Glitter

The Nevada desert sped by in a blur outside the window of the car. It wasn’t exactly the most exciting thing to stare at for the next 6 hours of my life but it was better than the alternative which was sitting right beside me. I refused to talk to him. He was only doing this because Robert had made him. If Rob had just listened to me instead of opening his gob I’d be on a bus home instead of stuck with him.

The events of that morning had flashed back through my mind.

I sat smoking on the curb outside of shitty ass building I'd called home for the past year and a half. The curb was cool under my legs, not yet warmed by the hot Arizona sun. By the watch on my wrist it said that it was nearly 7 am meaning whoever Robert was sending to pick me up would be here shortly.

He'd called me this morning and told me that he had arranged for me to get picked up. However before I could ask by who he'd hung up. That made me nervous. What if he sent-

My thought was cut short as a shiny black SUV with black out windows came rolling down the street. It was uncommon for this area so I knew it must be whoever Rob sent. In this part of town cars that nice were pretty much non existent.

I stood up so they could see me and waved. It pulled to a stop alongside the curb and turned off. The door opened and as soon as the driver came around the car my heart dropped.

He looked different from the last time I'd seen him. He looked a little paler and his hair which had been long back then was now sweeping his shoulders. He wore a Motionless In White shirt, jeans, and high tops with makeup smeared all around his eyes. And...where were his eyebrows? However eyebrows or no eyebrows it was obvious who was walking toward me.

Maxwell Scott Green. FML

"I am going to MURDER Robert!" I growled.

"Nice to see you too." Max replied and began to grab my bags from where they were lying on the sidewalk.

"Oh hell no! I'm not going anywhere with you." I said tugging my suitcase out of his hands.

He sighed, "Look this isn't my choice either okay? If I had my way I'd still be at home in bed. Not sitting here picking your ass up now give me the damn bag and get in the car and make this less painful than it needs to be. It's either that or stay here. Now what's you're choice? " Max replied looking at me.

I sighed, there was no way that I wanted to stay here. Reluctantly I let the bag go and he took it from me. He walked to the back of the SUV and threw it in. I climbed in the front and vowed not to talk to him.

So far that plan had worked.

“So are you not going to say anything at all?” Max asked, apparently tired of the silence.

“Wasn’t planning on it.” I replied not turning toward him. 

“God Regan do you have to be such a fucking bitch?” he asked with a disgusted sound.

“I don’t know do you have to be such an asshole?” I shot back.

“God I don’t even know why I decided to do this! Stupid fucking pact.” he muttered.

I rolled my eyes, “Yeah well it’s your fucking fault.” I replied.

I had known Max since I was 7 and he was 8. He was best friends with my older brother Ronnie. Yeah…that Ronnie. Our mom split a few years later and that was when the pact had been made between my brother and Max.

Before our mother left she was a horrible drunk and drug addict. When she was high she’d lash out at Ronnie or our older brother Riley but never me. Ronnie made sure that she never touched me. Even after she ran off with the bastard she was seeing behind our dad’s back Ronnie was always watching out for me.

When he met Max they ended up like brothers and Ronnie made him swear that if anything ever happened to him that he’d help protect me too. I was like a little sister to him at the time so he‘d agreed. That was then though and this was now.

Back then him and Ronnie had been friends. Back then I’d been a stupid girl with an even stupider crush on a guy she thought loved her back. Now Ronnie was in jail and I was an adult woman. I didn’t need his protection anymore nor did I want it. Like I said before this was all Robert’s doing.

I should’ve never called Robert for help. Thankfully though he’d kept his mouth shut about my situation. Max had no clue why he had to drive all the way from LA to pick me up in Tucson and if I had my way he wasn’t going to.

“What the fuck?” Max groaned.

I didn’t have to even ask him what was wrong. Smoke was pouring from the hood of the car and was making a weird noise. Max pulled over to the side of the road just as the car died.

“Great! Just wonderful!” Max said and smacked the steering wheel before climbing out of the car.

I watched as he walked to the front of the car and grabbed the hood but pulled his hands back, “Fuck that’s hot!” he said shaking his hands.

“Burn your hands genius?” I asked with a smirk as he climbed back into the car.

“Look Regan I don’t need your shit. Just shut the fuck up okay?” he said and grabbed his phone from the center console.

He looked at it before shaking his head, “Of course there’s no fucking service.”

I pulled my phone out and sighed. No service for me either.

“So what do we do?” I asked looking at him.

“What do you think we do? We get out and walk until we either get cell service or find a place with a phone to call a tow truck. Now are you coming or not?” he asked and climbed out of the car.

I contemplated it for a moment and come to the conclusion that I really didn’t want to be stuck here by myself so I grabbed my purse from the backseat and shoved on my Ray Bans. After tossing in the water bottle and pack of gum that I’d bought while Max was supposed to be getting gas I climbed out of the car.

“Ready?” he asked.

I gave him a look, pushed my brown hair from my eyes and started walking.

“You’re really pushing my buttons Regan.” I heard him mutter but I didn’t open my mouth just flipped him off and kept walking.

We walked for awhile in silence, the sun bearing down on us sharply. I had to admit I was hot as hell but not as hot as Max.

“Aren’t you fucking hot?” he asked.

He sighed when I didn’t respond and ran his hands through his shoulder length hair, “Aren’t you a little old for the silent treatment Regan?” he asked.

I rolled my eye knowing he wasn’t going to shut up.

“Aren’t you a little old to still be fucking teenagers Maxwell?” I spat.

“Ha ha ha very funny.” He replies flatly.

“Well aren’t most of the people you screw around with fans? And isn’t a large part of your fan base teenage girls?” I asked.

“Yeah but….hey at least I wait until they’re legal.” he replied.

“Yeah now.” I sarcastically smirked.

He didn’t respond just scowled at me and continued walking.

“Jesus Christ…I thought we were in Nevada not the fucking surface of the sun.” Max said pulling his hair away from his neck.

“You’d think that with long hair you’d learn to keep a hair tie somewhere.” I replied.

“Well I don’t so do you happen to have on?” he asked.

I gave a heavy sigh and dug around in my bag until I found the only hair tie I had and tossed it to him. He caught it with ease and looked at it with disgust.

“What?” I asked.

“It’s got a fucking bow on it.” he said.

"Well beggars can’t be choosers Maxwell.” I replied.

“Fine! And will you please stop calling me Maxwell?!? I feel like I’m being yelled at by my mother.”

“Whatever drama queen.” I muttered.

“You’re calling me a drama queen? Seriously?” he asked.

“Yeah. I am. With your little prissy bitch sunglasses you look like one.” I said pointing to the overly large sunglasses that were perched on his nose.

“And what do you look like with yours?” he asked.

“Hey I’ll have you know that Ray Bans are a classic thank you.” I replied.

"Whatever.” He replied.

We walked for the next hour without a single word between the two of us. Just as I was starting to think that we’d never find a sign of life that wasn’t four-legged something shiny caught my eye.

“Halle-fuckin-lujah! A gas station!” I screamed and despite the searing heat I ran toward the wonderful sight in front of me.

“Oh my god civilization!” I yelled and threw my arms around the gas pump in front of me.

"Regan you’re making a fucking scene.” Max grumbled as he walked up behind me.

Well I’ve only had the pleasure of your wonderful company for the past hour so excuse me if I’m pleased to see something other than you.” I replied.

“Like you were a blast to hang out with? Think again.” he said and continued on into the station/ diner.

I flipped him off behind his back and followed him in. The air inside was cool and refreshing. Max was over talking to some greased up guy. I decided to look around while Max talked to whoever the guy was. There wasn’t much to look at just some old postcards and a collection of creepy rocks that had little eyes and things glued to them to make them look like people. I didn’t look at them to long.

“Okay they’re going to tow the car here to their garage and see what’s up with it. Until then we’re stuck here.” he said.

“Joy. Now I don’t know about you but I’m going to go and grab something to eat. I’m starving.” I replied and walked over to one of the booths in the diner part of the station and sat down.

Max slid in across from me a few moments later and picked up the second menu. I’d just decided on what I wanted when a girl who couldn’t be older than 15 with blond hair that had blue and pink tips popped up. A Marilyn glittered on one side of her lip as did a nose stud.

“Hi! I’m Jessie can I get you two drinks?” she asked pulling out a glittery pink pin and a note pad from her apron.

“I’ll have a diet coke.” I replied.

“Give me a regular one.” Max said.

“Okay I’ll be right- wait…you’re Max Green aren’t you?” she said looking at Max.

“Yep.” Max said with that cocky ass smile.

I braced myself for the fan girl craziness that I was sure was about to ensue. I’d seen it way too many times with my brother. However I was surprised.

“Awesome nice to meet you. Anyhow I’d better go get your drinks.” she said and disappeared. No scream, no scrambling for an autograph, just a smile and then nothing.

I glanced up at Max and saw him looking a little confused, “What she didn’t stroke your ego like the other little sluts do?” I asked.

“Shut up Regan.” he snapped just as Jessie brought us back our drinks.

“Okay diet coke for the lady and regular coke for the dude.” she said and sat our drinks down in front of us.

"So have you two decided what you want to eat?” she asked.

“Yeah I’ll have the burger and fries with extra ketchup please?”

“I’ll have the same but make mine a double with pickles and a large side of fries with cheese.” Max said.

"Okey Doke it’ll be right up.” she said and with another smile turned and headed to put in the orders.

“A double and large cheese fries?” I asked looking at Max.

“You know I like to eat.” he replied.

“Yeah I remember when you ate half of my sweet sixteen cake you porker.” I smirked and he laughed.

“Wasn’t that the same birthday where you fell into the pool?” he asked.

“No that was the birthday that you and Monte pushed me into the pool. I didn’t fall.” I replied.

“That’s right. I forgot. Ronnie wouldn’t let us give you your birthday spanking so we did that instead.” Max smiled.

“Yeah and you totally ruined my dress.” I replied with a grim look.

“Shouldn’t have run to your big brother then should you? God I can’t believe you were such a baby about that.” he said.

“You had a fly swatter! What did you expect? God you were an ass then and you are now. I was so fucking stupid.” I shot back.

“That you wouldn’t act like a five year old! It was a joke! We’d never do that to you! And for the record I was stupid too.” he replied.

This was too much for me to take, “I’m going to the bathroom.” I replied and grabbed my purse and slid out of the booth.

I headed to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I began to dig in my purse until my hand closed over the silver box. It was small, not much bigger than the palm of my hand with a skull on the front the words 'Live Fast Die Young'. It was appropriate I thought seeing as I didn't keep just aspirin inside.

Opening it I pulled out one of the little white pills and swallowed it dry. I'd been using Oxys for a little over a year now. Since I got with Garret. I hated that I was using because it made me no better than my mom but fuck it. Like Senses Fail says it's a 'family tradition'. I was just another one in a long line of junkies but unlike my brothers it was the ONLY thing I used.

The entire reason I was going back to Vegas was to stop this shit. To get away from my life with Garret. I'd bought enough to get me back home without whoever it was picking me up knowing and I was going to stop when I got home. However in the back of my mind I knew it wasn't going to change.

Shaking my head I pulled my hair into a ponytail with one of my bracelets and headed back out. I slid back in and grabbed my burger tearing into it, my eyes not meeting Max’s.

After I’d eaten I slid from the booth and headed outside. I knew I didn’t really have anywhere to go but outside wasn’t in there. It wasn’t near Max.

Once outside I took a seat on the dusty concrete sidewalk of the station. After a moment or two of rifling through my bag (i could never find anything in there) I finally pulled out my pack of cigarettes. Placing one between my lips I lit it with the Emily Strange lighter I’d bought a while back.

I took a deep drag of the cigarette and let the toxic smoke fill my lungs and add to the high that was slowly settling over me from the Oxy. Suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder and I looked up to see Jessie standing behind me.

“Mind if I bum one of those?” she asked.

“Aren’t you like 15?” I asked.

“Yeah but I’ve been smoking since I was 12 and my parents really don’t care.” she replied.

I shrugged, “Fine but if someone comes up you didn’t get it from me.” I smirked and handed her a cigarette and my lighter.

“Thank you.” she said and sat down and lit it.

"Welcome. I'm Regan by the way. Regan Radke." I smiled.

"Jessie Richards. And Radke? Like Ronnie Radke?" she asked.

"That's my big brother." I replied with a little smile at the though of him.

"Awesome." Jessie said and joined me on the concrete.

“So…are you and Max Green a couple?” she asked after a few moments.

“Max and I? Hell no."

"Then what are you two doing in the same car all the way out here?" Jessie asked.

"He's doing a favor for Ronnie against his will. They made a pact that if I was even in trouble and Ronnie couldn't help that Max would come get me. I got into some trouble in Tuscon and here he is." I replied.

"Ah. Gotcha. And your brother's in jail so he couldn't come get you."

I nodded, "Yep."

"You miss him huh?" Jessie asked.

"Oh yeah." I replied and looked down at my shorts and started picking at a loose thread.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"It's alright. He's getting out soon." I replied.

“Alright then but hey my break is over so I gotta head back inside. I guess I’ll see you later.” she replied and headed back inside and leaving me alone with my thoughts.

“Regan! C’mon we need another player!”

I sighed and turned toward the source of my annoyance, my older brother’s best friend and my long time secret crush Max. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen where I sat decorating a poster board about The Revolutionary War for Government class. As my partner he was supposed to be helping me but had run off to play soccer with my brother and his friends Robert, Omar and Monte.

“Unlike you Max I don’t want to go through the 11th grade twice. I WANT to be a senior next year. And the only way that’s going to happen is if I finish this dammed poster. Maybe if you gave me a hand like a partner is supposed to do I’d finish this a little faster and I could help you wipe the floor with Ronnie and those losers you two call your friends.” I replied.

“Hey they’re not losers. And for you information I didn’t want to repeat the 11th grade last year they made me.” he replied.

“Whatever Maxwell….are you going to help me do this or am I going to have to sign your name on it?” he asked.

“You’d do that?” he asked with his eyes in awe.

“No!” I yelled and chucked a tube of glitter I’d been using to make fireworks at his head.

I was the pitcher for our school’s softball team. I didn’t miss.

The tube of glitter broke open as soon as it hit him sending sparkly bits flying everywhere. All over him, the carpet, the table and last but not least me.

“Dammit!” I said looking at the mess. “It’s your fault.” Max replied.

“I know it’s my fault but will you please help me get this cleaned up before Dad get’s home and flips a shit?” I asked walking to the closet and pulling out the hand vac and a broom.

“How do you flip a shit?” Max asked looking at me.

I rolled my eyes and ignored the obviously stupid question. We managed to get all the glitter cleaned up along with ourselves in about a half hour. From there I managed to get Max to help me on our project which thanks to me was already half done.

“Great. Now we can go and kick some booty.” I smiled and picked up the soccer ball from where Max had left it next to the front door.

“Wait.” Max said and grabbed my wrist as I went to walk out the door.

“What?” I asked.

“You’ve got some glitter still on your cheek.” he said and reached up and gently brushed his hand just under my eye.

“Thanks.” I replied with a smile.

“Welcome.” he said but didn’t removed the hand that held onto my wrist.

Instead the hand that he’d brushed the glitter off with moved down and under my chin. He carefully tilted my face up so that my brown eyes were looking into his green ones. Before I knew what had happened he had leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.