Chapter Seventeen

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You were beginning to grow more and more worried by the minute as you and the other boys stared at the back of her head. She was still writing at the desk across the room. "I knot you guys are staring at me" she finally spoke, slightly turning her head towards you.

"What? You said you needed something?" Lucas lied as Steve just looked up and started throwing a ball in the air. You cringed at their horrible efforts of covering up the fact that they were staring at her. "How you think your eyes boring into the back of my head is protecting me from Vecna, I don't know.." she finally stood up with some envelopes in her hand, but everyone kept their heads up.

"You can look at me now.." she announced, causing the boys to look at her again and they all apologized. You just shook your head. You sat on the back pillows of the couch with Steve between your legs. She approached you four slowly before handing Lucas an envelope, then Steve, then you, then Dustin. You began to open it, but she stopped you.

"What are you doing? That's not for now, don't open it now" she ordered, putting her hand out in a stop motion. "Don't.. okay" you put her hands in the air beside your head. "I'm sorry, what is this?" Dustin interrogated, holding up the unopened envelope. "It's um.. it's a fail-safe, for after, if things don't work out.."

"Max, it's gonna work ou-" Lucas started, but Max wasn't having it. "No! No, I don't need you to reassure me now and tell me that it's all gonna work out, because people have been telling me that my entire life and it's almost never true" she sobbed, her face grew red as she spoke. "And I mean, of course that asshole curses me.. should've seen that one coming.."

"No, bullshit!" you yelled, causing everyone to turn to you. "You're not gonna die and I'm not gonna let this stupid piece of shit curse kill any more of our family, got it? And I don't need some stupid letter because it is going to work out!"

She scoffed, turning to the table where the walkie-talkie sat and picked it up. "If we go to East Hawkins, will this still reach Pennhurst?" she interrogated, holding it up to the group. "Of course, yeah" Dustin nodded. "Wait, why are we talking about east Hawkins?" Steve asked, looking around at each of you for an answer in case he missed anything.

___

You and the others had rushed outside, to where Max and Steve had started arguing. "Max, seriously! I'm not driving you anywhere" he objected, running after her. "Steve, if you think I'm gonna spend what is likely the last day of my life in an armpit which is Mike Wheeler's basement, you're out of your mind. So you either take me where I need to go, or you're gonna have to tie me down, which is technically the kidnapping of a minor and if I live to see another day, Steve, I swear to god, I will prosecute." she threatened before trying to open the car door, but they were locked. Of course.

"Open the door" she demanded. "Uh, no" Steve rejected once again. "I know a good lawyer" she added, making him scoff and unlock the door for her, which finally allowed her to open the door and let herself inside.
"Henderson, that super walkie of your better reach Pennhurst.." he barked before getting into the driver's seat, to which you hopped into the passenger seat beside him. "Look at you being a good babysitter" you joked. "I'm always a good babysitter."

___

The car ride was silent minus the music in the background. The air was really tense. Steve had stopped at your trailer, where Max wasted no time stepping out and running up to the door. "This better be fast, Mayfield.." Steve ordered. "20 seconds" she assured before disappearing into the house.

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