teenage tragedy (Max Mayfield)

4. seven

Cammie stared at her converse on Mike Wheeler's basement couch, using her powers to tie and untie the laces to distract herself. Dustin and Lucas were on either side of her, with Steve sat on the arm of the couch. The three boys were staring at Max, who was still writing at the desk.

"I know you guys are staring at me," Max said.

"What, sorry?" Dustin said, looking at Cammie's shoes instead of Max.

"You said you needed something?" Lucas said, looking at Dustin.

"Just hanging out," Steve said, looking up at the ceiling.

"How you think your eyes boring into the back of my head is protecting me from Vecna, I don't know," Max muttered.

Cammie looked up at Max, watching as she shoved her papers into several envelopes and then stood up. She walked over to the four others, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You can look at me now," Max said.

"Thank you," Dustin looked at Max with a frown.

"Sorry," Lucas mumbled.

"Sorry," Steve agreed.

"Sorry," Dustin said.

"I'm not," Cammie shrugged. Max sighed and held out a letter to Dustin.

"For you," she said. He took it. She held the next one out to Steve. "For you," he said.

Steve offered her a weak smile as he took the letter.

"And, um, you. Oh, and, um, give these to Mike, El, and Will. If you can ever get a hold of them again," Max said, handing four letters to Lucas.

"Wait, don't I get a letter?" Cammie looked between the boys and Max.

"What are you doing?" Max snapped at Dustin, who was trying to open his letter. "No, don't. That's not for now. Don't open it now. Don't," she said.

"Okay," Dustin mumbled, putting his letter on the table.

"I'm sorry. What is this?" Lucas asked.

"It's, um... It's a fail-safe. For after. If things don't work out," Max said.

Cammie's jaw clenched as she looked at the letters on the table. Everybody got one but her? Even Mike? He and Max were barely friends as it was, but Cammie was Max's girlfriend and she didn't get a letter for if Max died?

"Wait, whoa. Max, things are gonna work out," Lucas said quickly.

"No! No, I don't need you to reassure me and tell me it's all gonna work out. People have been telling me that my entire life and it's almost never true. It's never true. I mean, of course this asshоlе curses me. Should've seen that one coming," Max scoffed.

She turned around, spotting Dustin's walkie on the table. She grabbed it, looking back at the others.

"If we go to East Hawkins, will this reach Pennhurst?" she asked.

"Of course," Dustin said.

"Yeah," Lucas said.

"Why are we talking about East Hawkins?" Steve asked.

Cammie sighed and rubbed her face, getting off the couch and climbing over the table.

"She wants to see Billy," she said.

"Cammie, wait!" Dustin yelped, jumping to his feet and falling over the table. "You can't go anywhere alone in case Vecna gets you!"

"Didn't we want Vecna to try and get her so she can kill him?" Lucas said.