✓ | MISERY → madwheeler

six

"Okay, so what did he do exactly?" El asked.

Max passed her the chips and El took some, crunching away as she handed the bag back.

"Well," Max began, and El looked up at her from where she was sprawled on Max's bedroom rug. "He told me he was in love with me."

El choked on her chip. "What!?"

"Yeah!" Max exclaimed. "And then he was like, "I don't want to fucking talk to you all." And he left. Then at school, he was such a dick to me and Lucas, Dustin, and Will and I wanted to try to talk to him, so I went after him. Then Troy appeared out of absolute fucking nowhere and grabbed my arm, and Mike went all overprotective physco bitch and told Troy to fuck off, and then he put his arm around me and then he just acted like it hadn't happened! And he just walked away!"

El stared at her with wide eyes. "Max, are you acknowledging the fact that he told you he was in love with you!? That's a huge fucking deal! I knew it, holy shit!"

"Then why does he hate me? I don't-"

She stopped as El shot up abruptly, her eyes wide, and she grabbed Max's arm. "Max! We have to go see Mike!"

She rose to her feet, brushing chip crumbs off herself as Max looked at her, bewildered.

"El, we can't just-"

"Yes, we can!" El said firmly, and pulled Max to her feet. "We can sneak out your window. Come on, let's go!"

~

A few minutes later, they were both standing outside Mike's house, and Max was nervously shuffling her feet as she followed El up his front walk.

El knocked on his front door, and a few seconds later his mother opened it, looking surprised to see both girls standing in front of her.

"Max? Eleven? What on earth-"

"Um, can we speak to Mike please?" El asked. "It's kind of important."

Mrs. Wheeler hesitated, and then sighed, opening the door wider. "Sure. He's up in his room."

"Thank you." El answered, and then stepped into the house, Max following behind her.

"Make it quick, girls." Mrs. Wheeler gave them a knowing look, and Max shot her a small smile before reluctantly following El up the stairs of the house.

They reached his bedroom, and El knocked on the door.

"Mom, Jesus, can I get one moment of peace around her for the love of-"

"Mike?" El asked. "It's me."

There was a moment of silence, and then the door swung open as Mike came to face them, in sweatpants and a white tshirt, his hair rumpled.

Max raised her eyebrows, taking him in, and he said, "El? What are you-"

He had seen Max, and his face went cold. "Oh. You're here to yell at me."

"No." El said curtly. "I'm not, and neither is she. We're here to talk to you, Mike. Can we come in?"

Mike rolled his eyes, but moved back to let them in his room, and Max looked around curiously, noting it was very, very boy, not unlike the way Lucas's had been.

"So?" Mike asked shortly, not meeting Max's eyes. "Talk."

"I want to know why you told Max you were in love with her, and then proceeded to act like a dick." El said bluntly, and Mike's cheeks turned a dark shade of red.

He shot a fury-filled glare at Max, who blinked innocently at him, and El barrelled on, "And I want you to know it's why I broke up with you as well. Cause it was obvious."

"Nothing is obvious." Mike said, clenching his hands into fists. "I'm not in love with her. I don't like her-"

"Bullshit." El shot at him, and Mike subsided into silence and then whirled on Max.

"Why are you always up in my face?" He spat at her. "Why are you always telling my business-"

"Your business?" Max asked indignantly. "Your business, Wheeler? You were the one who blurted out you were in love with me, not the other way around. El is my best friend."

"Yeah, well, goody-goody for you, Mayfield." He snorted, and she let out a yell of frustration.

"And look! We're right back where we were! Do you like me or not, for the love of God!?" Max exclaimed, and before Mike knew what he was doing, his mouth worked faster than he could think.

"I don't like you! At all!" He shouted. "In fact, I kind of hate you. So just get out!"

El gaped at him, her eyes wide with disbelief, but for once Mike ignored her, narrowing his eyes at the redhead standing in front of him.

Max stared at him, and a small, sad smile slowly crept up the corner of her lips. "Well, you know what, Wheeler? That sucks. That completely sucks."

"Why?" He spat, and she tilted her head at him, before swallowing around the lump in her throat and refusing to let the tears clouding her vision to fall.

"Because I was starting to like you." She said simply, and this time it was Mike's turn to look stunned.

But before he could say anything, Max had turned on her heel and strode from the room, running down the stairs and out the door.

"Max!" Mike said, shaking his head hard to try to clear it and thundered down the stairs after her, getting to the front door just in time to see her and El on their bikes and already pedaling away.

"Mayfield! Goddamn it, MAX!" He yelled. "MAX!"

Max swiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks, ignoring the yells of Michael Wheeler as they finally subsided and him and his house disappeared from her view.

yay, finally a new update! hope you guys liked this (lotsa madwheeler feels)! you know what to do. thank you so much for your love and support!