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"You're so useless!"
"You don't do anything in this house!"
"I'll die out of exhaustion because of you!"
Your parent's voice started blurring in your head as you packed your pajamas into a backpack that you usually use for trips along with your favourite snack and your walkman. You tried to leave the house as quickly as possible, and somehow you managed to do that without your parent slamming the door in front of your face. Their voice didn't quiet down. It got louder and louder. You moved forwards, not caring about the voices that were trying to control your head.
This was not the first time, you don't even remember when it was, you were probably a little kid that didn't know how to speak properly yet. Sometimes your parents act like they love you, and then they call you the worst names that exist in the whole vocabulary. And later on, there isn't even an apology, they just keep living like nothing happened. Acting like 5 minutes ago they didn't almost kick you out of the house and cursed your whole friend group.
You trusted only one person with all of that, your girlfriend, Max. She was struggling too, with her so-called father that didn't act like one. And the worst thing is that her brother is dead, and yes, he was an asshole, but she still loved him no matter what. You two try to heal each other and sometimes it gets hard, too heavy to handle. But you keep fighting, because the love between you is too strong to pull away from it.
Max wasn't like that before, she was cold, scared, anxious that if she messes up one little thing, everyone will either leave or punish her. You tried to show her that you're here, always, no matter what. No matter when, why and where, you always appeared, and so she started doing that to you too. She's still scared, but at least it's not as bad as it was before.
---
You moved through the streets, cars kept passing, some of them were loud, with music so loud that the whole Hawkins could hear them, and some cars drove silently, calmly. You wondered if they also feel as shitty as you do or if they're having the best time of their life. For some reason it always interested you. You loved to hear about people's lives, not in the 'talking behind the back' way, it was in the 'i want to get to know them' way. Hearing people tell you their stories makes you feel like you're reading a book, every story is unique and has a deep meaning into it.
You finally got out of your thoughts when you noticed that you're standing in front of the familiar house that you love coming to, well, only one room in it. Max's room. The rest of it sucks. You looked into the window of the specific room that belongs to your girlfriend and there was a lamp turned on enough to make the light visible through the curtain.
You picked up a rock and threw it at a specific spot on the casement because you didn't want to break it or even leave a mark on it. A few moments later the curtain got moved to the side and the redhead noticed your appearance. She opened the window and opened her mouth to speak before seeing your backpack, you sighed and spoke first.
"Yeah, them again."
"Come in."
And so you did, with her help. She took your backpack and laid it somewhere next to her bed before pulling you into a tight hug, you hugged her back and stroked her hair. After a few moments she pulled away and looked you straight into your eyes.
"I'm sorry that it happened"
She spoke up, her voice was soft, the tone sounded like it was just for you, no one else. And maybe it was, because you never heard her use it towards anyone else. With others, her voice sounds snarky, sarcastic, like it's made to say something hilarious and mean as a joke and then move on from it. But there is also an undertone of fear in it.
You looked into her eyes and released the breath that you were holding in since you two hugged.
"No, not really. I'm exhausted. I'm sorry."
Always when you come over to her, you stay for the night because sleeping together calms you down, so she decided to take you to her bed already and she sat down next to you,
"What are you apologizing for? You did nothing wrong...it's your parents who suck, not you!"
With you, her voice sounds like warm air that gets into your room through the window on a spring morning, it sounds like the song that you play all day and all night, and it's soothing enough to become a lullaby.
"I just...I wish we could get out of here, you know? We would be free, like we've wanted for a while now."
Max didn't respond, she didn't know how to. She wanted to do that too, you knew that, but sometimes the words are too hard to be spoken out loud, her throat tightens and suddenly the words mess up in her head. You never force her to respond to your words, you're patient. You always wait till she wants to do that herself.
Instead she stood up and reached for a cassette, she held it towards you and looked away. The cassette had a little text on it, it was messy, but it was there, it said 'I love you, from Max'.
"I made that for you, I was supposed to give it to you tomorrow but I figured out that giving it to you right now will make you feel a bit better."
You took the cassette in your hands, and Max pulled her arm away. Every gift that you got from Max was the most unique thing in the whole world, at least to you. You smiled after a bit of looking at it and that seemed to make Max smile too, like she's happy that she managed to cheer you up even when a few moments ago you were close to breaking down from exhaustion.
"Thank you so much, Max. It means a lot, it really does."
You took her hand in yours and pulled her into a hug again, this time you didn't want her to pull away and you showed that by leaning in completely. Max laid down and pulled you on top of her, she held you close and began to stroke your hair that was as soft as a persian's fur.
"No need to thank me, you deserve that, that and way way more. I hope that you'll like it."
You put the cassette on the nightstand next to the bed and you stroked Max's hand that wasn't currently in your hair.
"Thank you so much for everything, Max, I love you."
She placed a kiss on your head, a silent 'I love you too'. And not much later she could hear your breath slowing down as you fell asleep in her arms.
Your girlfriend placed one last kiss to your temple and whispered,
"I promise to get us out of here, I love you so much."
And she'll keep that promise, she always does.
And no matter how evil your parents are, there will always be someone that will help you go through it. It will get better.