(3) Till Death Do Us Part (Max Mayfield/ (Fem) You)

-Chapter 2: The Hellfire Club-

Not long later, Jason announces the tournament grand finale game being tonight. The same night as one of the biggest Hellfire campaigns we have ever done. "Tonight?" Mike asks. "How is that possible?" Dustin adds with annoyance in his voice. "They call it a tournament." Max speaks from beside me. We all turn to look at the girl. "You win one game, you go on until there's only one team left." She explains to them. The boys groan, scoffing while we all watch Lucas cheer and jump with the basketball douches.

Not gonna lie, ever since Max and I broke up, and El left, I've been different. I'm sure the others notice it, but don't say anything. I feel like...I'm a different person at school than I am at home. At school, just the sight of those douchebags, those preppies, those idiots, makes me want to drive my fist into a wall. There is one person, however, that I look up to at school. Eddie Munson.

At the end of the rally, we turn to leave. "Let's catch Lucas." Dustin says, turning. "Wait, I'm going to catch Max." I say, watching the redhead as she heads out ahead of us. Mike places his hand on my shoulder, looking at me. "Hey. She doesn't hate you." He says, knowing what I feel in my chest. I offer a small smile and a nod. "I hope not. I love her too much." I mutter before dashing after the girl.

"Max." I say, weaving through the crowds of people. She doesn't hear me. "Max." I repeat, getting closer. That's when I notice the headphones on her ears. She does that a lot. Keeps her headphones on to listen to music and ignore others. I run up beside her and tap her shoulder, getting her attention. "Max." I say as she looks at me. She immediately removes her headphones, pausing the song and facing me. "Hey, Y/N." She says, tilting her head. "What's...up?" She asks awkwardly. "Max, I..." I start before realising I don't actually know what to say. "Yeah?" She prompts, fiddling with the wires of her headphones. "Do you...want to...like, do something? After school?" I ask, looking at her eyes as they dart around. Anywhere but my face. "I, uh, I'm gonna be...doing...something." She says, scratching her head. "Oh..." I say, looking away.

There is a beat of silence until she speaks. "I...I can do this weekend?" She offers, making me look back up. When I do, my breath catches in my throat. She's looking at me with caring eyes, as if she didn't want me to be disappointed. It was like seeing a small crack of the old Max, displayed on the new one. I smile a little, nodding. "Yeah, okay. It's a date." I say before my eyes widen. "No-Not that kind of date. I didn't...didn't mean it like that. I know we're not together, I meant it as a friendship hangout date. Actually, we can just say hangout! Yeah, hangout, uh, not date..." I trail, stopping my blabbering as I look at her to see a small wisp on a smile ghosting her face. "Y/N. It's fine. Calm down." She says. I take a deep breath, like she used to tell me to whenever I would blab like that before smiling. She nods, looking down the hallway. "I have to go. But...see you then." She says before turning and walking away.

I go through my classes quickly, and soon, it's lunch. I walk out of my classroom to my locker to stuff things inside before turning to go to the cafeteria. On the way, I pass the counselor's office before turning down a hallway. I pass Max, smiling at her while she just nods and passes me. I watch as she turns down the corridor I just left and walks into the office. I knew she had been meeting the counselor. I know it's about Billy. What I don't know, however, is how bad or how damaging it has been. She hasn't told me anything. I sigh, turning away from the office before heading down the hallway, meeting Lucas' eye as he heads toward the counselor's office before I go into the cafeteria.

I sit on the usual table. Mike, Dustin, I and the Hellfire Club. The de facto leader, Eddie Munson, is reading off a recent magazine which talks about DnD. "The Devil has come to America. Dungeons and Dragons, at first regarded as a harmless game of make-believe, now has both parents and psychologists concerned." He reads in a deep voice. Although the three of us are years younger than Eddie and the others, after getting my reputation boost, Eddie began regarding me as his 'second in command', relishing in the attention that our group gets now. The older kids didn't even argue, agreeing that we needed 'new blood' in the leadership ring and that they were graduating soon anyway. I do realise, however, that being around them makes my more sarcastic and 'bad girl' side come out more. Mike and Dustin keep on telling me to tone it down, but whenever I see people who just annoy me, which is almost everyone, I just want to....I don't know, shame them, hit them, anything.