Blind

Chapter 5

Max's POV:
Everyone's asleep in the room, everyone except me. No matter what I try, no matter what position I get myself into, I just can't fall asleep.

I lie in my bed, just thinking, when I hear a shuffle from beside me. "Max?" I heard a soft voice whisper, I smiled. I managed to convince El to sleep in the chair to the right of me, despite Lucas' disapproving glances and murmurs. I really don't care what he thinks of my Ellie, but I just know I won't be taking any of his shit.

"I'm awake." I answered, "Where are you?" I asked, not being able to see where she was.
"Here." El held my hand and put it up to her face. I wish I could see what she looked like, how pretty she was. Even though I saw her in the void, I wanted to see her more. Hopefully my vision fixes up quick, before I turn crazy at least. I caressed her cheek slowly before taking it off her face and back onto my bed.

"Wanna talk?" I asked, "We can catch up." I know a lot must've happened these past months, everyone's changed quite a bit, El the most.
"Sure. What do you wanna know?" El asked softly.
"Mmm... are you still dating Mike?" I asked.
"No. We decided we were better off as friends." I felt her get closer to me, her hands on mine as she got close to my ear, "I think he likes Will anyway." She whispered.
I felt pleasant shivers go through my body at how close she was. But I was shocked after hearing what she just said. "What?" I asked.
"Mhm, they look at each other as if they're treasure. It's cute." El said.
"Damn that sounds adorable. I wish I could see." I said.

"I know... I'm sorry Max." El apologised again.
"El it's not your fault and you know that. My vision might come back, I'm not completely blind anyway." I said.
El didn't answer, I assumed she's thinking right now. I let her think in peace for a few moments until she spoke up again. "Are you still dating Lucas?" She asked.
"Hell no. We broke up before all the Vecna shit, and we haven't gotten back together. I don't think I want to either." I said.
"Why? I thought you liked him." El said.
"Yeah I did when we were kids, but we've all changed now. And he hasn't changed for the better." I said.

"I don't like change." El said, I could tell she was upset by the tone in her voice.
"Why? Sometimes it's good, sometimes you need change." I said.
"I wish I stayed in Hawkins. I didn't like California." El said. I was shocked, I thought she would love California, with it's pretty beaches and beautiful weather.
"I thought you'd love California!" I said, turning my thoughts into words.
"Same. But I had no friends there, except Will. And um this girl- actually never mind." El cut herself off.
"You can tell me El, I won't judge you." I assured her.
"T-this girl, Angela. She was mean to Will and I." She said, I could hear her voice breaking slightly. "I m-made this presentation with Hopper in it. And she broke it, then stepped on it." I felt awful, I know how much El was hurting when Hopper never came back after the mall incident. She cried herself to sleep in my arms every night for months.

"A-and when Mike came over in spring break, we went to Rink-O-Mania. Everyone was circling around me and I felt like I couldn't breathe." She continued. I knew what she was feeling, that was probably one of the panic attacks Will said she's been having recently. "She threw milkshake on me, and I was embarrassed. But when I told her to apologise, s-she said I couldn't cry to Hopper. S-so I got mad... and hit her with a roller skate." She finished.
I was surprised, El hit this Angela bitch with a roller skate. Badass!

"Damn El! Did it hurt her?" I asked.
"I kinda broke her nose..." She answered shyly.
"Badass! I'm proud of you for standing up to her like that!" I said.
"Wait really? The others weren't happy." El said.
"Well I think what you did was bitchin'." We both laughed, El used to say that a lot when we were younger.
"Thanks Max." She said, now sounding a lot happier.
"No problem Ellie. I'm always here if you wanna talk." I told her. "We should probably get to sleep though." I said.
"Yeah, you're right." I heard her shuffling in her chair, probably in an attempt to get more comfortable.

A few minutes passed, but I still couldn't fall asleep. "Ellie." I whispered.
"Hmm...?" I heard a sleepy voice ask.
"I can't sleep." I said, a bit embarrassed.
"Ok." El said, she put her hand on mine gently, before slowly going up my arm. I found it so cute, she was doing it so I knew where she was going. So I didn't flinch. Lucas never did this.
She finished with her hand on my hair. She began playing with it carefully, as well as stroke it soothingly.

She was so careful and calm with it that I felt myself slowly drifting off. Within a few seconds I had fallen into a peaceful slumber, not waking up until the morning.