odd ; elmax & harringrove

.5

"Ow, you're pulling it!" Max said playfully as Jane ran her fingers through her slightly tangled hair. The two girls were outside of Hawkins Middle School towards the back of the building, and had been there for approximately an hour. Jane had been grounded, but made a deal with Hopper that she could hang out with Max as long as Hopper knew where she was. 

"Stop complaining so much, you're going to look pretty." Although Jane couldn't deny how beautiful she thought Max was before, she had always wanted to do the ginger's hair. She had seen other girls at school doing the same thing, so Jane thought she would be able to handle the task. 

Max's locks smelled of strawberry shampoo, the scent becoming more noticeable as Jane continued to finger-brush through Max's hair. 

Jane had a momentary confused look on her face, trying to figure out where she was supposed to start. She gathered Max's hair near the nape, after dividing it into three almost even sections. The breeze in was slightly cool, with a certain humidity in the air that made it feel as if it were about to rain. Sometimes Jane was able sense when these sort of things were about to happen, but she knew a little rain couldn't hurt. 

"Hmm..." Jane slowly started to weave together Max's hair, though the braid was slightly loose. "I'm done!"

Max handed Jane the hair tie from her jacket pocket, and Jane tied the braid at the bottom, leaving a few inches.

"Well... what do you wanna do now?" Max asked. The project was the reason they were meeting after school again, but with it already finished during school the two had nothing else to do.

Jane crawled over beside Max and started picking at the grass on the hill they were sitting on. The brunette slouched so she could rest her weight on her elbows behind her, her legs extended with her feet crossed. Jane could feel Max's jeans against her own, and immediately she felt flustered. It seemed to be a common thing with her now, but she did not understand it.

"Do you like school?" Max asked casually. 

"I don't know... I like seeing my friends every day, though."

"Huh... and would I be one of those friends?"

"Uh-huh," Jane smiled, turning slightly on her side as Max did the same. "Do you like school?"

"Not really, but I guess it's alright since I met all my friends here. I kinda miss California sometimes, though. One day my mom just decided we were moving to the other side of the country, and Billy started yelling at me, saying it was my fault. I don't know."

"He shouldn't yell at you, Max."

The sound of an engine echoed throughout the streets, causing Max and Jane to look over across the street. As Max suspected, it was her step-brother, speeding by in his much prized Camaro. 

"Shit, I-I gotta go, Jane." Max sprang up and reached for her hair, starting to untie the band. 

"Max..."

The ginger grabbed her skateboard and dusted off her jeans. 

"You don't have to leave." Jane sat up and crossed her legs. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Remember what happened..." jane could hear the muffled voices as if everything was happening all over again. you have to, jane! they can't see you!... who the hell is this, billy?... crash... neil, stop it! leave him alone!  "Last night?"

"I'm used to it. I'll see you tomorrow, Jane."

"Please, Max?" 

Max started to walk off, expecting Billy to pull into the school. He didn't stop driving. Max stopped walking and put the hair-tie on her wrist back into her braid slowly. 

"Guess not..." Max said to herself. 

"Can you stay now?"

"I think so."

"Max?"

"Yeah?" Max returned to her spot on the grass and sat down next to Jane. 

"I think you're very pretty." 

Max swallowed and a smile tugged at her lips, which she tried to hide with her sleeve. 

"Oh... Thanks, I guess." Max was unable to comprehend Jane's seemingly foreign words at first, as Max could not remember receiving a single compliment before in her life.

The two girls spent a few minutes in silence, Jane picking at the grass, Max spinning the wheels on her skateboard which was placed upside down next to her. 

The sound of a car horn startled them; when they looked up they realized that it was Hopper in his police truck.  

"Can you come home with us, Max?" Jane stood up and then swung her backpack over her shoulders, it being unfamiliarly heavy because of her textbooks.

"Um..." I'll have to ask my mom. But Max had no change for a phone call, nor did she want to go home and ask. In fact, she didn't want to go home at all. "If it's okay with... him." Max did not know how to refer to Hopper. Jane's father? Caretaker?

Hopper pulled up to the curb closest to Jane and Max. "You ready to go, kid?"

Jane opened the door, asking if Max could come with them. The two had already discussed Jane and seeing friends, and had compromised that Jane could visit her friends as long as Hopper knew where she was at all times. Jane was also prohibited from using her powers, though that  generally went for anything else. 

Hopper sighed. "I guess so. Come on in." He motioned for Max to come inside the truck. Jane moved over, closer to Hopper so Jane would have room to sit. 

The car ride was casual, Hopper asking how Jane's day went along with Max's name, which was when he learned that Max was, in fact, female.  

The three arrived at Hopper's cabin shortly. 

"I'm ordering some pizza for dinner, I'll let you know when it's here."

The girls went inside and Jane lead Max into her room. They sat down on the bed and Max started to fidget with her braids. 

"Are you okay?" Jane asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm just worried. I know me and Billy hate each other but I feel like something's wrong. It's stupid..."

"It's not stupid."

-

a/n guys omg i'm so sorry i haven't updated this but idk what to do with it anymore if i'm being honest? i'm open to suggestions but i'm not really motivated to write this anymore idk. the only reason i published this was because it was a draft and was mostly done 

also i'm open to other fanfic requests so just comment any if you have them