viii. it's my fault.

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ON THE drive, Max was leaning her head back and staring straight ahead. Lucas glanced over just as Max turned towards James a bit and rested her head on his shoulder so James glanced down at him. "Alright, this better be fast, Mayfield." Steve parked the car right outside the redheaded girl's trailer.

"I'm gonna have a cigarette while we wait..." James said as he also hopped out, standing at the back and Max ran inside her home. He lights his cigarette quickly but when he looked up, he saw Max walking towards him. "Max, I--I thought--" He glanced to the house and when he turned back around, he saw that the sky had turned dark and her eyes looked weird.

"This is your fault!" She raised her voice, pointing at him. "What?" He backed away. "You shut him out and he came after me!" She cried, pointing to herself and his breath hitched. "What?" He whispers. "You shut him out and he came after me!" She just repeated, getting closer. "N--No," he looked down and saw the decaying ground and the fact it felt cold.

"James," Vecna now says and he looks up right away. "You're the reason Maxine saw the clock. You shut me out." He's getting closer and James just backed away and tripped over something so he fell. "James?" He quickly turned around and saw Steve standing there.

"Are you okay?" The Harrington asked and he just quickly got up. "Y--Yeah, just... I just tripped." He whispers, before looking to where he had seen Vecna and Max. He felt an arm on his back and flinched, turning around. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked and James just sighed. "Yeah. Yeah." He whispered before he got into the vehicle, not sparing another glance at him. "It's been longer than 20 seconds. Where is she?" Steve asked them and James hopped out again, looking to the trailer.

"I'll go--" But there was Max, coming from behind the trailer, looking shaken up. "Hey, that was longer than 20 seconds." Steve said but she just hurriedly rushed to James holding open the car door. "Hey, woah, woah. You alright?" Steve asked worriedly as she looks at him. "I'm fine. Just drive." She says as James got in after her. "Did something happen?" Lucas looked to the girl leaning towards James' side, staring out the window. "Can we please just go?" She said before looking out again.

On the drive, Lucas kept glancing over at Max with a worried look on his face and James kept staring out the window. It's quiet, no one talks until Max leans up. "Turn here." She says and Dustin glanced back. "Here?" He asked and Max just nods her head.

Then they turned into the Roane Hill Cemetery, James staring at the sign. "Max..." James turns his head a bit and she just looks up at him. He doesn't say anything, glancing away before the car came to a stop, getting out of the vehicle so he can move out of the way for Max who got out. Lucas got out shortly after. "Max?" He called out to the girl. "Lucas, please, just wait in the car." She tells the boy, turning away.

James didn't want to overhear, but he kind of had to because he lights another cigarette. "Max, just wait. Max, please. Just listen to me. Just, please." Lucas begs her and she just stood there. "I know something happened back there with your mother." She didn't react and James looked at her right away.

"Was it Vecna?"

"I told you, I'm fine." She insisted. "Okay?" She adds. "I mean, as fine as someone who's hurtling towards a gruesome death can be." She then smiled before glancing down when she noticed Lucas didn't smile or anything. "Max... you know you can talk to me." Lucas says and James feels realization hit at this moment as he watched the young teens.

Lucas being so worried over Max, wanting her to talk to him, and her insisting that she was fine. He looked to the side and saw Steve staring at him through the side mirror already. He glanced away quickly. "Right?" Lucas said and James stared down at the ground.

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