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"C'mon, El talk to me." Max sat down on the end of the other's bed, her headphones jumping a little around her neck.
Eleven followed suit, falling near the headrest and propping up her pillow to lean against it. "What's there to talk about?"
Max slightly shrugged. "I don't know, lots! You haven't seen me in so long." She moved closer. "Like, how's school?"
Eleven seemed to falter before giving her a wide smile. "School is great. I even made friends."
"Really? That's awesome El. Who are they, can I meet them?"
"Oh... uh, yeah. Their names are Stacy and Angela. I'm sure I could invite them over one day." Max noticed El becoming nervous but decided to keep her mouth shut and press on other matters.
"So? Any boys you like? Or at least any cuter than Mike?" El seemed to hesitate at her question. "Shit, sorry. Not ready to talk about it?"
El sighed memories of breaking it off with her ex-boyfriend before moving flooding her like a tsunami. "No, no. It's fine. None of the guys interest me, here." She muttered, her hands fiddling with her dress. Max found it kind of cute. She scooted over to the other girl.
"So are you gonna show me all the cool places here?" El's expression lit up as she pulled herself off the bed. "Of course! The buildings here are awesome, don't get me wrong, I miss Hawkins, but it doesn't have El Rodeo's awesome burritos or Rink-O-Mania."
"Rink-O-Maina." Max copied, trying out the name. "Sounds intriguing, what's Rink-O-Mania?"
"It's the most fun place in Lenora. They have skating and games." She moved her hands in emphasis.
"That sounds Awesome," Max spoke, "maybe we could meet your friends there?"
El seemed to pause again. Something wasn't adding up, Max could tell and it made her suspicious.
"You'll meet them, I promise," El assured. "Just not today. I want today to be about me and you." The other gave her a bright and big smile as she stepped closer and took both of Max's hands in her own, Max blushed as her suspicion started to wash away little by little.
"I can't wait to see this place with you, El."
"Well, you don't have to, because I can take you right now?"
Max's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really? Right now, right now?" El grabbed her hand and pulled up with a chuckle.
"Yea, come on."
The second Max was up, El was already pulling her out the door as she promised all the fun things the ring had to offer. Max only nodded and listened to her ramble, God, she could listen to her for days. Finally, the two stepped outside. El's hand slipped into hers, intertwining their fingers and pulling Max close.
Blush dusted the red head's cheeks as she glanced at El. Her long brown locks were perfectly wavey, like whoever had decided the bounce of it was an amazing stylist that knew just the right way for El to look. The way the curls and her cut bangs framed her adorable face making her brown eyes, that Max got lost in every time she looked at her, pop. Her pale face that Max couldn't help but notice a new detail every time she looked at her. Like her dimples that always seemed to come out of hiding around Max, and the way her eyes seemed to sparkle when excited.
El was perfect and cute in every way, the girl looked like she was destined to live in some fairytale happy little cottage in a forest. It was the total opposite of Max's dream home, but for El, she'd move in n a heartbeat. For El, she'd do anything.
Anything to see the sparkle in her eyes, that gorgeous smile, and of course have El's affection and love.
She was too focused on El and their swinging hands that she barely even noticed when the two had arrived. Then El's angelic voice brought her back. "We're here," She said excitedly, that sparkle in her eyes. Max looked at the place, it was some average building coated blue and pink; more pink than blue. The words Rink-O-Mania in magenta and a loopy font were sticking out on the left of the front of the building; the words Roller Skating, spaced out, smaller, and written in blue in the middle of it.
"I expected a better outside," Max commented.
"Eh, all that matters is the inside," El replied, pulling the red-head to the doors to the establishment.
The second Max stepped in she noticed the pure amusement of it all. The song "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" played loudly from the speakers overhead.
Fitting.
The rings were filled with people, teens and young adults alike just spinning around, some even dancing crazily to the music or holding onto presumably lovers and friends. A colorful disco hung over the ring, illuminating the smiling people who seemed to be having the times of their lives as they spun in circles.
Max's eyes then flickered over to the games. Games like Pacman played by a kid who clearly had been there too long, a wrestling game played by a sweaty teen who was determined to win, and of course two friends being cheered on by others as they played air hockey. Lastly, she looked at the concession table where two kids were getting smoothies, it was stacked with snacks and smoothies along with milkshake machines.
El wasn't lying, this place was awesome.
The brunette eagerly pulled her over to the rental skating stand to get their skating shoes. After making sure they had the right size, the two eagerly walked away, no longer able to be hand-in-hand.
"Bitchin', right?" El asked, looking to Max as if asking if she used it the right way.
Max loved to see El use lingo, not to laugh at her like some mean-spirited asshole, but because it was nice to see her trying. Trying to fit in and seem cool, Max already thought she was effortlessly cool but teen lingo seemed to make her feel more confident in herself.
"Yeah, bitchin'" The other replied, taking in the establishment more. "Do you come here a lot?"
"Yeah," El said eagerly, once again her expression seemed off. "I go to parties here. It's a big party place." The two sat down on one of the big purple block-like couches and pulled their skates on. They got up, linking their hands together again and skating toward the ring entrance before stepping on.
"I'm not really that good," Max admitted as El pulled them to circle on the floor.
"But you skateboard." El seemed confused.
"It's not the same thing."
El gripped her hand tighter, bringing Max's eyes from her wobbly feet to El's captivating gaze. "I think you're good. You got this." She assured, those dimples showing again.
"Okay." El seemed to glide perfectly while Max slightly shuffled, trying hard to keep up with her companion.
After a few seconds, Max was close to a, not perfect but good enough, skating rhythm. Her feet caught up to El's and she was finally able to look up from her feet and admire the other girl. El's hair bounced with every slight movement and her eyes had that usually sparkle mixed with vibrating colors from the disco. Her head slightly bobbed to the music as she began to talk again. "I told you, you were good. Now, since I told you about my life, tell me about yours."
Max blushed. "Right here?"
"Why not?"
"Alright, well I haven't actually made any new friends. My mom and I moved, still in Hawkins, just a trailer park."
Yet, as Max spoke neither of them noticed the posse of four walking through the door; the ones who stopped to gossip and stare the second they noticed El, and Max by proxy.
The two skated for a few more minutes, just talking and moving their feet, and while Max felt like she could skate forever, her fingers lightly pressing against the wall and her arms outstretched as her hand firmly held El's, El's feet had become tired; and as the next song came on, the two were skating out of the ring and to the concession to get some well-deserved milkshakes.
Then they secured a booth and fell into a conversation that somehow turned into whose milkshake is better. Max took a big sip of El's chocolate milkshake from her straw, before setting it back on the table. "Yep, mine's better."
"No, it isn't." El fought back. Before Max could rebuttal, a voice broke out.
"Milkshakes? Yum." The two looked out to a group of three teens, one blonde and the speaker. She leaned onto their table, slightly startling El and making her lean back as Max glared. "Where, oh where have you been hiding this new pretty friend?" The blonde asked, her eyes glancing from El to lock on Max.
El seemed hesitant and nervous. "Uh," Max looked at her. "Angela, thi... this is Max, my best friend." The word best friend shouldn't have hurt Max at that moment, yet it did.
The girl smirked and held out her hand to Max. "Angela. Pleasure."
Max glanced at El as if asking if she really should shake Angela's hand, El gave her a pitiable look before looking down at the floor and loosely crossing her arms.
Max firmly grabbed Angela's hand. "Heard a lot about you," Max spoke. "It's really cool to finally meet some of El-Jane's friends." She mentally kicked herself for both lying and almost messing up.
"Friends?" Angela looked offended and one of the teens behind her, a dark-skinned girl in a purple shirt, giggled. Angela then forced a smile and a laugh herself. "Yeah. Super cool." She leaned near Jane, getting all up in her face and seeming intimidating. "Come on, friend."
She outstretched her hand to El. "Let's skate, shall we?"
"E-Jane, you don't have to." Max quickly input.
El quickly grabbed her milkshake. "I wanted to finish-"
The other kid, a pale boy with white sunglasses atop his head, grabbed her milkshake out of her hand. "I'll hold onto that." It made Max's blood boil.
Then Angela roughly grabbed El's hand, terror in the brunette's eyes, and dragged her out of the booth and toward the ring. "Come on."
Max already knew, that being here and talking to this bitch was a fuck up. She quickly pulled herself out of her seat discarding her milkshake and almost knocking it over. "Wait!" It seemed like everyone in the skating ring was against her because they all began piling around the entrance and stopping her rescue for El.
"Wooo!" Angela yelled, her hands interlocked with El's as she spun the two around and skated. "Why so nervous?" She heard her question. "We're just having fun."
Max wanted to punch her, absolutely punch her until she left El alone. She wanted to climb over a table and go onto the ring, but the walls separating the ring and tables were too high, her skates would make it dangerous, and even if she did try the bullies would be pulling her off within a second.
She tried to squeeze past them, anything to get to El, but they only stood there and pushed her away. She tried shoving them and swinging but that only got her a hard shove to the floor. "You assholes!" She growled. "Let El go!" The kids only seemed to laugh at her dismay.
This was a nightmare, albeit not the worst she's experienced, but still, it was hell to be pushed away from the brunette who was more than uneasy at this point.
El tried to look back at the entrance, back at her, but she only saw the people pushing at Max and turned her gaze back to Angela.
Then Max moved away and looked over one of the walls to see a boy skating in the middle and holding a giant camera, his direction following the two. "El!" She tried to yell, but that only seemed to make the music feel louder and the kids laugh more.
Now Angela was pulling El toward the middle of the ring.
This couldn't be good
"El!" She tried again. "Hold on!"
Angela left El in the middle as the man at the music booth began to speak into a microphone.
"All right, everyone." Everyone looked at him, including Max and El.
"This next song is dedicated to Jane, the local snitch." The asshole holding the microphone put his hand out and gestured to Jane as if the words were endearing.
A light in the middle shone on Jane, illuminating her for all to see. Then "Wipeout" the song played over the speakers the man made an annoying voice. "Haha, wipeout!" He called before acting like he was playing invisible drums.
Max had had enough. She was pushing herself away from the teens guarding the entrance and rushing to the ass hat. Very faintly she heard El scream and looked to see her almost trip over Angela's feet. The kids were now all circling her and screaming awful things while the boy continued to film her. Max was flabbergasted and scowled as she skated toward the booth man.
"Hey!" She yelled loudly, the music only seemed to get louder, fighting against her voice.
She angrily leaned toward the man, making sure to get in his face. "Hey, Hey! Turn it off!" The man laughed.
"Sorry, can't hear you, dude." He took off his headphones.
"I said turn it off, prick." The man seemed to laugh at her anger.
"If you say so," He pulled off the stylus making the record scratch and halt. Max looked over to see the kids skating away from a fearful El, the brunette now with her hands over her ears and seeming to be on the verge of tears.
"Wipeout!" The man hollered. Then, like in slow motion, the boy who had stolen El's milkshake skated up to her and threw it on El; staining her dress and making her fall back in surprise.
All the skaters on the ring seemed to laugh and scream, then Angela leaned over her and muttered something.
Max looked back to the entrance to find it no longer guarded, most of the kids now in the ring to taunt and laugh at Eleven. She skated onto the ring, pure rage in her eyes.
"El! El!" She yelled, skating over to El who was beginning to cry, Angela skated away with an evil giggle. El quickly got up and began to escape over to a new skating entrance as she cried and begged for everyone to stop laughing at her.
Max pushed past some kids who tried to stop her, even decking one kid in the face in fury as she reached the middle where El no longer stood but Angela did. She looked over at El's runaway exit, making sure to follow after she dealt with the blonde bitch.
"Why did you do that!?" She yelled angrily, her fingers balling into fists once again. Angela turned around and giggled, every teen's eyes were now on Max.
"Oh, are you mad I hurt the crybaby? What is she your girlfriend?" Everyone laughed. "I bet the freak is a queer."
That was it that was the last straw.
Max reeled her hand back as she full-out scowled.
"You could find better friends anyway unless you're a queer, too-" Max punched her square in the face. Making the blonde stagger back and fall in shock. Kids gasped but Max didn't stop.
She fell to Angela's level and began to punch her over and over, slapping her as well as dark bruises began to form on the face some once thought of as perfect. "Don't ever talk about Jane like that again!" She cried, this time punching her square in her right eye. "You bitch! Don't ever even look at my friend!" Another punch, this one hitting her nose. "You're the freak! You're all the freaks!" She swung her fist again but was stopped, the buffer teen from the wrestling game, now pulling her away from Angela's bruised and bloodied body. "Jane never did anything to you! You're the freaks!" She yelled, before roughly pulling her hand away and skating off.
Kids were hesitant and seemed to wait until she was off the ring to crowd around the crying blonde. "Holy shit, Angela, Hey. You okay?" The boy who had poured the milkshake asked as he and the dark-skinned girl bent down to their injured friend.
Max hurried to the room El had dashed into, making a detour to change her shoes and give back her skates as well as throw away her milkshake. When she opened the door she found the other girl crying and wiping her eyes with a napkin as she quietly sobbed. For just a second, she looked at Max.
"You can't let her treat you like that," Max spoke softly, she closed the door behind her.
"I- I know... She's less mean than that usually." Max frowned and walked over.
"That doesn't change shit, El. She's still a bitch and you don't deserve that." El only sniffled. Max sighed and crouched down beside her, hands fiddling together while resting upon her knees. "I dealt with her if you're wondering..."
"What did you do?"
"I punched her... a lot... in the face."
El froze. "Oh, God, Max!? Why?"
Max turned to her with a stern stare. "Because, you don't deserve this, Eleven. She doesn't get to think she can treat you like shit. She also called us... queers..."
Eleven gave her a pity look, her hand falling on Max's shoulder as the other averted her gaze. Only El had known Max had crushes on girls she never knew what it made her friend, but she accepted her nonetheless. "Oh, Max..."
Max turned to her with a glare again. "No! El, don't feel sorry this isn't about me. It's about you."
El was silent before she looked down, her voice becoming small and shakey. "Are you mad at me?"
"El, no-"
"F-for lying?"
Max swallowed before she shook her head.
"But friends don't lie-"
"Everyone lies, El. Even friends, I've lied to you before anyway." Clear memories of pretending she liked Lucas and not El popped into her head.
"Okay." She sniffled and Max couldn't take it. She pulled El into a hug allowing the other girl to rest her head on her chest while Max laid her head on her shoulder. "I shouldn't have dragged you into this, Max."
Max was silent.
"So-Sometimes," El's voice cracked. "I wish I could just go back to Hawkins with you, never have to see Angela or anyone else again just be back with you and the party."
"Me too, El, me too."
Max pulled away, and took a lingering look at the other girl, before pulling herself off the ground. "Come on, El, let's go before Angela's friends get payback." She pulled off her jacket. "I'll take you home." She draped it over the other girl's shoulders.
El seemed to blush as she looked at Max, a tear sliding down her cheek. Max offered her hand out to El who took it as she used her other hand to pull the jacket closer and hide the top of her stained dress.
Max wiped the tear away.
"Thank you, Max." El's voice was soft and small. It brought butterflies to Max's stomach as she linked their hands.
"You know I'm always here for you, El."