MELANCHOLY [S.T. B. Hargrove]

15

Eleven wouldn't say a word to Max. I could see that it hurt Max's feelings.

"So, that's the girl with powers," I note.

"Guess so," Max mutters.

Eleven and Joyce went to the room Will was laying down at. Mike was talking to Hopper who we found had known Eleven was okay all along as he'd been hiding her. Lucas and Dustin were gossiping about their friend being back.

"Are you hungry?" I ask Max. "It's probably getting late. The clock broke when the lights and stuff went crazy."

"It's almost ten," Max whispers.

"Hmm?"

Max pushes her jacket sleeve up and holds her hand up to show that she was wearing a watch. "Almost ten."

A sinking realization washes over me like cold water.

Max knew the time all night? She could've said something after all the times I kept asking.

"Max.." I breathe out, somehow feeling betrayed.

"You helped out Dustin. You went trick or treating with us. You made me feel better when I was sad. You keep us safe. You're smart. I just.." Max puts her hand back down. "Billy doesn't deserve you. You deserve so much better."

I rest my elbows on my knees and rub my face.

"Billy is an asshole. He's loud. Obnoxious. Rude.." Max continues. "You're nice. Caring. Protective. Smart. Pretty."

"So.. you just don't want me hanging out with Billy?" I figure.

"You deserve better," she whispers.

Billy and Max were legally family now. And yet.. Max was choosing me over him? Or she thought she was?

"I'm not sorry," she reveals. "I'd do it again as long as it meant you were safe from him."

"Safe from him?" I repeat. "What? You think Billy is gonna hurt me?"

"Somehow.. Someway.. Yeah."

I sigh and close my eyes. "That was him on the phone."

"What?" 

"When the phone rang. That was Billy."

"How do you know?"

My hands fall to my lap. "Because I heard his voice."

"Are you sure? I mean.. Nancy threw it and-"

"Max, I know Billy's voice."

Max huffs and crosses her arms.

"My dad is from Mexico," I admit. "My mom is from California. When they got married, they visited Mexico and.. well, it turns out my mom was pregnant with me."

Max's eyes peer out the corner, side-eyeing me.

"And I was born there. Then, we moved back to California. My mom was white. And.. she got caught up with him. He started yelling at her. Then, he started pushing her. By time I was six, he was hitting her."

"What did she do?" Max wonders.

"Nothing. She loved him so she just.. took it."

Max makes a face of disgust.

"He cheated on her. She called him out. When she did, he beat the shit out of her."

"What happened?" Max wonders. "After.. I mean."

"When he was hitting her, he was telling her that he was going to kill her. So, I called the cops. They came and arrested him. He got deported back to Mexico."