𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀

code red

That night, the three were having a sleepover at Max's house, so while Eleven was sound asleep on the bed, lying next to Max, Asher was trying to get comfortable on the floor. Max had given him a couple of blankets and pillows to sleep on the floor with, but he just couldn't seem to get comfortable.

"Can you please stop moving, I'm trying to sleep?" Max asks groggily, sitting up from her bed to look at Asher.

"I'm trying to get comfortable" Asher says, shuffling around on the floor "Do you know how uncomfortable this floor is?"

"Come on" Max says to Asher, moving into the middle of the bed.

"What?" Asher asks, being confused on what Max is trying to say.

"You're obviously not going to sleep if you're on the floor all night, so come on" Max says, patting the place in the bed next to her. She knew that if she made Asher stay on the floor, he'd complain all night and the both of them wouldn't get to sleep, so she'd rather have him sleep in the bed than on the floor.

"Are you sure?" Asher asks, making Max nod her head "Okay, one second" He says before walking over to the other side of the room, putting his vest back on and walking over to the bed before lying down "Okay this feels weird."

"How does it feel weird?" Max asks, turning to face him.

"Well, for one, you're Lucas' girlfriend" Asher mentions to Max.

"Ex girlfriend" Max corrects him. Max wasn't sure why she felt the need to correct Asher, it wasn't like she wanted him to know that she is single, but she didn't want him to still think that she is still in a relationship with Lucas. Maybe it was because he didn't want to bring up their relationship in front of the two and make it awkward or maybe it was because she didn't want Asher to feel more awkward than he already did.

"Ex girlfriend" Asher says with a laugh "Isn't this like the sixth time you two have broken up?"

"Seventh, I think" Max answers, not being so sure on how many times she had broken up with Lucas.

"Why do you keep getting back with him?" Asher asks Max, genuinely wondering why. If he ever got into a relationship, he'd probably never get back into it after they broke up, feeling like the same problems would keep happening over and over again. The only reason he'd get back with an ex is if he looked at her, knowing he was going to marry the girl one day. "I mean, you break up, he buys you something to say sorry, you get back together and the same thing happens again. Does it not get a bit old doing the same thing over and over again?"

"I mean, I kept getting back together with him because I really liked him" Max answers honestly "But right now, I'm not sure I'll ever get back into a relationship with Lucas."

"Why not?" Asher asks, still being confused about Lucas and Max's relationship.

"I just don't think I like him anymore" Max says with a shrug, not seeing the big deal about it.

"You like someone else or something?" Asher asks with a small smile. Being around Max for the past couple of days made him feel a way that he hadn't felt before. After being at the house earlier today and realising that Max actually knew him for who he actually is made him realise that Max was what he described for what he wanted his first girlfriend to be like. Not someone who just thought as him of a druggie or a criminal, but someone who actually knew him. Max made him feel a way that he'd never felt for anyone before and it was close to driving him insane.

"Not that I know of" Max mentions to Asher before laughing "Why do you want to know? You like me or something?"

"Just curious" Asher lies.

"Yeah, sure, okay" Max laughs, not believing Asher.

"Yeah, I'm going to go to sleep now" Asher says, with his face heating up, turning around so his back is now facing Max "Night Maxine."

TIME SKIP BY MAX ALREADY KNOWING THAT ASHER LIKES HER

The next morning the three got waken up by a code red of Mike, so the three quickly got up and ready before making their way to the Wheeler house. Asher, unfortunately, had no clothes to change into so not only was he wearing the exact same clothes as yesterday but he was also wearing the same clothes that he had slept in the night before. So, to say he felt disgusting was an understatement.

"I didn't think it was anything at first" Will explains to them all "I mean, I think I just didn't want to believe it. The first time I felt it was at Day Of The Dead."

"Power went out that night too" Mike mentions.

"And I felt it again at the field near the Nelson Farm the next day" Will carries on "Then again yesterday outside of Castle Byers."

"What does it feel like?" Max asks Will.

"It's almost like... you know when you drop on a roller coaster?" Will asks her.

"Yes" Max answers at the same time Eleven and Asher say "No."

"It's like... everything inside your body is just sinking all at once" Will tries to explain "But... this is worse. Your body it goes cold and-- and you can't breathe. I've felt it before, whenever he was close."

"Whenever who was close?" Max asks Will.

"The Mind Flayer" Will says, not making eye contact with anyone.

"But El closed the gate" Asher brings up "So shouldn't it be dead or something?"

"I know, but... what if he never left?" Will asks "What if we locked him out here with us?"

"But how is that even possible?" Asher asks, making everyone look at him "Come on, I can't be the only one confused here."

"I'll explain it better" Will says, walking over to the table, grabbing a piece of paper and chalk while everyone follows him over "This is him. All of him. But, that day of the field, a part of him attached himself to me" Will explains while drawing the Mind Flayer before wiping his hand over it, making some of the chalk go onto his hand "My mom got it out of me and Eleven closed the gate" He says, flipping the piece of paper over with his chalk covered hand "But the part that was still in me, what if it's still in our world? In Hawkins."

"I don't understand" Max says "The Demodogs died when El closed the gate. If the brain dies, the body dies."

"We can't take any chances" Mike says to Max "We need to assume the worst. The Mind Flayer's back."

"Yeah, and if he is, he'd want to attach himself to someone again" Will mentions "A new me."

"A new host" Lucas adds on.

"How can you tell if someone's a host?" Eleven and Asher ask at the same time, knowing exactly who it'll be.

Billy.

1183 Words