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***
July 4th, 1987
"Max! The popcorn!"
"I know, I'm ma-"
"IT"S ON FIRE!"
"wh- OH SHIT!"
Max jumped to the stove and threw the pan that was on fire into the sink. She turned on the water, putting the fire out. Mike laughed at her as she sighed. " 's not funny."
"Yes it is!"
"Do we have chocolate milk?"
"Yes, Max, we have chocolate milk. God you're such a child!"
"Hey, you still play d&d and we're in high school, nerd!"
"Hey kids, we're home! Oh god, what's that smell?"
Max ran over to Karen, grabbing the bags out of her hands and placing them on the counter. "Max! Can you come here please?" The girl walked over to where Ted was sitting on the couch. He smiled at his daughter, giving her a sunflower and a blue lollipop. "Why a sunflower?"
"Yellow's always been my favorite color."
"Max! Come on, you need to pick a movie before they all get here!"
"Coming! Thank you."
***
The rest of the party walked down to the basement. Mike and Max's backs were turned to them, so El decided to scare Max. She tiptoed over to the girl and shook her, yelling a light boo in her ear making her jump. Max turned around quickly, hugging her girlfriend tightly. El chuckled, wrapping her arms around the other girls waist and slightly pulling her off the ground. "You scared me!"
"I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"Gross!"
"You two saw each other yesterday!"
"We were sleeping!"
"No you were not! I could hear you guys! So gross, I'm so happy Nancy moved out and you got her room."
El and Max both blushed, looking down. Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin burst through the door. "We watching a movie or what?"
***
Max was sitting on El's lap, eating popcorn from the bowl and drinking her fifth glass of chocolate milk. She smiled as she looked at everyone. Her family. The girl leaned back into El.
"Hey El?"
"Yes my love?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For everything. For loving me, dating me, being my person. I really needed that."
"I would do it all over again if it meant I got to hold you in my lap like this."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Max never faked a smile again. Her scars were proof of what she had gone through. Proof that she had survived, and she couldn't be prouder.
