Chapter Text
“I know you guys are staring at me.” Max says across the room towards what might as well be the three stooges sitting on Mike Wheeler's couch in his stuffy basement.
“What sorry?” Steve looks away, throwing the ball in his hands up in the air, acting as though he's been messing with it the whole time.
“You said you needed something?” Lucas asks.
“We're just hanging out.” Steve cuts in.
“How you think your eyes boring into the back of my head is protecting me from Vecna, I don't know.” Max rolls her eyes. She grabs all the envelopes and walks across the room now standing in front of boys. All three of them avoid looking in her direction.
“You can look at me now.” Max sighs out.
“Thank you” Dustin relaxes as all three of them shoot out an apology.
Max stands in front of them rubbing her thumb over Dustin's name written on the top envelope. She takes a deep breath and holds it out to him.
“For you.” Dustin looks up at Max with a confused look over his face, but before he can question anything Max’s attention has moved onto Steve. “For you.” Max waves the envelope in the air till Steve takes it from her hand. “And um.. you.” Max holds out one more towards Lucas. He hesitantly takes it. “Oh and uhm give these to Mike, El, and Will.” Max hands those ones to Lucas too. “If you can ever get ahold of them again.” A short silence falls over the group. Dustin begins to peel open the envelope before he's stopped by Max waving her hand out.
“Hey woah- What are you doing? No don't- That's not for now. Don't open it now.” Max scolds.
“Don't- okay. I'm sorry, what is this?” Dustin questions, glancing over at Steve and Lucas before looking up at Max.
“It's uhm- it's a fail-safe. For after, you know if things- if they don't work out.” Max looks down at her hands as the boys process what she said all three of their eyes going wide.
“Wait woah- Max things are going to work out.” Lucas begins to stand, going to say more before Max's voice cuts him off.
“No! No. I don't need you to reassure me right now and tell me it's all going to work out. Because people have been telling me that my entire life and it's almost never true. It's never true.” Silence stretched out one more none of the guys sitting across from her knowing how to approach the situation. “I mean of course this asshole curses me. I should've seen that one coming.” Max finishes off as she steps back.
“If we go to Easy Hawkins will this still reach Pennhurst?” Max holds up the walkie.
Dustin nods.“Of course yeah.”
“Wait, why are we talking about East Hawkins?” Steve looks up at Max and takes in her expression.
“No. No! No way.”
Max without a word picks up a stack of envelopes on the table as well as her bag and starts heading up the stairs.
Steve, Lucas, and Dustin follow Max all the way till she's out the door walking towards Steve's car, the three of them calling after her.
“Max. Max! Seriously- Seriously I’m not joking okay. I'm not driving you anywhere.” Steve's voice wavers his concern showing.
“Steve, if you think I’m going to spend what is likely the last day of my life in the armpit, that is Mike Wheeler's basement, then you're out of your mind. So either take me where I need to go, or you're going to have to tie me down. Which is technically kidnapping of a minor, and if I live to see another day Steve I swear to god I will prosecute.”
As Max reaches the car she goes to open the door to the backseat finding it locked she looks back up at Steve. “Open the door.”
“Uh, No?”
“I know a good lawyer.” Max stares into Steve's eyes unwavering. He knows she won't give up. Realistically his best bet is being wherever Max is and she's as determined as it gets. He sighs, fishing his keys out his pocket.
“Henderson, that super walkie of yours? Better reach Pennhurst.” Steve gets in the car. Dustin climbs into the passenger seat and Lucas into the back beside Max.
“Where to first Mayfield?” Steve looks at her in the rear view.
“Forrest Hills.”
The drive there is silent and awkward. Lucas tried getting Max to talk at first, but he was unsuccessful. Her eyes stayed focused out the window of the car. Steve looks back at Lucas in the rear view sympathetically.
Steve thinks back to the letter. He knows Max has been having a hard time since Billy died, especially with her step dad leaving and with El having moved to California. He tries to be there for her when he can but she's been pulling away for a while now.
Lucas kept coming to him asking what he could do and all he could remember was him and Nancy. How after Barb died he tried to make her pretend like everything was normal. How he wanted everything to be how it used to be. He saw Lucas following in those steps at first and steered him away, afraid of him losing Max like how he lost Nancy.
Steve told him to give her space when she asks for it but to not leave her alone entirely. He helped Lucas by showing him where to buy the best flowers and driving him over to the new trailer but parking far enough away so Max doesn't see the beamer. He told him that she's going to be a little different but she's still Max. He emphasized to not push for things to be how they used to be, but to instead adjust to the way things are now.
What he never told Lucas was the late night phone calls Steve received from Max. Where she vented to him about her moms drinking problems. One time it was so bad she begged for him to pick her up and he found himself driving to Forrest Hills in the early hours of the morning. That first night he showed her the guest room closest to his bedroom.
Slowly but surely Max's clothes had found themselves in Steve's laundry and he had set them aside in the dresser for next time. Then it was a hairbrush, her shoes, school work, and her tapes. Soon Max was only at the trailer during the day after school, but after Steve got off work at Family Video he would swing by Forrest Hills every night.
He never pried or pushed for her to talk to him about Billy, never wanting to pressure her. He can't help but feel regret bubble up as she now accepts her potential death. He wishes he tried harder to be there for her, to cheer her up more.
He moves his glance over to Max, her focus elsewhere. He thinks how the letter is practically a suicide note, its weight heavy in his jacket pocket. He hopes silently he never has to open it.
“Alright this better be fast Mayfield.” Steve places the car in park right outside Max's trailer.
“Twenty-seconds”. Max nods to Steve then steps out the car and towards the house four envelopes in her hands. Lucas looks to Steve once Max steps inside.
“This letter stuff is bullshit right? It's not just me, it can't be. I mean we're right here! Why give us a letter instead of talking to us.”
Steve sighs, pinching in between his eyes. “Look Sinclair, it's not that simple. And don't call her letters bullshit man. She's already having a tough time and you know that! And now she's being faced with this fucking Vecna shit, I mean she's clearly not okay! I get it you want to be there for her. But this is not the way Sinclair. Don't say anything like what you just said to me to her. She's dealing with this shit her own way. Just let her be and just be there when she needs it.”
Lucas sighs and sits back. Seemingly taking that for an answer. Steve watches through the rearview as Lucas takes out the letter and stares at it like it's personally offended him. Then silence takes over the car for a while, Steve worriedly glances up at the door to Max's Trailer and he recalls the first time he came by without Max calling and asking him to.
He sat in the beamer for an hour, fingers twiddling mindlessly. He eventually gets out and walks towards the door, he knocks gently knowing the neighbors dog is quick to barking at loud noises. The door swings open and Steve is caught off guard. He didn't expect this to be how he meets Susan. Steve has to fight to control his expression. He feels his anger threatening to bubble
“Hello? Can I help you?” Susan asks. Steve supposes if he didn't know everything Max has told him he wouldn't spare a second at her. Thinking nothing ill of her. But he does know, Max has informed him all about what Susan gets up to when nobody but her daughter is looking.
Steve spits out a quick lie realizing he can't exactly just take Max with him, regardless if that's what he wants to do.
“Uh- I’m here for Max? She's friends with some of the kids I uh.. Babysit. They all thought she was going to be there tonight so I decided I'd just make sure everything was okay.”
Susan laughs, smiling at him. He can't help but see red. The same woman who makes Max’s nights miserable most of the time is standing here laughing like she's not a sad excuse for a moth-
“Steve?”
Susan whips around to see Max standing at the end of the hallway.
“Oh Maxine. Steve here was telling me about how you're friends with the kids he babysits. Is that right?”
Max nods her gaze glued to the floor.
“He was also just informing me that they were expecting you tonight. Would you like to go have a sleepover dear?”
If it wasn't for her presence right in front of him Steve would've laughed. If she wasn't such a drunk she would know her daughter doesn't sleep here most nights, opting to stay in Steve's guest bedroom that's honestly hers at this point.
Max looks over at Steve, confusion clear on her face before she realizes what he's getting at.
“Oh. Yeah.” Max stalks up to them and grabs her shoes from the rack by the front door.
“Don't you need to pack a bag hun?” Susan rests her hand on Max's shoulder as she leans down to pull her shoes on.
“Uh-”
“I have a younger sister. Max has borrowed her stuff in the past, she won't mind.” Steve cuts in.
“Oh. Well then don't keep your friends waiting, call me if you won't be back for dinner tomorrow okay?” Susan plants a kiss on Max's forehead before walking towards the back of the trailer.
Steve is pulled from his memory as Lucas speaks up again.
“But I think she needs help now. I mean she's writing us fucking goodbye letters man. Shouldn't we step in?” Lucas' voice cracks slightly.
“He has a point, Steve. They might as well be suicide notes.” Dustin interjects.
“Henderson. I love you man but not the time. And yes she needs it now but we can't force it! It's going to push her away when that's the last thing-” Steve is cut off by the sound of a scream.
Max.
Steve, Dustin, and Lucas all jump to get out of the car and check on Max when all the sudden she walks around the side of the house.
“Hey, that was longer than twenty seconds.” As Max gets closer Steve takes in her tear brimmed eyes and quick breaths. She ignores him and goes to reach for the backseat door. He turns back towards her again. “Hey, woah- woah, you all right?” His voice lowering gently, like how it does when she's at his place. That gets her to look up at him.
“I’m fine. Just drive.” Pleading in her voice Steve gets back in the car closing his door.
“Did something happen?” Dustin gets in the front seat and looks back towards Max who's looking out the window now.
“Can we please, just go.” Max pleads. Steve clears his throat which urges Dustin to turn forward and buckle up as Steve backs out Forrest Hills and heads towards the cemetery.
As soon as they arrive at the cemetery Max is climbing out the car. Shutting the door and walking up the hill towards what Steve knows is Billy's grave. Before Steve can tell Lucas not to, he's jumping out the car after her.
“Max.” Lucas calls out as he followers her.
“Lucas, please just wait in the car.” Max pleads looking back at him before turning back and walking up the hill again.
“Max just- wait! Max, wait.” Lucas chases her up the hill and places his hands on her shoulder turning her towards him.
“Lucas just wait-”
“Please. Just listen to me.” He begs holding onto both her shoulders now.
“I know something happened back there with your mother.” Max's eyes widen slightly as she inhales deeply. “Was it vecna?” Lucas asks.
“I told you. I’m fine. Okay?” She shakes her head and sighs. “I mean as fine as someone who's hurtling towards a gruesome death can be.”
“Max. You know you can talk to me. Right?” Lucas leans down to look her directly in the eye. She only maintains his gaze for a moment before looking back towards the ground.
“Yeah I know that.” She shrugs.
“Okay then why do you keep pushing me away? okay look, I don't need a letter. I don't want a letter. just talk to me. To your friends. We're right here. I'm right here. Okay..? I’m here.” Lucas takes a small step back as he waits patiently for a response.
“Just wait in the car, this won't be long.” Max turns and begins walking up the hill again leaving Lucas behind, stunned.
Steve steps out of the car as Max walks away. “What the hell Sinclair? That is literally the exact opposite of what I told you to do! You can't push with these things.”
“What the hell was I supposed to do Steve?! Not tell her how I actually feel!” Lucas yells having reached his breaking point.
“That's not what I'm saying at all! I'm just saying what you're doing is how you lose someone okay?! By pushing them too far too fast! You have to do this on her terms.” Steve argues.
“In the nicest way possible Steve. I don't think you can use your failed relationship with Nancy as an example for everyone. Max is nothing like Nancy.”
Dustin cuts in, having gotten out of the car too.
Steve's silence speaks volumes. He sits back into the beamer closing the door, not so much as glancing at Lucas or Dustin. They both look at each other silently wondering what the hell's gotten into him recently. After waiting for a little bit they head back towards the car, Dustin going back into the passenger seat and Lucas opting to lean against the hood of the beamer not really wanting to directly face Steve. Time stretches on awkwardly, Steve's tapping of his fingers against the steering wheel being the only noise.
“Alright it's been long enough.” Steve storms out the beamer once more this time striding towards Max at the top of the hill. Dustin steps out of the car as Lucas steps off, no longer on the front of the hood.
“Steve, you said to give her time.”
“I have alright, Sinclair. I’m calling it. She wants to get a lawyer she can.” Steve ignores Lucas' annoyed huff and finishes heading towards Max.
“Can you believe him?” Lucas looks towards Dustin who just rolls his eyes and gets back in the car effectively ignoring him. “Come on man,not you too. Really?”
Steve reaches the top of the hill where Max sits in front of Billy's grave Letter in hand. “Max. time to giddy up yeah..? Max?” He places a hand on her shoulder.
“Max.” He takes a closer look and notices her eyes rolled back in her skull. Just like Eddie said happened to Chrissy. “Max!”
“Wake up! Hey!” Steve shakes Max’s shoulders “Max wake up. Come on. Max get up!” Steve's now shouting loud enough that Lucas and Dustin both hear him down by the beamer.
“Uh- something's wrong.” Lucas stands up looking up at where Max and Steve are. Dustin stepped out of the car once more.
“Max! Guys!” Steve shouts down towards them. Dustin and Lucas scramble up the hill.
“Come on, wake up!” Steve feels himself start to freak out. He's shaking Max's shoulder aggressively as Lucas and Dustin make it up to the top.
“Max, you gotta get out of there. Can you hear me?!” Lucas runs around to her other side hand landing on the opposite shoulder that Steve has. Steve turns to Dustin.
“Call Nancy and Robin! Go get them! Call Nancy and Robin! Go!” Steve pushes against Dustin's chest as he stands back up and scrambles back to the car.
“Please max!” Lucas pleads.
“Shit. Shit. Shit.” Dustin gets down the hill reaching into the front seat grabbing the walkie.
“Nancy? Robin? Do you copy? This is a code red. Do you copy?” No response. Dustin yanks the antenna further out. “Shit. Robin!”
Dustin starts freaking out no response from either Robin or Nancy yet. He glances back up the hill at Steve and Lucas, both of them calling out for Max. This is starting to remind him of the summer. Stuck underground in a Russian elevator with no way out. Realizing nobody is coming to help. He feels helpless.
“Robin, where the hell are you? This is a code red. I repeat a code red!”
“Dustin! It's Robin, we copy.”
“Holy shit! Finally. Please, Please! Tell me you have this figured out.” Dustin feels himself sag with relief as he listens to Robin. He reaches in the backseat grabbing Max's bag and dumps the contents on the hood of the car. He picks up the walkman, the headphones, and every tape he sees before sprinting back to Max.
Once he reaches them at top he dumps his arms. He holds his chest trying to catch his breath going to ask something before Lucas speaks up first.
“What is this?!” Lucas angrily picks up a tape as though it's offended him.
“What's her favorite song?!” Dustin rasps out his breathing still shallow, unable to catch up.
“Why?!”
“Robin said that if she listens to- It's too much to explain right now! what's her favorite song?!” Dustin's face turns red as he spreads the tapes he threw down out.
Lucas looks down at the tapes trying to think of what Max’s favorite song could be and just going with his gut. “Kate Bush. I could always hear it coming from her walkman when I would try to talk to her at school.”
“Which one is it?!” Steve grabs the walkman and goes back to right in front of Max.
“It's right here, It's right here!” Lucas picks it up shakily opening the tape and carrying it over to Steve.
“Give it to me, hurry up!” Steve grabs the tape and places it in the walkman, closing it. Lucas runs over to Max's side again.
“Go, go, go!” Lucas yells at Dustin who's untangling the cord of the headphones and carefully placing them on her head.
“Okay, headphones. Now!” Dustin yells as Steve presses play.
‘Running up that Hill’ begins playing. Steve looks down at Max, her eyes still rolled back into her skull. Slowly Steve feels under his hand Max begins rising.
No. Please not her.
They all three watch as she rises fully off the ground levitating about ten feet in the air. They don't know how long they're shouting up at her to come back. That they're right here. To not leave them.
“Max wake up!” Pleading Steve feels his resolve begin to slip.
“Max we’re right here!” Lucas' voice breaks as he shouts up at her.
“Come on Max.” Dustin rings his hands through his hair, his breaths becoming shorter and more panicked.
Silence begins to take over as they stare up at her unmoving. Lucas begins tearing up. Dustin puts his hands on his head trying to calm his breathing back down. Steve is helplessly staring, praying that Max comes back to them. A pained gasp breaks the silence as Max begins to fall. Steve and Lucas rush towards her as Dustin falls to his knees. Her fall is broken by Lucas who wraps his arms around her shaking form tightly.
“It's okay you're okay.” Steve places a hand on her head taking in her form.
“I thought we lost you” Lucas finally breaks a silent sob wracking through him as he holds onto Max tighter.
“I’m still- I’m still here.” Her voice wavering, almost unsure.
“Oh shit.” Lucas, relieved that she's back with them, sags against her.
“I’m still here.”