The Way She Makes Me Feel-Elmax [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter 13-She Deserves The World

-This chapter takes place during Season 3 Episode 8: The Battle of Starcourt-

-Max's POV-

          El cried out sobbing. "El it's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay", I try and reassure her. "Keep her talking. Keep her awake", Johnathan says before running off. I rub El's head as the thing moves even more. I shudder at the sight. El began to blink slowly for long periods of time. "Hey, hey hey. El no! Stay awake. Guys help me move her", I say. "You know, it's actually not that bad", Robin starts. "There was the goalie on my soccer team, Beth Wildfire, this other girl slid into her leg, and the bone came out of her knee, six inches or something, it was insane". 

"Robin", Steve says. 

"Yeah?". 

"You're not helping".

"I'm sorry".

          Johnathan runs back over. "Okay. All right, El?", he says. "This is gonna hurt like hell, okay?". El sobs out an "okay" somehow as Johnathan tells her to stay still. "Here, you're gonna wanna bite down on this", he hands her a wooden spoon. Mike grabs the spoon and gives it to her. El grabs it with her teeth and already has a firm hold on the thing. He holds the knife above her shin just barely before giving me a look. I nod. "Do it". El lets out a bloodcurdling scream as Johnathan slices her skin. He puts his fingers under her skin and I feel my own muscles tense as El digs her nails into my arm. El smacks Johnathan's arm many times before he looks up at her. "No, I can do it", she says. El sits up and moves her hand over her leg. Quiet buzzes fill the air.She starts screaming as the thing struggles to stay in place. Her wails echo around the mall as the glass behind us shatters. I move in behind El so none of the glass falls on her. Finally El pulls out a little piece of the thing that attacked us at Hop's cabin. It squirms and she launches is far away from the rest of us.

          I watch it wiggle away before it get's stomped below Hopper's shoe. Joyce, Hop, and some other guy stare at us. Will gets up and books it to his mom."Will!", she cries out before hugging him. Johnathan come here!". Johnathan gets up and hugs his mother. "What the hell just happened?", Hop asks, looking at El on the floor, then to the shattered glass, then the bottom of his shoe. 

          I help El up and she hobbles to a place she can sit. Hop takes a seat next to her so I stand an awkward distance away. Mike starts explaining the stuff about the Mind Flayer. Since I know all of this I tune him out and stare at Will, who's staring at Mike. It was quite entertaining, and somewhat remarkable. Even though Will was so in it for Mike, he knew there was a chance of heartbreak and is letting Mike figure out his shit, I was proud of him.

          The bald man gets up and rushes out the door before coming back with papers. The adults gather around a table that the bald man put the papers on. I sit next to El who's standing a few tables away. I insist she sits down but El refuses. She smiles down at me so I put my fingers through the belt loops of her pants and pull her closer to me. El rolls her eyes playfully and finally sits and I stare at her in complete awe. She was just so beautiful and perfect.

"More like 500", Erica says loudly. I look up, being snapped back to reality. "What you're just gonna waltz in there like it's commie Disney land or something?".

"I'm sorry who are you?".

"Erica Sinclair. Who are you?"

"Murray Bauman".

"Listen Mr. Bun-man. I'm not trying to tell you how to do things, but I've been down in that shit hole for twenty-hours. And with all due respect, you do what this man tells you and you're all going to die".

"I'm sorry, why is this four year old speaking to me?".

"Uh, I'm ten you bald bastard!". Erica is absolutely savage.

"Erica!", Lucas snaps. 

"Just the facts!"

"She's right", Dustin says. "You're all gonna die, but you don't have to. Sorry may I?". Dustin hovers over the papers. 

"Please", Murray says.

          Dustin starts explaining things that I really don't care about so I look back to my beautiful girlfriend and admire her. Everyone gets up abruptly so I stand up too and help El walk to the fountain. We sit down and El glances down at her leg, wincing.

"Well that settles it", Erica says. "He's going to die. They're going to die". 

"Yep, most likely", Dustin agrees. 

"You guys survived", Julie says. 

"Barely. Could have have really used you guys down there".

"Could have used you up here too", Mike says.

"Yeah man", Lucas says. "We missed you, dude".

"Yeah", Will chimes in. "Big time". 

Lord, are they about to do a four way kiss or something.

They group up for a hug before Erica interrupts. "Please, don't cry nerds".

"Erica!".

"Keep saying my name see what happens".

"HEY! Heads up". Hop tosses Dustin a walkie that he barely catches. "You can navigate, just from somewhere safe". 

"It's not that simple", Dustin says. "Signal won't reach. Not with this. You need something with a high enough frequency band to relay with the Russian's radio tower. But for that to work you need someone who has both seen their comms room and has access to a super-powered handcrafted radio tower, one preferably already situated at the highest point in Hawkins. Oh wait. That's me. If you want us to navigate you got us, but we need a head start. And a car".

          I close my eyes and rest my head on El's shoulder until she gets up. Will goes to talk to his mom, El goes to talk to Hop. Lucas and Julie have disappeared so I stand there awkwardly with Mike. "So", I begin. "How are things with Will?". I already know the answer but at this point it's just to make Mike embarrassed. The raven haired boy turns deep red. "What are you talking about?", he asks. "You're double up buddies now right? I mean, he did sit in your lap the entire way here. And I must say, you're very good at acting like you aren't a tomato". Mike scratches the back of his head and looks away. I bust out laughing and smack my knees. "Oh my God Mike! I'm just teasing you, jeez!". The taller boy lets out an awkward chuckle. "But", I say in a more serious tone. "It seems like you have feelings for Will. He seems to feel the same". I grab Mike by his collar and yank him down to my height. "But if you dare hurt him I will break you in half". Mike nods quickly and I smile, turning around and letting him go.

          "Hey", Lucas says coming out of nowhere with Julie behind him. She's holding El's blindfold in her hand so I assume she was looking at the future again. For some reason Lucas always watches over her. "We should get going". Hop looks up at him and nods. El gives her adoptive dad a hug before me and Julie help her up. "Hey Max", Hop says, gesturing me to go to him. I walk over to the bigger man awkwardly. "Yeah?". Hopper takes a deep breath in. "Do me a favor", he says. "Take care of my girl". I glance back at El, who gives me a small smile before I turn back to Hop and nod. Somehow, I feel like he knows. Maybe El just told him. But Hopper saying that just made me feel a thousand times better about everything. Like maybe, things will be okay.

          I hook my arm under El's shoulder once again. Will, Johnathan, Nancy, and Lucas walk with us out to Nancy's car. I look at El's face and do a double take. "El you're bleeding", I say, looking at her nose. Julie walks ahead to open the trunk and moves some of the fireworks so El can lie down. I squeeze in with her, moving some of the firecrackers to the middle seat. Julie hops in front of us and sits on Lucas. We sit there for several long moments before Johnathan gets out of the car. I look towards the sound of loud revving and bright headlights shine in my eyes. Nancy bangs on the window and everyone starts piling out of the car. I open the trunk door and Will comes to help me with El. As we go into the mall I look back and see Billy's car. As soon as we get back to the food court Mike immediately gets working on the walkie, Lucas goes looking for a wrist rocket, plus ammo, and Nancy goes in search of the guards for something. I see her take a gun off of one of them. "You're gonna kill him aren't you?", I ask. Even if he did what he did to me, I never wanted him dead, he was still my brother. I still loved the part of him that called me MadMax and that was Hannah's sweet boyfriend, even if that part was buried far, far, below in the deepest cavern of his heart. Nancy looks up at me. "This is just a precaution. Okay?". "And not just against Billy", Will says. "If he knows we're here then so does the Mind Flayer".