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"Who's El?"
The moment the question left Max’s lips, she half regretted it.
She'd noticed the way his whole posture shifted when she said that; the way his face morphed into something...longing.
"Someone, no one." Mike replied half-heartedly, the heat from his tone a few seconds ago fading away.
She never was one to just let things go.
Max persisted. "Someone or no one?"
"Do not push me, Mad Max." He hissed, turning to walk away from her.
It was weird to hear him say her nickname. Lucas and Dustin said it as a compliment, but Mike said it as if to distance them.
Max all but fumed, her resentment getting the better of her. "Is this why she isn't here? Because you treated her like crap too!?"
Mike froze in his step, but didn’t turn back to face her.
“Look I don’t know what the hell I did to make you hate me so much,” She scowled and continued before he could protest. “And don’t say that you don’t hate me when you obviously do. But I just- I want to know.”
He slowly turned back around to face her, but his eyes weren’t meeting hers. It was like he was looking through her.
“Is it because I’m a girl?” She questioned.
Mike all but scoffed. “No.”
“Because Lucas and Dustin have this weird obsession with me?”
“No.”
“Because I’m better at video games than you?”
Mike looked less patient by the second. “No.”
“THEN WHAT!?” Max exclaimed. “WHAT IS IT!?”
“BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT EL!” He hissed, making her eyes widen. “EL WAS OUR MAGE, OKAY? SHE WAS THE GIRL IN OUR PARTY AND SHE’S GONE NOW AND EVER SINCE YOU SHOWED UP IT’S LIKE EVERYONE’S FORGOTTEN SHE EXISTED!”
Max could only stare in mild awe as Mike ranted, tears beginning to burn at the corners of his eyes.
“WE USED TO TALK ABOUT HER EVERYDAY, AND NOW ALL I HEAR FROM DUSTIN AND LUCAS IS ‘MAX THIS’ AND ‘MAX THAT’ AND I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU, DO YOU HEAR ME!?” He shouted angrily. “I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU, OR ANY OTHER GIRL, AND I WILL NEVER ACCEPT YOU INTO OUR PARTY NO MATTER HOW COOL OR NICE YOU ARE BECAUSE YOU. ARE. NOT. EL!” He was screaming at the end as hot, angry tears rushed down his cheeks.
Max could only watch in mild horror as Mike crumbled to his knees in sobs, covering his face with his hands. His sobs didn’t even sound vicious, just…heartbroken.
It kind of made her feel like a jerk.
She knew that was unreasonable. She didn’t do anything, at least not on purpose. She’d just wanted to be included in something, and Dustin and Lucas were so nice to her, she didn’t think it was a problem.
But now here Mike was, the leader of the Party, crying uncontrollably, and it was all her fault.
Hesitantly, Max kneeled down in front of him, getting his attention. He looked at her helplessly as tears continued to flow. He suddenly looked so…small, and tired; broken.
It reminded her of herself, actually.
“You’re right,” Max told him softly. “I’m not El. But- But I’m not trying to be.” She insisted. “Dustin and Lucas are the ones who approached me, okay? And…I like hanging out with them, and I like you and…” She trailed off weakly. “Isn’t there some way I can prove to you I’m not a threat?”
Mike stared her down for a moment, his expression rather unreadable.
For a moment, Max was worried he was just going to get up and leave, or maybe tell her to go away.
“…I still feel her sometimes.”
Max’s eyebrows furrowed. “Feel her?”
Mike nodded softly. “Like…Like her presence. I feel her…when I’m riding my bike…” He let out a shaky breath as more tears formed in his eyes. “When I’m down in my basement…” He tried to wipe at his eyes but it didn’t do much. “It’s like she’s everywhere.”
She stared at him for a moment, mouth open slightly in awe.
When she finally found her voice, the words left her mouth before she could really think them over,
“Were you…in love with this girl?” She questioned.
Mike stiffened up all over again, face changing to something of mild horror, as if she’d just discovered his biggest secret.
Hell, maybe she had.
“I-I’m sorry, you do not need to answer that,” She scrambled to do damage control. “That is so personal and I had no right to ask you-“
“Yes.”
Max froze, hesitantly looking Mike in the eyes. His eyes were ghosted over, as if he wasn’t really there with her.
“I still am.” He admitted in a near whisper.
She kind of misses when he was just yelling at her. This was so much harder.
Max swallowed hard. “Will you tell me about her?”
Mike finally met her gaze for real, eyes lighting up in a way she hadn’t seen before. “…Really?” He asked with uncertainty.
She nodded in an instant. “Whatever you’re willing to tell me.”
A smile formed on Mike’s lips, and Max realizes it’s the first time she’s seen him smile.
It looked good on him.
“She’s…” Mike paused for a moment, letting out a breathy chuckle as he remembered something.
Max tilted her head curiously, eyes widening a little as fresh tears began to form in Mike’s eyes all over again.
“She’s pretty. Really, really pretty…”