She had her doubts. One, he couldn't just be avoiding her like that for nothing. Sure they weren't very close like Dustin is with Lucas or Will is with Elle, but she always considered her and Mike a sort of "underdog team".

She's been reading too many comic books, that's what.

"Max!" Elle looped her arms around Max's waist and gave the shorter girl a bear hug. Max embraced Elle awkwardly, having never really enjoyed physical contact. Her mother was never a lover of hugging, so when she did hug Max once in a while, it felt so stiff and distant that if it weren't for the bright orange hair and blue eyes they both shared, she would have thought they were perfect strangers.

"Hey Elle! How are you?"

"Fantastic! Joyce said she'd take me shopping later for some new sweaters. I'm thinking of dragging Will with me since he's got a good eye for stuff like clothes, but I thought you and me could go together after school!"

"You and me?" Max asked. The shock in her voice must have been obvious because Elle's face immediately darkened. "It's fine if you don't want to! I get that you're not free, what with your AVA club sessions." The brunette smiled softly. "I understand. Sometimes Mike is busy too with AVA and stuff."

Max wanted to hit herself on the head. God, how could she be so insensitive to Elle? The girl obviously just wanted to hang out with her and get to know her better. The redhead bit her lip in contemplation.

Make Elle happy you dumbass! She's probably the only genuine Friend you'll ever meet till you're like, seventy.

"No don't worry about the AVA club sessions! I'll just skip it today and hang out with you around town." Elle's face brightened at her words. "Really? You would skip AVA to hang out with me? We could hang out anytime, I don't want to make you feel pressured into skipping." Elle said, nervously twisting her fingers together.

"You're not forcing me! We'll just have a...girls day! Girls afternoon!"

"Oh that's so cool! I don't have a lot of girlfriends to hang out with, except Erica."

Mental note, ask Elle later who this "Erica" is.

"Well anyways, I'm going to be late for English if I don't leave now. Let's meet outside school straight after your last class, then we can walk around downtown!" Max nodded her head, slamming her own bright red locker closed. After another exchange of details, the two girls eventually parted ways, both with smiles on their beautiful faces.

________

"Elle, I'm not sure if this is my kind of style."

"No, no, no, you look lovely!" Elle insisted, dressed in a Long button up white dress with peach and blue thin lines crossing horizontally all over. Max herself was wearing something similar, but instead of a dress shirt, she wore a Long flared red dress with a bow around her waist. The design was so flamboyant and bright, it did nothing to compliment Nor make Max feel pretty at all. She felt like a present box that was wrapped too tight.

"Elle, you look lovely, but I don't. Honestly, this dress is so tight I can hardly even breathe in it. I probably won't even be able to eat in this bandage dress." Max hissed as nicely as she could. Elle laughed at the uncomfortable face Max was making before dragging her back into the changing rooms.

"Then we'll go try on some more!"

"I thought we were shopping for your sweaters, Elle!"

The exhilarated brunette let out a breathy giggle before spinning the redhead around to face her. "Yeah but isn't it amazing to just try on clothes and not have to buy them? It's so...so..."

"- exhilarating?"

"Yes!" Elle giggled.

"Come on, let's go Put these back and get some ice cream. I'll get the sweaters later."

"Okay but I'm getting three scoops!"

________

Later that day, the two girls were at Elle's house. Joyce was inside cooking dinner and the tempting smells smelled so good that Max wished she could stay for dinner. But she didn't want to just insert herself, that would be so fucking rude of her. Especially when Joyce didn't even know her.

"Today was really fun, Max," Elle said, "Thanks for that." The brunette turned her head towards Max and smiled. They were laid on the grass, eyes fixed on the rapidly darkening sky and the fluffy white clouds. "Thanks for today too. It was really nice getting to hang out with a girl for a day."

"You've never hung out with a girl before?" Elle asked curiously, turning her body to fully face Max. The redhead blushed, eyes turning misty.

"I do, I mean I did. Before I started wearing flannel jackets and jeans and shorts, the girls in California wore these crazy patterns and dresses and lipstick. I wasn't into that but I desperately wanted to make a Friend who was a girl for once. So I forced myself to wear the greasy makeup, put on those patterned dresses, and style my hair up into something under than a ponytail. My mom loves it of course, told me that she was so happy I was finally being normal." Max scoffed teary-eyed. "Like what the fuck even is the meaning of the word normal. This town isn't normal, my clothes aren't normal, and...and I'm certainly not normal either, no matter how much I try."

"I'm sorry." Elle said softly, raising a hand to stroke Max's face, wiping away the hot tears. "It's okay, Elle. Thanks for listening I Guess." She laughed nervously. Max never cried in front of anyone, but with Elle she felt safe.

"I think you're cool, Max. So cool. You're not weird. You're always doing things that you're scared of, like those tricks I saw you doing by the park with your skateboard. I thought it was so brave of you to do them even if you were scared." The two girls stared at each other with a look of awe on their faces. Each girl respected each other for being so brave and so tough, like a hero just because of the little things they did daily in life.

What they didn't realise was that when they did confess to each how much they admired each other, it strengthened their friendship in a way Max couldn't explain. Her emotions were jumping around and she couldn't grasp a single one.

"I-thank you. That was really nice of you to say." Max laughed awkwardly. Elle shrugged and rose, glancing towards the back door.

"I better get inside now, it's getting dark and you should go home early. I don't want you having to walk alone in the dark." Elle said worriedly, twisting her fingers around. Max stood and dusted her shorts.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"I know. Take care, Max. Today was awesome." Elle wrapped the redhead into a hug, squeezing her tightly before giving her another beam and walking away into the house.

Max stood there, arms frozen by her side and mouth agape before slowly, smiling. Elle was such a treasure to her. After today, she had a warm and sure feeling that they had both just gotten closer, and that the day of trying clothes and eating ice cream would never be forgotten, at least for her.

I can't do this to Elle. She's so nice to me and the first girlfriend I've made since I've moved here. I can't break her heart by going behind her back and falling for her Boyfriend. That's just wrong. So messed up. And Elle doesn't deserve that pain.

Tears pooled again in Max's eyes but for an entirely different reason. She was such a whore, doing this to one of the best people on the planet. God, what would she say or do if she found out? Never be her Friend ever again, that's what.

And that night, when she had finished her dinner and gone up to bed, she turned up the volume on (I just) Died in your arms. Hugging her pillow close to her and crying.

I keep lookin for something I can't get
Broken hearts all around me
And I don't see an easy way to get out of this.

________

☮︎✧✞ nicole speaks! ;
So technically the song Died in your arms was released on 25 July 1986 in the United Kingdom, and then released to the United States on 1 January 1987. Um, I know that the year right now for them would be 1987 as sixteen year olds and the month is currently November so that's good. Also it kind of relates to her whole heartbreak situation (a few lines in the song). If there are any songs that's real good other than what I have chosen please comment down below what songs you think would fit this book ( has to be released before or in 1987) that would be real cool! XD ❤️