Every Breath You Take

Chapter 52

07/05/85 (right after the scene where Max cried over Billy).

Max felt how El was shaking while holding her. She could nothing but appreciate how nice her new friend was. Even though El probably had to fight to even stay up she held Max tight, and they had only been friends for a couple of days. Sure, they'd hung out before, in group, and El had spoken to her a couple of times but Max would never call that being a friend. Now they'd hung out, talked about boys and both helped each other to find their selves more. Max had made El realize that she didn't have to do everything Hopper or Mike told her to, that she was her own person, and El had showed Max that it's okay to be more girly and that doesn't make you a typical stupid girl that she made fun of on a daily basis.
Although she was being comforted by her best friend she couldn't stop crying.
Max felt stupid for crying over Billy, especially when everyone was watching her. The entire room had their eyes glued on her. And she was sure they all wondered how Max could cry over him when he had abused her since the second they moved here, and long before that.
Max was wondering too. Maybe it was because she was scared about what Neil would do now? Who he'd abuse more now that his number one target is gone? Or maybe because Billy really had tried to change and be a better brother? Whatever the reason was, it was big enough to make her bawling in public, which never happened.
Max heard the sound of a fire truck in the distance getting closer and closer, as well as the sounds of number of people waiting outside the mall. She could even hear Mrs. Wheeler screaming for her children and Ted calmly telling her to "chill".
She could hear the Sinclair's talking to the police. Mr. Sinclair was demanding to see his kids while Mrs. Sinclair laid up arguments to why they should be able to get their kids themselves, while also comforting Ms. Henderson who was crying her eyes out.
Even though she heard all these adults, and parents, she couldn't hear her own. Neil, she didn't care about, but she would think her mom cared enough to fetch her daughter after she almost was killed.
El slowly started letting go of Max who crawled back to the body of her dead brother. Lucas feet started moving quickly towards the escalator to get down to Max. He didn't even bother taking the last steps and jumped instead. Lucas ran towards her and quickly took her in his arms. His shirt got more and more wet as the minutes went by but he didn't know what else to do so he just kept hugging her.
Jonathan kept asking Will if he was okay while Nancy hugged Mike who had El right behind him. Robin and Steve looked at each other but after some seconds Robin started laughing.
"Why are you laughing?" Steve asked and looked at her confused.
"I don't know" she said and just kept laughing. After awhile Steve joined her and they couldn't stop laughing until someone came in through the steam.
"It's time we get you out kids" a fireman said and showed them all out.
"My brother" Max said, just when they'd all gotten out.
"Is he in there?" the fireman asked and looked at the mall.
"He's dead" Max said.
The fireman just nodded before going back inside, leaving the kids to doctors and police and, of course, their parents.
At one point, Lucas let go of Max when he had to calm down both Dustin's and his own mom by describing that their kids are in safety, far away from the scene.
After minutes of talking to a police, crying, having a check up with a nurse and crying some more, she heard the loud noise of a man screaming in the distance. How car drove quickly and made people move out of the way because that car could literally kill them. Getting out of the car with him was Max's mom and she'd already figured out the man was Neil. She was happy Lucas wasn't with her at this moment because at Neil's angry-level he could kill anyone right now.
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Neil screamed at a police officer with Susan bawling behind him. "WHERE ARE MY KIDS?!"
"I'm sorry sir," the police said calmly, "I'm not sure who you're asking about."
"MY KIDS. BILLY AND MAXINE. WHERE ARE THEY?!" he shouted.
"Mom" Max said and Susan immediately turned towards her.
"Max? Max!" Susan ran towards her child and Neil walked behind her. "Max!"
She wrapped her daughter in her arms and held tightly, and Max hugged her tightly back.
"You're i'm so much trouble, Maxine. Where is your brother?" Neil asked.
Max didn't even want to look at him. She had no clue what he would do.
"Where is Billy?" he asked again.
He did that thing, that Billy did whenever he threatened her. He said every word after a long pause.
Without saying anything Max turned towards the entrance where a guy carried out the body of her brother. All three of them were watching the body being thrown in the back of a police van.
"No. No. No. No. No. No! NO!" Neil said and fell to the floor.
His facial expression wasn't exactly sad, Max didn't know what to make out of it. But there were several tears, although he was trying to hide them. His hands moved across his head and face. It was like if he wasn't sure what to do or feel. He just kept saying and screaming no.
Susan tried to lean down and hug her but as soon as she did that Neil shoved her off and ran to his car that he quickly drove off in. Susan hugged Max once again, and now both of them were crying.

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Oof I'm so sorry it's been such a long time but I haven't had any internet.
I'd just like to thank @starsxsoph and @stdontkniwdontcare , idk why but I can't answer messages for some reason so I'm thanking you here instead. I really appreciate what you said. Again, thank you❤️