𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 || 𝐦𝐚𝐱 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝

16. It You That I Lie With

"Sydney!" Sydney woke up to max and Mike looking over her.

"Hey...Syd- Rose- come on... get up" Max shook her shoulders.

"Where's El?" Sydney sat up and looked around. They all looked at each other and then started running down the passageway, opening every door to see if it lead anywhere. Most of them where just storage ones until they opened one that lead out into scoops ahoy.

They ran through the ice cream parlor but stopped at the entrance. They saw the Mind Flayer in the middle on the mall, fire surrounding it. Eleven was lying on the floor crawling back ways looking at Billy, who was standing in front of her facing the Monster.

They monster roared and opened it's moth, a claw darted out through it. Eleven threw her hands up infront of her face trying to block it, but billy did instead.

He threw his hands out in front of him and stopped the claw.

"No!" he shouted truing to push the hand back.

The monster grew tentacles as dug them into billys sides and chest. he was forced to let go. his hands dropped at his sides and his body went mainly limp.

He screamed in pain. Max sobbed next to Sydney, not believing her eyes.

Billy roared as the claw shot out of the mind flayer's mouth and went directly into the middle of Billy's chest. Sydney's stomach dropped as Billy absorbed the impact and went limp.

"Billy!" Max screamed at her brother

The mind flayer brought all its tentacles back in and billy fell onto the ground.

Then the mind flayer started screeching and throwing itself around in pain.

"The gate." Sydney said under her breath.

The monster fell to the ground. It was dead.

Mike ran to Eleven and hugged her. Max walked over to her brother as Sydney stayed behind her.

"Billy?" she said. she knelt down beside billy who was coughing up blood.

"Billy, Billy, get up, please." Max repeated over and over again shaking his shoulders.

"Im sorry" Billy said

"Billy" Max gasped. "Billy, wake up. Billy, get up. Please Billy." Shaking his shoulders but she got no response.

"Max.." Sydney started to say, her eyes filling up.

"Billy!" max sobbed falling onto his body.

"I'm so sorry" Sydney said knelling next to her and pulling her into a hug. She kissed her on the forehead, not caring her saw. "it's going to be okay" She whispeared. She looked back and mike and el who were watching, El crawled over and started rubbing her shoulder.

Sydney never liked Billy, he was a racist, homophobic dose who didn't care for max. But that night he done maybe one of the only few good things he ever did, He saved el's life and maybe everyone's else lives as well. And he as Max's brother, and when max was sad so was Sydney.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until it was getting very smoky from the fire.

"Hey" Steve tapped Syd's shoulder. "We gotta go." They heard sirens and helicopters in the distance. Sydney nodded and helped max stand.

⋙✿⋘

A Few Months Later

It was now early October. Things had been different ever since the fourth of july. El lived with the Byers, and they were now moving away.

Things with Max were never the same. Her and Syd were now dating and everyone in their party were chill about it. It took a while to get use to (especially for Lucas). They occasionally went out on dates to the arcade and then stopped at the movie store where Steve and robin now worked, and rented out a movie to watch. But Max started getting more distant. She went up and down a lot, one minute they could be laughing or making out and then the next she could be crying or just want to leave. Sydney as always there for max but it wasn't getting any easier.

The town blamed the mall shutting down on a fire. Hopper, Billy and all the flayed tragically died from smoke inhalation and burned along with the mall. That might've been what hurt max the most. she wasn't able to tell anyone that Billy ended up saving the whole of Hawkins.

There was a lot of conspiracies out there. ask anyone and you'll get a different story each time. That the town is cursed. That its all the Devils handiwork. One huge government cover up. But Sydney knew the truth, and she couldn't decide if she liked that or not

Now they were helping will and the Byres finish packing and saying good bye. Max and Sydney were now in their sitting room, taping boxes.

"Turn around. Look at what you seeeeee" The two girlfriends sang, teasing Dustin who was in the next room. No one let it go since that night and used it to torture their curly-haired friend. "In her face, the mirror of your dreams. Rhymes that keep their secrets, will unfold behind the clouds"

"Wait did we get that verse right? it's 'unfold behind the clouds'?"

"Yeah, but you're butchering it, so could you please stop?" Dustin pleaded.

"Please sing it! just one! please!" Sydney begged. dustin shook his head. "oh come we weren't there for the concert though."

"Yeah, come on dusty-bun, join us" max pouted

"You guys are so funny, you should be on Carson." Dustin said sarcastically.

"Can't we just hear your rendition? please" Max asked

"No."

"Please just one verse?" Sydney said

"No. No way. it's reserved for Suzie's ears and Suzie's ears alone."

Sydney looked back at Max. "Turn around" they started again and kept going despite Dustin waving the middle finger at them.

"okay, time to go" Joyce smiled at them as they all walked outside.

Sydney walked out to Jonathan first and gave him a hug. "Thanks for being like a brother to me" Sydney said.

"and thank you for always looking after will" Jonathan smiled at her.

Sydney walked over to will and they both started sobbing.

"Syd" Will said wrapping his arms around her into the biggest hug forever. "Thank you for always being there for me."

"I should be saying that to you will" Sydney sobbed without letting go. "ok I'm not gonna say goodbye cause i physically cant." They both laughed. They looked at each other. "You better write to me every week"

"I'll right to you everyday" Will ruffled her hair. They nodded and smiled at each other with out saying goodbye.

Sydney walked over to Max and El.

"El. I don't know what to say to you" So Sydney just pulled the two girls into a hug.

Joyce came over, "ok we really have to go" She hugged each one of the kids, and walked back over to the lorry.

The party all looked at each other one more time, and the seven of them all gave each other a huge hug.

They all watched them get into the cars and drive down their driveway for one last time.

Max wrapped her arm around Sydney as they both cried into each others shoulders.

The five of them all hoped onto their bikes and took one last look at the house. Sydney had so much memories in their, playing D&D, seeing El for the first time, Coming out to will and joyce doing her hair.

She wiped her tears and started to cycle up the lane with the party. they all split and went their own way home.

That summer changed a lot. they might not even know just how much yet.