Cherry Wine| Max Mayfield

.six ᴬ ʷᶦˡᵈ ᴹᶦᶜʰᵃᵉˡ ᵂʰᵉᵉˡᵉʳ ˢᵖᵒᵗᵗᵉᵈ

☡

"I didn't think it was anything at first, I mean I think I just didn't want to believe it. The first time I felt it was at day of the dead" Will said as they all sat together in Mikes basement

"The power went out that night too" the tallest boy pointed out from where he sat next to Clove

"And then I felt it again on the field near the Nelson farm the next day" Will said as Clove took a deep breath realizing she felt the same thing

"Then again yesterday out side of castle Byers" Will said as Clove paid close attention

"What does it feel like?" Max asked him while El looked toward Clove

"It's almost like, you know when you drop on a roller coaster?" Will asked them

"Sure" Mike nodded, not noticing the change of Cloves position next to him

"Yeah" Max nodded along

"No" El stated

"It's like-" Will began but Clove cut him off

"Like everything inside your body is sinking, but worse" Clove said as they all turned to her

"I knew you felt it too" Will said sadly as Clove looked down

"You feel it? Clove why didn't you say anything?" Mike asked while turning to her again and in a surprise to all of them... he sounded rather worried instead of annoyed

"I just thought it was nothing, I'm sorry" Clove said as her lip tremble while looking over at him as he shook his head, her emotion still high from being flayed

"It's okay." he shook his head while wrapping a arm around her and shared a worried look with Max

"Our bodies, it goes cold and you can't breath. I felt it before, whenever he was close" Will said as he didn't want Clove to have to continue and talk about it

"Whenever who was close?" Max asked confused

"The mind flayer" Will told her as El blinked

"Demo dog, apart of it was in Cloves arm" El said as they looked toward he girl

"I'm starting to think that wasn't a demo dog that made her feel like that" Max shook her head

"I don't think so either, it was different. Once that thing was away it was like something else was taking over, something completely different was taking its place" Clove said as Lucas rubbed her back

"I closed the gate" El said as her eyes looked between the two

"I know but, what if he never left? What if we locked him out here with us?" Will asked as Cloves eyes widened

"This is him, all of him" Will said as he slapped a piece of paper on the table and scribbled a black chalk onto it

"But that day on the field apart of him attached it's self to me" Will said as he ran his hand across the paper so it smeared on his palm

"Then, when Clove got bit in the lab, it was apart of her too" Will said as he gently grabbed Cloves hand and ran it across the paper as well

"My Mom got it out of me when Eleven closed the gate. It got Clove before she did. The part that was still in both of us, what if it's still in our world?" Will asked has he grabbed Cloves hand so they both slapped the chalk on their hands onto the blank side of paper

"In Hawkins" he finished

"I don't understand, the demodogs died when El closed the gate. If the brain dies the body dies" Max said as she looked to Clove with worry in her eyes then back to Will

"We can't take any chances, we need to assume the worst. The mind flayer is back" Mike said as Clove sighed and looked to the left

"Yeah and if he's gonna catch hisself to someone again" Will nodded along

"Clove?" Lucas asked but Will shook his head

"No, we'd know if it was her. It's someone else, a-" Will began but was cut off

"A new host" Lucas confirmed

"How could you tell if someone is a host?" El asked with frowned eyebrows

"I'm going" Clove announced as she went toward the door

"Going? Going where?" Mike asked her

"To find the host and end it. I'm so done with all of this!" She said annoyed while Max rushed over, "I have no plan but i'm definitely just gonna figure it out."

"Clove" El said from the table

"What?!" Clove asked annoyed and loudly looking her way

"No" El simple stated as the brunette sighed and looked toward the group, a scare look in her eye as Clove blinked.

"Okay.." she shook her head with a sigh as Max sent El a smile

"I don't know, he looks pretty normal to me" Max said as she looked at Billy through the binoculars at the pool a few minutes later

"Normal? How many times have you seen him with a shirt on?" Lucas asked as Clove nodded in agreement

"I mean it's a little weird" Max shrugged

"More than a little" Mike pointed out with a tone of annoyance

"He was in a tub of ice, the mind flayer likes it cold. Plus everything El saw" Mike said as he looked toward the girl then to Max

"But he's lounging at the pool which is like the least mind flayer thing ever" Max said as she put a arm around Clove

"Not necessarily, the mind flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he really needed me, it's like your doorment. Then when he needs you ,you're activated" Will said as Clove sighed

"Great, so let's just watch for someone to light up like a god damn christmas tree. Boom activated" Clove rolled her eyes

"Clove" Lucas sighed with a slap of his forehead

"The heats getting to her again, just ignore it" Max said quickly while pressing a small kiss to Cloves forehead as she groaned and shut her eyes while leaning into the redhead more

"She has a point though, we'll just wait until he gets activated" Max nodded while looking back toward her stepbrother

"No, what if he hurts someone?" Mike asked with a shake of his head

"Or kills someone?" Will asked with wide eyes

"We can't take that chance, we need to find out if he's the host" Mike said as she leaned off of the car and ran off

"Where are you going?" El asked him as Cloves eyes shot open

"I have a idea! Boys only!" Mike shouted as Lucas and Will ran after him

"Seriously?" Max asked him with annoyance dripping off her tone

"Oh go figure, a wild Michael Wheeler spotted... being sexist" Clove shouted toward him while flipping him off

"Just trust me on this one!" Mike yelled back to her before the three males where out of sight

•••••

wow i didn't hurt clove this chapter except for a few tears? shocker....