dark red- max mayfield

viii. how to grieve

☆★☆★→ ←☆★☆★

WHEN THEY got to the Byers', Hopper rushed to the phone, wasting absolutely no time before calling a military base close to them. His belief was that they could help. But what was the point of helping if everyone was already dead?

"Sam Owens. Dr. Sam Owens." he spat. "I don't know how many people are there! I don't know how many people are left alive! I am the police! Chief Jim Hopper! Yes, the number that I gave you, yes. 6767... I will be here." He slammed the phone back on the wall, turning to the kids.

"They didn't believe you, did they?" said Dustin knowingly, his face deeply saddened.

"We'll see." replied Hopper gruffly.

"We'll see?" echoed Mike furiously. "We can't just sit here while those things are loose!"

"We stay here, and we wait for help." muttered Hopper, clenching his jaw.

"He's right, Mike." Josh said blandly, suppressing the urge to throw up. "We can't do anything else."

Mike glared at him bitterly, clenching his jaw and his fists. However, his anger melted when he realized who it was directed at— the boy with no parents. The boy somehow fighting back the urge to yell at everyone. The boy acting strangely normal.

Hopper headed down the hallway where Joyce had locked herself in her bedroom. Josh would've joined her (from the look she gave him, he assumed there's was an unspoken invitation), but he couldn't grieve. He couldn't even think. It was like his dad's death had flipped a switch in his brain, making him short circuit. And Josh couldn't care any less.

"Josh." Max was the first to speak up, looking closely at Josh's face.

"What's up?" he croaked out, narrowing his eyes at the sudden attention he was receiving from her.

"You're bleeding." She reached out, hesitating, before running her fingers lightly over his skin right below his eye. He winced, and she immediately pulled back.

"Sorry." she breathed out.

"It's fine. Thanks for telling me." he pursed his lips. Josh got up, heading over towards the kitchen. Steve and Colby followed him excitedly, high-fiving each other.

"Harrington." greeted Josh as he ran the cloth under the tap, not bothering to look up. "Martin."

"You like Max!" Steve exclaimed cheerfully.

Josh wheeled around, his eyes wide. "What- no, no. I do not."

Colby smirked. "You do."

"You're wrong." Josh snapped, narrowing his eyes at his two friends. "I can't stand Max."

"Bullshit!" exclaimed Steve. Josh slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Harrington, you need to learn when it's appropriate to yell and when it is not. And what about you and Cassie? You seemed pretty flustered around her-"