Daisies || Max Mayfield

40: Cabin

We drove back to Hopper and El's cabin. El was set up in her room, with the static-y tv blasting. I changed out of my sleeping shirt into a bright red tank top and a colorful striped overshirt. We were all waiting around the living room while she looked for all the people in the pictures they gave her.

Nancy was on the phone with a few reporters, and Will and Jonathan were working on something at the counter.

"It can't be good for her to be in there this long!" Mike insisted. "I mean, she could get brain damage or something!"

"Oh shit, is that a real thing?" Lucas asked.

"Not, it's just some bullshit he made up." Max scoffed. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Oh, and you do?" He asked. 

"No, but I don't think you should be controlling her!" Max protested.

"I'm just trying to do what's right for my girlfriend-"

"You broke up!" I shouted.

"I've known her longer than you two. I know what's best for her and I don't want her brain to get all scrambled!"

"She knows her limits!" Max added

"No, she doesn't! One time she passed out from short-circuiting a radio and we had to carry her around like a rag doll!"

"She's a lot more powerful now Mike," Lucas said.

"Yes but-"

"Okay, can you guys settle an argument for us?" Max complained, walking to the kitchen. I followed her and Mike. "Who do you think should decide El's limits? Mike? Or Eleven?"

"The way that you frame that is such bullshit!" 

"It's not bullshit Mike, and this is your whole problem! And it's also precisely the reason why she dumped your ass!"

"El dumped you?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, because she is conspiring against me!" He pointed at Max. "She's corrupting her!"

"Stop saying conspiring for the last fucking time!" I shouted.

"I am enlightening her!" Max said. "The fact is, she's not yours. She's her own person, fully capable of making her own choices."

"She's risking her life for no reason!"

"For no reason?" Nancy scoffed. "Mike, the flayed are out there doing god knows what."

"Killing, flaying, tormenting." Lucas listed. 

"Trnasforming into monsters!" Will added.

"And El's not stupid," Nancy muttered. "She knows her powers better than any of us."

"Exactly, thank you!" Max said.

"And, she is her own person, with her own free will."

"Exactly!" Max crossed her arms. "El has saved the world twice, and Mike still doesn't trust her-"

"You wanna talk about truth, really?" He interrupted. "After you made Eleven spy on us?!" 

"Wait, what?" Lucas asked.

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Mike spat. "Your girlfriend used El's powers to spy on us!"

"No no no I did not make her!" Max added. "It was her idea, and why are you even talking about this, seriously?"

"Yeah, who cares?" Will asked.

"I care!" Lucas said. 

"Yeah I guess girlfriends don't lie, they spy!"