✓ | MISERY → madwheeler

eight

Max looked up, terrified.

Billy was looming over her, smelling vaguely of cigarette smoke, and he said, "I told you not to hang out with Wheeler anymore, you piece of shit!"

Max scrambled to her feet, shaking her head, and Billy advanced on her; shoving things out of his way as Max backed up, her eyes wide with fear.

"I can hang out with Mike if I want!" She said, and his eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?"

Max swallowed. "I-I said-"

She hesitated, and in that moment Billy lunged, knocking her to her feet, pinning her arms down onto the ground as Max struggled to get free.

"Billy, let go of me!" She exclaimed, blinking back tears as his nails dug into her skin.

"Not until you-"

Before he could finish, there was a loud crash and Billy whipped around as the front door burst open with a bang.

Mike Wheeler skidded into the room, his eyes wild and his hair messed up, and Max's mouth dropped open.

"Mike!? What are you doing-"

He held up a hand to stop her from talking, and then directed his next words to Billy, his tone as cold as steel. "Let her go, you sick son of a bitch."

Billy's face twisted, and he got to his feet, dragging Max by the arm as he went. "And what are you going to do about it, Wheeler?"

Mike glared at him, ignoring Max who was frantically shaking her head, and before he could speak Billy cut across him.

"I'll let her go if she promises," He gave Max a little shake, and continued, "To stay away from you."

Mike's gaze flew to Max and she met his eyes.

All you have to do is say you hate me, Mayfield. His gaze was communicating. That's all you have to do, and then you can walk away. Do it.

Max looked between him and Billy, and then steeling herself, she lifted her chin and spit at her brother, "I can hang out with the person I-"

She swallowed, and said, "With the person I love all I want, thanks."

Mike's mouth dropped open, and she sent him a firm nod, unable to stop a small, simple grin from lifting the corners of her mouth as she saw his face soften in relief, and his eyes welled up with tears.

Billy glared at them both and shoved Max away from him, towards Mike with disgust as he heard the sound of, "Billy?"

Max's mom stepped into the room, peering at them curiously.

Mike had his arms wrapped tightly around Max, stumbling backwards a bit as she clung to him, her eyes wide.

Billy put on a casual expression and leaned against the banister of the stairs. "Hey, mom."

She looked at each of them, her gaze lingering, puzzled, at the sight of Max and Mike.

She raised a finger, saying, "Don't you two- I mean, I thought-"

She stopped mid-sentence and trailed off, blinking hard and then turned back towards Billy. "I thought I heard some commotion."

"Nope." Billy said, raising his eyebrows. "Everything's fine, mom."

"Um, okay." His mom answered, and grabbed her purse off the table. "I forgot this."

"We're gonna go to Mike's." Max said quickly, and her mom nodded, her eyes flicking between them again.

"Alright. Be home by eight, Max."

"Okay. Bye mom."

Before Billy or her mother could say anything else, Max had grabbed Mike by the hand and tugged him outside, shutting the front door behind her and breathing a sigh of relief.

"Oh God." She said, rubbing her face with her free hand. "I'm so sorry, Mike."

He didn't answer, staring down at their intertwined hands, and Max hesitated before barreling on, "If you- um, if you've changed your mind or something, I get it. I mean, Billy can be- and I'm sorry, but I want you to know that I'll stop hanging out with you if you don't- if you don't want me too."

Max stared at him anxiously, and Mike looked up at her, biting his lip, and then said, "Well, it can't work."

Max's face crumpled, and she slowly dropped his hand. "Oh."

He nodded, his eyes meeting his feet and then looked back up at her, his jaw set. "You know, the whole. . .the whole me not being able to hang out with you. I don't think I could not see you everyday."

His mouth quirked into a nervous smile. "I mean, you're beautiful."

Max's face flushed pink, and she laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

Mike reached up and gently took it off her mouth, slipping his fingers back into her's, and then he had leaned in and pressed his lips against her's, taking Max completely and utterly by surprise.

He pulled away, his face inches from her's, and saw her expression, which was stunned.

"What?"

Max slowly shook her head. "Nothing. It's just, I never thought my first kiss would be with someone I hated."

He laughed. "Oh, so that's how it is."

She grinned. "Deal with it, Wheeler."

Mike pressed his lips together, and leaned in to kiss her again when he stopped, blinking.

Max drew back to look at him. "Mike?"

He blinked, and backed away from her, slowly shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I just-"

And then, all at once, he started convulsing, his breathing becoming fast and loud and dropped to his knees, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Max stared, terrified. "MIKE!?"

He began to gasp, twitching, his movements forced and jerky and Max looked frantically around before grabbing Mike's backpack, digging hurriedly around inside until she withdrew a walkie talkie.

"Lucas!? Dustin!? Will!?" She exclaimed, and a few seconds later heard a crackle.

"Max?"

It was Dustin, and she heaved a sigh of relief, "Dustin! Oh my God, okay, so I was with Mike and we were- we were um, kissing-"

"WHAT!? YOU WERE WHAT!?"

"That's not important right now!" Max screamed into the walkie talkie. "Dustin, I need you to get Mrs. Byers and Lucas and Will and get to the street in front of my house right now!"

"Why!?" Dustin said, sounding bewildered. "I don't think we want to see you all-"

"No! Dustin, the thing that possessed Will last year- the Mind Flayer- I think it has Mike!" Max said frantically, and there was a silence.

"Wait, are you-"

"Yes, I'm fucking sure!" Max was close to tears now, looking back down at Mike who was still twitching uncontrollably. "GET HERE!"

"Okay, okay- we'll be right over. Don't move." Dustin commanded, and then there was a beep as he hung up his walkie talkie and Max stared at it, and then at Mike, breathing in and out through her nose.

Oh God, Mike. She thought, crossing towards him and gingerly dropping to her knees beside him, and grabbed his sweaty hand, gripping it tightly. Don't bail on me. Oh please God, don't let him bail on me.

It was just beginning to get dark when she heard the shouts.

END OF SEASON ONE

see you soon.