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The rain poured heavily, only a few cars drove around as many kids awaited for the downpour to cease. Max had decided that day to go skating around the block, and what luck does she have?
She made it under a tree where she was only half drenched but she still dreaded staying under the dumb tree all day. Who knows when the storm will stop? What if it’s one of those rainstorms where they last for weeks! She groaned, sitting on the wet grass without a care in the world.
Thunder boomed, Max stayed sitting on the ground. She glanced around, there were only a few houses on the street and the reason she even came here was to be alone . But now karma was punching her in the gut and gosh did it hurt. She hadn’t even thought on looking at the forecast today, which is odd because she almost always does. But of course the one day she decides she doesn’t feel like checking a damn storm decides to ruin her plans.
“Hello?” She looked up, eyebrows raised as she stared at Holly Wheeler. She wore a pink raincoat with matching boots which were decorated in unicorn stickers, what was the youngest Wheeler doing here?
“Uh, hi?” Max said, uncertain if she should make small talk or not. Does it count if the person you’re trying to make small talk to is a six year old?
Holly turned her head and looked behind her shoulder, her face brightening, “Mikey! Mikey! I found a homeless person!”
Max wanted to laugh because excuse you?! She was not homeless, she had a home but it’s not her fault that she’s stuck under this damn tree until the storm passes!
Then Michael Wheeler walked over, eyebrow raised in either curiosity or concern. Whichever one it was he was looking directly at her, which made her a bit annoyed.
“Stop staring, Wheeler,” she grumbled, arms crossed as she leaned back onto the trunk of the tree. She tried to act confident but she honestly hoped Mike would take pity on her and offer custody in his house because she was not spending hours under this one tree with nothing but her thoughts.
There was a smug smile on Mike’s face, as if he was amused with her whole situation. “I’m curious, Mayfield, how did this happen?”
“Not explaining.”
Mike seemed unsatisfied and she smirked, he was enjoying her suffering a tad too much. If she suffered so did he. “Well, I hope you don’t plan on sitting under the tree all day.”
She rolled her eyes, of course Mike had to be like this. “That wasn’t on the agenda, no.” She sassed, glaring at Mike but he looked unaffected. He always was.
“Need a place to stay? Lucas’s house is close to mine so I could ask him—“
“He’s out of town right now,” Max muttered, cutting Mike mid-sentence. He looked at her with his big doe eyes, they creeped her out on good days and when they had a staring contest they looked almost lifeless.
“Oh.” Mike breathed out, glancing around before groaning. “Fine, come to my house? Holly wanted to play in the rain but we’re nearly done.”
Max stares at Mike, the two locked eyes as silence succumbed them. It wasn’t awkward, however, it was something far from that. Max would almost say it was comforting .
“Alright, your house,” she mumbled, slicing through the silence, Mike nodded before holding out his umbrella. His clothes got drenched as he waited for her to take it. Max smiled softly, she would never admit this but Mike had a good heart. He was sweet, when he wanted to be, and something about him felt different. Like, when she hangs out with the others it feels like she has to refrain from too much sarcasm or they’ll take it to heart. But with Mike? She could just be a pissy bitch and he’d still hang out with her.
“Thanks, Wheeler.” She said, taking the umbrella and walking closer to Mike. He was taller than her but she likes to think that he’s only a head taller. She was pretty tall too.
***
When Max entered the Wheeler’s house she was surprised to not see the presence of their parents. She knew Karen didn’t work at all but maybe she was busy with other things?
“You can put your shoes on the rack, just don’t bring any mud in. Mom gets really mad when that happens.” Mike explained, putting the umbrella on a stand near the door and helping Holly with her rain boots.
Max did just as he instructed, carefully placing her worn out shoes beside the neat and expensive ones that she recalled seeing Nancy wear a few times. She was still drenched and would probably gain a cold in the morning but it was better than having to stay under the tree all day.
She watched as Mike took Holly’s hand, walking her up the stairs. Max followed, not entirely sure what to do. She’d never been at Mike’s house alone. Lucas would be with her or Dustin or literally anyone. She had never actually gone to Mike’s house willingly.
When Mike left Holly to play dolls in her room he opened his door for Max to go inside. She questioned him silently before walking in, should she sit down?
“Do you want a clean pair of clothes?” Mike asked, closing his bedroom door as she thought over it. Getting something dry would immensely help her, but then again it was odd for Mike to be so nice.
Max nodded anyway, her discomfort won over. Mike handed her a white shirt with black sweatpants, they were both folded neatly. She never took Mike for a neat freak but then again she saw what his mom was like.
“Thanks.” She mumbled, opening Mike’s bedroom door. She left to the bathroom before she heard Mike answer. Part of her kind of wanted to hear it but the other part was glad she didn’t. Max never said thank you a lot, she never had people who did good for her. But now? In Hawkins? It was so different, everyone and everything. She felt embarrassed having to ask for help, saying a simple ‘thanks’ felt odd.
When Max returned she found Mike laying on his bed, reading a comic book. He looked up to meet her eyes before refocusing on his comic book. That was something the two did a lot, the Party would always question them about it. As if they didn’t need to talk to know what the other needed. She smiled to herself, when her and Mike started to become friends it was weird. He was always the one who didn’t want to include her in anything but after the Halloween of ‘84 everything changed.
The way she perceived the world and the way Mike treated her. She liked the change. It was different and she started to get used to it after a year, her and Mike became friends. That was that.
Silence was what followed, the two didn’t speak a word to each other and Max found it all so comforting. Max sat near the foot of the bed, grabbing a comic book and reading it. She had a few X-Men comics but her favorite was Wonder Woman. However, Mike had a good selection of DC comics that she still hadn’t read yet and was eager to start.
And that’s how they spent the entire day. The rain had stopped a few hours ago and Mike hadn’t made the move to tell her to leave so she took it as the okay to stay.
Maybe Max could be a little nicer to Mike, he showed her hospitality and was generous enough to lend her his clothes. Max wouldn’t admit this but she also enjoyed Mike’s company, even if he got on her nerves so easily. He just knew the exact buttons to press to rile her up. She liked it. Their friendship.