Hysterical {Maxine Mayfield} COMPLETED

Monthly Stuff

This is probably a good time to remind you that this is an AU. In my version of this universe, Jane doesn't have powers. However she was still subjected to an inhumane lab experiment when she was very little.

TW// Mentions of sexual assault

They didn't need to knock, because Jane was looking out the window when they walked up. She ran to the door and opened it excitedly. Seeing Max was exciting, but her smile faded when she realized the girl was still broken.

"Max...hello." Jane tried to force her smile to come back.

"Hopper let you stay home alone? You must be a big girl now." Max teased to lighten the mood, she didn't want to cause so much depression in her friend group.

"Jonathan and Will were supposed to be here too...but I asked to be alone. They said yes." Jane shrugged and held the door open. "Come in."

Lukas and Max walked in and made themselves comfortable on the couch. "So your parents are having a long ass date or something?" Max asked causally, trying to portray that she was okay.

Jane nodded and went to the kitchen. She came back with a glass of water and handed it to Max without being asked. "You don't look good..."

"You calling me ugly?" Max made a joke out of the situation and awkwardly sipped the water.

"It's weird that you're not with Mike. If I was grounded, I'd still sneak out for Max." Lukas pointed out to change the subject.

"Yes...but I needed to be alone anyway." Jane cleared her throat.

"Hey El, are you okay?" Max asked after noticing that Jane looked like something was killing her inside.

"It's just...I do not understand. What happened to you, I do not get it." Jane whispered, looking at Max intensely. "They try to explain it, but they do not tell the whole truth."

"You really don't want to understand it, ignorance is bliss." Lukas said quickly, he could feel Max tensing up by his side.

"It's okay Lukas... We're responsible for teaching her stuff as her friends, right? It's not her fault she's delayed." Max put the glass of water on the coffee table.

Jane had been a lab experiment for multiple years of her life. She was inhumanly used in cancer research. Thankfully she had escaped, and found herself a safe haven in the small town of Hawkins.

"Max, you probably shouldn't-" Lukas tried to stop her, afraid she'd trigger her own panic attack.

"I won't go into detail, but I won't sugarcoat it. I'd rather be uncomfortable than have it happen to her." Max sighed and took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes to make sure they were dry.

"Well, explain it." Jane sat down, eager to understand so she wouldn't have to fear the unknown. Unfortunately the bitter truth was still frightening.

"So what do you know...about what happened?" Max thought that question was a good starting point.

"Someone was giving you 'bad touches' and my dad arrested them." Jane didn't have much information to give.

Max thought about her wording before speaking. "Do you know what the word 'sexual' means?"

"Sexuality?"

"No, sexual. Basically sexual touches are uh..." Max was tempted to just let her Google it on her phone. Jane's phone was on a strict kid's mode. "It's when someone touches your body in a way, that they shouldn't unless they have permission." Max looked at Lukas for help, she was starting to look stupid.