Chapter Text
Max woke up while El was still sleeping. After El dumped Mike (finally) El and Max had been more inseparable than ever. They spent every possible second together. Sleepovers practically every night, eating far too many Eggo waffles, and wandering around town together laughing at everything. Max loved every single second spent with her best friend. After El had moved away with Joyce and Will, all Max could think about was when she could see her again. When she got the call that they were moving back, Max was thrilled. The school year last year was lonely. Of course Max loved the rest of the group, Will was like her brother and Dustin was probably one of her favorite people in the world. But it wasn’t the same without El, she needed her best friend back.
“Max?” El said sleepily, waking up finally.
“I’m right here El. Took you long enough to wake up. It’s almost 11.” Max laughed, sitting down next to her. She carelessly ran her fingers through her friend's messy hair.
El blinked “11?”
“That’s like the third day in a row now.”
“Joyce wanted me home by 12.” Eleven said slightly worried.
“Well then wake up sleepy head!” Max said, laughing at her.
The next hour was spent rushing around laughing, while trying to get ready so El could home before Joyce got worried. They finally got out the door and got on Max’s bike. El always rode on the backseat Max had attached to the bike just for her last summer right before the whole StarCourt mall incident. They rode just laughing and talking to each other all the way until they reached the Byers house. They hopped on the bike and walked up to the door.
“Okay so tonight we have the group sleepover at Mike’s right. I think everyone’s coming” Max said while walking with El. “Even Robin, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan are coming this time.”
El smiled at Max, “I’ll see you then Maxie.”
Max adored when El called her Maxie. It annoyed her when anyone else used that but with Eleven it was different.
“Yeah, I’ll see you in like 3 hours,” Max said, laughing a bit.
El smiled and turned away. Her hand lingered on the doorknob. Right before her hand turned, El turned around and practically tackled her with a hug. It startled Max but she couldn’t help but hug her back, burying her face into her shoulder. As they stood there hugging for what felt like forever, Max couldn’t help but smile with a blush cracking through her cheeks.
Max rode back alone. Her cheeks felt warm even though it was still cool outside. What was that? Why does El make me feel like this? Max was lost in thought. She had been afraid of her feelings for girls ever since she could remember. She remembered back in the 5th grade before she had come to Hawkins, Lisa Fallons. They had been best friends, but Max could never shake the urge that she wanted to be more than just friends. Max had just ignored it as well as she could. She couldn’t admit to herself the truth. She didn’t want to be like this. She didn’t want to like girls. But no matter how hard she ignored it, it was always there, just waiting to be a problem.
Once Max was home, she abandoned her bike in the front yard and came inside. Ever since Billy died the house had been so quiet. Max didn’t mind the quiet, it was just different. She went to her room and flopped on her bed. She never knew what to do when Eleven wasn’t there. It was so boring without her. Max couldn’t even listen to the same music they listen to together without missing her. It was so pathetic. Max was so attached to El, she was her best friend and Max didn’t ever want that to change. But what if it did change? What if we were more? Nothing is stopping us. The thought scared Max. She shook her head trying to get rid of the thought. No no no no no no no no no no no no. Don’t let this happen again. You can’t do this again. Ignore it. There is nothing there. Nothing more than just friendship. Thinking so much was giving Max a headache. She screamed into her pillow in frustration. Max knew who she needed to talk to. The only person she knew felt like this.
Max jumped off her skateboard in front of the Family Video Store. She opened the door.
“Hello and welcome to- oh Max, hey.” Robin Buckley said, clearly half asleep, lifting her head from the counter. “I think this job is going to be the death of me. I’m going to die of boredom.” Robin groaned in frustration. “Anyways, what brings you here on this fine day?” She sarcastically questioned.
There was something about Robin that Max had latched onto even after the first time they talked. There was just an understanding. Robin had constantly told Max that she reminded her of a younger version of herself. Robin was different from any of her other friends. She wasn’t as close as El but not friends in the same way Max was friends with the other kids in the group. Robin had become what Max could only describe as a sister to her.
“Um, actually I wanted to talk to you about something. I didn’t know anyone else who would understand. Could we maybe go somewhere a little more, private?”
“Of course Max, is something wrong?” Robin responded slightly concerned. “Let me make sure Steve can cover for me for a second. HEY DINGUS GET OVER HERE.” Steve came tumbling out of an isle knocking over about three cardboard cutouts. “You get to actually do your job while I talk to Max for a minute.”
“Hey, I was doing my job” Steve responded with a joking pout.
“Sure you were Steve, sure” Robin commented before turning back to Max
“He’s such an idiot,” Robin said, rolling her eyes at her friend. “Anyways, come here”
Robin pulled Max back into a small room behind the counter. “What is it? Did something happen? Do I need to beat someone up?”
“You definitely do not need to beat anyone up. I just need help. I don’t know what to do. Everything was normal with Eleven today, but I can’t help but think that there's something, um more. I care about El more than anyone but I’m scared that maybe it’s not just platonic. I can’t lose her. I didn;t ask to like girls. Why am I like this?” Max said with tears welling up in her eyes.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay.” Robin’s voice softened, she wiped a tear off Max’s cheek and hugged her. “You can’t control who you are, you need to admit to yourself that you are the way you are and nothing can change that. You’re normal.”
Max shook her head, tears starting to run down her face, “That’s not what anyone says. My parents would scream slurs in my face if I told them the truth. I’ve had to pretend to like boys my entire life. No one would believe me”
“I believe you,” Robin said.
“You’re different though,” Max said quietly.
“How so?” Robin questioned.
“You’re like me,” Max said.
Robins' face tensed up, “People are horrible to each other, I can’t control what people do, but you’re a strong person Max. You’ve fought monsters and evil Russians, nothing can stop you” Robin said, her voice still soft but with a slight smile at the end.
“But monsters and evil Russians are different. Girls are so much scarier” Max breathed out tears coming down her face.
Robin laughed, “Let me get this straight, you can kill monsters and battle evil Russians but you are more scared of girls”
Max laughed at the pure absurdity of it. “I guess that does sound stupid.”
Robin released Max from the hug, “If you ever need to talk about anything, I’ll be sitting in this stupid store rotting my brain out.”
Max wiped the tears away and smiled at Robin, “Thank you.”
“Of course mini me” Robin said, hugging Max again.
Max left the video store and skated home, it was 2:50 by the time she got home. Max swore under her breath, she had to be at Mike’s house by 3:00 and she was already running late. She grabbed her bag and skateboard on her way out. She went as fast as she could, but was still really late. Max finally got to Mike’s house at 3:20. She ran to the door and rang the doorbell. The door opened.
“You're late,” Eleven smiled slightly, opening the door.
“I know El, I lost track of time,” Max apologized.
El grabbed Max’s hand and pulled her inside, smiling. Just the little touch made Max’s heart flutter, she felt her cheeks turning red. The door slammed behind them. They made eye contact, lasting for a second longer than what felt normal. Max might have imagined it, but maybe El’s cheeks were a little red as well.