Prompt: chronic pain
Max hated missing prom.
After surviving Vecna, Max thought she got her life back. Her broken bones had healed, and she learned to live without her sight. Max returned to Hawkins High for her junior year. Lucas asked her to prom. With the help of Eleven, Max picked out a prom dress.
However, that morning, Max woke up in excruciating pain. She couldn't get out of bed that day. Around noon, she got her mom to call Lucas. Max insisted that he still go to prom with the party. Mike and Eleven were the only ones with dates, and they went together.
Max was left home alone. Her mom was working that night. Max knew to go to her next-door neighbor in case of emergency. Her mom ordered her a pizza, but Max didn't have an appetite. She had already taken several naps.
Max reached for her walkman. Lucas had gotten her a new one while she was in the hospital. I need some Kate Bush. Before she could play a song, she heard the bedroom door open. Paranoia set in. Vecna had been missing in action for years, but Max feared his return.
"Hey," Lucas said.
"Lucas?" Max asked. She couldn't see him, but she recognized his voice. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to prom with the others."
"It was boring without you," Lucas said. "Besides, they felt the same way."
Max heard more footsteps. She assumed it was Mike, Will, Eleven, and Dustin. "Yeah," Mike said. "Prom was so lame. You would have hated it. Mrs. Clifton tried to do the moonwalk and destroyed the bunch table. It wasn't even so bad it was funny."
"How are you feeling?" Eleven asked.
"The pain has gone down a bit," Max stated.
"Do you need your medicine?" Lucas asked. Max shook her head. "Well, if you can't go to prom, and the other one sucks, let's have a better prom here."
Lucas grabbed Max's walkmen. "I'm personally in the mood for some Kate Bush," Lucas said.