voyager // max mayfield

THIRTEEN: JUST DRIVE

The car ride wasn't too long, Eve found herself messing with the letter Max had given her - Max was silent with her head laid back against the back of the car. It was silent apart from the radio playing - everyone was still on edge,

"This better be fast, Mayfield," Steve told her, pulling into where Max lived.

"Twenty seconds," Max answered, undoing her seatbelt and quickly hopping out of the car.

"Do you want someone to go with you?" Eve asked, to which Max turned to her and shook her head, closing the car and racing inside. Eve sighed, leaning back in her seat. Lucas next to her was trying his hardest not to look at her - the boy was still thinking about what Eve had said earlier.

After what was said, Dustin explained to him quietly what Eve was referring to - it wasn't the easiest thing to hear a friend had been sent to conversion therapy. He wanted to bring it up, tell her he would be there to listen if she needed it - but he also knew it was not his place.

"That thing's got batteries in it, right?" Steve asked Dustin, looking down at the radio that had failed them last year. Dustin just leaned his head back.

"I'm not even answering that question," He said, shaking his head a little, but at the look Steve was giving him, he gave in, "yes, it has batteries!"

"Got it," Steve nods his head.

"Eve," Steve then said, looking at him through the mirror, "What you were saying about the whole psychological fear thing..."

"It's just a theory," Eve responded.

"If you're right about it, though..." Dustin continued for Steve, "you're in danger."

"Let's just focus on Max," Eve says to them, shaking her head, "She's more important right now."

"Yeah, she is, totally," Steve agrees, "But if you start having symptoms, tell me. Immediately."

"I'm fine," Eve mumbled, before undoing her seatbelt, "I'm gonna go check on her."

With that, she was out of the car, slamming the door as she entered the house. The door was left ajar, no noise coming from inside.

"Max?" She called out, walking through the trailer slowly - it was a mess, and it was sad to see this is how life had become for Max. She should've been there for her, this couldn't have been easy.

She went through to the kitchen, seeing dour letters left on a little desk - no Max in sight.

She looked at the envelopes, seeing they were for Max's family, before turning to look around her.

"Max?" She called again, her heart rate rising.

She then began quickly checking every room, her pulse rising as she looked for the girl, "Max, please!" Eve then yelled, running out the back of the trailer. Her eyes fell on the girl in the little garden, staring off at nothing.

She ran over to her quickly, putting her hands on Max's shoulders, shaking her, tears falling from her eyes as she tried her hardest not to scream.

"Max, can you hear me?" She asked, moving her hands up to hold Max's face, patting it lightly as if it would do anything - it was scary, Max's eyes were just white, eyelashes flickering.

She wasn't moving, she wasn't reacting to anything. Eve was trying her best as she wiped her eyes, holding Max like It was the last thing she was ever gonna hold.

Max suddenly gasped, falling backwards. Eve quickly grabbed onto her arms, keeping her upright as she sighed out, thankful that this wasn't the end for the Mayfield girl.

"oh my god," Eve breathed out, looking at Max's terrified face, "You're okay."

Max then lunged forward, grabbing Eve and hugging her so tightly the Harrington girl could barely breathe. But she didn't care, she just let Max hold her as tight as she could.

"You're okay," Eve repeated, quieter now as she hid her face in Max's hair. Completely relieved, "I got you."

Max panted as she held onto the girl, gripping the bag of EVe's shirt like it was the only thing keeping her there. Eve was the first to move away, holding Max's shoulders as she looked into her eyes.

"What happened?" She asked her.

"Vecna," Max answered simply, "We have to go."

"Okay," Eve nodded, letting Max fall out of her hold. The two walked around the trailer.

"hey, that was longer than twenty seconds," Steve said to them, a little pissed off. But it dropped the second he saw his sister's tear-stained face, and Max panting, "Whoa, whoa, you guys alright?"

"She had another vision," eve told them as she got into the car, Max following quickly.

"Jesus, you okay?" Lucas then asked Max as Max closed the door.

"I'm fine, just drive."

a/n
edited