Can't Get Use to Losing You- Max Mayfield

E Pluribus Unum

"He's here." Will says putting his hand up to his neck.
"Fuck! Fuck, we need to get Nancy and Johnathan." TJ says and starts running for the stairs.
"Hey, hey, hey! Two at a time!" The receptionist lady shouts at them.
"Hey lady! You're really good at your job but I think you need to leave! Get out of here!" TJ yells while running.
El slams a door open using her powers, as the group sees the most terrifying creature screaming in Nancys face. The creature suddenly turns roaring at El, who uses her powers to throw it around the room and eventually out the window. El pushes Johnathan forwards to Nancy, as TJ also rushes forward to his sister.
"Nance we got you! You're okay!"TJ holds his sister in a tight embrace. TJ and Johnathan then help the girl up, running outside to meet everyone else. The sight they see is one of nightmares as the creature shrinks itself, going down into the drains.

The morning after the group are sat in Hoppers cabin, while El is in her room trying to find at least one of the potentially flayed humans to give them some clues as to where the source is.
TJ is stood outside on Hops porch looking over at the woodland area, one things on his mind...Max.
TJ hasn't spoke to her much since seeing her and Lucas with the skittles last night, he doesn't know why he just feels apprehensive of the thought of them getting back together. He knows she doesn't owe him anything but he can't help feeling nervous at the thought of losing her.

With a sigh TJ heads back inside to find his brother and Max arguing, once again.
"What's going on here?" TJ asks.
Mike turns to Lucas and says,
"Your girlfriend used El's powers to spy on us." TJ stands frozen staring at the redhead, who refuses to look at him.
"No, no, no, I did not make her. It was her idea." Max says.
"In all fairness to Max it was El's idea." TJ says defending the girl.
"Wait you were there as well!" Mike yells at his brother.
"Why are we even talking about this, seriously?" Max getting frustrated asks.
"Yeah who cares?" Will adds on.
This argument is getting nowhere as both sides are not having it.
"Omg this is ridiculous. Mike you weren't taking a shit man." TJ says to his brother losing his patience.
"I'm just trying to demonstrate how careless Max is with Eleven's powers. In fact, how careless all of you are. You're treating her like some kind of machine when she's not a machine, and I don't want her to die looking for the flayed when they've obviously vanished off the face of the Earth. So can we please just come up with a new plan because I love her and I can't lose her again." Mike blurts out.
The boys all look at each other smirking at the new revelation, the door creaks open and El walks out asking "What's going on?"
"Nothing, nothing just a family discussion." A grinning Lucas tells her, as an awkward tension fills the air.
"Oh this is gold." TJ says, earning a nudge from his sister. El looks at everyone before saying, "I found him."

The group are sat round watching as El uses the static from the TV to enter the void.
She tells the group that Billy is sat in his room, just waiting.
"It's the 4th of July and Billy's not at the carnival? This isn't right." TJ says looking round at the group. Max confirms this to the group, that TJ's right it's really out of character for the boy to be sat in his room on one of the biggest nights of the year. This causes the group to decide that it's a trap, that Billy will ambush them and lead the flayed to them. El come backs into the room, telling them that she thinks Billy has been to the source.
"It's a trap. I know. We can't got to Billy but I think there's another way. A way for me to see where he's been." El tells them.

The group are sat round Hoppers living room watching as El prepares herself, Mike sits on the floor next to the girl telling her that she doesn't need to do this. TJ sits on the sofa as Max is in front of him pretending not to be listening to Mike and El's conversation.
"Mike. I need you to trust me." El's says.
Mike turns and looks at Max who gives him a nod.
"Yeah. Just...be careful." Mike says standing up and sitting on a chair.
"You know if you and him weren't so god damn stubborn you'd be great friends." TJ tells the redhead. She turns and looks at him before saying, "And what about you and me if we weren't so stubborn. What would we be?" TJ furrows his eyebrows confused, looking down at the girl he says, "You have a boyfriend Max. We'd just be good ole friends." She looks at the boy completed perplexed at what he's just said. As she opens her mouth to reply El shushes her so she can begin the plan.

"El are you okay?" Mike asks, seeing that the girl looks distressed  while in the void.
"I'm okay." El quietly says. She begins describing that she sees a boy and a woman on a beach.
"Okay, I may be dense, but the last time I checked, there weren't any beaches in Hawkins." Lucas says.
"What else do you see?" Max asks, squished in between Lucas and TJ on the sofa.
"It's Billy." El tells the group.
"It's California. It's a memory." Max says.
TJ looks at the girl, who looks solemn he wants to take her hand but settles with his knee touching hers.

Moments pass before El speaks again, "I think I found it. The source."
"Where El? Where are you?" Max asks the girl leaning forward in her seat.
"Brimborn...steelworks." El tells them. Jonathan flies over to the kitchen table grabbing the book, "Found it." The older teen says,"6522 Cherry Oak Drive."
TJ looks at his younger brother who is staring at El in a panic, "El, El, we found it. Get out of there. Get out."
The room goes quiet watching El, all of a sudden she rips her blindfold of screaming.
Mike shoots to the floor grabbing hold of her trying to calm her down.
Max grabs a hold of TJs hand and he doesn't let go, both scared out of their wits of what's to come.