Me, Myself, and Her

Chapter Eighty-Three

Chapter Eighty-Three: Should've Said No

Max had been shaking Annie, calling her name, trying to get her to wake up in any other way. Of course, she knew it wasn't going to work. It didn't work on the hill in the cemetery, it wouldn't work now all of a sudden.

It also distracted her from the fact that Jason was practically beating Lucas to a pulp. She wanted to jump in a fight, but two things were stopping her.

The first being her amazing girlfriend, also fighting for her life right in front of her.

The second being Jason was definitely a lot stronger than Max was. The redhead was feisty, no doubt, but Jason was like a hurt, wild animal. Lashing out and fighting to kill- not wound, not disadvantage.

He was ready for full-blown murder.

"Lucas!" Max's head snapped to the door, one she didn't know had been closed and, by the sound of it, locked. "Lucas!"

"Erica, stay out there!" Max yelled back. The last person who needed to get involved was Lucas's little sister. Max wasn't sure Jason was in a right enough state of mind to not try and kill her, too.

She heard a choking noise and looked over to where Lucas and Jason's fight had ended up. The sight of Jason trying to strangle Lucas- scratch that, strangling Lucas was enough to initiate Max's fight or fight response.

"Lucas!" she called out, hurrying over to the pair.

The boy in question made eye contact with her, then looked at something behind her. He tried to say something, still looking at whatever it was. "A... An..."

Annie.

Max spun around and saw Annie floating up in the air. "ANNIE!" she screamed.

The scream stole Jason's focus, and he turned away from Lucas to see the same thing: a floating Annie. It was exactly like he saw with Patrick. Like what happened with Chrissy.

His distraction was enough for Lucas to get an upper hand and punch the side of Jason's head. The older teen stumbled away, and Lucas was finally able to get a full breath of air. He kept his eyes on Jason though, and only saw him looking at Annie with fear.

Lucas looked over, too, and his eyes went to Max automatically. She stood almost directly underneath Annie's levitating form.

"Annie!" Max yelled, over and over again. They didn't have any music to help this time. They had nothing. Max couldn't stand to sit back and watch it all go down, she had to do something, even if it was pointless.

She hoped- no, hoped isn't strong enough. She begged and prayed that Steve, Nancy, and Robin were doing something right now. That they were seconds away from killing Vecna in the Upside Down. That, any second now, Annie would fall down fast and into Max's waiting arms.

Every single one of those prayers shattered when Annie's arm snapped. Max's eyes went wide, the air was sucked straight from her lungs. "NO!"

A leg.

An arm.

A leg.

"ANNIE NO!"

Suddenly, just like before, Annie dropped down the ground, landing right on Max. The two girls fell to the ground, Max catching her girlfriend. She sat up immediately, Annie laying across her lap.

But she wasn't breathing, and blood was dripping from her eyes. They had nearly been sucked into the back of her head.

"Annie? Oh shit, oh god, Annie, no no no no," Max sobbed, holding her girl to her chest.

During her cries, Annie took a huge breath of air, startling Max, but making her smile. "Annie! Annie, Annie," Max now chanted, her heart thrumming. She was alive.

But her breathing wasn't steady. In fact, it was quick and panicked. "Max? Max? I can't see you- I can't- I don't know- I shouldn't of done that- Max," Annie breathed out quickly. She felt her body was constricting and slowing at the same time, nothing was working, everything was dark.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm right here. I've got you, okay? I've got you, you're not going anywhere," Max said, trying to sound strong and falling short.

"Max?" Lucas asked, coming over and seeing Annie.

Max looked up at him, the fear clear on her face. "Go. Go get help. Please we need help, go!" she cried. He nodded quickly, and stumbled out of the room. On the way, he ran into Erica, who had been pounding so hard at the door her fists were starting to bruise.

"Max? Max, please I'm so scared. I shouldn't of done it, Max, I shouldn't of done it. I can't die, please I don't wanna die," Annie cried out.

She was finding it harder and harder to take in breaths, though, so she knew it was happening.

The tears were streaming down, not a single inch on Max's face felt dry, same with Annie. Tears from Max were dripping an landing on Annie's sweater. The same one she borrowed from Max.

Guilt and regret were filling Max's chest, along with the terror that was already finding a home there. "No, don't say that, you're not gonna die. I'm not gonna let you, I swear. I told you you'd be okay, so you're going to be okay. Okay? You're gonna live," Max sobbed out.

Annie knew, though. She could feel herself slipping in and out. She knew it wasn't going to be long. "Max, Max, she whispered, unable to get enough air in to speak any louder. Even though she was so scared, scared shitless, she needed Max to know. "Tell Steve I love him, please?"

The crying got louder. "I won't, because you'll do it yourself. Even if its from a hospital bed and you're wearing a cast on every damn limb, you'll tell him yourself," Max demanded.

Annie shook her head. "Tell him for me," she insisted. Her mind was starting to grow darker. "Max? I love you."

"I love you, too, Annie."