Alex handed Max the binoculars, letting her take a look at Billy. He knew that she was going to be the hardest to convince because it was her brother, but Alex knew when he saw him that there was something off about him. He knew that Max believed it deep down, but she just chose not to, as long as there were facts behind it to prove that it could be false, she was going to stick with it.
"I don't know, he looks normal to me," she said.
"Normal," Lucas said, almost laughing and looking at Max. "How many times have you seen him with a shirt on." He asked, giving her a look.
"I mean it's a little weird." She agreed.
"More than a little. He was in a tub with ice, the Mind Flayer likes it cold. Plus everything else on him-" Mike tried to retort, getting cut off by the redhead.
"But he's lounging at the pool, which is like the least Mind Flayer thing ever." Max said, trying to convince herself that Billy wasn't taken over.
"Not necessarily. The Mind Flayer, it likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It's like..like you're dormant, and then..when he needs you," he paused, turning his head away from everyone to look at Billy. "You're activated."
"Okay, so we wait until he gets activated," Max suggested.
"No, what if he hurts someone?" Mike said exasperatedly.
"Or kills someone," Will muttered, looking at Mike.
"We can't take that chance," Mike said, looking back at Billy. "We need to find out if he's the host." He said, walking around the car they were hiding behind and turning to look at them.
"Where are you going?" El asked, almost annoyed.
"I have an idea, boy's only!" He said, making it come across a lot more sexist than he meant for it to be.
"Seriously?" Max said, looking at him with fury in her eyes.
"Just trust me on this one!" He said, walking off with the others, except for Alex.
"Aren't you going with them," Max asked, looking at the boy.
"No, I need to stay here with you guys," he said, watching as Mike and the other three boys walked into the boy's locker rooms. "You can be less mad, look." He said, pointing to them. Max sighed, turning and sitting on the hood of the car.
"I don't see what you two see in him," she said, eyes widening promptly after she said it. Alex facepalmed, seeing Eleven look at him out of the corner of his eye.
"You like Mike?" She said, and every word was a pang at his heart. He let his arm drop at his side, looking at her with a solemn expression. He nodded, moving to sit next to Max on the hood of the car. "Alex?" She asked.
"Yes, El," he said, looking at her sadly.
"How does it feel every time you use your powers," she asked, looking at him with pure interest. He looked surprised, he wasn't expecting that.
"It feels... Well, it feels really nice. I feel like it's something I'm just meant to have, even if it does freak me out sometimes." He laughed.
"When I used them, it hurt. I got used to it, but it was really painful, now I see why. They weren't mine in the first place," she concluded, squeezing in between Alex and Max. "The only thing is, with everything that happened at the lab, I wish that I had never had them in the first place. I'm not saying that I would want you to go through what I did, nobody should have to go through that. But, I do think that everything is how it's meant to be. Maybe I wasn't supposed to have your powers, but there's a reason for everything." She said. Alex smiled, giving her a small hug and saying,
"I'm really sorry about you and Mike, it's my fault," he said, and Eleven shook her head.
"He told me he just didn't feel the same and had been feeling that way for awhile," she said, looking at him sadly. "I'm happy for you, really, but I really liked Mike. I may have even...loved him?" She said. Alex frowned, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.
"This is sweet and all, but what is taking those little assholes so long?" Max said, turning to look at the pool and making Eleven and Alex chuckle.
