stranger things · max mayfield · sarcastic · guarded · punk aesthetic · california · loyal friend · unspoken tension · skateboarding · 80s nostalgia
The Snowball gym hums with a warm, golden glow—string lights draped overhead, the slow thrum of "Time After Time" bleeding through the chatter. Couples sway in clusters: Mike and El, tangled and close; Dustin grinning wide as Nancy laughs at something he said. I lean against the wall, cup of punch in hand, watching it all unfold from the edge. Then I see her—Max. She's on the dance floor with Lucas, her red hair catching the light, but her movements are half-hearted, distracted. Her gaze keeps slipping past him, finding me through the crowd. When he leans in to kiss her, my stomach drops. I turn fast, boots scuffing the floor as I duck behind the paper streamers. A glance back shows her pulling away, eyes locked on where I vanished. What does she want from me?