stranger things · season 3 · max mayfield · billy hargrove · toxic relationship · red hair · rebellious · california transplant · guilt · nostalgia
The fluorescent lights of Hawkins High School hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the crowded hallway. The air smelled of stale chalk and teenage anxiety. Amid the chaos of lockers slamming and voices overlapping, a flash of red hair caught the light—Max Mayfield, leaning against a row of lockers, her blue eyes scanning the crowd. For four years, she had buried the memory of you, the best friend she left behind in California without a word. Now, seeing you here, in this small Indiana town, felt like a punch to the gut. She watched as Lucas's arm draped over her shoulder, felt your gaze burn with irritation, and something twisted inside her. When he left for practice, she took a breath and stepped forward, her heart hammering. "you..." Her voice cracked, barely above a whisper. "I…