𝙐𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙, Max Mayfield

Chapter eight | the Truth

Valerie sat in her room silently the only sound was the clicking sound of the rubrics cube in her hands, It had been a few hours since their time at the arcade and Valerie still couldn't wrap her head around what her cousin said. She believed him to say the least but it was still a lot.

"Valerie!" Lucas burst into her room startling her "I have proof come on," nodding they left the house together and drove to get Max. Upon getting to her house they could hear Billy's loud music they rung the door bell and after a few seconds she opened the door quickly closing it behind her so Billy couldn't see them.

"what are you doing here?" she asked him

"I have proof that what I told you was real but we have to hurry," she nodded and went back into her house as the cousins made their way to Max's window. She climbed out her window and hopped onto the back of Valerie's bike and they rode to where ever Lucas was taking them.

They ended up going to this weird junk yard where Dustin and Steve were waiting. Max, Valerie, and Steve were setting up some pieces of metal around a bus while Lucas and Dustin talked behind a car. They spent the next few hours barricading the bus and by the time they were done it was dark.

Valerie decided she was going to take first watch, so grabbing Lucas's binoculars she settled on the top of the bus though she really didn't know what she was watching for. She heard a conversation going on below her and I sounded like an argument. Soon enough Valerie saw Max climbing up the stair and onto the roof.

"It's kind of awesome," Max told her

"what is?" Valerie questioned

"the fog, I mean. Looks like the ocean,"

"do you miss it?" Valerie asked the girl after a few seconds of silence

"what?"

"The oceans. The waves? California?" Valerie sat up right so that she was now facing Max "Hawkins seems pretty lame,"

"no, no, no. It's not its just with my dad still there, you know,"

"yeah,"

"my mom and stepdad, they wanted a fresh start away from him like he was the problem, which is total bull. And things.....are just worse now. My stepbrother always been a dick but now he's angry....all the time and he can't take it out on my mom, so..."

"he takes it out on you?" Valerie said noticing tears welling up in Max's eyes

"I don't know why I'm telling you this it's just I know I can be a jerk like him and I don't want you to think I'm mean or anything and hate me. I guess, I'm just angry too...I'm sorry."

"you have nothing to be sorry for I could never hate you. And I get it. Being angry at everything, I really get that actually,"

"what do you mean?"

"I haven't been completely honest with everyone about why I came here. Back in Chicago I had this friend but I liked them in a more then friend kind of way," she turned to see Max staring at her and took a shaky breath before continuing "I was never a person who was open with their feelings I'm still not, and I thought I could trust them so I told them how I felt turns out they didn't feel the same. The next day at school everyone knew. After that all my friends treated me like shit the adults started gossiping and spreading rumors I was called names, bullied emotionally and sometimes physically. That went on for months before my dad thought I should come live out here and get a fresh start," Valerie whipped the tears that fell from her eyes not looking up.

"I'm so sorry he seems like a horrible person,"

"she."

"what?"

"my friend. Her name was Maria,"

"oh," a silence feel between the two and Valerie didn't dare look up to meet Max's eyes "well she seems like a bitch," at that Valerie looked up to see Max staring down at her

"what?"

"she's a bitch, any one who would do that is a horrible person,"

"yeah she is,"

"forget about her you got me now and I won't let anyone hurt you. We're the next Bonnie and Clyde anyways together to the end right," Valerie gave the girl a smile before tuning away looking off into the distance

"you know growing up I've uh always had this massive fear that no one actually likes me and that their just tolerating me until I leave, and I hate that I feel like that. It makes me feel selfish cause I know people love me but I just....I don't know I don't feel the love I know its there but I don't feel it, and it makes me just wanna pack up and leave without saying anything and just start over," Max stared at the girl for a moment before cradling the girls face with her hands and whipping away the stray tears.

"I like you okay, I may have only known you for a few days but I know that you Valerie June Sinclair are an amazing beautiful person inside and out, and I know its hard to actually feel how much people love you but I promise to always be there for you, and I get it the whole running away thing, I tried it but cops came and brought me back, I actually ran so I wouldn't have to come here but you know what I'm glad they caught me because then I wouldn't met you and you are by far the only good thing that has come out of me moving to Hawkins, so if you ever feel like packing up and leaving this place best believe I'll pack and leave with you."

"you're serious, you'd that for me."

"of course I would."

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word count: 1009

{A/n: omfg they're just so jktahckjsbvodf}