Hysterical {Maxine Mayfield} COMPLETED

Bad Touches

TW// Mentions of childhood sexual abuse

Jane headed outside to meet up with the others, so Max didn't know they were around.

"What's going on?" Lukas asked with clear concern on his face.

"I don't know, a bad person hurt her..." Jane told them what she knew. "She won't tell me everything. She's...scared? Crying..."

"That's not like Max to cry." Dustin pointed out and nudged Lukas. "Man you've got to go in there and talk to her."

"She doesn't want to talk to me." Lukas sighed.

"She does not want to talk to anyone..." Jane stood by Mike. "I'm scared for her..."

Mike put an arm around his girlfriend and gestured towards the house. "Lukas, just try again. We can't let whoever it is get away with hurting her."

"I can't go in through the door, Billy will kill me!"

"There's a window, right?" Dustin suggested.

Lukas thought about it and took a deep breath. "Why does love have to make you so crazy?!" He walked around the house to Max's room window.

"I ask myself that..." Mike looked at Jane. "So she didn't say anything that implied who hurt her?"

"It wasn't Billy..." Jane shrugged.

"Well that's something." Dustin noticed Will staring at Jane and Mike a little too intensely. "Uh...so if it's serious, we should tell Will's parents."

Will snapped out of his trance. "Yeah, my parents can probably help."

"I hope it's not that serious that we need Joyce and Hop." Mike unwrapped his arm from around Jane.

Lukas came back around the house shortly after and seconds later Max opened the front door and walked out. He had somehow talked her into coming out.

Max wasn't expecting to see everyone, Lukas lied to her. She froze up immediately and stared like a deer in headlights.

"It's okay Max, they all know something's up too. We stick together in a crisis, remember?" Lukas causally stepped behind her, between her and the door.

"Let's go to my house?" Jane suggested.

Max put her head down and started walked backwards. "Lukas, you lied! You said it was just you and Jane here!" Max backed into Lukas and flinched right away.

Lukas took a couple steps back. "We're all worried about you, you're not yourself."

"Oh so I can't have a bad day now?" Max asked, voice shaking. Her eyes were still red.

"Everyone has a bad day, but not like this. Come on, would you rather tell us or Jane's parents?" Lukas lowered his voice so it didn't sound threatening or demanding.

Max looked around at everyone, Dustin waved to her like an idiot. "If I tell you guys...you're going to tell Hopper anyway."

"Well that just depends on how serious this is." Mike spoke up.

"Come on." Lukas put an arm around Max's waist and started gently pulling her along. Max walked with him even though part or her still didn't want to go.

The walk to Jane and Will's house was awkward and quiet. Everyone was stunned and uncomfortable. The whole time Lukas had to guide Max because she wasn't paying attention. Max was panicking, crying, and pleading with them to not make her tell anyone. At the same time, she never tried to run away. Part of her wanted to be helped.

"We're almost there, don't worry." Lukas kept saying until eventually they were actually at the house.

Everyone stopped outside. "Only mom is home today. Max can go in by herself, or one of us can go with her." Will said quietly.