"this isn't you," you told the angry redhead sitting across from you. you knew she had sadness and anger bubbling inside her despite the lack of emotion on her face. you knew that it was way more than just whatever excuse she was going to come up with now.
she pushed everyone away. she barely spoke to el anymore. she's never around the gang anymore. and worst of all, she started to push you away. something you truly did not think would happen. despite everything that happened at starcourt, despite her not wanting to speak to anyone, she always found comfort in you... there were some unspoken feelings amongst the two of you but you could see it in the way she looked at you, spoke to you, touched you. never anything super intimate, but with her, any small touch of hers felt electric. it was as simple as her putting a strand of your hair behind your ear or placing her hand on your back to guide you or simply just brushing her hand against yours.
so all of this felt awful.
"i don't know what you want me to tell y/n! i am tired of this, okay?" the way she exaggerated tired stung a bit. "i'm tired of you looking at me like i'm some helpless fucking creature, y/n. i'm done, seriously," she finished. her cheeks were flushed and her blue eyes were piercing through you.
everything about her made you gush. she was the most beautiful girl. even with the scowl on her face, even when she's yelling at you, she was the most beautiful girl to you. max picked up her skateboard and began to walk away.
"no, no way," you grabbed her arm and made her face you. "max, i don't know why you're doing this," you tried to make eye contact again but it was no use. she just kept looking away from you and biting the inside of her cheek. "please.." you looked around, and quietly added, "you know how i feel about you. i cant live a life pretending that this," you reached to cup her hand, "isn't something i almost had. i cant just let this go max. i'm,"
slow the fuck down. slow the fuck down. you haven't even fucking fully told her yet, slow the fu—
"i'm in love with you max." the words came right out like they were meant to be put in the world for the longest. despite the panic, you felt sort of great. it was true, you loved her. you knew it from that moment you were both stuck in the smallest closet hiding from the demogorgon. your bodies were almost touching, you were on fire with how close you were to her. both of you breathing heavily, just staring at each other while having to stay quiet... the way your heart was racing faster due to your proximity and not when you were being chased confirmed it.
she stumbled back.
your world felt like it was coming down with the way she was looking at you. like whatever you thought was there, had magically disappeared.
"i don't know what you thought, but i don't feel the same way. stay away from me." she didn't even bother to look at you as she said it.
"max," you muttered in disbelief.
all she did was put her headphones back on and skated in the opposite direction.
she looked back solemnly for a second, it was almost as if she had more to stay, but she quickly glossed over her expression with a neutral one and continued on. the whole time you were too busy looking at the ground to notice.