you look ravishing this afternoon. You're absolutely glowing." she ran a hand against the back of her neck as the reporter stopped her. Shit. she hated this. A light scarlet kissed her cheeks as she looked around for anyone who might be able to get her out of the spotlight. Though no one offered a hand of luck in that. "Caleb from The Salem Source. Care to sit down with me for a moment? I would love to get a profile." Max held in a groan and nodded her head as she gestured to the oversized red couch and dug her hands into the pockets of the jean jacket around her shoulders. –her reminder of him always keeping her safe.

Beat-up converses slid along hardwood flooring. She let the reporter sit first before pulling hands from pockets and tucking them under her thighs so as not to fidget. "Your parents have to be so proud of everything you've accomplished. Are they here today?" what a question to start off with. She hadn't spoken two sentences to her mother since the morning before she was supposed to graduate. The harsh crack to the side of her face had been the final straw in years worth of abuse. Her father… her father was another story. He had a family that didn't include her. Her stepfather… she didn't even go there. "My mother and I are estranged," she said simply.

By habit, she pulled her hand out of its resting place and started to fiddle with the chain around her neck.

"Your necklace. You have quite a few photographs of it in your collection. Exquisite photos, if I may add. Is there a story behind it?" These were the questions that she'd expected. The ones that she hadn't quite been prepared for but nonetheless the ones she wanted to share. She wrapped the St. Christopher pendant in between fingers, "um… actually it belonged to my brother." she knew to prepare herself, as sad as it was to say, before the reporter opened his mouth again.

They always knew. They always had questions.

From the look in the gentleman's eye, he was going to be no different. "Ah yes, the Starcourt Mall victim. Could you tell us a little about that?" instantaneously, blue eyes seemed to darken. "My brother, Billy, was a victim of child abuse that more teachers and so-called adults shrugged their shoulders at the time. Which is the reason why a percentage of the proceeds made in the gallery goes directly to The Waves Foundation." she took a breath before she continued, already knowing that the man in front of her was not entirely amused with her evasion of the questions asked. "I set it up about 5 years ago in his name." she had. Balancing school at the time and all of the documentation to make it a thing had been taxing but worth it. "It benefits kids whose parents have walked out and maybe in a precarious situation."

The reporter stared at her slackjawed for a moment. She could tell that he was figuring out how to formulate his question. Why did they do this? Why couldn't they just learn to let what had happened at the mall rest? It caused those who were involved enough grief. Then again it didn't matter to the vultures with pens. "That's wonderful Miss Mayfield. However, do you think you could expand on the mall…" there it was, her anger flared for a moment. "Not for nothing but…"

Before she could go off, before what she really wanted to do happened, she felt a hand wrap against her bicep. The tightness in pressure could have only meant one person. "I hate to cut in sir, but Maxine is needed for a moment, due excuse us." god, she hated him almost as much as she hated the reporter on the couch.

Yet, as he yanked her up she abided.

They were out of prying eyes, tucked behind one of the walls by the small kitchenette when he finally let go of her, "'Sup, slut." Lucas's smirk lit his face and she rolled her eyes in return, "Shitbag …Shitbag's Wife. Where are my nephews?" the redhead peered around the couple for the two young boys. Quickie marriages and what have you.

"Protesting your snoozefest. Mike's smoking out back and they're with him." irresponsible. At least she never lit up around the kids. But that was a discussion for another day. "El's on her way. Dustin's running late. Said you probably forgot these though." when he held up the baggie of little blue pills she snatched it from his hand. He always had to make things look suspicious.

The anxiety meds were her lifeline. Also a pill she generally forgot to take. She'd never had a very good track record for remembering any type of medication. "Shit, you ARE good for something." Max shrugged as she emptied the baggie into her hand and reached out for Lisa's glass of champagne. The woman who held no love loss for her sneered for a moment before handing it over. The two women would never fully get along. Not that that was any real surprise.

"Did D say how long he's gonna be?" she asked once the pills were swallowed and the glass was returned to Lisa, empty of course. Stepping away from them she studied the gallery for a moment. Things seemed to be going well with the mulling audience who stopped to look at photos and mingled with one another in conversation.

The gallery of the girl whose brother was killed in some horrific unexplained incident in Indiana.

She already knew that that was what the articles were all going to feature. She'd been prepared about that when Gracelyn, her publicist, had figured out who she was. It was something that she was always going to have to deal with. The questions as to what had gone on that day. It was always worse when they figured out who…

The ding over the door made her spin around quickly, a full smile pulled at her lips. Through the gallery she tore for a moment, excusing herself from various reporters and the like as she finally collided into the body that she'd seen mulling around their kitchen in an intense need for coffee and french toast first thing in the morning, "Thank fuck." she rasped out as she laced her arm through Jane Hopper's. "There are vultures fucking everywhere and the only two to show up so far are Mike and Lucas. Where the shit is Will?" she vented. Feeling at least a little more at peace with El there.

This wasn't going to be so bad, she could handle this …she hoped.