A reason to fight for.//elmax-Madmage

Chapter 9:

A/N: make sure to read the last chapter or at least the end of it! <3

This position was very awkward, yet so comforting. 'El, let me leave.' Eleven hugged her tighter and shook her head. Eleven slowly pulled away. 'Max, I don't want you to get hurt. You're staying with me and Hop.'

Suddenly the phone rang. Max looked at Eleven with a mischievous smile. Eleven returned the same smile and quickly took Hopper's handcuff and cuffed Max. 'Wha- ELEVEN! What the hell?' Max didn't have the time to react, she was already tied up to the wooden bedhead.

Eleven walked up to the phone and picked up. 'Hello?' 'Is this the Hopper's residence?' It was a man's voice. Didn't sound familiar. 'Yes. Who is this?' The man chuckled and Eleven shivers. 'GET AWAY FROM MAXINE YOU FREAK OR I WILL KILL YOU AND HER!' She flinched and look over at Max. The redhead clearly heard who it was and mouths Eleven to hang up. So she did. Max was embarrassed and felt very insecure about having to explain to Eleven who just called and what that person is capable of. 'Neil. Was that Neil?' How does she... Max looked up at Eleven and nodded. 'I'm sorry. I need to go. Please.' Eleven walked up back to Max and sat down next to her. She sighs lightly and looks at Max with a unreadable expression. 'He won't do that. He isn't capable of that.'

<flashback>

{⚠️warning: physical abuse and mention of sexual abuse⚠️}

Max was late. Not the first time. But this time was different. As she came back home, she found her stepfather drunk on his couch. He was asleep, but not for long. As Max walked in, her skate slipped through her fingers and fell to the ground. The noise of the board touching the floor woke him up. It took him a moment to understand what was going on. Then he locked his eyes with Max and just glared at her. 'You're late.' Max looked down terrified of what could happen next. She was right to be. 'I-I'm sorry. I didn't see what time it was.' Neil stood up with a can of beer in his hand. Max took a step back. Neil frowned and walked up to her and pushed her hair before she could even protest or defend herself. Neil pushes her against the wall. 'You know what I do when you disobey me.' Max shook her head, trying to hold her tears back. 'I punish you.' The tears was starting to come, she couldn't control it. 'No, please. I'm sorry.' That was all she was able to say when he slapped her. He then went for the stomach and kicked her. His hand moved to her neck and he started choking her. As she tried to take his hand away with her own her grabbed her hand and tightened his grip around her hand and her neck. Max started coughing and trying to fight back, but she couldn't. Her vision started to get blurry, that's when her mom walked in. 'Neil! Stop! You are killing her!' She pushed him away from Max. 'Not her.' Susan's spoke firm but a feeling of fear could be heard in her voice. Neil smiled and walked up to her. 'Not her? Ok.' Out of nowhere he grabbed her hair and pushed her to the stairs. 'M-mom.' Neil continued dragging her up the stairs and opened the door to his bedroom. He pushed her inside, following her and locked the door. 'Neil, please. I don't want to-' He covered her mouth and got on top of her. 'Be quiet. You don't want Maxine to be traumatized, do you?' Neil started to undressing her, against her will, and one thing led to another. Max sat in her room crying underneath her covers, screaming into her pillow.

<flashback ends>

'He is capable. Trust me, he is.' Eleven could see that Max was being serious and that there was a lot that she didn't know about her new friend.

Max built these walls up. She had a mask on. Like she was acting. Like she wasn't herself, which she wasn't. She had to be tough, all the time. Be careful, strong, smart, mature and a lot more. She's 14, yet she had been through more than a lot of middle aged people. She built like a safe room in her mind. She lets no one in there because if she does there's a chance that they might disappear. She would never admit it but she's emotionally scared, to let annoy inside so she lets her door locked and her walls up. She doesn't want anyone to have the opportunity to hurt her. And she'd be the only person to blame when a person desert her. But it isn't like anyone would ever care enough to try to find a way through those wall. No one could see through her. Through her mask. Who would want to help the new kid, the tomboy, the sassy girl, the girl with the skateboard or the arcade freak? Little did she know that that person was only few inches away.

Eleven shook her head. 'I am not letting you leave.' Max sighed, looked at the cuffs and then looked back up at Eleven. Eleven wasn't looking at her, but instead she was fidgeting with her fingers. She seemed lost in her thoughts. But she mostly seemed scared. Not for herself, but for Max. Max felt guilty for being the reason making her look so upset. 'El?' The brunette didn't move. Still lost in her thoughts. Max moved her free hand over to Eleven's. This made her tense up, but as her eyes locked with Max's, she took a deep breathe and relaxed. 'El?' Eleven hummed. 'You don't need to worry.' Eleven shook her head. 'Yes. I do. It may sound stupid but I care about you. Always have. Even if I didn't show it. Who do you think took care of the Stacey thing?' Max shivered and just couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'I-It was you?' Eleven nodded and looked down at her fidgeting fingers.

A/N: what do you think that Stacey did? Comment some ideas!