ACROSS THE STARS {stranger things • lumax}

ִ࣪𖤐 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢

the dam finally breaks at the hargrove home.

november '85

~

Max lifted a shaky hand up to her face, wiping away the sweat that beaded incessantly on her upper-lip. She was bracing her bedroom door shut, arms trembling against the scratchy wood, breathing ragged.

Max had poked the raging beast, also known as Neil Hargrove. She'd walked in late that night, having spent all afternoon messing around on her skateboard and completely lost track of time. The abandoned lot downtown had become quite the temptation lately, with Neil's drunken outbursts growing increasingly by the day. He was disheveled as ever, since Billy's death a couple months ago.

But he'd never threatened her like that.

Neil grabbed her by the collar as soon as she entered the house, his grimy and overgrown nails scraping her neck in the process. Putrid breath filled her senses, "You little shit. Struttin' in here like you pay the bills or something. Should've kicked you out a long time ago." Max kept her mouth shut but struggled to hold back an expression. Could someone remind her why her mom married this clown?

"Gonna say something, bitch? You got somethin' to say?!" he demanded, shaking her.

She could practically feel her brain bounce around her skull, his grip leading them dangerously close to the kitchen cabinets.

"L-let go of me," she asked breathlessly.

"What was that?" he countered. But before Max could repeat herself she felt the crack of his hand swiping across her face.

"Now you're talking back to me?! Maybe I'll just—" but an anxious looking Susan appeared a few steps behind.

"Honey," she interrupted. "Maxine has a test to study for. Don't you want her to get a nice grade, baby?"

Max couldn't believe the words out of her mom's mouth. Honey, really? He's just so sweet, huh?

"Susan, we're not finished here. Maxine needs to learn some respect."

Susan only stepped closer though, daring to place a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Neil, hon—"

"Get back you stupid bitch!" Neil bellowed, shoving her to the ground.

"Hey! Don't talk to my mom like that!" Max attempted to push away Neil's hands. To her horror, Susan staggered onto her feet, and backed away out of the room.

Neil thrusted Max backwards against the wall, a crunch echoing through the kitchen. She was lifted up onto tippy-toes, his knuckles pressuring into her collarbones.

He got right in Max's face, enough to make her head turn to the side and face scrunch up, the unbothered mask breaking.

"I'll kill you," he whispered, his bloodshot eyes blazing crazily. "I'll kill you if you don't learn to respect me."

Max looked desperately to the counter, spotting a mug with coffee remains at the bottom. Not a second later she threw it into the side of Neil's head, and took the chance to run out of the room as he cowered away from the hit.

She could hear him drunkenly yelling her name as she stumbled down the hall, then slamming the door shut behind her. She leaned back against the frame, suddenly feeling lightheaded, her vision glittering with white spots.

"I can't do this anymore," she whimpered, sliding towards the ground with a thump, barely registering the click of a gun from the kitchen and her mom yelling, "GET OUT! GET. OUT!"