𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙥! 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣

SCENE THIRTY NINE. from friends to sisters

when they returned to hawkins, the upside looked to be in better state. the ground was shaken, seemingly eroding beneath them. cracks traveled across tarmac road. and plant shrivled from the large cuts deep in the ground. houses' crumbled, people cried. sirens whailed. it had been a diaster. and before anyone could say anything, piper was off. rushing in the direction of the creel house.

"piper!" she heard them call her back, but nothing could stop her. sweat ran down her brow, her heart raced in her chest. she could feel the sting of her legs hitting the pavement. the pain rippling through her from the burn on her arm. the skin unable to move along with her movements. the house appeared before her. and she nearly fell to her knees at the sight. it was ruined. the building had collapsed. a crack ran through the house, splitting it in two. smoke lifted above the old home. a police car outside, max's mother could be seen. sobbing alongside who seemed to be lucas and erica's mother. sue sinclair was gripping onto her daughter. erica looked around her mother, noticing a figure standing on the other side of the road. she found her stood there, glazy eyes staring at the house. she shakes her head to the girl. and piper jogs over, taking sharp intakes of breaths. the pain spread to her chest now. looking at the sight before her, piper couldn't help wonder about everywhere else. would the parker house be intact? was mum okay? was the harrington's alright. the amblunace was already pulling away from the road, sirens wailing. joining the rest of the comotion of hawkins right now.

"oh piper." max's mum called, noticing the girl watching the ambulance roll away. she walked towards the elder ginger. her cloths stunk of smoke. and breath of vodka. but she looked so much worse then her drunken days. the women was wobbling, shaking and shattered. she was a wreck, worse then a wreck. she had lost her child. all she had left. piper said nothing, instead wrapped her arms around the women. hoping the women wouldn't question the state of her.

"she's breathing at least. she's going to be okay." max mum told her, it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.

"what happened" erica questioned, looking the girl up and down noticing the new bruises growing on her skin. rope like scars travelled around  her neck. shesays nothing. and instead, stumbles her way to her home. a crack in the ground runs down the street next to hers. the parker household stands, but everything seems messed. the windows were open and falling off. the door was unhinged. her mother wasnowhere to be found, and considering the car was not parked outside. she was gone. parker steps inside the house. the shattering of the cracks had clearly rumbled the house. the photos were tilted, the furniture was scattered. her mother had been sat watchng tv when it happened. the tv played a static versions of fame. red wine stains the white carpet, the glass left knocked on the floor. she continued on her path to her room. the door to her room was thrown open. she can imagine her mother rushing to call her name before realising she'snot in. she wondered what her mother thought she was doing when it happened. did she think her daughter was just at her friends house? or the mall? did she think her daughter was in the otherside sacrifing her life forthe said friend? no. defintaly not that one. een though the whole house was a swekred. her room wasnot. it looked neater then she ever had it. the sheets tucked in. the floor cleaned. but the one thing that seemed not in the right was the envolpe on the bed. the reaches for it, pain still spreading through the burnt arm.the skin tingling as the paper touches her burnt skin.  her name written in max's messy scrawl.

my dearest piper,

if you are actually reading this, who knows maybe i'm reading this to you. and you're the one that's no longer here, but i guarentee it's me. and that's okay. i've accepted my fate at this point. and that's okay. i've accepted my fate, something i know your face would twist at. i am truly going to miss you. you were my best friend. and you were the bravest person i have ever known. you were incredibly brave and it showed furiously. and although it was never your fault, you still refused to stand down. piper, you stood firmly against threats and hid your fear from even me. and that's difficult. especcailly of me. you stood strong. pretending like nothing ever hurted you. you fought against flared billy, against russians in starcourt. and still the only thing that hurt you was steve calling nancy's name. you were brave, you are brave. and piper, you made me brave. It was you. nobody else. I never had anyone to look up to. my brother was a utter diaster; my dad was a renicarion of the devil himself. And my mom, well she did fuck all. always pretending that everything was okay. Like nothing was happening. But you never did that, you never acted like I was different. you treated me as one of your own. i always judged dustin and lucas for being friends with steve, who was currently a senior in high school and a dickhead. but then you appeared, like some kind of sybmol of good in my life. the older girl who took me in and saved me. piper, you are truly something else. i love you. i will always love you. i don't even consider you a friend, you are my family. my sister. you have become a part of me. of all of us. and i know the group never tell you, or will even consider telling you but you have everything we all needed. you are kind. you are sweet. and your are the greatest friend of all. i shall stand by your side till the end. thank you piper. 

from the ever grateful younger sister you needed, max 

the tear dropped on her name. pipers face all red and blotchy as she tried to keep her tears in. this letter could be the last everything she has left of max. and the tears wouldn't stop, not even as she kneeled beside the bed where many times she had laughed with max about stupid things the boys did. where max had found piper crying the night she broke up with steve. the days where el and max would dance around her bed singing as she laughed. and it had all gone cold.max laughter never filled the air. it was just not the same without her.