𝐔𝐍𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍| Max Mayfield

eleven

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Six months had passed since the snowball, but for Julianna, the memories were still fresh, like a wound that had barely started to heal. She had seen Max and Lucas kiss that night, and it felt like a punch to the gut. Her heart had ached in a way that made it impossible to ignore the feelings she had for Max. It wasn't something she could talk about openly, especially after what had happened with the kiss. Max and Lucas had been caught up in the moment, but Julianna couldn't just pretend it didn't matter to her. She had a massive crush on Max-something that wasn't obvious to anyone else, but to her, it was painfully clear.

She tried to hide it, to push it down so it wouldn't interfere with their friendship, but it was hard when every time she saw Max, her chest felt tight. After that night, she found herself pulling away from him. She told herself it was because she needed space, that it was easier to pretend like it didn't bother her. But the truth was, she couldn't stand being around him when the feelings were so raw. It wasn't just the kiss-it was everything that came with it. Max and Lucas seemed so natural together, and it only reminded Julianna of how unimportant she felt in comparison.

Her only solace came from Will. He understood the pain she was going through, having his own struggles with feelings he didn't know how to express. Will had confessed to Julianna that he liked Mike, and in a way, they became each other's support. They were both closeted, both carrying the weight of unspoken truths, and it was something that connected them in a way no one else could understand. They didn't need to talk about it all the time. They just knew. There was comfort in their silence, in knowing they weren't alone in their struggles.

At home, things had shifted, too. Joey, her dad, had found a new job at the police station after being fired from Hawkins Lab when it closed down. It had been a tough adjustment for him, especially since Hawkins Lab had been his livelihood for so long. Now, he was working late shifts, leaving Julianna alone more often than not. She barely saw him these days, and when she did, he was too distracted by work to really talk to her.

And then there was Eleven. Julianna had barely seen her recently, not since she and Mike had become inseparable. Every time Julianna turned around, it seemed like Eleven was off with Mike, their faces pressed together in some kind of blissful haze. It was like she had disappeared into him. Julianna hated how it made her feel, but she couldn't help it. It felt like she was losing her best friend, the one person she could talk to, because Eleven was too busy sucking face with Mike to even notice.

The only comfort Julianna found in this whirlwind of emotions was her small, dimly lit room. It was filled with '80s memorabilia-posters of her favorite bands, cassette tapes, a neon sign that flickered on and off. The walls were plastered with things that made her feel a little less lost. She sat on her bed, absentmindedly flipping through an old magazine, but her mind was a thousand miles away.