"Dustin, will you please calm the hell down?" Lucas sighed with exasperation, at Dustin, who was very much not calming the hell down.

It was Friday morning, at an ungodly hour, and Dustin was stressing out about packing everything they needed for the camp out into his van. It's not like there wasn't plenty of room, or anything, its just that Dustin was a bit of an over-packer. Mostly just food. He packed enough food for probably an entire week, and not just the one night they were actually staying outdoors.

Mike wasn't helping either, but that was to be expected. Mike was a stress case even when their plans just involved going to the mall, god forbid they do something a little out of the ordinary. But put a stressed Dustin and an anxious Mike in one room, and the world is bound to implode around them.

"No I will not calm down, you need to calm up!" Dustin shouted from behind a pile of sleeping bags and blankets.

"That's not even an expression." Mike rolled his eyes, as he went over the checklist for the hundredth time.

"Who's side are you one, Wheeler?" Dustin chucked another bag into the back. He stood up and wiped his brow, and turned to the rest of the group. "I think that about does it, right? And then we just have to make room for the girls stuff?"

"Dustin, I think even if you forgot the tent we would be fine. We could make one out of the leftover candy wrappers." Lucas smirked.

"How many times do I have to tell you, its brain fuel."

Lucas rolled his eyes, not for the first time that morning, and certainly not the last for the trip overall, but he was more than excited. In all honesty it had been one of the best weeks of his young life. The fair had had a steady flow of attendees, not to many, not too few. The weather had been perfect, the rides he and Max had been going on were getting more and more fun. And, of course, just Max in general.

The last thing Lucas Sinclair had been expecting when he met Max Mayfield, was that one day he would get to kiss her. It was certainly a hope, a dream even, but not something he ever in a million years thought was possible. Not only that, but she had been the one to kiss him. And ever since, the tension that had been growing in their newly formed friendship was gone. Now it was just like having a close friend that you also got to hold hands with. It was great, and it felt like nothing in the world could bring him down, not even Dustin's string of disgruntled curses as he slammed the doors closed on the van, and everyone piled inside.

The girls were both waiting at El's house, sitting on the porch all groggy eyed with duffle bags slung over their shoulders. In the cool blue tones of the early morning light, they could see the Chief of Police, Jim Hopper, was there too. Leaning against the railing and sipping a cup of coffee, looking stern and looming. Lucas was pretty sure he heard Mike audibly gulp.

"Hi guys!" El smiled warmly at them, rising from her feet and pulling Max by the arm up with her.

"You guys can toss your things in the back!" Dustin stuck his head out the window and waved them over.

And it would have been fine, would have gone easy, would have been totally smooth and cool, if El has not stuck her head in Dustin's window and whispered harshly at all of them. "My dads coming to talk to you, be cool."

And low and behold, who should be coming down the steps in full uniform? Jim Hopper.

"Dad, these are my friends." El smiled warmly up at her father, who towered over her, and everyone in the van for that matter.

"These friends have names?" Hopper's voice was both teasing and serious. The only prior interaction that Lucas had ever had with Hopper, was about a year back when he came to the school to give an assembly about wilderness safety after some hunters went missing. But back then, he was just another face in the crowd. Now he was standing face to face with the man, and hes be lying if he said he wasn't intimidated. He could only imagine how Mike must be feeling.

El rolled her eyes and pointed at each of the shocked silent boys one by one. "Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, and Will Byers."

Hopper studied them carefully for a moment, as if deciding if by their names alone if they were safe or not. "Byers? You Joyce's boy?" He finally said looking straight at Will who just nodded weakly. "Hm, tell her I said hello, will ya?"

"Y-yes sir." Will nodded again.

"Well," Hopper started, resting his hand on the roof of the car and leaning dangerously close to Dustin, "I've never met any of you before, so that must mean you don't get yourselves into too much trouble. Just be careful out there, and call me if anything happens."

"Of course, Dad, nothings going to happen though." El rolled her eyes again and Hopper smirked back at her.

"You kids have fun, but not too much fun, you understand me?" Hoppers face was just as disciplinarian as it was amused. The boys just nodded, and the girls clambered inside over the piles of camping gear. Hopper patted the roof of the car and sent them off, and as soon as they turned out of the driveway the group let out a collective sigh.

"El, no offence, but your dad is really scary." Dustin muttered.

"He's a teddy bear, seriously, but he likes to scare people. It's so annoying." El scoffed and sat back against a tower of blankets and bedding. The space in the back of the van was so cramped now that everyone had to wedge themselves into the smallest space possible.

"It's honestly a crack up that he thinks you guys would ever get us into trouble." Max giggled, "If anything, it's the other way around."

"Hey now, we can be troublemakers." Lucas raised his eyebrows at her and she shoved him.

"Oh i'm sure. I'll bet you really raise hell at the science fair."

"Like you wouldn't believe." Lucas voice was sarcastic, but his smile was genuine.

"Okay campers," Dustin grinned in the reflection of the rear view mirror, "So the plan is, we get in early, find a good spot, and then set up camp after work is okay, but before it gets too dark."

"We are thinking that there's a clearing a little ways back in the woods." Mike added, shifting his legs around in the minimal space, wincing as he did so.

"Cool, so like... Are there 40 other people joining us? Or did you guys pack an entire house?" Max asked through a chuckle. Dustin said something upfront, defending the importance of each and every bag and box, but Lucas wasn't listening.

Lucas was just staring. And that would have been fine, if Max hadn't caught his eye, and punched his shoulder. He supposed even that was fine too.

When they arrived at the fairgrounds, the air was eerily still around them. Not another car in sight, the sun just barely peeking over the tree line, and a low hanging fog covering the ground. The colorful circus tents and towering rides all looked bleak and aged. It almost felt like the set of some cheap horror movie, if it weren't for the giddy conversation as The Party filed out of the van. Dustin had parked as close to the tree line as he could, to make the walk to wherever their campsite was easier, and with the sun rising at their backs they set off into the dense woods.

It was still early enough in the morning that each blade of grass was covered in dew, and the wind that rustled the tree branches above was cold and smelled clean. Will had one of Jonathan's cameras, and spent the walk stopping every now and then to take pictures of the forest, the early season mushrooms growing from trees, and candids of everyone walking. Dustin spent his time pointing out different bird calls and animal sounds, almost more for himself than for the others. El and Mike walked hand in hand, her quietly listening as he talked about stories of camping when they were kids. It was peaceful, it was calm, and Lucas felt a stirring contentment that he often felt in nature, but even more so now. Things just felt right.

"What are you thinking about so hard in there?" Max finally asked in a hushed tone. Not quite a whisper, but close enough. Something about the setting made the quietness of her voice make sense. Like the forest was an animal that should not be disturbed.

"Nothing really, i'm just excited for the weekend."

"It should be fun, yeah? Can I tell you a secret?" Max looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I've never been camping before."

"Never!? But I thought you told the best campfire stories." Lucas mocked Max's voice, quoting her, but not at all accurately.

"I do! I've been to bonfires and stuff before, and my dad and I used to roast marshmallows in the backyard all the time, but i've never like, slept outside."

"Well I think you'll love it." Lucas said earnestly. He really thought she would. It was kind of an adventure, maybe a small one, but still a new one. Max struck him as the outdoorsy type.

"Yeah?" Max's voice was closer than it had been before, and Lucas became aware that they had stopped walking. The others were somewhere up ahead, but Lucas didn't notice. Couldn't notice, not even if he tried. "I think you're right."

It didn't take them long at all to find the clearing. It wasn't big, barely even 30ft in any direction, but it was perfect. The sun spilled into it from above the trees, turning the grass and wildflowers golden and orange. The air warmed around them as they stepped out of the tree line, wrapping and hugging, but not enough to be suffocating. There was something about magical about it.

"I think this will do." Mike nodded, an arm slung around El, surveying the space.

"It only took us a few minutes to get here, and if we plan a little, a bet we can make it one trip." Lucas agreed.

"Alright, it's settled then, meet back at the van after close and we will get this party started!" Dustin punctuated his sentence with a clap, and suddenly the day began for real.

By the time the Party made it back to the parking lot, it was already filling quickly with other tired teens, as well as a few early patrons. The sun had risen enough that the dust filled air of the fairground smelled hot and humid. All around then as they entered the gate, dropping members at their posts as they went, machinery whirred to life, and jingles and bells chimed together in a miss-matched orchestra.

As soon as Mike waved goodbye and stepped up the thin metal ramp of the Tilt-a-whirl, Lucas and Max were glued at the hip. She laced her fingers in his, and he felt just as electrified as the rest of the fair. Awake, bright, sunny.

The morning went on as usual, but the pair never spared a moment to antagonize the other. Lucas had actually gotten really good at throwing crumpled pieces of paper across the midway and into Max's booth. And Max had gotten really good at throwing them back. If anything, their antics had only increased since deciding to be... Well whatever they were now. They hadnt really talked about it, and Lucas felt like maybe they didn't need too. He was happy being 'whatever' with her. At least, for now.

The day picked up around lunch time.

There must have been some sort of global conspiracy, that every single one of Lucas's peers were in on, because the fair was full to the brim with the soon to be Hawkins High Senior class. It reminded him, begrudgingly, of one time in middle school when The Party were the only losers in the entire school to dress up on Halloween. Boy oh boy that was a great day, filled with insults and crumpled up papers being thrown at them in the hallways.

But Lucas wasn't in Middle school anymore, and he wasn't as much of an outcast as he had been back then. He had joined the Baseball team freshman year, and was pretty good at it. He did debate every year, and finally they were at an age were being good in school seemed to matter. Instead of being taunted for getting good grades, people were only mildly jealous. He wasn't exactly great friends with any of the other kids at school, but gone were the days of being at the bottom of the social ladder with only three dorky friends to his name.

So one by one, over the course of the day, his fellow teammates would stop by and they would share in some friendly small talk. Some of them had gone away on cool vacations, some of them had gotten themselves summer jobs in town, but everyone seemed intent on telling him how cool it was that he was working for the fair. To which, he would laugh and shrug, telling them it was mostly just really boring.

Then, of course, he would looked across the way at Max, and realize that this boring little summer job was one of the best damn ideas he had had in a long time.

Not that he would say that, but he could sure as hell think it. (And maybe say it once or twice too.)

And Max had lots of friends stop by too. Max wasn't exactly popular, but she was well known. She was funny and interesting, she played softball every spring, she rode a skateboard to school, and she was one of like 5 new students in all of Lucas's memory during his entire school career.

Her friends were mostly sporty girls who would crack jokes with her, making her throw her head back and laugh (and make her face wrinkle up in the most adorable way ever). There were also some of the more artsy girls, the ones in Poetry Club and the Drama Program who were mostly friends with El, but friendly enough with Max. Probably talking about the fair in an ironic sense, and taking haunted photos of worn wood and burnt out lightbulbs for Instagram.

All day though, Lucas couldn't help but notice that anytime he looked at Max, she was already looking at him. Her face was always turned up in a slight, warm, smile, and every time it made his heart flip flop in his chest. He wondered if she was talking about him, if she was telling her new friends about him. He figured that it didn't really matter either way, but he hoped that she was.

Before he even realized it, Big John came strolling down the Midway, releasing everyone from their posts. Max practically sprinted to him and pulled him by the hand towards the rides.

"We only have time for one thing so we have to make it count!" She chuckled while he tried to keep up. "I'm thinking it's finally time for Screaming Eagle."

And so, to the Screaming Eagle they ran. The ride was, in essence, a swinging pendulum. It hung from large arching beams that were covered in a million flashing rainbow lights. The bottom of the pendulum was a circle of seats, all facing inwards, and all without a place to put your feet, so they just dangled into empty space. You actually had to jump up a bit to sit down. Max tried twice before huffing and climbing up more like a spider monkey instead. Lucas more or less just rose to his tip-toes with a smirk.

"Not fair, this is short discrimination." Max grumbled, smoothing her hair back into a ponytail.

Lucas laughed, and tried to think of some clever response, but the safety rails latched into place, and the massive pendulum started swinging.

It started out slowly, just making small back and forth movements, but each swing earned it more momentum. It didn't take long for the ride to be making wide, sweeping movements above the platform, and even larger concentric circles, putting the seats at 90 degree angles to the ground.

Max had her head thrown back and her arms outstretched, Lucas was laughing and screaming and each time they swung up into the air it felt like he was going to kick the tops of the circus tents below. It was magical and thrilling, and definitely worth the build up they had taken.

After several minutes of vertigo inducing movement, the ride began to slow, the pendulum coming to rest again in the center of the platform, the rainbow lights stalling their strobe effect until the next ride, and everyone was hopping back out of their seats. El and Will were waiting for them just outside the security fence, and together they all walked to wait for the others.

Within minutes they were back at Dustin's van, arguing about the most effective way to take everything back to the campsite.

"I say we just take what's important, and leave the other cramp here! It's not like we are going to need everything tonight." Mike argued, and Lucas nodded in agreement. Sure Mike had made the list, but Dustin had gone more than well over that list.

"But what if we get there and realize we forgot something that is important!" Dustin argued back.

Somewhere from inside the van, Max groaned, hopping back out onto the gravel parking lot. She had her duffel bag slung over her shoulder, and a cooler in the other hand. El emerged from behind her carrying about as many bags as one person should be able too.

"Okay then, how about you just grab everything we don't want to carry?" Max asked with a huff at Dustin. "Sound like a plan? Great! I'm going."

Mike and Lucas both laughed at Dustin who just blinked as Max walked into the woods, flashlight bouncing off the trees.

The others loaded up their arms with as much important supplies as they could, while Dustin wrestled with the rest. There definitely were a few things left behind, but by the time they got to the campsite Dustin was tired enough to finally not worry about it. A win for everyone.

El and Max built the tent (one massive ten person monstrosity that the Mr. Sinclair was incredibly proud of), and made up the beds. Mike and Lucas got to work on building a fire, playfully arguing between themselves as they did so, and Dustin and Will got to work on dinner. Well, mostly Dustin got to work while Will took every chance he could to take pictures. 'Because even small details deserve to be documented', which was probably an excuse he had picked up from Johnathan.

Nighttime quickly settled around them. The sun ducked bellow the horizon, and the woods filled with inky darkness. Off year cicadas echoed off the trees along with crickets and a distant but talkative barn owl.

Everyone was pulled up close to the fire, with blankets on the ground and even more blankets wrapped around them. It was a sizable fire, with plenty of branches and dried leaves to keep it going for a few more hours. Every now and then it would crackle and shift, sending spirals of red embers into the sky, drifting up and eventually disappearing. Will played calm and ambient music in the background on his phone, just enough to fill the silence but not enough to overpower it.

Their conversations were hushed, Mike and El talking quietly between themselves under the blanket they were both wrapped up in, all warm smiles and bashful laughter. Max and Lucas were laid back, their feet propped up against the stones surrounding the fire pit, their eyes fixed on the sky. Max knew a lot of constellations, and Lucas knew most of the rest. Together they practically charted the sky. Will was humming along with the music and sketching something by the fire light. Every now and then a bird, or some other critter would call out into the night, and Dustin would identify it.

They filled up on hotdogs and marshmallows and for a long time it was just peaceful. Calm. Content. Until Max sat up, stretching forward like a cat and smiling slyly at the fire.

"Anybody have any scary stories?"

The group came back to life, circling tighter around the fire and the calmness faded away into the shivering excitement saved only for scary campfire stories.

"I do!" Dustin said through a bite of marshmallow, "So, like, there was this lady right? And she was driving home late at night all by herself-"

"If this is the one where the murderer is in the back seat and the truck driver flashes his lights at her then i'm going to punch you." Will rolled his eyes, reaching over the top of Dustin to bring the bag of marshmallows into his own lap.

"Its not! Its-... Okay yeah it was. But I tell it really well!" Dustin argued. The others just groaned.

"I knew it, you're all a bunch of amateurs." Max rolled her eyes, reaching across Lucas to grab herself a handful of candy from Dustin's hoard. "I have a good one."

The group stilled, leaning in closely and bracing themselves. Lucas felt a premature chill run up his spine from just the look Max was wearing alone.

"So, back in California, I lived in this neighborhood that was totally normal, except for one house at the end of the lane..."

Max went on to tell the story of how one of her friends older brothers went inside, and ghosts and haunts he supposedly saw while he was there. Her timing was good, and her tone was chilling, but the story itself was pretty cheesy all things considered. Still, Lucas caught Will glancing over his shoulder into the dark a few times, and Mike huddling tighter under his blanket as if it were a shield.

"... Well? What do you think?"

"That's it?" Lucas scoffed, earning him a sharp elbow jab to the side.

"What do you mean 'that's it'!? It's terrifying and I lived right down the street from it!"

"Well maybe that's the problem. It's scary to you because you had a personal experience with the place." Mike chimed in, gesturing at her with his smores stick.

"I guess so... Or maybe you guys are just lame and don't know a good scary story when you hear it." Max crossed her arms, earning her a sharp elbow jab in retaliation.

"Mike, you're good at telling stories, do you know any good ones?" El, who was practically wedged underneath him, asked hopefully.

Mike seemed to weight the options, rolling around an idea or two in his head before he nodded.

"Yeah, okay. Um... So, do you guys know about the secret government lab in the woods behind Hawkins?"

"You mean the abandoned electric plant?" Dustin scrunched his face together.

"Well yeah, but that's not really what it was." Mike shook his head, his voice and eyes somber, almost reluctant. "Do you guys remember when I had to do that research paper on MK Ultra?"

"Whats MK Ultra?" El wrinkled her nose.

"Crazy government mind control experiments that they did in like the 70s." Max answered before Mike could.

"Yeah, I remember that paper, what's the point?" Lucas asked. Mike was good at storytelling, but he usually drug it out a bit too long for his liking.

"My point, is that when I was doing research at the library, I found out that Hawkins lab got government donations from the research fund responsible for MK Ultra testing. And you can find newspaper articles that show the man who used to run it, this creepy looking dude name Brenner, with a bunch of kids in hospital gowns. Those kids lived at Hawkins lab."

"Why would an electricity plant have hospital patients?" Will shivered.

"Exactly! They wouldn't. I don't think Hawkins lab did anything with Electricity at all. I think they ran those experiments. There were all sorts of articles about women whose babies got stolen, and they tried to sue Brenner. There was one woman in particular, her name was Terry Ives..."

Mike went on to tell a story that was not only terrifying, but heart wrenching. About a baby girl who was kidnapped, about how Terry was convinced that her child had mind control powers. About Brenner, and how much the town in the early 80's hated and feared him. About some sort of explosion that happened, killing everyone in the lab including Brenner and a little girl who fit the description Terry had given of her daughter. Mike elaborated, a perfect example of someone who had spent years cultivating DnD stories in his basement, about the girl. How she opened a rift between worlds, about how monsters of unimaginable power came through this gate, and killed everyone. And how the girl had to sacrifice herself to save the town.

It was thrilling, and when it was over you could have heard a pin drop. It was almost like the entire forest hushed itself to listen to the story.

"Damn..." Lucas breathed, his eyebrows arching high on his forehead as he leaned back.

"Thats... horrible." Max whispered.

"Mike, you have to write that story down. That could be a book! I have chills." El shook her head, rubbing her arms to settle the goosebumps that had formed there.

"And the scariest part is that it's all true... Like the lab and everything I mean. Thats crazy." Will stared daggers into the fire, far off in contemplation.

"I think we know who wins the campfire story award." Dustin tossed a marshmallow at Mike who chuckled and stretched himself out.

"Glad I could be of service. I think i'm going to head to bed though, we still have an early day tomorrow." Mike did a half-hearted two finger salute and walked back to the tent, El at his heels.

A few minutes later Will followed them, rubbing his eyes. Dustin went for a few smores after that. Before long, it was just Lucas and Max and the glowing red remnants of a dying fire.

"Are you ready to tuck in?" Lucas asked after a long yawn. Max hummed in response, and he turned to look at her, and instantly his heart melted.

She was leaning back on her elbows, her head lulling heavily against her neck, looking up at the night sky. The low red light danced across her skin, making her look glowy and warm. Lucas's heart sped up in his chest and suddenly he wanted, no needed to hold her.

He laid back against the blanket that was still spread underneath them, and patted his chest. Max smiled and snuggled herself against his side, her head resting just under his chin. He was sure that she would be able to hear how loud and quickly his heart was beating but he didnt care. He was so content, so comfortable. It felt like she belonged there.

They weren't exactly a 'touchy' sort of couple (or whatever they were), but the few moments over the last week that they had shared together, like this, were some of the best.

"Maybe we should just stay out here." Max sighed, wedging herself impossibly closer.

"Yeah, we can do that. May as well go all out for your first time camping." Lucas swallowed hard. It had been a really long time since he had truly camped 'under the stars'.

"Its nice."

"Camping?"

"Well that too, but I meant this. This is nice."

Max wasn't often soft. Her words were usually layered thick in sarcasm, sometimes even weaponized. Lucas figured there was some reason for that, but it never really bothered him anyway. But when she was soft, in the rare moments of just sincerity, he almost felt himself falling in love with her. It was a thought that scared him, and not one he would ever voice out loud (at least not yet), but he felt it. Growing underneath the skin.

"The stars are so pretty." She sighed again, voice full of wonder, so quietly that only he would be able to hear.

"They didn't have stars in California?" Lucas asked smugly. She swatted his rib cage where her hand was resting.

"Not in the city. The lights dull them out. But this... The sky looks huge."

"Do you miss it? California I mean?"

"Sometimes." She said after a pause, "I miss the ocean. I miss things staying open past 9." Another long pause. "I miss my dad."

"Oh... I didn't know I-"

"No, no it's okay. It's been a long time, and we talk on the phone and stuff. I just dont think its something you ever get used to."

Lucas did not respond, he didn't think he needed too. Anything he could have said would have been something she had probably heard a hundred times before. In all honesty, her pain was one he couldn't understand. His parents loved each other, and they always had. He wanted to ask a million questions, but he figured he would have plenty of time to ask them. Slowly, one by one, over the course of however long it took her to be comfortable with answering.

They stayed that way for a long time. Just holding each other, listening, watching, waiting. The cicadas buzzing, the crickets chirping, the barn owl hooting.

"Max?"

"Hmm?" Her voice sounded sleepy and far away.

"Can I kiss you?"

And she didn't respond, he didn't think she needed too. Instead she sat up, and somewhere in the middle their lips met, and that was all that mattered. Lucas hoped that Max had enjoyed her first camping trip, but he was certain that it was the best one he had ever been on.