Emilee

I woke up with the worst headache...no joke. As soon as I got up I headed straight back to bed. Fuck school today. It’d only get worse having to deal with Alice after last night. Max had left earlier this morning so I had to text him to tell him I wasn’t planning on going. Almost immediately, I got a reply. He said he’d be over when my parents were both at work.

“Honey, its 8 o’clock. Shouldn’t you be heading to school by now?” mum asked through my door.

“I’m sick mum,” I said. She was always kinda soft on me...

“Okay. I’ll call and let them know you won’t be in today. I’ll see you when I get home. Don’t sleep in too late.” She then left me to die in peace. As soon as the door closed I took out Jane.

Dear Jane,
What is going on?
I feel the need to cry again, but I don’t know why. Why am I so upset? This feels exactly like before...
Maybe I should’ve told Max about him. I didn’t tell anyone. He hurt me so bad when he left. I guess I’m over it now, but the pain is still there.
Max wouldn’t leave me, would he? Was Lewis right? I dunno...
I love him so much. If he did the same as Nate, I don’t think I could go through that all over again. It was so hard to keep my pain a secret from Alice. From everyone.
Max is different...People actually know about Max and I...
Emilee.

I placed my diary back beneath my pillow and lied back down, sighing. The instant I’d heard my dad’s car reversing from the driveway, Max climbed in through my window.

“Hey sweetie, what’s the matter?” he asked. He came and sat down on my bed.

“Headache,” I said simply.

“Aww...” He leant over and kissed my forehead. “I’ll stay here with you all day, okay?”

“Max, you should go to school...” I didn’t want him getting in trouble, or for his grades to get any worse.

“But I want to stay with you.” He gave me the most adorable look...

“Okay, fine. You can’t use that face on me! It’s not fair!” I said, hitting him lightly.

“What face?” He was totally clueless...

“It doesn’t matter.” I hugged him and lay back down again. “You’ll be bored here all day, with me sleeping.”

“I can watch you...” he said quietly.

“Well...If you get bored just go, okay? I’ll forgive you.” I closed my eyes.

“Okay...But I won’t,” he said softly.

Someone was breathing soft sweet breath into my right ear. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know it was Max lying by my side, seemingly asleep. I opened them anyway. He looked so relaxed, so peaceful. Yet...there was something behind his expression that showed he was worried. Why was he worried? I carefully got up a bit to see the time. 1:28pm. Oops...I’m pretty sure mum would consider this to be sleeping in late. I stretched and yawned, jumping slightly as I heard a small thump. Something had fallen to the floor. I reached over Max to look. Unbelievable. My diary lay there, open. It couldn’t have simply fallen from its place underneath my pillow...because I always put it on the left side and Max’s head is kinda in the way. And...I always lock it. Was he reading my diary? Tears sprung to my eyes. I carefully climbed over Max and headed for the lounge room. How could he do that? Why would he do that? More tears came. Through the blur my vision had become I saw him approaching me.

“Emm...I’m so sorry...” He stopped walking and stood in front of me, a fair few feet away. “I know I shouldn’t have. It’s just, I heard you crying last night and I wanted to know what was really wrong...”

“Get out Max,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly again. He really did mean it, I could tell. But I didn’t care. Sorry doesn’t solve anything. I just stared at him, letting more tears fall. “Please...you have to tell me what’s wrong. It kills me to see you upset like this honey. Who...who was Nate?” I couldn’t help it. My whole body tensed at the sound of his name. I could feel myself begin to shake, and I could sense Max come up and wrap his arms around me. But...everything was numb. I got up and walked to my room, softly closing the door in his face.
I didn’t want anyone to know.