further apart // max mayfield x oc

3: iv (the sauna test)

right now, i'll be your forever, i'll be your last last call, i'll be your whatever

——

"it doesn't make any sense!" eleven mumbled, cuddling into max under the blankets. the picture of what they'd seen that day was still fresh in their minds, and they'd decided to spend the night at max's house. "el, there's nothing to worry about anymore, ok?" max reassured, wrapping her arms tightly around the smaller girl. "it doesn't make any sense! heather.... then the blood... and all of the ice?"
"heather had a fever, so she took a cold bath, but she's better now." she explained, desperately trying not to freak out, "that has to be it. i don't know where the blood came from but we both saw her. she's totally fine!"
"what about billy?"
"what about him?"
"he seemed... wrong?"
max laughed. "wrong is kind of his default, but it's nice to know he's not a murderer because that would've sucked." a small smile spread across eleven's face. "yeah, it would've."

el's attention turned to the comics at the foot of the bed, reassured that perhaps this time everything would actually be ok. "who's that?" she asked, pointing to the cover of 'wonder woman'. "oh my god, see this is why you can't just hang out with mike all the time! this is wonder woman, she's from paradise island, which is a hidden island in the amazon..."

eventually, the two girls fell asleep with piles of comics strewn around them and the window letting in the soft glow of sunrise.

——

"max! do you copy? this is a code red!" lucas repeated into the walkie talkie for what seemed like the thousandth time that morning. finally, there were some scrabbling noises on the other end. "max? do you copy? this is a code-"
"shut up!" she yelled, her voice crackling and static. "i've lost connection..." lucas sighed. "do you think it's because of the storm?"
"maybe, or the fact that you've been trying to talk to her for half an hour and it's only nine in the morning." lis cut in, sipping one of mrs wheeler's famous hot chocolates.

as soon as lucas had radioed, felicity had cycled over to mike's immediately. she suspected they'd all slept there, minus her and dustin. this wasn't unusual, mike's mother had a problem with girls sleeping over apparently- even if said girl had been best friends with him since kindergarten. she guessed dustin was probably over at steve's, not giving it a thought.

"jeez, i'm sorry" lucas yelled, "but do any of you have a better suggestion?"
"one of us could just go over to her house?" will muttered from across the room where he was setting up a table for d&d. "well, incase you've completely forgotten, el broke up with me yesterday! lucas can't go either." mike stated. "and your mom wouldn't let you go."
felicity sighed, knowing what was coming next. "lis?" mike and lucas chorused, attempting to smile sweetly at her. "fine, i'll go!"

——

max had just drifted back to sleep, when she was rudely awakened by a knock at the door. "you have got to be kidding me!" she hissed, storming towards the door. didn't they know how to respect someone's privacy? didn't they know what breaking up was? didn't they-

her entire train of thought stopped as she saw who was behind the door. felicity was staring at a patch of dirt on her shoe, rethinking everything decision she'd ever made. "lis?" max murmured. even with her hair messy from sleep and her eyes bleary, max was the prettiest girl she'd ever seen. "look, i don't mean to intrude it's just..." she started, before max pulled her inside roughly.