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love

Love TheNewsbiansWriter

She sat with El on El’s bed, it was normal, just two girls together watching TV. But Max’s mind raced...

Max Mayfield knew one thing about being in love. One, it should be Lucas she’s in love with, it was society’s standard, and Lucas certainly did like her. Secondly, it wasn’t that simple sometimes. Jane “El” Hopper was the only person Max had eyes for, and, unless the last five months of dating had been a dream, El only had eyes for her, too. 

That didn’t stop Max's mind wandering if El asked Will constantly about how Mike was doing. Or always asking if Mike could join them. And Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike. It was a song Max had heard too many times, and frankly, she’d prefer if her girlfriend stopped singing it. It’s not that she hates Mike Wheeler, she’s just insecure. She’s scared El would leave her for Mike Wheeler, she loved him first, after all.

Even since she was just ten, her mom was always making comments, talking down on her tomboy-ish outlook. “You’re so pretty, but you never dress up.” “Why not hang out with other girls for a change?” “Come on, Maxine, (Max still hated when people called her that), please dress up?” 

It didn’t make Max feel any less insecure, if anything it made her insecurities skyrocket. What if El left her because she didn’t look pretty enough? Or she didn’t do things like normal girls? Or she screwed up royally just like Billy told her she would when she came out to her family. What if someone like Neil makes more comments about how much of a fat pig she is? What if someone makes El aware that Max is nothing but a gross excuse of a human, who doesn’t deserve her- or anyone else’s, for that matter- love.

Without thinking, a tear rolled down her cheek. And then another. And, before she knew it, the girl she had been sitting with pulled her into her arms. Hugging the girl fiercely, but with a gentle tenderness Max had learned to know. 

“I’m okay, El.” Max insisted quietly, leaning her head back against her beloved’s chest. “I promise you, it’s okay. Just remembering some not-so-nice things, that’s all.” Max tried to smile up at her, feeling a bit of relief as El carded her hand through her red mane of hair. She leaned into El’s hand, smiling softly for real now.

“Honey… what not-so-nice things? Like me remembering the bad men from the lab?” El questioned, propping her chin on the top of Max’s head. The Mayfield girl quietly considered, before nodding a bit.

“I guess you could say so, yes. I just… I can’t calm down sometimes. Billy and Niel, my step-brother and step-dad, they’re kind of… distant. They say things that hurt me, and do things that hurt me. And, sometimes, if they’re bored, they tell me to just… find a way that’s the closest to death. So they don’t have to bear the burden of me! I was so close sometimes, El!” Max let out a heavy cry, tugging on her sweater sleeves. El sighed, just leaning down enough so her lips could peck Max on the forehead. 

“You’ll be okay, honeybee. Everything’s okay. I’m here now, you’re safe from harm. I promise- they’re not coming back. Billy’s in prison, remember? They took him away for abusing you. Neil… he’s out there still, I know that. But if he dares even trying to lay a finger on you, I’ll beat him!” El flopped back against the pillows, Max joining her slowly. They laid there for a few seconds, before El stood up, grabbing her iPhone.