downpour / mileven au.

fifteen.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN;
MEDALLING MAXINE MAYFIELD.

"i just don't know what to do. it's like i want to be with him, but every time i try to tell him, i back out and we end up arguing. i just keep hearing him say those words over and over again in my head, and- el?" the redhead rolls her head to the window where her friend sat, supposedly listening to her. "el!"

the brunette snapped out of her daze, "huh? sorry, what?"

max huffs, sitting up from her laying position on el's bed. "did you even hear a thing i just said within the last ten minutes?"

lying, she responded, "yeah."

a pair of icy orbs narrow, "then what did i say?"

el sighed, "okay, i'm sorry. i was just thinking about some things. but now, i promise, you have my full attention."

max shakes her head, "actually, don't worry about it. i was just saying the same thing i've been saying since we broke up. but you seem stressed, did something happen?"

the doe-eyed teen shakes her head, turning her body away from her raindrop-covered window that overlooked her front yard. she always liked to watch the raindrops roll down her window, and march was bringing heavy showers to hawkins this year.

"no, nothing happened," she assured, pulling her legs up towards her chest.

max pursed her lips, having a vague idea of what could bring about the furrow lines that rested upon her best friend's face. she reluctantly disclosed, "he asked about you the other day."

el's eyes widened. "who?" the stupid question earned her a 'who do you think' expression from the ginger. "when? what'd he say?"

"last week, like the day after the fire alarm. he said you seemed really freaked out, he was just asking if you're okay," she explained, getting a nod for a response. "aren't you curious what i told him?"

"well, i wasn't until you said that. what did you tell him?" she quipped, nervously.

max giggled, "relax. i told him you were fine..." el dropped her tense shoulders in relief, "...but then he asked how you were, aside from the alarm — like in general, ya know? and so i told him the truth."

"what do you mean?" she quipped defensively.

"i told him you're pretending to be okay, and that i'm worried that if you keep bottling everything up, eventually you're going to lose your mind or something," she explained nonchalantly as if she wasn't aware that el would mind her sharing such things.

el straightened her posture, inhaling deeply. "what?! why would you tell him that?" her voice held an edge.

"because, el, you think i don't see it, but i've just been ignoring it, hoping you'll open up to me about it. we're best friends, and i tell you everything, but you don't. why don't you just talk to me about what happened? i never asked any questions after that day because i didn't want to make things harder, but it's been three months, and you need to talk about it," she vents, her tone now shifted to serious and concerned for the girl.

she scoffed, "there's nothing to talk about. it was all fake."

"obviously it wasn't all fake, el. you loved him, just stop pretending. spare me the 'i'm fine' bullshit, and just talk to me, please," she pleaded, hoping to resonate with her friend.

el snapped, "okay, i'm not fine. are you happy? is that what everyone wants to hear, huh? you all want to know how not okay i am with all this? fine. i'm miserable, alright? talking about it isn't going to change that, max, so will you please just let it go?" she steadied her respirations, recovering from her sudden outburst. the hairs that framed her face fell forward as she tilted her head to the ground. "i just want to forget him, okay?" her softer voice giving way on her last syllable.