what I have learned that is actually canon through Runaway Max
Max has grown so much throughout the book, it makes me emotional
Billy was the one to give Max the nickname MadMax (and the fact that she still uses it even after he started being a jerk to her makes me soft)
Billy was a cool guy on Cali throughout most part, he only became a jerk after
Max would even hangout with him and his friends
the Camaro was Billy and Max thing (as in her being completely obsessed with it and Billy teasing her about it)
Max was so freaked out by Billy grabing her wrist because that was the first time he was physically aggressive towards her
Neil is also a certified racist (pretty sure he even has a member card) and a Reagan supporter
Susan knew before Max did and still didn't do anything at all to stop it, something that really scared Max
Max saw Billy be beaten up by his father and tried to help him
actually Max narrating the first time she saw Neil beat him up is one of the most difficult things I've had to read on a published book by like a new york time best seller author
it was the first time she actually felt she couldn't look at something
Max cares so much about Billy
she is divided about him because he is so angry and unpredictable
somedays she feels like he cares a lot about her and that he likes her, but when he is in tension with his dad he always lashes out at her and makes her think he has been messing with her the whole time
she liked Lucas from pretty much the first time they interacted
she likes Lucas so much, it's so fraking cute
No seriously guys, I shipped them so hard before reading, when I read how Max feels about Lucas, I swear I transcended
She even says the first time she felt like she belonged after Cali was when dancing with Lucas at the Ball
Mikeleven's reunion as well, her description was top notch
Runaway Max is basically the story of her seeing Billy become a monster even before season 3
There is specially the scene when Billy beats Steve up that it's quite sad because she explains how Will was possessed by the Mind Flayer and was obligated to do bad things and for her, it seemed as if when Billy had those batshit crazy anger outbursts and he couldn't be controlled, it was because Neil was possessing his mind. So she was saying that even though Will had been possessed by the Mind Flayer, he could still manage to have some control sometimes, but Billy was beyond the point of having any control over his father's possession.
Max is a fucking badass in so many ways.
Now things I have to say because they are basically headcanon for me now
Billy and Sid weren't just friends
Sid leaving Billy and his other friend that I don't remember the name was one of the catalyzers for Billy to be so angry at Max
The other one was Max showing she cared and being the first one actively standing up for him against his father only for him to be completely humiliated in front of her
Billy is a disassociating angry mess, e.g. when he gave the cat the Viking Funeral
