There's a Playground

Max’s pov

I was going to kill Craig.

I could not believe that he asked Wednesday to homecoming. Holy fucking shit. I couldn’t believe that she said yes, either.

Well…alright, maybe I can. I don’t fucking know…

I frowned over at him as he bounced on the balls of his feet. Lucky fucking bastard… I grumbled to myself, arms crossed over my chest as I stared at the short boy, glaring down at him slightly.

“What’s wrong, Max?” Ronnie asked from beside me, smirking down at me. I shook my head, sighing and then ran my hands through my hair. Madison and her cronies walked by. My ex glared at me profusely as she walked past. I just rolled my eyes. “Where’s your slut going, Max?” Ronnie asked and I smirked, turning to him as Craig continued to bounce around excitedly in the hall.

“She’s not mine anymore. Back to being the school’s for all I fucking care.”

“You broke up with her, bro?” Omar asked, turning around to face Ronnie and I. I nodded, smirking slightly. “How long is that going to last?”

“I’m done with her, trust me, Omar,” I informed my friend, nodding firmly as we continued walking through the halls. I still wanted to murder Craig right now. Why couldn’t I be the one happy and dancing around because of Wendy?

Ha. Like that would ever happen…

“Dude! Can you believe it!? Like…holy fucking shit, man!”

“Language, Mabbitt!” A teacher called from down the hall and we all rolled our eyes. Like they were actually going to reinforce that ‘no cursing’ rule. I sighed, shaking my head as I ran my hand through my hair.

“Ugh. Congrats, Craig…” I muttered, causing Ronnie to look sideways at me and blink a few times. I looked at him with raised eyebrows until he seemed to shrug it off and sigh. Bryan showed up out of nowhere after another minute of us walking through the halls. He and Craig began chatting animatedly and I excused myself to go to class.

Oh wait, that’s right. I had to go see Wendy in my next class. Sighing, I entered and took my usual seat. She still wasn’t there yet. That was…I don’t know. Kind of a relief? Ugh, I don’t even know anymore.

That damn girl was going to make me crazy…

And as that thought passed through my mind and I scrubbed through my hair, said girl walked through the door and came to sit down next to me.

“Hey Max,” Wendy greeted, smiling at me as she sat down. I smiled back. How could I not? “Everything okay?” Her voice held worry as she watched me, completely turned towards me. I nodded and smiled at her as reassuringly as I possibly good. Which, apparently, wasn’t very convincing because she rolled her eyes and nodded sarcastically. “Right…”

“Everything’s fine, Wendy. Promise,” I said, grinning and throwing a thumbs up her way. She just rolled her eyes and nodded again. I sighed, smiling at her. “So I heard you’re going to Homecoming with Craig?” I asked and she smiled again, nodding once more.

“Yep…”

“You don’t sound very excited…” I noted, wondering what was going on inside that pretty little head of hers. She’s the one who said yes, didn’t she? I thought she would have been excited or something for it… She shrugged, staring at the desk and messing with her hands.

“Well, I am. It’s just…I don’t know. Craig’s a really cool person and all. Real sweet, you know? I just…I don’t know…I just don’t really think I could see myself dating him. And I think that’s what he wants…”

Fuck yes! Score one for Max! Chalk that shit up on the blackboard, there was no way Mabbitt was going to win her!

“Then why did you say yes?” I asked, confused.

“Because Craig’s a really cool person and I wouldn’t mind going with him. And it’s not like it has to mean anything...” She shrugged and continued to avoid eye contact. She smiled as she looked up at me. “Are you and Madison going to go?”

----

Wednesday’s pov

As I walked into my first class, I saw that Max was already there. Seeing him made me smile until I saw that he looked…frustrated almost? I don’t know, but he didn’t look like everything was okay. I walked over to my seat, setting my things down as I sat and addressed him. “Hey Max,” I smiled at him. I was glad to see that he smiled back at me. That was reassuring.

However, I couldn’t help but feel that there was something wrong with Max.

“Everything okay?” I asked, worry coating my voice as I watched him. He answered me with a nod and smiled, but I wasn’t about to buy it. I frowned slightly, sighing and nodding. Along with a rolling of the eyes for good measure. “Right…”

“Everything’s fine, Wendy. Promise,” he told me and I sighed. However, I couldn’t help the light smirk on my lips as he grinned and gave me a thumbs up. I wondered what was bothering him so much. Could it really be that bad? I rolled my eyes and nodded, not wanting to push him anymore if he didn’t want to. “So I heard you’re going to Homecoming with Craig?” He asked and I smiled despite myself, nodding again.

“Yep…”

“You don’t sound very excited…” Ooo…he caught me. Damn it all… I sighed and shrugged, turning my head to stare at the desk in front of me. I wrung my hands, staring at my nails that I really needed to paint over once more. I didn’t know how to say what I was thinking, so I decided I might as well just take the plunge and pray that Max wouldn’t tell my friend. Well…was Craig still my friend? Or was he more? I wasn’t sure…

“Well, I am. It’s just…I don’t know. Craig’s a really cool person and all. Real sweet, you know? I just…I don’t know…I just don’t really think I could see myself dating him. And I think that’s what he wants…” I sighed, feeling bad as soon as the words left my mouth. I ran my hands through my hair, which was mostly dry now thankfully, and began chewing on my lower lip nervously.

“Then why did you say yes?” My eyes darted over to him from the corners of my eyes, and I could see and hear the confusion. I understood that confusion. I didn’t really know why I said yes other than having Skye sort of pressure me into it. I sighed, biting harder down onto my lip and fearing what was about to come out of my mouth in response to that.

“Because Craig’s a really cool person and I wouldn’t mind going with him. And it’s not like it has to mean anything…” I said, quoting the words that my female friend had said a few minutes ago. I shrugged and continued to stare at my desk and my nails, avoiding eye contact as best I could. “Are you and Madison going to go?” I asked, trying to get the subject of our conversation away from myself.

Max shook his head, smiling and I couldn’t help but to turn towards him. “Nope. I broke up with her last night.” Oh. So…he was available now? Well…shit. But please, it’s not like he would have asked me anyway. Max and I are just friends…

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

He shrugged, shaking his head and smiling still. “It’s fine. I finally decided that I’m sick of her bull shit…” He said and I smiled reassuringly. Well, that was good. Glad to know that he didn’t want to be with that slut anymore. Even more glad to know that I wasn’t going to have to deal with her or her cronies anymore than I would have thanks to the normal dramas of high school.

Max smiled back at me and then ran his hands through his hair. “So we have practice tonight at my house. Do you want to come over and chill? Skye can come too if she wants to at all.”

I smiled and nodded, eager to get to hear his band’s music. “Of course! I’d love to, but…” My voice faded as Ronnie’s words from earlier spiked up and entered my mind, not really all too gently.

“But what?” Max’s voice was full of concern as he leaned towards me. The first bell rang, but we ignored it. We were already in class, no need to have to worry about getting there.

“Well…Ronnie was talking about it and he…well…”

“What the fuck did that ass hole say?” he growled. I felt bad for throwing Ronnie under the bus… He and Max were best friends and they’d been fighting because of me.

“Well…he said that he didn’t want to go to practice tonight if it was at your house. And then Omar asked if you two were fighting and Ronnie glared at me the entire time Skye and I were standing there before he said yes. So…I don’t know…”

Max sighed unhappily and I felt bad again, hating that I’d let word vomit get the best of me for the moment. Damn it all…

I sighed, running a hand through my hair and looking over at Max quietly. “But it’s nothing, Max. I don’t have to go. Skye’s staying at my house for a few days and so…”

“Well, screw Ronnie. Come over anyway. And bring Skye, she'll make Ronnie happy...”

“Um...okay. Did you get to talk to him about why he…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish asking the question. He shook his head, frowning and turning in his desk to face the front of the class.

“No, I’m sorry. He’s in my next class, though. I’ll talk to him about it there. I’m really sorry, Wendy. I…god. I feel so bad…”

“It’s not your fault, Max…” I muttered, sighing and grabbing my book from my bag. Max rolled his eyes and nodded.

“Well, it’s not yours either. I don’t know. Ronnie’s kind of a possessive ass hole. He got all mad at me last night because…” I watched as he glanced up towards the door where the teacher stood waiting for the rest of the class to get in. His voice dropped and he leaned across the aisle towards me. “Because I wouldn’t do anything with him last night after you left.”

That was why Ronnie and Max had gotten in a fight? What a stupid fucking reason! Just because someone didn’t want to do drugs or get drunk one night, there was absolutely no reason to get all pissy about it! I frowned and Max sighed.

“Ronnie is a fucking idiot if he thinks that’s…”

“I didn’t do anything last night because I wanted to be able to talk and hang out with you,” Max confessed and I blinked, turning to look at him slightly confused as I opened my book to a random page. I’d find the page I had marked in a bit. “I feel like I never get to anymore. And it’s been nine years since I’ve seen you. Everyone else…to everyone else you’re just new.”

He didn’t get the chance to finish speaking because the teacher came in after the second bell. I sighed, frowning to myself. So it was my fault that Ronnie and Max were fighting. Great… That certainly didn’t make me feel any better…

On the plus side? I was going to not only get to hear Max’s band play tonight, I was also going to get to go shopping this weekend with Skye. And I was also going to be able to go to a dance with a boy as an actual date. There’s never a bad time for a first time at something, right?