teenage tragedy (Max Mayfield)

2. six

"Cammie, sweetheart, I'll take you home," Joyce slipped her other arm around a sniffing Cammie after a few minutes, holding Will up by his waist.

Cammie nodded and wiped her tears again, mascara staining her cheeks and around her eyes. She'd never felt more vulnerable, especially now because Max had seen her cry. God, she wasn't tough now she'd cried in front of Max.

She just hoped that Max didn't judge her for this, considering she was clearly not at her best right now.

"Want me to come?" Mike squeezed her hand.

"No. I'm okay," Cammie whispered.

"Radio me if you need anything. I'll come over," he said.

She nodded and he hugged her again. She let Joyce lead her to the car and help her into the back. She got Will in the front and then waved at the others, driving towards Loch Nora.

"Are you okay?" Joyce looked back at Cammie. She nodded. "Your nose is bleeding, love," she said. Cammie wiped her nose.

"I think it was Eleven," she whispered.

"What?" Joyce frowned.

"I didn't do anything. I don't use my powers in school because it's too obvious and I don't bleed unless I'm talking to the dead. But Eleven would use her power. She doesn't understand rules, she wouldn't care. She saw Mike and Max together in the gym. She would've gotten jealous, pulled Max's board like a magnet. It had to be her," Cammie said.

"Sweetheart, Eleven is gone. She went when she destroyed the Demogorgon," Joyce said.

"I know she's gone. But that's the only reason I can think why my nose bled," Cammie said.

"Maybe it's just a normal nosebleed," Joyce suggested.

"It's not. I don't get nosebleeds and even if I did, I know it was her because I'm exhausted now. I always feel shitty once she'd used me as a power bank because I need to recharge, too," she said. Joyce sighed. "It's fine," Cammie shook her head.

"I'm not saying I don't believe you. I'm just saying it's hard to understand," Joyce said.

"Yeah. So is everything these days," Cammie looked out of the window.

Cammie was sat on a pink beanbag on her balcony that night, music playing softly from her radio beside her. She was just in shorts and one of Steve's giant hoodies, staring at the moon and the stars.

"Hey, Juliet," someone called up to her.

She peered through the balcony, seeing Max was smiling up at her. She was stood on her skateboard, had some flowers in her hand and was in shorts and a hoodie like Cammie was.

She looked adorable, if Cammie was honest, with her hair messy around her head and her eyes shining brightly, even in the dark.

Cammie stood up, resting her arms of the iron railing of the balcony as she looked down at Max with a smile of her own.

"Great reference, Romeo. What are you doing here?" Cammie asked.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay. We're friends, right?" Max said.

"Right," Cammie said.

"So, are you okay?" Max asked.

"Yeah," Cammie nodded instinctively.

"You can tell me the truth. I know you're not," Max said. Cammie rolled her eyes.

"Come to the front door," she said. Max nodded and Cammie ran downstairs.