#yeah i know James' lamp irons are missing he came like that

[shelli-gator]

The cgi show really took James and went

[missbemaeve]

AN IMAGE OF YOU AND OF ME AND WE’RE LAUGHING AND LOVING IT ALL - YSTLC

vi. reaction to barbara’s disappearance

but you know that there’s no where that i’d rather be, than with you here today ( hold me now ; thompson twins )

thursday, november tenth, nineteen-eighty-three

maeve stepped out of her car, pulling her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders. her camera was perched precariously on top of her car as she adjusted her clothes and took her backpack from the passenger seat. today she planned on getting a few shots for the yearbook upon andie’s request-- she figured that joining a group wouldn’t be so bad; she was planting roots here. maeve took her camera and gently placed it in her bag. as she walked to the school building, maeve saw a blonde mass darting towards her.

andie slowed as she got to maeve’s side and took a moment to catch her breath, “maeve, do you know what all of this whispering is about? i keep hearing barbara’s name but no one has told me anything.” she emphasized the last word, a frown creasing her forehead. she couldn’t imagine the pain andie was feeling. a child that she had cared for was dead and she didn’t yet know about a friend that was missing. she’d last left andie the night before after andie had eventually fallen in to an uneasy sleep following the news of will byers’ death.

maeve’s sad brown eyes searched andie’s and found only worry, “andie, barbara never came to school yesterday. they think she was either abducted or ran away tuesday night. i’m so sorry-- i thought you’d have heard.” she squeezed andie’s small hand as a panicked look spread across her face. hawkins, indiana wasn’t one of new york’s boroughs; people didn’t just disappear at random and without a trace but in less than three days, two people had. “maybe she just...” maeve was at a loss as she trailed off. she didn’t know barbara very well but the two had conversed in the library on several occasions and she knew the girl wouldn’t just leave without notice. “what the hell is going on?” maeve murmured, half to herself. there was no chance that her previous residence had nothing to do with these happenings.

“oh my god. we-- we need to do something.” andie stammered, brushing a stray tear from her cheek, throwing herself in to planning. andie continued talking, making plans for the two to maybe canvas and hold a vigil as they had for will. maeve understood that will’s death was hard on andie however she was nearly panicking discussing barbara’s disappearance. listening to andie, maeve half payed attention as she tried to understand her newfound, intense attention on barbara holland. andie had a huge heart but there was something in the manic way she spoke about this; it was as if she had somehow caused it. she was avoiding her feelings about the events the day before and those that lay ahead; maeve couldn’t comment on her emotional suppression, knowing she did the same. she resolved to just be as present as andie needed; their bond strengthened by the events the evening before. maeve had never had a best friend before but she was finding one in the powerhouse blonde who would one day rule the world, or at least new england.

maeve didn’t want to pressure her in to speaking, knowing that andie would tell her if anything strange had happened. as the bell rang out, maeve embraced her tightly. she had slowly become less averse to physical contact and lessened the use of her persuasion however she pushed a wave of calmness on to andie, feeling the girl was close to tears, “andie, everything will be okay. they’ll find her. it’s...not like will.” she pulled away, holding her at arm’s length by her shoulders, “take a breath and go to class and we’ll start working on the posters and plans tomorrow.”

visibly, andie relaxed, her shoulders falling as they lost some tension. “why not today after--” andie’s blue-green eyes lit up with an emotion other than worry for the first time that morning. “oh my god, your date with the police guy! it’s tonight!”

maeve started backing away, laughing. “it is tonight.” she grinned, nervously. butterflies were already flying wild in the pit of her stomach.

“you better call me as soon as you get home.” andie laughed and started walking to her class. “i want to know everything. and don’t do anything stupid!”

“got it, boss!” maeve rolled her eyes, smiling.

maeve went through the day, snapping photos when she had a chance and day dreaming about her evening that was to come. she hadn’t harbored any romantic feelings since she’d been forced from her cozy sanctuary in manhattan; maeve was unsure if she even knew how to properly interact with a guy. she drove home and kissed her mother and brother on the cheeks before going straight to her room.

looking at the clock on the wall, she counted three and a half hours until james was due to arrive. she dumped her books on to her bed and quickly began to work through her homework so she’d have nothing to worry about aside from her date as it was happening. after an hour, she closed her book and cleared off her desk before placing her makeup mirror and cosmetics in front of herself alongside copies of glamour, cosmopolitan, and seventeen magazine to attempt to emulate the appearance of the popular women that graced the covers of the magazines.

two hours, a burn from a curling iron, and three eyeliner attempts later, maeve was finally ready. zipping up her ankle boots and sliding on the large cardigan, maeve spun around in front of her mirror, running her hands down the skirt of the dress and smoothing any wrinkles. mary poked her head in, “maeve, he’s been standing outside for thirty minutes. i think he was nervous and got here early. you better go before your dad sees him and wants a word.” she smiled, only half joking. “mae...” she trailed off, her eyes filling with tears, “you look beautiful.”

“mom! no, it’s just a first date. i’m not getting married.” maeve laughed and grabbed her bag before hugging her mom tightly. “i’ll be back before eleven. i love you!” maeve took a deep breath as she walked to the front door, ensuring she had her wallet, mints, and lip gloss. exhaling, she opened the front door and stepped out on to the covered porch. “so, were you gonna stand there all night or knock eventually?” she grinned, teasingly.

the sun had set only an hour earlier but in the light of the street lamp, she could make out james leaning against the side of his car, his hands in his pockets. he looked shocked for a minute before a crooked smile crossed his face and he ran a hand through his messy hair. “well, i guess i may have been a little eager.” he walked towards her, his long distressed denim clad legs crossing the street in a few strides. james was handsome in a traditional way that made girls flock to him or to pretend their car broke down with the hope that he drove by before hopper or callahan did. he walked up the steps on to the porch, maeve looked up at the taller man, still smiling. “you ready?”

“definitely.” maeve could feel her heartbeat in her chest, the gold necklace around her neck was cool against her flushed, warm skin. he took her smaller hand in his larger, calloused one before leading her to his car. he opened the door for her and closed it before quickly getting in the driver’s seat. she pulled the seat belt across her body, holding her bag in her lap. maeve took pause, looking at him as he turned the key in the ignition, “the bruise is already going away.” the scrapes and purple color that had covered part of his face had slowly begun to fade. the evidence of his less than savory interaction the afternoon before was soon to be nonexistent.

“yeah, sorry. i guess i’m not so rugged-looking anymore.” he chuckled lightly, “so, i figured we could grab ice cream and maybe just hang out?” james was as nervous as she was; she willed herself not to calm him down as she had done with andie hours earlier.

“that sounds great to me.” they drove across town, hawkins was as quiet as ever under the cover of night. he turned on the car radio before adjusting the volume of the one on his hip. maeve gave him a quizzical look, an eyebrow raised in silent questioning.

“with all of the stuff going on in town now, hopper has us keep our radios on twenty-four-seven.” he shook his head, running a hand over his exhausted face, “it’s wild, you know? i’ve lived here my whole life and things have never been like this. what about you? i’ve never seen you around before and i know i wouldn’t forget seeing you.”

looking out the window as they pulled on to the street for james to park, maeve bit her lip in an attempt not to smile too widely, “i’m from new york originally but i just moved here recently. i...needed a change of scenery.” it wasn’t completely a lie but she could outright tell him that she had been essentially forcibly taken and experimented on-- that conversation was for any other time than a first date, perhaps a five-hundredth date.

he opened her door for her as they continued making small talk. they sat across from each other in a booth, reminiscent of the last time they’d been together but in circumstances that were much brighter. they bonded over favorite films; she found his excitement for the next rocky installment endearing and he listened attentively as she described her love for some of the classic, golden age of hollywood films. 

“have you really never heard that line? i have a hard time believing that!” placing her spoon on a napkin, maeve traced shapes absent-mindedly on the aged, linoleum table as she spoke. “it’s legendary– it’s iconic. humphrey bogart, staring ingrid bergman in the eyes and baring his soul while saying ‘here’s looking at you, kid’ is probably the most well-known movie scene of all time!” maeve gushed breathlessly, her brows drawn together. 

james let out a low chuckle, “here’s looking at you, kid.” he repeated quietly and nodded, a small smile on his lips, their eyes meeting over the melting confections that occupied the table between them. 

maeve had to swallow the lump that grew in her throat after hearing his rich, deep voice recount the line back to her. the words wrapped around her like a blanket, the warmth was comforting. breaking eye contact with him, maeve spoke once more, “you have to promise to watch it with me.” she said as she took the cherry from his banana split. “it’s beautiful and it has some history to it so it’s not all just lovey-dovey stuff!”

“i promise.” he grinned before he took a dollop of whipped cream and poked her nose with it. laughing, she wiped it away. as they finished their ice cream, the two realized neither wanted the date to end. their hands had drifted to the middle of the table on their own accord, his thumb gently rubbing against the back of her hand.

james hesitated, “do you want to go somewhere?” maeve raised an eyebrow. “i know this awesome spot out near the pumpkin patches. it’s quiet and you can see every single star. i just–”

“i’d love that.” maeve interrupted before he could start nervously babbling. she knew the spot he was talking about didn’t want to spoil his plans. maeve was smitten. she played with the hem of her dress as they drove occasionally talking about superficial topics like hobbies or favorite things.

fifteen minutes later, james parked his car and turned to look at her, a grin growing on his face, “you’ve got to see this.”

“so, this isn’t the part of the slasher film where you murder me and bury my body somewhere out here, right?” maeve teased darkly, getting out.

“it’s totally not. scout’s honor.” he half-chuckled. he kept the car idling, its radio quiet in the background. “do you trust me?”

for james, it was simple; things were black and white. to maeve, that question felt like the pressure of a loaded gun in her hands. “yes,” the word sprang from her mouth before she knew it. “i do.” he gently took her by the waist and lifted her on to the hood of his car before ducking inside to turn the radio’s volume higher, turning out the car’s lights, and climbing up beside her.

“look up.” he leaned back, propping himself up by his arms. maeve did as he said, a gasp breaking through her parted lips.

“it’s beautiful.” the lack of town lights allowed for a breathtaking visual; the stars had never seemed so bright as they twinkled as if they were winking at her. she could make out constellations she’d never been able to see from the city. 

though maeve was paying no attention, james was watching her face intently, smiling to himself, “yeah, it is.” he agreed, earnestly. looking back to the sky, “i come out here when i want to think. it’s always been really nice. i figured, you might like it too.”

“i do.” maeve looked over at james, making eye contact. he brushed a curl from her face before cupping her cheek. as the song on the radio swelled to a chorus, the two began to lean in but just before their lips could touch, a crackling sound on the radio on his hip ruptured the bubble in which they had been encapsulated.

he rested his forehead against her’s, “shit. again?” yanking the walkie-talkie from his belt, he pressed a button, “yeah, i copy.” she had never seen him so annoyed as he mouthed an apology before hopping off the car and walking a few steps away. maeve’s face burned red, embarrassment and excitement still plaguing her. hugging her knees to her chest, she saw his crestfallen look as he returned seconds later. “there’s a lead on barbara holland, i have to go check it out. maeve, i’m so sorry for--” she slid off the car, taking his hand in her’s.

“never apologize for doing what you need to. i promise, i’m not upset. this is your work and it’s important. you are doing something that matters.” she was disappointed but concealed it with ease; she presumed that this had to come with the territory of being involved with someone on the police force.

“yeah, but this was too. i promise that i will make this up to you. soon.” he squeezed her hand before embracing her tightly. “let me take you home.” he murmured, his face buried in her hair.

maeve’s arms wrapped around his waist, inhaling his peppery cologne, “okay.”

as they arrived back to her house, he pressed a kiss against her cheek. they said their goodbyes as they stood on her porch, maeve bit her lip as he began to walk away. she pulled him back by his hand, lacing their fingers loosely. “just, be safe and don’t get hurt again or let anything like that happen. okay?” she was unable to hide the worry in her eyes, “i really want that rain check.”

“i promise. i will see you tomorrow.” with one last squeeze of his hand, he descended the stairs. her eyes didn’t leave his departing car until it turned a corner. maeve couldn’t help but smile despite the circumstances. as she walked in to the foyer, a voice came from a side room.

“no goodbye kiss? i think i’ll like that kid.” robert nodded, continuing to read whatever book he was holding. maeve rolled her eyes as she walked in to her room and flopped down on to her bed giggling. maeve picked up the phone from her bedside table and quickly dialed andie’s number-- she couldn’t keep this all inside.

style inspiration: x

song inspiration: x