The summer I llǝɟ for her || 𝐌𝐚𝐱 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝

71. 𝑶𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝟑𝟏𝒔𝒕.

Chapter 71~ October 31st.

"Guys, what the hell is going on?!" Erica suddenly shouted through Dustin's walkie talkie making them all jump and Arwen nudge the wheel, "holy shit, Erica." Lucas said with widened eyes, "we need to pick her up, take a turn to my house." He instructed and Arwen quickly swerved the car down another street causing the group to fall to one side, "gently!" Mike yelled, "no, we need to be fast." Arwen stated, "hello? Can anyone pick up the damn walkie?"

"Can someone answer her?" Max demanded, "Erica, stay there okay? We're coming to get you." Lucas explained.

~

"So you're telling me, the demodogs are back and they're running around town whilst Chrissy, Billy and Jesse have what? Returned from the dead?" Erica repeated after they all explained to her, "yeah pretty much." Dustin replied as they all nodded their heads, "this is some crazy shit." She rolled her eyes.

~

Once they arrived at Steve's house, Arwen instructed them all to stay in the car whilst her and Dustin wasted no time in rushing into the house, "let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" Arwen shouted throughout the house, "Arwen?" Steve's head popped out from behind the stair banister, "what's going on?"

"Have you not seen the news?!" Dustin questioned and stepped forward making Steve roll his eyes, "no?" He shrugged, "idiot. How could you not check the news after Chrissy?"

"I- I don't." Steve started as Nancy, Eddie, Jonathon and Robin came to his side, "Nancy! Have any of you taken a look outside recently!?" Arwen asked, "no? What's going on?" She questioned, "god are you all idiot?!" Dustin shouted, "this is a code red! I'm talking bright, flashing red!"

"Dustin!" Arwen cut him off, "you guys remember those cute little demodogs?" She asked sarcastically, "no way-" Steve's eyes widened, "they're back?!" Jonathon and Nancy questioned in unison, "woah what the hell are demodogs?! I thought there were only those freaky bats?!" Eddie freaked out, "you didn't tell him about the demodogs!?" Dustin shouted to Steve, "oh god." Robin slapped her head into her hands.

"Okay we don't have time for this, we need to get back in the car." Arwen demanded, "you drove here?" Nancy asked, "yeah I drove your car." Arwen held up the keys causing Nancy's eyes to widen, "you drove my car?"

"Yes." Arwen grinned, "come on." They ran downstairs and as they were about to leave Mike, Lucas, Erica and Will came charging through the door, "uh guys..." Mike started, "I told you to stay in the car." Arwen huffed, "Max is missing." Lucas slowly said, "what?!" The older teens shouted in unison, "what? What the hell do you mean she's missing?!" A sudden gut wrenching feeling took over Arwen's body, she felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs, "we don't know, one minute she was there the next-" they all started explaining at once but Arwen couldn't make any of it out, their voices blurred together to create one muffled noise.

"We need to get Arwen in the car, we'll look for Max around town." Someone said before she felt her body being lifted.

~

"It's been too long Maxine." Billy's voice sounded from behind Max, she abruptly turned around with a heavy breath. She was in front of Victor Creek's house, luckily it wasn't the one in the upside down, she just didn't know how she got here. "How the hell did I get here?!" She asked making a grin appear on his face, "he can do anything he wants."

"He's still alive...?" Max's eyes widened, "oh Maxine, he never left." He stepped closer, "you think Eleven could kill him? Pathetic."

"I don't- I don't understand." Her breath got heavier, "you think you and your stupid friends could defeat him?"

"How are you here?" She let out, "he wanted our help." He grinned then looked down at the ring on Max's finger, "are congratulations in order?" He took another step towards Max who also stepped back, "I can't say it doesn't disappoint me." Billy's voice got louder, "my sister. Maxine, marrying a girl, how did someone in my family end up being a fag?"

"I'm not your sister. We're not family." She shook her head, "you'll need me in the end Maxine, I'm your only real family...soon you will have nothing...nothing." His words cut into her like a knife, "but first...I need to show you something." He said before the scenery around her suddenly changed. She was in Hawkins middle school.

Students were quickly filling up the hallways as Max looked around everywhere, trying to figure out why she was there until she got the attention of a student, who she thought she recognised but she looked much younger, "hey uh, this is going to sound weird but what's the date today, like the year?" She asked, "it's October 31st 1983." The girl smiled, "also cool skateboard." She walked off. Max quickly looked down at the skateboard, it was the one she used to have right when she moved to Hawkins, infact, her whole outfit was the same one she wore her first day, she looked like a twelve year old again.

Max observed her hands, arms, legs, pretty much everything, this felt weirder than any other super natural monster shit she had ever seen. Soon, Max heard a familiar voice and felt sudden relief, she looked up and saw Arwen, her hair was longer like it used to be and she had a skateboard under her feet just like Max.

"Arwen- thank god." Max breathed out, placing a hand on Arwen's arm making her furrow her eyebrows, "I'm sorry, do I know you?" She smiled softly, "It's Max." She said worriedly, Arwen quickly widened her eyes with a sort of realisation, "no way! MadMax?!" She grinned, "you beat my friends high score at the arcade."

"Arwen, now is not the time to be joking." Max let out, "I'm sorry- I don't know what you're talking about...is everything okay? If you need help being shown around or anything I'm happy to help, I know it sucks being new and all." She took Max's hand and looked her in the eyes for a little too long before abruptly pulling away, "sorry-"

"Arwen!" Another familiar voice said from behind, it was Lucas this time. He came over with a warm smile on his face and pressed a kiss on Arwen's lips making Max's heart shatter, "who's this?" He pulled away and pointed to Max, "it's MadMax." Arwen smiled, "no way! You should come hang with-"

"I'm sorry, I have to go." Max backed up slowly before turning around and running off, "you can't run away from the truth Max." Billy's voice came back ten times louder, "see...see how better off they would have been without you." His voice started to sound more like Vecna's, "Arwen could have had a better life...but you destroyed it. My fag of a sister...destroys everyone's lives, that's why your dad left, that's why your mom wants nothing to do with you anymore. You could have just left your so called friends alone...I wouldn't be dead if you left them alone, no one would be. People had to suffer because of you."