𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑
𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 pt3

roa sat on the couch, glancing at max once again. she saw max turn her head a little.

"i know you guys are staring at me," max pointed out.

"what, sorry?" everyone said.

"who?" roa looked away and started playing rock,paper, scissors by herself.

"you said you needed something?" lucas looked up from the newspaper.

"just hanging out," steve started tossing a ball in the air.

"how you think your eyes boring
into the back of my head is protecting me from vecna, i don't know," she stood up and walked towards their way.

roa was still playing, max sighed. "you can look at me now."

"thank you, sorry." they all said at the same time.

max handed dustin a envelope, "for you," then handed one to steve, "for you," then to lucas, "for you", she turned to roa, "and, um, you."

roa was looking at max sadly, gripping onto the envelope. maxs gaze lingered on hers, she cleared her throat. "oh, and, um, give these to mike, el, and will." she handed the others to lucas.

everyone started opening their envelopes, "what are you doing? no, don't. that's not for now, don't open it now," max rushed out.

"okay," roa lifted her hands up as everyone stopped. "what is this, red?"

"it's um, it's a fail-safe. for after. if things don't work out," max implied.

roa sat straight up, "wait, whoa. red, things are gonna work out," she defended.

"no!" max ushered out, "no, i don't need you to reassure me and tell me it's all gonna work out. people have been telling me that my entire life and it's almost never true," she ranted.

roa looked down at the floor, she felt steve rub her back.

"it's never true," max stated, her voice lowering as she looked at roa. "i mean of course this asshole curses me. should've seen that one coming," she sighed and turned away. picking up the walkie-talkie. "if we go to east hawkins, will this reach pennhurst?"

"of course. yeah," dustin replied.

"why are we talking about east hawkins?" steve furrowed his brows. max gave him a look. "no. no. no!"

max rolled her eyes, and walked towards roa. grabbing her hand, then walking upstairs as steve groaned.

they made it outside with max and roa walking fast.

"max! roa! seriously. i'm not joking, i'm not driving you guys anywhere," he caught up to the girls.

"steve, if you think me and my girl are gonna spend what is likely the last day of my life in the armpit that is mike wheelers basement, then you are out of your mind. either take me where i need to go or tie me down, which is technically kidnapping a minor. and if i live to see another day, steve, i swear to god i will prosecute," max warned as they walked towards steve's car as she tried to open the door.

roa smirked at her girl, max then gave him a look. "open the door." she demanded as steve eyebrows raised.

"uh, no."

"i know a good lawyer," roa threatened, siding with max. steve stared at her in shock and disbelief. "she does," max stared at steve's straight in the eyes.

steve scoffed and opened the door, "henderson, that super walkie of yours better reach pennhurst."

they all got into the car, but roa spotted max looking at nothing in the distance.

max laid her head on roa's shoulder, smiling to herself that her girl was always with her.
—
they went to maxs house and they're sitting in the car. roa picking at her lips, looking at the time that was above the radio. "something's not right," roa said aloud. max was taking long.

before anyone could respond, max comes speed walking over to the car. "hey! are you okay?," roa asked worriedly.

max sighed, passing a worried steve. "hey, woah, woah. you alright?"

roa picked up on the fact that maxs breathing was faster. "i'm fine. just drive." she demanded as she opened the car door, getting in and sitting next to roa, who instantly attached their hands together. she squeezed it three times.

"did something happen?" dustin asked, "can we please just go?"

max looked out the window, roa leaning her head on her shoulder. both of them watching the trees.

max turned her head slightly as roa glanced up. "turn here." she spoke up as dustin looked back. "here?" he asked as max nodded slowly.

roa looked out the window, noticing the graveyards. as steve pulled into the graveyard, max got out.

roa got out as well, "max?" she called out as she turned to face her. "roa, please, wait in the car."

she ran up to her, "max, just wait. max, please." she begged.

"roa, just wait—"

"just listen to me, please." roa stood infront of max, "i know something happened back there. was it vecna?" max gulped, "i told you, rory. i'm fine. okay?" she moved her head so she could avoid eye contact. "i mean, as fine as someone who's hurtling towards a gruesome death can be," she slightly joked, a fake smile on her face.

max looked down at the ground as she looked back up to see roa's worried look. "max.. you know you can talk to me right?"

"right, yeah. i know that." she nodded her head.

"okay, so please stop pushing us away," roa took out the letter from her back pocket. "i don't need a letter," she waved it infront if maxs face, "i dont want a letter. just talk to me. to your friends. we're right here. i'm right here. okay? i'm here."

max cleared her throat, pressing a quick kiss on roa's forehead. "just wait in the car. this won't be long." she walked off as she felt tears rise in her eyes, remembering the first time they kissed.

roa watched as she walked away in disbelief and tears threatening to fall out. she turned on her heels as she walked back towards the car. she sat inside, ignoring everyone's gaze.

time went by, roa leaned between the space of the driver and passenger seat. "steve, i'm worried." she sniffled as he looked back at her. the harrington boy looked at his watch, he nodded. "you're right. it's been long enough." he opened his door, roa mimicking his actions.

"steve, roa, just give her some time," said lucas, roa shot him a look. "we have! it's been too long," she retorted.

"i'm calling it. if she wants a lawyer, she can." steve walked backwards as he turned around, rubbing roa's back in sympathy. lucas sighed as he glanced at dustin.

as the duo walked towards max, roa squinted her eyes to notice her in a trance state. "max?! max! fuck! no!," she shouted as steve rushed towards her. she shook max as she cried. "no! this can't be happening. steve! we need to get her help, now!" she sobbed, biting her lips.

"MAX! please wake up." she yelled as steve ran back to get the boys. they all ran over and now all of them were calling out to max. "c'mon red. please you gotta get out of there." steve snapped his fingers, turning to face dustin and grabbing him by the collar.

"call nancy and robin! NOW! go get them. call nancy and robin!" he demanded, letting go of dustin as he ran off to call them.

roa cried as steve wrapped her in a hug, "max! red! get out of there."

dustin ran back over with all of max's mixtapes in his arms. "guys!" he called out.

"what is this?!" she waved her hands around as she looked at him. "what's her favorite song?" he questioned. "it's not the time for this dustin!" she spat out.

"robin said if she listens.. it's too much to explain at the moment!" he exclaimed as he breathed heavily. "what's her favorite song?" he repeated loudly as they all looked at roa.

she swallowed as she gasped a breathe from crying, "running up that—" she inhaled, "that hill by k-kate bush." she sniffled as steve rubbed her arm. they all scrambled to find the tape.

roa found it, "it's right here! got it!" she rushed to put it in the walkman. dustin quickly put the headphones over her ears.

while max was in the trance, she was stuck and vecna was trying to get to her. max thought of the memories she had. el, lucas, dustin, mike, will, especially roa. most of her favorite memories included roa.

"𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘮'𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘺?" 𝘮𝘢𝘹 𝘨𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

roa brought her hands to her mouth, falling backwards as max rose higher and higher into the air. she felt useless, watching her girl fight an invisible war with nothing but a song to save her. they were all screaming her name, roa's voice was the loudest.

finally, max gasped and she fell to the ground. roa gasped as she grabbed max and pulled into a tight hug. giving kisses on her hair, and forehead. "max! díos mio." she stammered as roa continued to hug her. "i'm not losing you! not ever. not now. i love you maxine mayfield."

"it's okay, i'm here. i'm still here," she held onto roa, she gazed into her eyes, "i love you too roa king," she leaned in and kissed her. they both leaned their foreheads together, savoring the moment.

the group of boys smiled at the interaction. roa grabbed maxs hand and squeezed it three times. max smiled and returned it, but with four squeezes. she understood.

+++
jasmin's corner

OEJWIDJWJD i died while writing this.