Chapter Text
Her skateboard had flown out from under her feet, and she felt her heart lurch in her chest.
Max's eyes lock onto Eleven's- definitely not who she was expecting, but she could work with this, play it cool.
Eleven wasn’t someone Max was particularly close with, she thought her powers were awesome -like a classic comic book hero- but admittedly, Max didn’t know anything else about her, and she was honestly kind of ashamed. Well, she didn’t know anything about Eleven, aside from her powers and her relationship with Mike Wheeler.
Really, deep down, Max didn’t have a lot against Mike. He was occasionally a good leader, and he was protective of El, but Max thought he was too possessive, too defensive, or maybe even a bit controlling too (she remembered Lucas mentioning that none of the party had really gotten much of a chance to get to know El, seeing how much time she’d spend with just Mike).
“Hi,” Eleven’s voice was soft, and wavered slightly as she uttered the greeting. If Max didn’t know any better, she might even say El was nervous, but then Max sees the way her knuckles are white gripping her skateboard and she sees the way El’s brows furrow a little, and holy shit- El was nervous.
Max tries to relax, smirking but still confused, “Hi?”.
And then? Eleven just starts to spill, and God if Max didn’t already hate Michael Wheeler as El’s boyfriend, this would’ve been the final nail in the coffin.
Later on, Max sits on the phone with El, giggling about her impressive powers and dramatically gasping when El reveals she really has no clue who this ‘wonderous’ woman is that Max compares her to. It makes her smile, and she’s grateful that Eleven came to her rather than Hopper- she can imagine how helpful he would have been- but a part of her heart hurts that El doesn’t really have anyone else to talk to about this, no mother figure, no best friend, and not really any close friends at all seeing how much time she spends with Mike.
She thinks about how vulnerable El had looked confessing to her how she suspected Mike was lying to her- how he had been colder and emotionally distant to a degree, but was still physically affectionate (Max had tried to be discreet when she rolled her eyes, but seriously? He had no issue making out but could barely spare her some time for a phone call? Unbelievable). There was so much El didn’t know about the world, she didn’t even know her own name outside of a number, but she knew how to make-out?
So, when she lies in bed, breathless and smiling about her newfound friendship, Max devises a plan… but to do this she’ll need to grovel and maybe even sacrifice a part of her dignity, because there are nerdy things she doesn’t know, and who better to help her cause than him?
“Please, man,” Max is vaguely desperate now, but she’s too proud to really beg, feigning nonchalance as she looks around at the copious film posters (she thinks she recognizes Star Wars and Gremlins- and she thinks that one might be so ironic it’s almost distasteful).
Dustin is at his computer and doesn’t look even remotely swayed by her argument- something about having her and someone named Suzie as female friends being enough for him, regardless of how cool he finds El. It’s here that Max finds a crack in his façade, and it is glorious.
He blushes.
Dustin’s cheeks are dusted with a pink hue, faint enough that it could be attributed to the heat- but Max is desperate and desperate people will twist something, that could be nothing, into everything.
Max playfully gasps, and covers her mouth suspiciously as Dustin slowly turns in his chair, narrowing his eyes as he says, “Max…what’re you thinking? Whatever you’re thinking you’re wrong, Max.”
She raises her eyebrows suggestively, an expression laced with unadulterated joy at finally having something she could work with to get him on board with her plan- “I didn’t realise you had a crush, Dustin! Oh, this is absolute gold- you’ve gotta help me now, don’t you see?”
Dustin sighs, tiredly wiping his hand across his face and slumping in his chair, “I don’t see why I need to do anything for you, Max! You’ve got nothing, what you just want me to teach her how to be a nerd?”
“Yes! Exactly, now you’re getting it, Henderson. Just think about it, we get to help El discover who she is and make friends outside of her boyfriend, and you get to catch her up to speed on your favourite thing- school! You’ll be helping her and enjoying yourself. So, when you eventually come round to this, give me a call, okay?”
Max turns to leave, crossing her fingers and repeating please in her head like a mantra, because as much as she knows about being cool and really having fun- she can’t help El catch up on school like Dustin could, given that he’s practically guaranteed valedictorian in high school, and it would really be good for El to have some guy friends in her life too, besides Mike.
She can practically feel the gears turning in his head as Max goes to casually close Dustin’s bedroom door, and she begins to believe that maybe Dustin was just warm, and maybe he doesn’t like El like that, and maybe she’s made a complete fool of herself, when-
“I’ll do it,” he says, defeatedly, “but only if I can have a say in the ‘cool’ stuff you teach her.”
He looks a little uncertain, but Max can tell he really wants to help, based on the way he purses his lips, clearly thinking about everything they would be able to show El, and how she would grow as a person- plus if he did a good job in tutoring her she might even be able to join them at school when it comes around, hell she might even enjoy science! Not the way Dustin does of course, there’s a passion there that he doesn’t think would catch on, and he thinks he’ll embarrass himself and El will think he’s too nerdy or maybe he’d make it too complicated for her, and she won’t learn.
He's determined now, though, and he thinks that maybe they can give El a chance at a more normal life, even with (or if he’s lucky, without,) Mike.
“You’ve got a deal.”