Max and Mike were the best of friends, you never saw one without the other, and when you did they were most likely talking about each other.
Every day after school Max would go over to Mike's house and they would hang out until Max's brother would come to pick her up, this had been the way things were since they were in first grade.
One day all of that changed, when Will Byers went missing, a shy boy that Max had known for five years but was never too close with went missing, the whole gang went to go look for him, that included Max.
When they were in the woods they stumbled across a girl with a shaved head shaking in the rain
"I want to bring her home" Mike said as the whole group talked everything out
"We don't know what she's like, or where she came from, what if she's some totally crazy killer?" Lucas exclaimed throwing his hands in the air
"I agree with Lucas" Max decided "I mean come on we don't know her, we can't just have some random girl hiding in your house"
"Whatever guys, I don't care what you think, it's not your house I'm bringing her home anyways"
"Umm actually it kind of it my house" Max said frustrated "I've been coming over every single day since first grade, I think I have a say in this big of a decision as well" Max huffed folding her arms
Mike completely ignored Max's statement and grabbed the strange girl's hand as they walked off in the direction of the house "come on guys it's cold" Mike said without a second look back
Max just stood planted in the same spot in awe, holding hands was their thing, she had never seen Mike hold hands with anyone else in her whole life, he wasn't supposed to hold hands with anyone else at all but her.
Max didn't say a word, she just ran away from the group and ran past Mike in the dark, she would be fine, she knew the way to Mike's house, this wasn't the first time her and Mike had snuck out of the house to go to the woods.
Once everyone had successfully snuck back inside the house Mike got the girl some dry clothes
"What's your name?" Mike asked sitting down next to the girl after she had got dry clothes on and a fort built in the basement for her
The girl just simply pointed to her wrist where the numbers "011" were tattooed
"Eleven, How about we call you El for short" Mike suggested
The girl just nodded and Mike flashed her a smile
"Well goodnight" Mike said walking away from the fort
Just as soon as Mike had put the blanket over the fort so Eleven couldn't see anything happening outside Max grabbed Mike by the wrist and was pulling him towards the bathroom.
When she finally had him inside she slammed the door behind them
"Hey what are you doing?" Mike shouted angrily trying to get around Max to get outside of the room
"Hey that's the question I should be asking, what the hell are you doing?" Mike asked glaring at Mike
"I don't know what you're talking about" Mike rolled his eyes
"Wow Mike, you can't honestly make me think that you're that stupid, you held hands with that girl, when you know that's our thing" Max said poking Mike in the chest
"I don't see what the big deal is" Mike said getting tired of the conversation
"The big deal is I've never seen you hold hands with anybody else in your life before, just me"
"Yeah that's because all my other friends are boys, and boys don't hold hands"
"Oh so you must just think it's okay to hold hands with every other girl you see, I wonder how many girl's hands you've held at the school"
"Hey Max-"
"Don't "hey Max" me, and while we're at it, I wonder how many other girls you've kissed at our school"
"Max-"
"You remember what happened that one night in the woods, don't think I forgot, you kissed me while we sat by the fire and you promised me you would never leave me" Max paused looking away from Mike with a pained expression and then turned back to him. "But that night I saw an empty beer bottle snuck under your pillow and I realized that you had been drinking and that's why you said everything that you did. So the next morning when I talked to you about it we agreed to forget about it"
Max sighed taking a huge breath "and Mike I can't forget about it, because what I said that night, I meant all of it, and I wasn't drunk, I really wanted to be with you, and I told you that, and you told me that too"
"But whatever that doesn't matter anymore, that was a year ago, but only we hold hands got that? Don't throw away what friendship we still have" Max said and with that she left the room, running up the basement stairs, and all the way home.
Three days later
Max had noticed something changing between Eleven and Mike, Mike would look at Eleven too long, or the way Eleven's eyes would light up every time Mike said her name.
Whatever was going on between them she didn't like it at all, because that's what her and Mike used to have before the woods.
That day when Eleven came out of the bathroom with a wig on Max thought she looked terrible, I mean come on, that dress barely fit her terribly skinny body, and the wig just didn't suit her, and looked way too fake.
But apparently she was the only one that thought that, because when Eleven cane out of the bathroom, the look in Mike's eyes was pure awe, he looked completely in love "pretty?" Eleven asked looking straight at Mike with the doe eyes Max deeply despised.
"Pretty" Mike agreed
That's when Max lost in, any hope as tiny as it might be that Mike still felt the same way that he did a year ago, the way that she still felt about him now was gone.
Max ran home early that day, and Mike didn't even realized until Dustin told him that Max had ran home crying, and Mike couldn't figure out why.
Two days later
The whole gang, and Eleven were in the school, Dustin and Lucas were getting pudding from the fridge and Eleven, Mike, and Max were in the lunch room.
Eleven and Mike were sitting at the table talking while Max just hung in the corner.
"Hey can you Umm go for a minuet" Mike asked turning to look at Max
Max didn't respond she just walked off, but being the curious person she was she watched from the door, with it cracked open a tiny bit.
"So El, I wanted to know if you wanted to go to this dance with me"
"Dance?" Eleven questioned
"Yeah, dance, it's called the Snow Ball and it's this really lame party that the school puts on, and then you can live with us and you can be like Nancy's sister"
"So you'll be my brother?"
"Well, you see" Mike started but he looked into Eleven's eyes and out of nowhere he kissed her on the lips
Tears welled up in Max's eyes as she ran away from the room, she was so hurt and she didn't know what to do
One day later
Max had been taken by the Demagorgan and Will was finally back, things were back to normal, well almost, Mike was depressed, he wouldn't talk to anyone and all he could do was stare at the stupid fort Eleven used to sleep in.
So Max went up and talked to him about it one night
"How are you holding up?" Max asked
"I don't even know what to do anymore, I feel like half of myself is missing" Mike said, and when he said that it burned Max deep inside
"Well Hey, I can be your other half till El comes back, I mean I have been here for you since first grade" Max said
Mike just looked away from her "Hey look Mike I really care about you, and in away that you'll probably never care about me, but if you really want to find Eleven if this is the girl you want to be with then I'll definitely help you, I'll-"
"Wait, what did you say?"
"Huh?" Max said confused
"How do you care about me?" Mike said looking up at Max's face
"Oh umm, I like you" Max said blushing, but she was quickly able to recover from the butterflies and her blushing cheeks and she continued to talk normally to Mike
"But like I was saying, I know that you like this Eleven girl a lot-"
Max's sentence was cut off with Mike placing his hand on top of her's
"I've always liked you Max, even that day in the woods, the next day when I said I didn't mean what I said, I said it because I didn't want it to ruin or friendship, I just never want to lose you Max. That whole thing that happened with Eleven was me trying to burry my feelings, but it didn't feel the same, it always comes back to you. But meant every single word that I said, and I meant that kiss too"
"Mike I-"
But before Max could finish her sentence Mike had placed his lips on Max's
"I was such a fool, will you be mine?" Mike asked looking into Max's eyes
"Of course Wheeler"