Salt To The Wound (A Stranger Things Story)

Season 2-Chapter 9: True Love (Maxs POV

Every single time she was around Lucas, butterflies would fill her stomach. She couldn't help but smile every time he was around. She never felt this with anyone else, and she really liked Lucas. He was really understanding, nice, and wasn't expecting anything from her. She really needed someone like that around her, as she was still grieving and the more support the better. Now that they lived together, they would spend every single day together. She started to wodner, was this true love?

She decided that today she was going to talk to El, maybe she could get that old friendship back. But then again it was basically impossible to get that old friendship with an ex. She knocked on the door and El answered, "hey el," Max said smiling and El smiled back, "hey max, come in," she said walking back to the kitchen. "We were just making homemade waffles," she said mixing the batter and Max smiled and sat on the couch. "You want some?" Hopper asked and Max nodded. She remembered back in Freshman year when they were still together, they'd do this every single Friday and it was always so fun. But when they broke up it all changed between them, there were no more eggo extravaganzas and maybe she could get that back. "Well what brings you to the Hopper cabin?" El asked sitting next to Max smiling. "Oh I just wanted to chill out like we used to do," Max said and El smiled. "Well I mean old times is really just old times," El said going back into the kitchen and Max nodded. "I know but maybe old times could be now," she asked and El looked up surprised. "Well sure I guess we could," she said putting the batter into the waffle maker.

She hung out with El that entire day and realized why she liked her to begin with. The way she smiled, the way she laughed, her laugh, her eyes. Max was astonished by her presence, but she had a boyfriend and El had a girlfriend. The thing they used to have was over now and Max knew this but couldn't help herself. She had a crush on El while being in love with Lucas, she needed to get rid of this crush. And she needed to fast.

But she couldn't stop herself from hanging out with El and she couldn't do anything about this. And so she continued to hang out with El while sleeping with Lucas at night. She felt butterflies when she hung out with both of them, she didn't like one more than the other.

"So wanna hang out today maybe go on a ferris wheel, oh my God I've always wanted to go on a merry go round," Ek said and Max nodded. "Sounds like a plan, let's do it," Max said and getting up and going on her bike and El followed her. They went to the theme park and headed straight to the ferris wheel. "Uh did I ever mention I have a bad fear of heights," Max said before going on it. "Uh you rode every Rollercoaster at Six Flags twice," El said and Max looked at her then got in the seat. When they got to the top Max did something unexpected. She kissed El, and they held it. Both were in a relationship but still, they held it.

When they got off of the ferris wheel both looked at each other. "It didn't happen," El said and Max nodded. But Max knew she wouldn't be able to keep this from Lucas for long and she was scared that she just ruined the beat relationship she has ever had. But at the same time, she didn't fully regret it.

And so there came the difficukt conversation with Lucas. "And it was like I lobe you I really, really love you, you've helped me so much but I also really love El and I have no idea what in the hell I'm going to do," she said wanting to see Lucas' face and he wasn't mad, he was understanding. "So you love us both and I'm guessing El loves you and I love you," he said and Max nodded. "Well I mean-" Lucas said and Max turned. "What I mean is, if El is okay with it and if your okay with it, we could be a poly," he said and Max looked confused. What in the fck was a poly. Lucas saw her face, "a poly is a relationship with 3 or more people," he said and Max's face lit up. "Well if Els okay with it, then yeah," she said smiling and Lucas smiled back at her. And so she made her way over to Els house.

Hiw she had no idea that this existed had her mind blown. And so she knocked ok Els door and she answered. "Oh hey Max," she said and Max looked her dead in the eye. "So are you and your girlfriend still together," Max asked and El shook her head. "She moved and we broke up on good terms," El said smiling. "How would you feel about a poly relationship with me and Lucas?" She asked and El looked confused, thank God she wasn't the only one. "Well basically it's a relationship with 3 or more people but like it's just be like your dating me but Lucas is also dating me," she said and El smiled. "Sure that sounds good," she said and Max smiled and then she left, feeling happy. All three could get what they wanted.