Chapter Text
Once upon a time, Elizabeth Munson, formerly Elizabeth Cole, found the world fantastical and bright without even trying. So much so, she referred to her small new family as one of magical royalty. For Elizabeth and her husband, Alan, were the king and queen. Who eventually welcomed a Prince Edison and Princess Maren to their realm. When they did, it was as if their world was complete. But even so, the young, loving queen continued to tell her children her stories, ones of fiction and ones of truth. And eventually her children began becoming some of the worlds strongest and bravest heroes. The idea filled her with joy, seeing Eddie and Maren growing into the strongest rulers anyone's ever seen. But the queen never got to see it happen.
For one day, the two young heroes lost their mother to an awful sickness, leaving them in the care of The King. But The King was not who he claimed to be, for he was a monster all along. And when The Monster grasped onto his children as hard as he could, they shattered into pieces. He would attack, break and ruin Maren, who was no longer a princess in his eyes. All while he tried to corrupt and manipulate his son, Eddie. And when the two would try to save themselves again and again, The Monster would push more, harming those they loved in the process. So the two stopped believing they could be heroes. Maren accepted her fate, while Eddie continued to secretly search for a way out. Eventually, The Monster got confident, cocky, and bored, leading to his demise. With The Monster gone, there was no one to take care of Maren and Eddie. That was until a noble man came to rescue them.
In 1981, a 12 year old Maren, and 15 year old Eddie, moved to the town of Hawkins, Indiana with their Uncle, and savior, Wayne. The two moved into his small trailer, making do with what they had. And though it wasn’t a lot, the kids were just happy they were finally free of The Monster. But that didn’t mean their troubles were over.
September 1st, 1985
First Day of senior year
Maren walks the Hawkin's High halls, filled with students. She holds her backpack straps close to her chest, as a sense of comfort. The hallway she walks in is straight out of a movie. A couple is french kissing to her left as another is arguing to her right. A group of boys run after each other up ahead and other's try desperately to get into the same locker they've had for years. Freshmen walk slow and doe eyed, backing up the whole place while the upper-classmen yell at them to move.
She let's out a sigh as she finds her locker. She really enjoys school, but suddenly it's a reminder that she doesn't have friends. Well, she didn't until-
"Morning," Max says, coming up to Maren's open locker. She gives her a kind smile as she takes in her new found friend.
Max Mayfield came into Maren's life this past month when her and her mom moved into the trailer across from the Munson's. At first it was a lot of polite, awkward nods or no acknowledgement at all. Which Maren couldn't really blame her for. They didn't know each other aside from what the kids at school said about them. The only thing Maren did know was how Max lost her step-brother in the Starcort fire that summer.
But then one night, Maren went out for a walk while the rest of her home slept. She knows it's risky to do, but some nights the memories of The Monster get too strong that she has to get fresh air. And when she did on that quiet night, she found Max sitting in the dark, crying. It was clear she wanted to be alone but Maren couldn't help but check on her.
When she did, they talked for a little. Not about anything deep, which is what both of them needed. And from that moment on there was an understanding of sorts between them. Maren didn’t pry about Max’s grief, and Max didn’t pry about Maren’s past. They both knew there was a lot going on in their heads, but when they were together they allowed themselves to relax, just a tiny bit. Over the next week, the two girls would meet at night and pretend to be normal teenagers, just for a moment. And for those moments, they really felt like it.
"Morning," Maren chirped, placing her copy of "The Hobbit" carefully into her locker. "You could've gotten a ride with Eddie and I this morning, ya know?"
Max nods her head. "Yeah, but I just wanted some fresh air before the shit show, that is today."
Maren hums in understanding. She shuts her locker before turning down the hall. "What do you have first?" she asks, scanning the room numbers for her first period.
"Pre-Calc with Johnson," Max whines.
Maren winces. "Oh God, good luck."
"Thanks. What about you?"
Maren notices the room number she memorized from her schedule the day before. She points at the door. "AP Physics with Clarke."
Max's eyebrows raise. "How'd you get in AP?"
Maren crosses her arms with a slight joking attitude. "You do know I'm not an idiot, right? Just because Eddie is on his third senior year doesn't mean I am."
Max let's out a light laugh as Lucas Sinclair, her boyfriend, comes up beside her. He places an arm around her shoulders. "Hi Maren," he says politely.
"Hi," she waves. Lucas is nice but the two don't really know each other well. He only knows her from a quick hello when visiting Max. Maren watches as the red head puts on a smile. It's not fake but it's hurting. Not from Lucas, that's clear, but probably from all that's happened over the summer. People don't move on as fast as Max pretends she has. It makes Maren's chest drop slightly. She wishes there was something she could do but has a feeling Max won't appreciate it.
"I'll see you later at lunch?" Max asks as her and Lucas head off. Maren nods in response.
The science room has lab tables spread throughout, having two seats assigned to each. Maren picks a spot in the middle of class, where no one else sits. She's realized over time it's the perfect spot for learning but not getting attention.
As the minutes go by, Maren sits patiently with her notebook. Her mind wanders to Eddie and how he's handling his third first day of senior year. "Is anyone sitting here?" a voice asks, pulling her from her thoughts.
She looks over to see a boy with curly hair trapped under a hat and a polite smile, looking at her. He's wearing a bright Weird Al t-shirt with light wash jean shorts. Maren's sure she's seen him before but can't seem to place it. The boy raises his eyebrows, waiting for an answer. She shakes her head, forcing her brain to focus. "No, it's all yours."
The boy slides in next to her with a nod. "Thanks. I'm Dust-pan," he says, extending a cheerful hand out toward her.
She takes his hand absentmindedly, giving a light shake as she smiles back. "Maren." When she turns back to her notebook in front of her, his words hit her. Did he say- She turns her head back to him. "I'm sorry," she says awkwardly. The boy freezes with his new notebook halfway out his bag and onto the table. "Did you say your name was 'Dust pan'?"
The boy's eyebrows raise in surprise. A small laugh escapes his mouth. Maren is sure she's just embarrassed herself. His lips make a bright smile that fills Maren with a sense of ease in seconds. A feeling she hasn't been able to hold onto all morning. He shakes his head. "No, I didn't say that but sure. I can be Dust-pan Henderson."
Maren hears herself laugh at his words. "So what is your-"
The sound of the final bell cuts her off. Their teacher, Mr. Clarke, stands at the front of class patiently. As the bell ends, the talking begins. There are a few typical topics such as rules and expectations but before the class knows it, they're jumping into content. Maren, along with the others, rush for her pencil and notebook. She scribbles down notes as a light tap hits her arm. She looks over to see the boy scoot his paper toward her. Her eyes scan over the single phrase. 'It's Dustin :)'. So the boy's name is Dustin Henderson. She smiles, more than she should as she writes quickly on his paper, 'Hi Dustin :)'.
Her head tilts up to see him wearing a softer smile, more sweet than excited. His cheeks turn a hint of pink as his eyes meet hers. Maren smiles back at him before quickly turning to her notebook again. Maybe physics won't be so bad with Dust-pan near by.