melt | Eddie Munson

Love Doctors

Max was tempted to throw her skateboard across the pavement or break it in half. She couldn't land for shit today. She felt Hawkins was changing her. Her skin was no longer warm from the California sun and her friends stopped writing letters. She found that she didn't even miss much of her old friends. She had a new group or party, as they liked to call themselves. She had Lucas and she fought the smile threatening to come across her face as she was still pissed at him for pointing out her new zit.

There was Will, who loved drawing portraits of her flaming red hair and always had a mixtape of new music for her to listen to. Dustin was still trying to beat all her high scores at the arcade.

She was still struggling to find common ground with Mike and El, especially El. She wasn't exactly sure how to breach a friendship. There was tension between them. Jensen stated it could be that she was another girl in the group. It almost felt like she was new to Hawkins again.

Still, it was hard to even try to get to know El as she was constantly sucking face with Mike. So it was easy getting close to Will, Dustin, and Lucas due to Mike and El either bailing early or not showing up at all for group outings.

She frowned because she knew Mike and El "loved" each other, but considering the examples of relationships Max had in her life neither her Mom and Derek didn't act like that nor Eddie and Jensen, and they could be disgusting at times.

Max growled when she couldn't land a basic Ollie. She watched the skateboard roll down the street until a foot stepped on the edge and brought it up.

Max's eyes widened at the sight of El. This was the first time El had ever been in her neighborhood. She didn't even think El knew where she lived.

El holding her skateboard approached her cautiously. "Can we talk?"

Max accepted the weight of her skateboard. "Yeah, sure."

She led El into the house. It was only her and Jensen at the house.

El looked at their house, which was filled with plants and vibrant colors. Max was aware the interior of her house was way different than most in Hawkins. "Is your sister home?"

Max nodded. "She's in her room. Probably painting her nails."

"Painting her nails?" El repeated.

It wasn't as if Max forgot, but it was times like these when she was reminded that El didn't grow up in a traditional upbringing until Hooper adopted her.

"Yeah, if you want, we can ask her to paint yours. She is good at doing designs. Eddie lets her paint his nails."

El's nose scrunched up. "But he's a boy."

Max shrugged as she led her into her room. Max thought Eddie was from another planet most days. Besides she was sure there were incentives for Eddie when Jensen needed to try a new design out. El took a seat on her bed.

Max folded her arms across her chest. "So what's going on?"

"It's Mike..." El looked nervous as her hands balled into fists at her knees. Max couldn't recall El ever being nervous, especially when it came to her relationship with Mike. "He said his Nana was sick, but his mom was the on the phone and seemed to not know. I don't know...he was very rushed and said he missed me and hung up."

Max looked confused by the fact Mike would lie to El considering they were attached at the hip. Maybe the seas were parting as Mike had finally gotten the dumb boy gene. Plus, she knew Mike didn't have anything to do today. He never did and if there was something planned he would have been bitching to all of them that it took away time from El.