Rhiannon // Max Mayfield

12: Vision #2

The car ride was short enough, Alex found herself looping her Walkman cord around her finger and then unravelling it to pass time. Max was silent, resting her head on Alex, not muttering any words. The car as a whole was silent, apart from the radio playing softly in back background.

"This had better be fast Mayfield," Steve told her, pulling into the trailer park, stopping right outside Max's apartment.

"Twenty seconds," Max reassured, undoing her seatbelt and sliding out from the car.

"You gotta stay safe for me alright," Alex said, sliding out of the car before Max walked away completely, her voice was barely kept together. Max paused and turned around to her, an attempt at a smile on her face.

"Am i ever not?" she said back, her voice also breaking. Alex nodded and went back in the car, knowing Max needed to do this alone. She looked out of the window as Max rushed behind her house, clutching a letter.

Alex bounced her knee nervously, putting her headphones on and playing her music on a low volume, only enough to drown out her thoughts, but she could still hear conversation around her.

"That thing's got batteries in it right?" Steve asked Dustin, not wanting a repeat of what happened last summer, when the radio failed them. Dustin sighed and leaned his head back on the headrest.

"I'm not even answering that question," he said, shaking his head as if the answer was obvious, Steve just looked at him, needing a definitive answer, "Yes, It has batteries!"

"Good," Steve nodded.

Alex bounced her knee up again, Max had been way more than twenty seconds, "Fuck it, i'm going to check on Max," she said, standing up abruptly and slamming the car door over Steve's protests.

Alex jogged around the back of the trailer, that was where Max had gone first earlier, she was likely to still be there, right.

"Max?" She called cautiously, running because she couldn't hear the girl, or hear any conversation. Her eyes fell on the girl in the small garden, she wasn't moving at all and just stared in front of her.

Alex sprinted over to her, running in front just to see her eyes glazed over, completely white with only her eyebrows shaking every so often. She put her hands on Max's shoulders and shook them desperately, tears falling from her eyes.

"Max? C'mon Max," she pleaded, moving one of her hands up to rest on the girls face, her thumb stroking across her cheekbone. The girl didn't even flinch at the touch.

Alex wiped tears from her cheeks and shook max again, her finger turning white from the grip, as if she was anchoring Max to their world. She had to pull through this, if she didn't..

Max gasped, stumbling backwards as she gained consciousness, Alex reacted quickly and grabbed her hands, pulling her upright, tears still falling as she looked at the girl.

"Oh, thank fuck," she breathed out, looking at Max's terrified face and letting the ginger wrap her arms around her, Alex held her back, letting Max hug as tight as she needed, Alex didn't even care that it felt as if her ribs were cracking, she was just thankful that the girl is still alive, "You're okay, you're okay," she whispered.

Max didn't seem assured as Alex felt her top dampen from Max's eyes. The pink-haired girl stepped backward, cupping Max's face with her palm, "I got you, it's all okay, i promise," she said, her voice weak as her eyes looked into Max's.