We Are the Wild Things

Maxine gazed at Rita with wide eyes as she held onto the phone, listening to her father rant on the other end about the image of their family and the family business. Rita was biting her nails, she hadn’t stopped saying sorry since Maxine picked up her father’s call…..that was two hours ago. “Look dad I am really really sorry but I’ve got to go I’ll call back later today ok, I really have to study! Bye!” Maxine said quickly her voice high pitched as she hung up. She looked at her cell phone and sighed. “Did you cut you off…your money for the dorm and such?” Rota asked quickly. Maxine shook her head “He didn’t get a chance to say. My mom was wailing in the background…I think she’s more furious that he is…” Maxine said slowly she sat on her bed and looked out their window. “Rita it’s been 4 days…and people are still talking about it, I went to Shell….and even the cashier knew who I was…I’ve become the Virginia Freak” Maxine said her tone was low. “I’m sorry….”Rita said not knowing what else to say. “and yesterday in the showers…I caught two guys trying to film me…me I caught them they asked me to do one of those ‘freaky things were you sit on your head ’” Maxine said doing a poor impression of a male voice “and then I wasn’t thinking and got made and corrected them and said it’s called a Headseat….they just laughed…” Maxine added she stood up and began to pace through their dorm room. “Rita….what am I going to do, if I stay here I will lose my mind! And if my folks don’t cut me off, they won’t let me transfer schools! They pulled so many favor cards and strings to get me in here as it is!” Maxine panicked more. “There’s got to be some way to fix all of this….” Rita said slowly. “I’ve got to move…that’s the only way out…but I’ve nowhere to go. So maybe I’ll just deal with it” Maxine sighed finally sitting back down. “Yeah I’m right with you, Maxie…it’ll get better in time” Rita said taking a seat next to her friend.

However nothing got better a week past, and the video was never taken own from youtube, what’s more, it now had over a million hits. Maxine was now known as Elastagirl all over the web. Not all the comments were bad anymore, but most of them where sickening. Maxine avoided her father’s calls as much as she could. And even though people had stopped pointing and laughing in the halls, as few sharp and hurtful jokes were made, not to mention she couldn’t go into the dorm showers alone at night. Maxine reflected on all of this as she headed out for lunch. She walked outside of the campus and froze as she saw Rita talked nervously to none other than Maxine’s Father, Dr.Edwin Hannibal. Maxine paused her steps. “Oh no he came to campus!” her mind screamed, as he spotted her she forced a sweet ‘daddy’s girl’ smile and headed over to them. But her father’s face was as cold as stone. “Hi dad” Maxine said timidly almost afraid to speak under her father’s cold gaze. “It’s been a week now Maxine, it has not gone away? You wouldn’t return my calls so you left me no other choice but to come up here. It’s cutting into the vacation time your mother and I were going to use to go to the missions trip over in Panama. “ He said in his short pause Maxine went to speak but before she could get a word out He started again “Not only that, Your mothers loosing potential clients at her firm…and your older sister Darleen and your Brother in law have lost members from their church” He went on “and-“ “Dad!” Maxine yelled “It’s not my fault!” she added, after seeing the furious look on his face she became quiet and looked off to the side “I didn’t take the video ok…this stupid guy did…Daren did I didn’t know…so please stop” She said softly “Daren? Rita’s boyfriend?” Dr.Edwin asked, Maxine muttered a low yeah “I told you not to hang around with people who do not share the morals you grew up with…you mother told you to pick wisely when it came to your friends, and you didn’t, you cannot blame your own mistakes on someone else!” He ranted on Maxine looked down at her feet and stayed quiet. Rita was now leering at him “Hey it not her fault she’s a big girl and adult, ok, so lay off!” She barked. Maxine’s father opened his mouth to speak when someone cleared their throat.

“Hello I work for Ripley’s Believe it or not, Mr.Ripley’s seen your video on Youtube, and was highly impressed, He was wondering if you’d be willing to do a few Attractions down in Williamsburg” A little man in a casual suit said. Maxine looked down at him a blinked “I-“ “no she won’t” Her father said sharply, the man side glanced at him briefly before sighing and reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a card “here, I see you need some time to think it over, talk things out. Just call the number and you’ll reach my office, ask for Jim” He said with a small smile. Maxine took the card only to have her father snatch it from her hands. Jim glared at Dr.Edwin “we’ll have a good day Ms. Maxine” he said before turning sharply and walking off. Maxine looked up nervously at her father. His face was a deep red and he looked furious. “You see what you’ve done, you are making a spectacle of this family” he said slowly. “But I, no not really, just out of my self! And I never said I would have went!” Maxine said trying to defend herself. “Are you raising your voice to me?” He asked “no” Maxine said quickly and quietly looking at the ground. Rita was still glaring at the man, to both the girls’ relief his cell phone rang. “Look I’ve got to go I’ve got a prior engagement to handle” He said giving a stern look to Maxine “but we are not done” He added before walking away. Once he was far enough away Both Rita and Maxine sighed and hurried back to their dorm.

“Do you think that was really the Ripley’s?” Rita asked laughing, however Maxine was not amused. “It’s not funny Rita its embarrassing…Ripley’s thinks I’m weird enough for his shows….” Maxine muttered while studying. “Yeah it’s kinda bad…but you’ll be famous” Rita added in “if you put it like that I’m already web famous now and it’s not glamorous….I can see it now….like one of those awful side shows in those lame movies…” Maxine sighed “step right up and see the noodle girl! Taffy bones and elastic skin!” Maxine said in bitter sarcasm. Rita flinched “is that what they are saying online now?” she asked sympathetically “oh that’s not even the worst of it” Maxine muttered laying back down across her bed. “This one user…said I was Pepper Ann after being exposed to too much radiation…” Maxine sighed “not only that…they’re not only attacking my contortion…they are attacking the way I look…I was called Carrot top and Brace face’s love child…” she added as she gazed blankly at her text book. “I haven’t even been able to focus on classes…my grades are…just horrible” she muttered. It was quiet for a moment “maybe” Rita said slowly “maybe you should think about moving….try a community college somewhere…” she said. Maxine flinched “I’d never hear the end of that either from my parents…I’m stuck in a never ending nightmare.” Maxine said her voice began to crack and tears welled into her blue green eyes. “I wish I could just disappear…” she said softly as two tears found a way to escape her eyes. “Oh no, come on don’t cry Maxie” Rita said laying down next to her, she gave her a hug and rubbed her back. “I’m so I even dated that jerk…come on don’t cry I still think this can turn around… I know lets watch ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ “Rita said getting up she walked over to a case of DVDs. “It always makes us feel better” she added popping it into the laptop. “I wish I could Sale away Like Max…” Maxine muttered darkly. “Only I’m already stuck with wild things…and none of them are nice…none of them at all” Maxine thought.

The Next Morning Maxine had over slept being that it was the Weekend, however she was horribly awaken by Rita shaking her to death. “Wake up! Maxie! Up!” Rita called Maxine groaned and sat up rubbing her eyes “what is it Rita…geez the only peace I ever get now is in my sleep” She muttered. “You might have broken a world record! For world’s most flexible woman!” Rita called out throwing her hands in the air. Maxine looked at her friend blankly, with the silly grin she had on her face, she could not have been serious. “That’s not funny Rita” Maxine muttered before sliding back down into her blanket. Rita tore away the sheets and threw them to the floor “No I am serious!” Rita shouted “ok, so see what had happened was, your cell phone would not stop ringing! And I thought it was your ass of a dad so I answered the phone so I could give him a piece of my mind, and when I got to ranting there was this woman on the phone! And she said they saw the video and such…and well, the Genius book of world records people want to come down here and see if you’ve beaten out that Zlata woman! No Joke! Here listen the lady only left about 4 voice mails listen!” Rita said finally finishing. Maxine snatched the cell phone from Rita very grumpily and checked the messages. “Hello this is Julia representing the Gen-“Maxine quickly hung up and listened to the next one “hello this is Julia from the ge-“Maxine hung up again and dropped the phone “you weren’t lying” Maxine muttered. “soooo is this good or bad because, Julia’s going to be down in in the next two days with that Zlata woman…” Rota said biting her Lip. “This is bad…now my parents are really going to weird out on me…what I am going to do!” Maxie Panicked “hey don’t you get money for breaking a record….I say you go for it, it’ll be enough for you to start over somewhere right?” Rita asked. Maxine shrugged “maybe.” She muttered.

But that was two days into the future and now was just as tough, however it wasn’t hard for Maxine to hide away in her dorm room on the weekend. In fact it was rather easy. “Go screw yourself Daren!” She could hear Rita barked just outside of their dorm room. Maxine curled up in her bed and drew her knees to her chest. Rita sighed in frustration as she entered the room holding an overstuffed large brown paper bag. “Ok so I ran out and got lots of stuff for us to hold up in here for as long as you need to!” she said with a smile she scurried to Maxine’s bed and took the items out of the bag. “cookie dough Ice cream, Twizzlers, Black liquorish, Willy Wonka’s nerds and taffy, Cheetos puffs, lots of Pop, Mentos” Rita sang shanking the package while holding up a bottle of cola. Maxine smiled a bit “thanks Rita” she said standing up a bit she gave Rita a hug. “It’s ok, hey it’s my Ex-boyfriends fault I’m going to make this better you’ll see” Rita said digging back into the bag. Maxine opened up a Bag of Black Liquorish and started to munch on a string lightly. “You mean there’s more? What is that the endless bag? We need to send that things to Genius” Maxine muttered while chewing. Rita laughed “no this is the last thing I promise, Look!” She said bumping the bag. Out came about 10 movies, “ooooooh” Maxine muttered picking through them. Being that she was a huge movie buff. “The Elephant man? Gee thanks Rita” Maxine said dryly but even still she couldn’t help but giggle “I know, I know…It’s a bad joke, but it worked “ Rita said finally taking a seat. “Charlie, oh I love this old movie!” Maxine said grabbing the Dvd Case and holding it in the air, kitting her feet in the bed under her covers, Rita laughed. “Yes I know…blockbuster who knew!” she called pulling a Dvd out of the pile “but we need to start out with this movie.” Rita added holding it out to Maxine “Dead Silence….” Maxine read “sounds like a B movie” she added with a snicker Rita shook her head. “It’s scary I saw it and could not sleep for days….” Rita said laughing. “Fine let’s do it!” Maxine said with a true smile as she took the disk and popped it into the laptop.

Meanwhile

It was finally nighttime out in California, Asia Ray watched a video online that had been sent to her twitter account. She frowned at the comments made on it about this girl. “Hey Phoenix!” She called out carrying her iPad down the hall to her brother’s room. “In Here!” Phoenix called from the Kitchen “you’ve got to see this, have you seen this?” Asia asked she was so focused about the video that she hadn’t even noticed everyone else there. Phoenix leaned over to look at the screen “yeah that Elastagirl…she’s all over the internet now” He said simply. Asia shook her head and looked at the screen “her contortion is amazing, totally blows Zlata and Skye out of the water” Asia muttered. “Really? And who is this?” Todd said his ears burning as he listened to his children talk. “Apparently her names Maxine…he last names not listed, but someone took this video of her while she was practicing her contortion…in what she thought was secret...” Asia said walking over to her Father she set the iPad in front of him so he could see. “you might want to keep the sound down, the jerk that took the video’s making obscene noises in the background…it’s pretty bad” Phoenix warned. As Todd watched the Video he took the iPad in his hands. “She is really good…” He said slowly “Hey Danielle come see this!” Todd called to his wife, she and Ali who she had been talking to walked over. “oh wow” She said a smile coming to her face, “I didn’t even know you can twist your spine like that” Ali commented as Maxine nearly twisted around 360 around from her waist up “most people can’t” Todd muttered. “She has to be breaking a world record?” Danielle commented. “She is, or at least Genius thinks so, It showed up on the web news that they’re trying to get Zlata and Maxine together and see the start of next week.” Phoenix said taking a seat at the Table. “Even Ripley’s has looked into her” He added. “Ripley’s looking into who?” Morgue asked walking through with Creature “Elastagirl” Ali said Creature laughed a bit “Elastagirl?” he said “here look” Asia said quickly taking her iPad she replayed the Video standing between the two men for them to see. “That’s awesome man” Creature said clapping “where’s she from?” Morgue asked “Virginia…some school out there” Asia said.

Todd was in a deep thought as the others continued to talk, “you know....a viral video isn’t the best way to get put out there, it’s clear she wasn’t comfortable with what she does, or else she wouldn’t have been doing it in secret” Todd muttered. “yeah and if she’s broken a record circuses, other side shows, and performers are going to be hounding her down” Daniella added in. “right” Todd nodded “oh she can take it… you haven’t even seen some of the comments on these video they are awful” Asia said quickly. “Hey Phoenix” Todd asked his son trying to hold a smile off of his face “oh not he’s got that look” Danielle said with a light laugh. “Yeah dad?” Phoenix asked “what do you think about trying to add another member to the family?” Todd asked. “I say let’s go” Phoenix said. “Alright first we need to find out what Collage…and whose coming” Todd said. “I’m coming, I bet I could relate with her, Brianna should come too, and you too Ali” Asia said taking a seat again. “I want to go” Creature chimed in “Why don’t we all go, it can be a special, will take the Freak Show to her” Todd said with a sly smile. “sounds fun, I love it” Danielle said smiling.