𝘿𝙍𝙄𝙁𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 - Max Mayfield

47. Recalibrating

Max's eyes were fixated on Aiden all through the drive back to the Wheeler house. The lightskin boy didn't seem to blink as he stared out the car window, a few of his braids falling over his face. His Walkman was still fixed on his ears as he remained in shock at what'd just happened and all he now knew.

He made it out of what he could only describe as hell... just barely alive. And it was obvious that Vecna and Orochimaru would definitely make another attempt on his life. He'd seen enough to know that much. Not to mention the new shocking truth he'd been exposed to... He had a past life in this dimension. In Hawkins Lab, to be specific.

That would explain why he immediately felt connected to Eleven. It also explained why Vecna was so bent on breaking him.

Max noticed the way his jaw was clenched, the way his fingers drummed absently against his thigh-a nervous habit she recognized from before. He looked different in so many ways. Taller. Broader. The braids. The new scars on his nose bridge. But that habit? That was still him.

And she'd almost lost him today.

The thought hit her like a physical blow. If they'd been thirty seconds slower with that tape. If the song hadn't worked. If he hadn't fought hard enough-

He'd be gone. Bones broken. Eyes destroyed. Dead in a graveyard.

And the last real conversation they'd had would've been her destroying him in a school parking lot.

Aiden let out a sigh as they all piled into the house. Nancy and Robin were already home, and Nancy turned to her adopted brother to check on him-she'd been scared witless once Steve told her what'd happened.

"Denny, are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

Aiden nodded, not sure what else to say. "Yeah, I'm..."

Nancy immediately pulled him into a tight hug. She noticed he was still slightly shaky. "I was so worried. Look, we won't let anything happen to you... or Max."

"I used to be the one telling you that," Aiden smiled weakly. "Guess now it's my turn to be protected."

"You can't always be the hero," Nancy shook her head and smiled back before turning to the rest of the party. "We'll take turns watching him through the night. I'll go first-"

"Actually..." Max spoke up, her voice quieter than intended. "Can I go first?"

Everyone turned to her. Dustin and Lucas exchanged glances. Steve raised an eyebrow. Robin looked curious.

But Aiden was the most surprised, though he tried not to show it.

Nancy studied Max for a moment-the determination in her eyes, the way she was already looking at Aiden like she was afraid he'd disappear-and nodded slowly. "Sure."

Aiden started heading up to his room, Max following behind. Neither of them spoke as they climbed the stairs, but Max could hear her own heartbeat thundering in her ears.

---

His room wasn't much different than how Max remembered it. The same posters on the walls. The same desk. But now there were notes scattered everywhere-diagrams of the Upside Down, scribbled theories about Vecna, drawings of hand signs she didn't recognize. Cassette tapes were stacked in one corner of the room, and on his bed sat a plush toy she'd never seen before: an orange fox that seemed to have multiple tails.

He must've brought that back with him from the Leaf Village.

Max couldn't help but smile slightly. He was still as disorganized as she remembered him to be.

Turning towards him, she noticed him sitting on his bed, back leaning against the headboard. He still had one side of his Walkman on his left ear-Tyler Joseph's voice barely audible. He was staring out the window at the moon, and Max wondered what was going through his mind.