MaxDear Billy, I don't know if you can even hear this. Two years ago, I would have said, "That's ridiculous, impossible." But that was before I found out about alternate dimensions and monsters, so... I'm just going to stop assuming that I know anything. So much has happened since you left. Your dad was a total mess. He and my mom started getting into fights. Bad fights. I don't think he could stand being here without you. So he left. And he didn't leave Mom much. She's taken an extra job, and we moved to that lovely trailer park off Kerley. Basically, ever since you left, everything's been... a total disaster. And the worst part is, I can't tell anyone why you're gone. I can't tell them that you saved El's life. That you saved my life. I play that moment back in my head all the time. And sometimes I imagine myself running to you, pulling you away. I imagine that if I had, that you would still be here. And everything would be... everything would be right again. I imagine that we... that we could've become friends. Good friends, like... like a real brother and sister. And I know that's stupid. You hated me. I hated you. But I thought that maybe... maybe we could try again. But that's not what happened. I just... I stood there and I watched. For a while, I tried to be happy. Normal. But I... I think that maybe a part of me died that day too. And I haven't told anyone this. I... I just can't. But I had to tell you. Before it's too late. If you can even hear this. I really hope that you can. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Billy. Love, your shitty little sister, Max.
[Max and Billy are driving]
God, this place is such a shithole.
Max
It's not that bad.
No? [Buzzes down the window and holds his nose] Mmm, you smell that, Max? That's actually shit. Cow shit!
Max
I don't see any cows. [Buzzes the window up again]
Clearly, you haven't met the high school girls. So what, you like it here now?
Max
No!
Then why are you defending it?
Max
I'm not.
Max
It's just, we're stuck here, so...
Mm, you're right. We're stuck here. [Glares at her] And whose fault is that?
Max
[Under her breath] Yours.
Max
Nothing.
Did you say it's my fault?
Max
No!
You know whose fault it is. Say it. [Pause] Maaax... say it. SAY IT!!!
[He floors the gas pedal; Max looks up and is shocked to see Mike, Lucas and Dustin riding directly ahead of Billy's car]
Really, everyone dressed up last year.
Max
Billy, slow down.
Oh, these your new ape-friends?
Max
No! No, I don't know them.
Oh, then I guess you won't care if I hit 'em then, huh? I get bonus points, I get 'em all in one go!
Max
No, Billy, stop, it's not funny.
[Dustin notices Billy closing in on them]
[They all try desperately to outrun Billy]
Max
Billy, come on, stop! This isn't funny! Stop!
Max
BILLY, STOP IT!
Oh, shit shit shit shit shit...!
[Max yanks the steering wheel; at the last minute, Billy's car swerves into the other lane, barely missing the boys]
[Laughs maniacally] WHOOO! That was a close one, huh?!
[Dustin shows Mike, Will, Lucas and Max the "pollywog" he found]
His name is D'Artagnan. pPicks it up] Cute, right?
Max
And he was in your trash?
Foraging for food. You wanna hold him?
Max
No, no.
Max
I don't want to. [Dustin drops Dart into her hands] Oh, God, he's slimy!
[She passes Dart to Lucas]
Ugh, he's like a living booger! [Passes Dart to Will]
Oh, God, ugh! [Passes Dart to Mike, who stares at it]
[Grins] My question exactly. At first, I thought it was some type of pollywog.
Max
"Pollywog?"
It's another word for tadpole. Tadpole is the larval stage of a toad.
Max
I-I know what a tadpole is.
Alright, then you know that most tadpoles are aquatic, right? Well, Dart, he isn't, he doesn't need water.
Yeah, but aren't there non-aquatic pollywogs?
Terrestrial pollywogs? Yep, two to be exact. Indirana Semiplamata and the Adenomera Andreae. One's from India, one's from South America. So how did one end up in my trash?
Max
Maybe some scientists brought it here, and it escaped?
Did you guys see that? It looks like something is... moving inside it.
[He shines a lamp directly on Dart, who flinches and shrieks, startling them]
Whoa. [He grabs Dart as it tries to escape] It's okay, it's okay, I got you, little guy. I know you don't like that, it's okay. [Looks up] And there's another thing. Reptiles, they're cold-blooded. Ectothermic, right? They love heat, the sun. Dart hates it, it hurts him.
So, if he's not a pollywog, or a reptile...
Then I've discovered a new species.
[As he strokes Dart, Will has flashbacks of the larvae he coughed up last year, as well as the noises from his visions of the Upside Down, which sound just like Dart]
Max
Why do you hate me so much?
I don't hate you. How could I hate you, I don't even know you.
Max
Yeah but you don't want me in your party!
Max
Why not?
[Turns to her] Because you're annoying! Also we don't need another party member. I'm our paladin, Will's our cleric, Dustin is our bard, Lucas is our ranger, and El's our mage!
Max
El? Who's El?
Max
Someone or no-one?
She was in our party a long time ago. She moved away, okay? [Starts walking away]
Max
She was a mage? [Skateboards over to him] So what could she do, like magic tricks or something? Well, I could be your zoomer.
That's not even a real thing!
Max
It could be. [Skates around him in a circle] See? Zoomer.
Max
Oh come on, you know you're impressed.
[Eleven walks down a hallway as they continue talking. She stops and peeks into the room. She smiles upon seeing Mike, but frowns when she sees Max, feeling jealous. She tilts her head, using her powers to knock Max off her skateboard]
[To Max] Jesus! Are you alright?
Max
Yeah, I think so. [Mike helps her up, and Eleven's lip trembles]
Max
I don't know, it was just like a magnet or something pulling on my board. I know that sounds crazy.
[Mike thinks for a minute, and then turns in the direction of the door, but Eleven is already gone]
[Telling Max about their adventure with Eleven] And that was the last we ever saw of her. After that, she was just, gone. I can't believe it's been that long. Feels like yesterday.
Max
[Sarcastically] Yeah, I mean, I bet. Wow.
Max
It's crazy, but... I really liked it.
Max
Yeah. Well, I, I had a few issues.
Max
I just felt it was a little derivative, in parts, but-
What are you talking about?
Max
[Sneers] I just wish it had a little more originality, that's all.
Max
Lucas, come on. Seriously? How gullible do you think I am?
Why would I make this up?
Max
I don't know. To impress me, or something? Or, you're just, like... insane.
Angrily] I tell you all of this! I mean, top-secret stuff! Risking my life! And this is how you react?
Max
[Scoffs] "Risking your life?"
Oh, so this is funny to you?
Max
Yeah. I mean... kind of funny. [Lucas glares at her, she gets up] Stupid... but funny.
Max
Story time's over, isn't it? [She walks back into the Arcade, Lucas follows her]
What's wrong with you? I gave you what you wanted.
Max
I wanted to be a part of the group, not a part of some joke.
Max
You did a good job, okay? You can go tell the others that I believed your lies, if it gets you "experience points" or whatever. [She tries to walk away, but Lucas grabs her arm]
We have a lot of rules in our party, but the most important is, "Friends don't lie." Never ever, no matter what.
Max
[Sarcastically] Is that right? [Pulls the "Out of Order" sign off the Dig Dug console and slaps it on his chest] Then how do you explain this?
[Sighs] I had to do that. To protect you-
Max
[Angrily] To protect me from who, exactly?! The big, bad government baddies from Hawkins Lab?!
[Glancing around nervously] Lower your voice-
Max
Or, maybe it was to protect me from the "Demagorgon" from another dimension!
Max, I'm serious, shut up!
Max
Oh, no, no, no! You know what it was? It was Eleven, the girl-
[Clamps his hand over her mouth, leans forward and locks eyes with her] Stop talking. You're going to get us killed. Do you understand?
Max
[Pulls his hand down and stares at him] ... You're serious?
Max
...Prove it.
Max
So, what? I'm just supposed to trust you?
Did you guys know that Bob was the original founder of Hawkins AV Club?
He petitioned the school to start it, and everything. And then he had a fund-raiser for equipment. Mr. Clarke learned everything from him. Pretty awesome, right?
We can't let him die in vain.
Well, what do you wanna do, Mike? Alright, the Chief's right on this; we can't stop those Demo-dogs on our own.
Max
"Demo-dogs?"
Demogorgon, dogs. Demo-dogs. It's like a compound, it's like a play on words-
Max
Okay.
I mean, when it was just Dart, maybe.
[Holding up the drawing of the Shadow Monster] His army! Maybe if we stop him, we can stop his army too.
[They embrace tearfully]
Max
Is that...?
[Lucas and Dustin nod, both staring at Eleven]
I never gave up on you. I called you every night. Every night, for...
JIJane Ives/Eleven
Three hundred and fifty-three days. [Mike looks shocked] I heard.
Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?
Because I wouldn't let her. [To Eleven] The hell is this? Where you been?
JIJane Ives/Eleven
Where've you been?
[Eleven and Hopper embrace]
[Realizes, angrily] You've been hiding her. You've been hiding her this whole time! [Angrily shoves Hopper behind his back]
[Angrily grabs Mike] Hey!!
Max
[Walking up to the boys] Well isn't this a nice surprise.
[Sees Eleven and drops his bike] WHAT are you doing here?
Max
This is her new style. What do you think?
What's wrong with you? You know she's not allowed to be here!
Max
What is she, your little pet?
Then why do you treat me like garbage?
She is! [Looks to Lucas for support] She is! She is sick!
Yeah she's sick, she's really sick! That's why, we're here actually.
Yeah yeah, we're shopping! Not for us, but for her, for Nana!
For Nana! [Max stares at him, suspicious]
Also we're here to get a gift for you. [Eleven glares at him] We just, we couldn't find anything that suited you, and I only have like, three dollars and fifty cents so it's hard.
Super hard! It's.. it's expensive.
You lie. [Mike just looks at her] Why do you lie? [Mike doesn't respond. Eleven looks at the bus arriving, and, determined, walks up to Mike with a fierce expression] I dump your ass! [Mike looks shocked, while Max looks both shocked and impressed. Eleven turns and walks away to the bus, Max following. They giggle and hi-five]
[A frightened Eddie pins Steve to the wall with a broken bottle to his throat]
Eddie! Eddie! It's me. It's Dustin. This is Steve. He's not gonna hurt you, right, Steve?
Steve, why don't you drop the oar?
[Steve does so, but Eddie holds the broken bottle closer to Steve's throat]
[Choked] I'm cool, man. I'm cool.
Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band.
[She imitates playing the trumpet]
This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D.
[Max gives Eddie a half-hearted wave]
Eddie, we're on your side. I swear on my mother. Right, guys?
Max
Yes. Yes, we swear.
Yeah, Dustin's... Dustin's mother.
[After a tense pause, Eddie finally releases Steve]
So I've been thinking... two of the three of Vecna's victims were seeing Ms Kelly, right?
Max
Yeah.
Okay, so I figured there's a good chance Vecna cursed another one of her students. We go back to her office, we read all of her files, we look for mentions of headaches, nosebleeds, nightmares-
Max
Lucas-
We identify who's most likely his next victim-
Max
Lucas-
Max
Lucas, stop! We don't have time for any of that, okay? And even if we did, even if your plan did work, we'd be putting a total stranger at risk. A stranger who has no idea what they're up against. I do. He uses my memories against me. But... only my darkest memories. Same with Chrissy and Fred, right?
Max
It's like he only sees the darkness in us. So... I'll just run in the opposite direction. Run to the light. And... maybe he won't be able to find me there.
Now how exactly do you plan on doing this?
Max
I'm not sure. But it's my mind, not his, right? So I should be able to control where I am, I just need to... push him away, find a happy memory and hide there. Hide in the light.
You got a memory in mind?
Max
[Nods and smiles a little] Yeah. It was a time when I was... happiest.
Max
That's presumptuous of you. [They both laugh a little] But, yeah. Yeah, you might have been there. (they smile at each other)
Okay, but the second you start to lift, I'm calling in Kate Bush, alright?
Max
Okay, deal.
Max
Lucas...
Yes, yes I'm here. I'm here.
Max
I... I can't feel or... see anything.
I know. I know. It's okay. We're gonna get you help, okay? Just... Just hold on.
Max
Lucas, I'm scared. I'm so scared. I'm so scared.
Max
I don't wanna die. I'm not ready.
You're not gonna die. Hang on.
Max
I don't wanna go! I'm not ready.
You're not gonna die! Just hang on! Max. Max! Max! No, no, no, Max. Stay with me. Stay with me! Don't go, Max! Max stay with me. Just look at me, Max. Max, look. No. Stay with me, Max. Hang on. Just hang on. Erica, help! [Repeatedly] Max...? Max, stay with me. Max, stay with me. No! No! Max! Max! Please, stay with me! No! Max! Max!
Stranger Things · 156 quotes
