*40. babe

BABE

✧･ﾟ: * "How are you doing?" Nora asks as she lays across the roof of some old car in the junkyard the morning after they parked there.

They just finished burying the body of the security dude, and Will and Mike are on the hood of their own car having some deep talk while Jonathan and Argyle are getting high in the van.

"I'm good. As good as I can be. You?"

"I'm fine," Nora nods. "Worried," she uses an arm to shield the sun beating down on her face.

"Yeah," Max says from her position sitting up on the roof, legs hanging over the side so her back is to Nora. "I should call my dad soon."

"Yeah, I need to talk to Steve."

"How is he?" Max turns to Nora now, but the girl still has her eyes covered and closed. "How's everyone? I feel like I'm not in the loop anymore."

"Maybe if you hung out with us more. . ."

"Yeah, don't act like you don't hate that Hellfire Club too," Max won't let Nora guilt trip her. "Sorry I like spending my time doing more worthwhile things."

"Join the cheer squad, Ms. No One Understands Me Like Music Does," Nora snarks, moving so she's sitting on her elbows now, squinting up at Max. "And I don't hate Hellfire, Hellfire hates me."

"How come?" Max looks kinda concerned.

"I dunno," Nora shrugs it off. "I'm not really into the game like they are, I guess."

"Too caught up in cheer?" Max looks understanding, but Nora knows she doesn't take the cheerleading thing seriously.

"It's fun," Nora finds herself trying to convince Max her hobbies are interesting too for the hundredth time. "Cheer is to me as skateboarding is to you," she tries saying it in terms Max will understand.

"I don't believe that," Max just shakes her head, dismissing it as always. "Your favorite subject is Science, Nor. You can't fool me."

"I think it just goes to show the. . . complexity of women, and how I can be. . . multifaceted. . . and not reduced to a single personality trait, y'know?"

"I could never hear those words out of a cheerleader's mouth. It's okay, babe, just say you did it for Lucas and we can move on."

"I did not do it for Lucas!" Nora sits up completely now, moving so she's next to Max and can stare at her taken aback. "I don't-. . . did you just call me 'babe'?" Nora suddenly backtracks.

"I meant it, like. . . ironically. In a 'haha. . . babe' kinda way. Don't be weird about it," Max starts avoiding all eye contact by looking in the other direction.

"Oh my God," Nora doesn't give it up, but it now seems like she's talking to herself more. "We call each other 'babe' now."

"No," Max pretends to inspect her nails, picking here and there. "It was a fluke."

"A fluke?" Nora repeats, amused, trying to make eye contact with Max who keeps looking away.

"A fluke," Max nods. "We can talk about something else now. You in love with Lucas? Wanted to be one of those high school sweetheart couples?"

"Yeah," Nora nods just to be annoying. "Lucas and I call each other 'babe.' I don't expect you to get it."

"Hm, I wouldn't," Max starts staring at the sky as if she sees something up there. "I'm happy for you two."

"That means a lot," Nora keeps moving her head around Max's to force the redhead to look at her. "Now stop changing the subject, babe. Where did that come from?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I think this heat is getting to you. Do you want some water?"

"I would love some, babe."

"Kay, I'll be right back," Max nods, taking the opportunity to slide off the car and get away from Nora, towards the van where there were like two old, spare water bottles, ignoring some of Nora's word choice.

"Thanks, babe!" Nora calls after her, getting a middle finger in response.

Nora goes back to her comfortable position on her back, arms over her eyes as she waits for Max to come back.

She's not really sure what she's thinking about, her thoughts jumping from El to Max to Hawkins to her life in Hawkins to Max to her friends to Mike who was acting weird earlier to Max to Will who was acting weird earlier to Max to how she saw someone die to Max the fact that she must be a horrible friend for thinking about Max so often when her friends and family could literally be dying to Max again.

"What are you thinking about?" Nora hears Max come back and feed the redhead climb onto the car again, now lying down next to Nora so they're both facing up with the sun beating down on their faces, a water bottle being dropped on Nora's stomach.

"Nothing," Nora takes the water bottle and sits up to sip out of it. "Babe," she then adds cheekily.

Max groans and sits up on her elbows to shove Nora's arm softly. "Let it go, please."

"Never, babe," Nora shakes her head matter-of-factly.

Max groans again and falls onto her back, Nora following soon after so they're next to each other again.

They sit there for awhile, sweating in the California heat with their arms over their eyes. Nora's pretty sure she falls asleep at some point, assuming someone will wake her up when they come up with a real plan rather than just living the rest of their lives on the run.

"I miss Billy," Max says suddenly, breaking Nora from her most likely heat stroke induced trance, causing her to sit up a bit, looking at Max slightly concerned.

"Really?" Nora didn't know Billy that well, but she knew he was a raging asshole with anger issues and a shitty personality. But also how upset Max was when he died.

"Yeah," Max doesn't sit up, so she's still in the same position with her eyes covered as if this is a normal conversation. "I kinda feel like. . . like it's my fault he's gone."

"None of it was your fault, Max," Nora tries comforting, unsure how to deal with emotions very well.

"I know. I mean, I know I'm supposed to tell myself that. I just- I used to wish that, like, something bad would happen to him. . . and, then, something bad did happen to him. . . like I manifested it into the universe or something."

"He was an asshole, Max," Nora can't help but give her own opinion. "And I know I shouldn't say this, but he deserved everything he had coming for him. I know he's your brother, - trust me, I understand that better than anyone - but he treated you like shit, Max. Seriously, fuck him."

Max laughs softly at this, and Nora relaxes slightly as she realizes she did something kinda right.

"Fuck him," the redhead repeats, and Nora lays down again as she can sense her demeanor change.

"Fuck him, babe," Nora knows she totally ruined the moment, especially with the way Max shoves her and the impact sends her falling into the sand.

"I'm so sorry," Max sits up suddenly, but practically falls over with how hard she laughing.

Nora spits out a mouthful of sand and glares as best she can while dusting herself off. "Okay, fuck you too, babe."

a/n:

my school crush has been acquired and as a celebration of this momentous occasion u guys get 2 chapters today 🤞😊😋🤘🤭🤗