MadMax

Hurting.

"We can't hide here forever! Our parents are gonna start worrying. And school starts soon." Mike goes on.

"I know, we have to get rid of these guys." Nancy says, with her head in her hands.

"And how are we possibly going to do that? They have crazy weapons and are very determined to get El." Dustin questions.

"Uh are you guys forgetting I have powers?!" El chimes.

Dustin returns, "I know but we don't want to risk you getting hurt."

"I think I can manage myself." She puts her hand up and throws a glass against the wall. We all jump. "See, just imagine the glass as one of Sullivan's little puppets."

"Very true." Mike starts. "And we can be there to help her, I mean we've done it before, we can do it again. And now we all are together. Nobody is off at California fighting from some pizza freezer. We can do this."

"I can't believe that I'm saying this but Mike is right. I think this could work, we just need to get started." I agree.

We clean up and head to our rooms. Steve says we should get a good night's sleep because tomorrow we are going to get supplies to fight this bastard. I'm the first one in the room so I climb under the blankets and try to fall asleep. I feel a gentle touch on my shoulder, I roll over to El looking at me.

"What's up?" I ask

"Can we talk?" she replies.

"Yeah of course." I sit up ready to listen.

She looks over at Nancy and Robin and they take the note to leave.

"We're gonna go watch a movie in the living room." Nancy announces, walking out of the room with Robin.

"So, what do you wanna talk about?" I ask, kind of nervous.

"I'm worried about you." She replies.

"Wait what? What do you mean?

"You just don't seem like yourself. And you haven't really talked about anything that has happened lately. I know you have a lot going on. I just want you to talk to me Max, please."

"There isn't anything to talk about."

"Max."

"Yes?"

"Please just talk to me. I know it's hard but I want to help you. You have too much going on in that head of yours. Don't yell at me, but I saw you in the void. You were hu- hurting yourself. Why would you do that Max?" El says, with tears strolling down her face.

"I'm sorry El. I didn't want you to know. Please don't tell anyone. It's really nothing."

"Then show me." She orders.

"What?! No!" I yell. The tears I've been holding in start to fall.

"If it's nothing, then show me."

"El, please. You don't understand."

"I do understand. I want to see, I need to see. I have to make sure you're okay."

"I can't. I'm sorry, I just can't."

"Max, if you don't show me then I will have to get Nancy and Robin to do it. Someone has to see it and clean the cuts. They could get dangerously infected. We just want to help." El says seriously.

"Please don't tell them El. I promise it's all okay, I'm fine." I stutter.

"Friends dont lie."

"El, please."

"Just stay here, I'll be right back." El says, walking out of the room.

Shit. What am I going to do. I am now full on sobbing, with my head in my knees. My breathing starts to quicken and I feel dizzy. I'm trembling and it feels like my throat is closing up.

"EL!" I wail out. I feel like i'm gonna die.

El, Nancy, and Robin burst through the door and run to my side.

"Hey kid, it's okay. Just focus on breathing. In and out, in and out." Robin's voice sounds so soothing.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. We're here. We're right here Max." Nancy says, trying to help.

"Is she okay? What's wrong with her?!" El screams.

"Eleven, it's okay. She is having a panic attack, just give her a minute." Nancy reassures El.

"A panic attack? What's that?" El asks.

Nancy steers Eleven out of the room to talk to her. She returns a few minutes later without El and comes back to my side.

My breathing is slowing down and I can start to make out what is going on. I fall over into Robin's arms and fall asleep. My body is so exhausted, my mind is so exhausted. I just want to stay here asleep forever.

I wake up a few hours later, El is snoring quietly next to me. I look at the clock and it reads 2:34 A:M. I go to get up to head to the bathroom and something feels different. I look down and I'm not in my usual sweatpants, I'm wearing shorts. Fuck. My scars are all bandaged up, Robin and Nancy are asleep on the floor. I tip-toe to the bathroom and shut the door. I peel off the bandages and discover what I did to myself. I run my finger along them and wince. They are really bad, I didn't realize I went so deep. I start crying softly again. The door creaks open...

"Hey Max.." Nancy says gently.

"Shit, sorry Nance. I didn't realize you were awake."

"You need to leave the bandages on." Nancy grabs the first aid kit and sits on the edge of the bathtub with me standing in front of her.

"This is going to sting for just a second, bite on to this." She hands me a rag as she pours some foul smelling liquid onto my scars. I wince and bite onto the rag hard.

"Sorry Max." She apologizes.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for anyone to find out, I am really sorry."

Nancy finishes bandaging my legs and then pats next to her ordering for me to sit down. I obey and sit next to her.

"Listen, you can't do this anymore. I understand it is immensely hard but you have to promise me you won't do this to yourself Max." She starts to cry, I have never seen Nancy cry.

I hug her and we cry together for what feels like forever.

She finally sits up, "I think you need to get some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow." She wipes her eyes and lays me on the bed and takes her spot back on the floor. I stay awake until I hear Nancy sleeping and then I close my eyes.