Feelings, Max Mayfield ¹ ✓

vii. fights & acceptance

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   By lunch, Mike had grown extremely worried about Will. With what had been happening to him, and especially with what happened yesterday with him in the field, Mike was worried about his best friend. Without even eating, as soon as the bell rang for lunch, Mike ran over to the payphone outside to call the Byers household.

   Liz watched him as he put the change into the payphone. She was drawn away from him at Max's voice, "Are you okay?"

  Liz locked eyes with her as Max bit into a sandwich. She felt a blush trail up her neck just seeing the redhead looking at her, "Uhm... what do you mean?"

   "I don't know... you've just been looking a little weird the past couple of days." Max explains to the girl who looked like she was having an internal battle with herself. "I know I've only known you for three days, but I can tell that something's wrong."

"It's... uhm... it's nothing." Liz lies, trying to avoid eye contact with the redhead. Max gave her a confused look, not knowing that Liz was cursing herself for even thinking of the girl as more than a friend.

"Are you sure?" Max asks, placing her hand on Liz's shoulder. She felt Liz relax under her touch which made her smile slightly. She had only known Liz for a few days, but there was something about her that was different than any of Max's old friends.

Liz looked up, almost with tears in her eyes which made Max concerned. Stop thinking like this, Liz. This is wrong, and you need to stop it. You like boys, you always have and always will.

   "Anything?" Lucas asked as Mike was jogging back over to the group. Liz quickly moved out of Max's grip and wiped her watery eyes.

   "We need to talk. AV room. Right now." Mike tells the group, as he runs of the school steps, stopping to turn around to Max. "Party members only."

   She stops and looks offended, and sad. Liz gives Mike a look, and so do Dustin and Lucas, "Come on, Mike."

   "No! This is non-negotiable." Mike yells before running inside.

"Sorry, Max." Dustin apologizes before heading inside, along with Lucas. Liz hesitates before opening up the door.

"Liz..." Max says. Liz glances back at the girl before taking a deep breath.

"You don't wanna be involved in what he has to say, okay? Trust me. You'll thank me later." Liz tells her before smiling as an apology, and heads inside, going straight to the AV room.

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Mike hops up onto the table and places his forearms on his thighs. Dustin and Lucas, and Liz sit in front of him in chairs, waiting for Mike to speak, "Will didn't want me to tell anyone, but on Halloween night he saw a sort of shadow in the sky."

"A shadow?" Lucas questions. "Wha—What kind of shadow?"

   "I don't know, but it scared him." Mike states. "And if Will really has True Sight... I mean, if he can really see into the Upside Down, maybe he saw that shadow again yesterday."

   "When I found him on the field?" Liz asks, making sure she's understanding.

   "Yeah." Mike nods.