half light.

Tell me you hate me.

The walk to the Av room was painfully longer than usual. "Are you guys sure you're okay?" Asked a concerned Lucas as he tried to wrap an arm around his girlfriend. Max nodded her head, moving out of his reach. Causing Lucas to frown his brows at the girl, as he was shot a weird glare from a somewhat jealous Mike. 

Lucas shook it off and walked over next to El. "Something is definitely up with those two" he spoke looking at the both of them, walking in silence. El nodded her head, "agreed." she frowned softly trailing her attention to Mike.

As they walked through the door Will and Dustin's mouth basically fell open. "What are you looking at?" Mike asked sharply as he raised an eyebrow at the boys, Will shook his head and mouthed the words "nothing" while Dustin just scratched his neck nervously. 

Max looked around noticing that El and Lucas had gathered around the table, looking at a blue bucket that was placed in the centre. Nudging Mike slightly indicating that they should do the same, the red head walked over to the table getting Mike follow. Mike stood next to Max, occasionally letting their hands brush. sending the both of them to smile at the other. Forgetting what was happening right in front of them.  

 "So what are you going to do with it?" Lucas asked as he popped his head over the rim of the bucket to look inside, Dustin shrugged softly. "Well I still want to keep it and do some tests but only if that's okay with Will and El, Guys?" he said waiting for an answer. "I don't mind, this question should be directed at Will" El stated as everyone looked to Will. Will smiled awkwardly, not wanting to upset anyone with his answer. They all smiled warmly at him until he finally spoke, "keep it. For science purposes."

Zoning back into the conversation, Mike sighed and shook his head. "This is bull" he spoke harshly, his face heating up from anger. "Mike." El said frowning at the raven haired boy. Max looked at him as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Mike looked at her and brushed her hand off of him. "Don't touch me" he spat at her. "Mike come on?" she looked at him unimpressed. "No you come on. You don't get it! This thing is dangerous, it can hurt someone" Mike said now yelling at them. 

The redhead looked him in the eyes as she placed her hand once again on his shoulder, getting the same reaction. "I said don't touch me" he said looking her dead in the eyes. "Here we go again." She said shaking her head, "I should have known this would happen." She added looking away from him. "What?" he scoffed. Max looked back at him as she let out a sigh, "that you would go back to your half-light. Be a complete dick to me, treat me like shit. Why can't you just admit to me that you hate me, instead of giving me false hope? Making me believe you could actually care about me, that we could be..." 

Max stopped herself from saying what she so desperately wanted. Her words made Mike's Eyes sting, as his anger turned to sadness. Mike shook his head softly. "We could never be friends Max. You know that. I know that. They know that." He said looking at the girl with no expression on his face at all. 

Max swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to not let the tears that have been dwelling, slip from her eyes. "I just want to ask you one last question" she said finally letting a single tear slip. 

"Why not? Why can't we ever be friends? Was this discussed in some party meeting I wasn't invited to?" she said shaking her head, "because it seems like you're the only one that thinks we can't be friends" she added before noticing a slightly scared Dustin raise his hand. "He's not the only one, I don't think you guys can be friends either but that's only because he-" Dustin began to say before Will covered his mouth. "Let mike explain while I just take Dustin outside for a second" Will said laughing awkwardly, as he dragged the curly headed boy out of the room. 

Max raised her eyebrows at the boy standing in front of her as the room became silence once more, "so?" Max mumbled. The raven haired boy took a deep breath before looking at the girl with the same expressionless face. "We just can't okay Max, just get over it" he said looking away from her. "No" Max spat at him, "I'm not taking that for an answer!" she added. 

Lucas and El where still in the room, Lucas seem hurt by what was happening. While el just looked down right pissed. "She deserves an answer mike!" Lucas said as he looked at the two standing close together. Mike looked over to Lucas and El and then back to the girl in front, "just tell me you hate me. Please, that will be good enough for me to understand" Max begged the boy, choking on her words slightly. Mike shook his head "no, I can't do that" he said looking confused as to why she even said that. 'Did she want me to hate her?' he thought, confused as to why she was bring this up even after the moment they had just had in the gym.

 "Then tell me, tell me why we can't be friends and-" Max said before getting cut off by Mike's lips being pressed against hers.Max pulled away from the boy, "You just kissed me?" she asked confused. A small smile crept on to Mikes face. "Well there's your answer" he said laughing slightly, Max shook her head "what. No, you can't kiss me and then-" Max was cut off once again by Mike kissing her, he pulled away and smiled at her. 

"I can't just be your friend Max, I tried it and it didn't feel right. I like you as more than a friend and I shouldn't" he explained. Max looked at him and nodded before her attention was brought to the door being flung open and then someone pushing past the two to get out. "Oh my god El" Mike said remembering she was in the room, in addition to an upset Lucas.

(( feels bad, at the start of the year I was so excited to get back on track with writing and now I'm only just finishing editing this. whoops..... ))