Max's POV

I knocked on the basement door, waited for the chorus of helloes and let myself in, I didn't quite feel like I could just walk in like the rest of the guys, not just yet, although I was getting there. They always made me feel welcome, especially Dustin I smiled to myself.

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General POV

"Hey Max" said Dustin, "where've you been?"

She'd been visiting her new friend at the cabin daily, leaving after breakfast and getting back sometime after lunch. She hadn't seen the boys much at all and they were starting to wonder whether everything with Max was ok as she'd been pretty secretive about the whole thing. She didn't know that the boys had been trying to work out what was going on, they didn't like keeping secrets from each other and hated a mystery, and they were starting to think that Max was involved in both.

"Yeah Max, where do you go every morning?" said Lucas, subtle as usual.

Mike punched him in the shoulder, "nice, Lucas. Max, we're just worried about you, you're like really distant this week. Its ok, it's just, you know, since last year, we tend to watch out for each other more closely".

Over the space of the last few months they'd filled Max in on what happened, bit by bit. They left certain parts out, like El's telekinesis and the bad men, and adjusted surrounding parts of the story to fit, but they'd been honest about Will, the upside down, a monster, and that El disappeared. They had to include her, if only to explain Mike's...well, to explain Mike.

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Max's POV

I'd been thinking about this all week, the girl clearly needed friends, people to care about her, to talk to, to help her, and the guys were the most perfect friends Max could ever hope for. They were loyal, funny, caring, and thoughtful. They had an unshakable bond. I think I'm going to tell them where I've been, and see if they can come with me tomorrow, I'm sure she won't mind, she trusts me.

"Guys, I need to tell you something, remember last week I got caught in the rain in the woods?", they all nodded, "well, I found this cabin, and there was this girl there, and she let me stay inside until the rain stopped".

"Okaaay" they said in unison, not really seeing where this was going.

"Well, I've been going there every day this week, I dunno, I think she's living there all by herself, she says she lives with her father but there is like literally no evidence anyone else is there. She barely speaks". Shall I tell them about the food, the scar...I don't know, will it sound weird? Screw it, I need some advice. "I saw her by the stream, washing, she doesn't know I saw, she has a massive scar on her back, she's been through some serious shit I think".

"Wait" Dustin says, "so she's there by herself?" I nod. "So, what does she eat?" The others roll their eyes, "what? It's a fair question, it's not like she goes shopping much from what Max says!"

"The other day we went for a walk in the woods, she took me to this box where someone leaves her food. She said it was her father, but seriously, it was the weirdest thing I've seen, like who does that? Do you guys maybe want to come with me tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I guess so" said Will. "Erm, will she be ok if we all just turn up?"

I was worried about that too, "when we get there I'll just go first and tell her you'd like to meet her, how does that sound?"

"What's her name?" asked Mike. I still had no idea, I shrugged my shoulders, "I know it's weird, but I really don't know". I saw Mike's reaction, he was starting to get restless, like with nervous energy. "What does she look like?" he asked. "Umm, she's like our age, a bit shorter than me, has shortish brown hair..."

"What about her eyes?" he asked, interrupting. Strange question, but ok, "I guess she has big, brown eyes, and they..."

"They what?"

"I dunno, she doesn't really do eye contact, but when she looked at me, I dunno, I got kinda lost in them, like they are hiding something that I just can't fathom...", that sounded so strange, I don't know why I said it like that, but it was the truth. She needed help, I needed to rescue her from something, but I had no idea what. I saw Mike shoot up and start pacing the room, Dustin and Lucas were looking at each other seemingly asking a silent question between them, only Will looked as perplexed as me.

Mike broke the silence, "do you guys...do you think it could be her?" He had a look of such hope on his face. 

Dustin and Lucas just shrugged, not knowing what to say, "I mean, it could be, but why would she hide, if she was back she'd come straight here...to you" said Dustin. 

Will looked like he'd just caught up with the conversation, "you think it's her? You think it's Eleven?" Mike didn't say a word, he just ran upstairs, up to his room, and slammed the door.

Max looked confused by Mike's reaction, "guys, what am I missing with Mike and Eleven? I mean, you guys only knew her for a week". Lucas and Dustin looked at each other, like they were trying to work out how much to say, whether to let her in on the full details. 

Will looked at Max "I never met her, but I know two things, Mike loves her, he won't admit it but he does, he's never been the same since she...left...". 

"And the second thing?" asked Max. 

"She saved my life, when I was lost, and afraid, and...and dying, she came to me and gave me the strength to hold on...I don't remember what she looked like, but I remember her voice, how she made me feel, like I would make it if I just held on". 

Max looked stunned, "I don't understand, how did she find you there?". 

Lucas and Dustin gave in, deciding to tell Max everything they knew, from the night they found her in the rain, when she slammed to door with her mind, when they found the fake body and she used the walkie-talkie to hear Will singing (Will looked pained at the reminder), to saving Mike from the cliff, and flipping the van. They told her about the bath, and then the final time they saw her, destroying the Demogorgon, and herself, in the process. Max couldn't quite believe what she was hearing, but she knew they'd never lie. "Mike won't tell us the whole story though, he's keeping things to himself, personal shit he can't share" said Dustin, "they had a real connection, I didn't really get it, but, I dunno, she brought out the best in him, like he wanted to be more...for her" added Lucas, clearly struggling to find the right words. They sat in silence for a while, not really knowing what to say or do.

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