Escape ~ S.Harrington

62} Searching the Shrink

Whilst Nancy, Robin, and Alice were off to the library to investigate Victor Creel and the possibility that he's the murderer, Steve, Max, and Dustin were off to visit Ms. Kelley.
"Max. Hi," Ms. Kelley greeted Max on her doorstep.
"Hi," Max started to put on her act, "I'm so sorry to bother you over break, but... do you have a minute to talk?"
"Um, yeah, of course. Of course."
Max went into her house to talk while Steve and Dustin waited it out in the car.

"Okay, she's in," Steve observed.
"I'm missing collarbones, not eyes," Dustin shot. "So, we gonna talk about... it?"
"Huh? Sorry, talk about what?"
"I was just wondering why you threw out the idea last night that Jenna could possibly be what's causing all of this."
"I, uh... I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Jesus, Dustin! I just- I just keep hoping she's still here. Even if she were a monster terrorizing Hawkins. I know it's terrible for me to think that, but I just hope she's still out there. Somehow, someway."
"But she's not Steve. She's gone. I've even come to terms with it. And I can see through you, Steve. You go on a bunch of shitty dates to distract yourself from the fact that you can't cope."
"I don't do that."
"Stop lying to me and yourself. I know everyone else tip-toes around you, but it's really messing with me."

Steve didn't respond. They just sat in silence for a minute before Steve could create a coherent sentence.
"She was the only good thing in my life, Dustin."
"But you have us, too."
"It's really hard when you lose your best friend and the person you've been in love with for years."
"You don't think I understand that!? She's my sister!"
"I'm sorry. I'm trying to help myself but I can't. And I know it was over 9 months ago, but I don't think I'll ever get over it."
"Well, figure it out because I don't want the idea that she could possibly be up to all of this as a serious theory we investigate."
"Okay. Can we stop talking about this now?"

"Yeah. And what was that back there with the 'I have to protect you girls' shit?"
"I didn't say that."
"Pretty much."
"I just don't want to find them with their eyes sucked to the back of their head by this Vecna creep."
"Sure..."
"Okay, I'm done talking about this. No more people will be lost to the creatures of the Upside Down. Now, stop talking about this or I'll punch you so hard in your face your teeth fall back out."
"Whoa, too far."
"Not cool. Sorry."
"Yeah, not cool."

In Ms. Kelley's office, she and Max are having a discussion about Max's 'feelings'.
"It's just," Max started out, "with everything that's happening, with all the murders, it's... it's making everything worse again."
"You've experienced trauma, Max, and when you keep your feelings, your pain, bottled up the way you do, it doesn't take much to trigger them again. So now, when it rains, it storms."
"Yeah, I know."
"Do you think you're ready to talk more about that night?"
In Max's mind, she was sent back to the horrific place where Billy was being killed right in front of her. The Mind Flayer cruelly taking its last victim, draining every drop of blood from Billy until he was nothing but a shell of himself left.

"I live next door to where it happened," Max avoided her counselor's question.
"I'm sorry?"
"To where Chrissy was murdered. The cops asked me a bunch of questions. Did they talk to you? I mean, I know you were seeing Chrissy."
"Max, you know I can't talk about Chrissy or any other student."
"Yeah, but, I mean, what if there was a serial killer on the loose in my neighborhood? Did Chrissy mention anything? Anything about who might have done this?"
"Max, I'm... I'm sorry, I... I really can't discuss this. You wouldn't want me talking to any other student about you, right?"
"If I were dead and it would help catch the killer, then yeah, I most definitely would."
"Well, let's leave that up to the police, shall we?"
"Yeah, you're right. The police totally have this under control. Can I use the bathroom?"
"Sure. Up the stairs, to the left."
"Thanks."