Until Forever Falls Apart (Lumax)

Chapter 13

(Lucas POV)

    "Did something happened?" Dustin questioned Max as she slammed the door shut to Steve's car.
    "Can we please just go?" She demanded ignoring Dustin's statement. Steve shifted his car into reverse and pulled out of the Trailer park.
     Looking over at Max I noticed how her breaths were more staggered than before. Something definitely happened. I thought to myself. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to grab her hand and tell her it was going to be alright. But. I couldn't. Things between us are still unstable and as much as I want for them to not be, I know I will have to slowly work my way up so we can go back to how we were.

    The drive was silent with the exception of Max telling Steve a direction every five minutes or so. Looking over at her she never once changed her position in the car. She stayed angled away from me and facing the window her hand placed under chin for support.
    "Turn here" she said softly her gaze not shifting from the window.
    "Here?"Steve questioned hesitating a minute before following her directions. Looking out my window I realized that we were in a cemetery. Billy. After my realization I looked over once again at her with a soft on my face. Moments later the car stopped and Max stormed out of the cat slamming the door behind here.

    "Max" I said opening the cat door and following her out
    "Lucas, please just wait in the car" she demanded annoyed. Picking up my pace I softy grabbed her wrist stoping her in her tracks. She turned her body to look at me, her eyes of anger piercing into my sole.
"Max, just wait. Max, please"
"Lucas please just wait"
"Just listen to me please" I said cutting her off and putting my hands together in a pleading motion. "I know something happened back there with your mother. Was it Vecna" I asked my eyes softening as they continued to look into her cold and expressionless ones

"I told you, I'm fine. Okay?" My face dropped hearing those words. "I mean, as fine as someone who's hurtling towards a gruesome death can be" she said finishing her statement with a sarcastic smile. I could tell she was trying to not acknowledge what was coming to her, I still refuse to believe it's even possible
"Max...you know you can talk to me. Right?" I said my face looking at her with remorse.
"Yeah. I know that"
"Okay, then why do you keep pushing me away? Ok look, I don't need a letter I don't want a letter. Just talk to me. To your friends. We're right here...I'm right here. " I pleaded with her my eyes searching for hers as they looked away from me and at the ground "okay? Im here" my voice cracked with sadness
"Just wait in the car. This won't take long" she said walking past me and continuing to ignore any eye contact in the process.

(Max POV)

Sitting down in front of Billy's grave I looked up and read over the words carved out in the stone.

William Hargrove. 1967-1985. Gone but no forgotten

Taking a deep breath I slowly opened the letter I had titled with his name and skimmed over the words briefly before reading the words that i had re-written numerous amounts of times until I felt it was perfect

"Dear Billy, I don't even know if you can hear this. Two years ago I would've said, 'that's ridiculous impossible'. But. That was before I found out about alternative mentions and monsters so I'm just gonna stop assuming I know anything. Someone has happened since you left. Your dad was, a total mess. He and my mom started getting into fights. Bad fights. I don't think he could stand being here without you. so he left, and he didn't leave mom much. She's taking an extra job, and we moved to that lovely trailer park off Kerley. Basically, ever since you left... Everything's been... A total disaster."

"And the worst part is, I can't tell anyone why you're really gone. I can't tell them that you saved El's life...that you saved my life. I play that moment back in my head all the time. And sometimes I imagine myself running up to you, pulling you away. I imagine... that if I had, that you would still be here and everything...everything would be right again. I imagine that we, that we could've become friends, good friends like... Like a real brother and sister. And I know that's stupid. You hated me, I hated you. But I thought that maybe, maybe we could try again"