In Too Deep

“Because I’m totally like most of the girls who have ever liked you,” Jackie said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Max gave a small smile. “No,” he said. “And that’s why I like you way more than any of them.”

“Thanks?” Jackie said slowly, unsure of how to respond to Max’s statement.

“I mean… you know… as a friend,” Max said quickly after sensing her confusion. “But I like you more too! I mean… uh, not like that…crap.”

“Let’s talk about gangster movies,” Jackie said suddenly, eager to change the subject.

Max gave a sigh of relief. “Gladly.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Quick, quick, get a picture!”

“Stop rushing me, woman!”

“Oh man, Jackie’s going to kill us…”

“It’s worth it. Did you get a picture, Scooter?”

“Yes, Lex. Should we wake them up?”

“You do it.”

“No, you do it!”

“Stella should do it.”

“What? I don’t want to face the wrath of a pissed off Jackie!”

“Trust me, Max is no better.”

“So… who’s waking them up?”

Jackie heard the voices, but none of them made any sense. She was exhausted—she remembered staying up talking with Max for hours—but she didn’t feel like this was her bed. In fact, she was kind of uncomfortable, albeit very warm.

Something shifted beside her. As she heard another click of a camera, Jackie wearily opened her eyes and found herself face-to-face with Max’s t-shirt clad chest. She froze. She was still on the floor with him? When had they fallen asleep?

And why the hell were his arms around her waist?!?!

Max shifted again, groaning a little. Jackie heard another outburst of giggles from Stella, Lexi, and Scooter, and the camera continued to click. They obviously couldn’t tell that Jackie was awake yet.

Max kept his hold on Jackie, but buried his face in his pillow. “What are you doing?” he mumbled to the others, also unaware of Jackie’s consciousness.

Stella and Lexi erupted into laughter as Scooter smirked. “Waking you up, sunshine!” Scooter exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

“Put the camera away,” Max groaned.

“Fine,” Stella said, still laughing. “We already got all the pictures we wanted.”

“Fuck you,” Max murmured, and Jackie chuckled against his chest, alerting everyone that she was awake.

“Jackie?” Stella asked, grinning broadly.

Jackie removed herself from Max’s arms and sat up tiredly. “What?” she yawned, rubbing her eyes. Maybe if she pretended not to be bothered by her current position, they wouldn’t say anything…

“Why are you on the floor with Max?”

…or not. Jackie glared at her two best friends, as if to say, ”I dare you to ask one more question.” Stella and Lexi laughed again, and Max pulled his pillow over his head to block out the noise.

“Why are you two so tired?” Scooter asked. “It’s almost noon!”

Jackie noticed now that Scooter, Stella, and Lexi were all dressed and looked presentable. “We were up this morning,” Jackie explained, smoothing down her wrinkled ducky pajama pants. “Really, really early.”

“Doing what?” Lexi asked slowly.

“Talking,” Max’s voice rang out, muffled by the pillow covering his face.

“About…?” Stella persisted.

Jackie stood up quickly. “Bathroom!” she exclaimed, and hurried away.

Scooter frowned. “You guys were up in the early hours of the morning to talk about… bathrooms?”

Max had already fallen back asleep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Honey, I’m so sorry, but this just came up suddenly, and your father and I are bound by contract.”

Jackie gripped the cell phone tightly to her ear. “I know, Mom.”

“Sweetie.” Her mom was crying, she could tell. “I wanted to see you. Your father wanted to see you. I know you’ve been having a rough time since Nashville Prep and Bartolin Lycée expelled you, and we truly want to be there for you.”

“I said I know, Mom.”

“Baby, listen to me. We’ll go to Venice together next year, okay? Just you, me, and Daddy.”

“Mom, I have to go,” Jackie said. “I have a lot of homework.”

“I love you, Jackie. Okay? I’ll talk to you later?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jackie said. “Bye.”

Before her mom could say another word, Jackie snapped her cell phone shut and dropped it on the bedside table. She stared glumly at the wall, sighing.

“Jackie?” Stella and Lexi leaned against the bathroom door, eyeing their friend.

Jackie looked up at them. “Did you hear all that?”

“Yeah,” Stella answered. “Don’t be upset. I know Venice is amazing and everything, but you would have had to be there with your parents. Wouldn’t that suck?”

Jackie felt a tear slide down her face. “I wanted to be a family again,” she practically whispered. “We haven’t been a family for almost seven years.”

Lexi shook her head, not understanding. “What are you talking about?”

“Sit down. I have something to tell you.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The phone in Room 304 rang and Scooter answered it. “Talk to me,” he said into the receiver.

”Scooter, it’s Stella. I take it Jeffrey’s back?”

“Yup, he and Dina got back about thirty minutes ago. What’s up?”

“Can you two take Jackie with you to Manhattan Beach?”

Scooter frowned. “Um… what?”

“Her parents were supposed to take her to Venice for spring break, but they’re both representatives for some country singer and they just found out they’re needed in Tokyo that week for the guy’s world tour or something. They can’t take Jackie.”

“Why can’t she go with one of you?”

“Both Lexi and I are going on family vacations out of the country. It’s too late to buy another plane ticket. Trust me, we’ve already asked all our parents.”

“Shit, Stella, I wish I could say yes, but Jeffrey gave Dina Max’s old ticket,” Scooter explained.

Max looked up from his spot on his bed. “Dude, who are you talking to?”

“Stella,” Scooter answered. “Apparently Jackie’s parents bailed on her for spring break and she doesn’t have anywhere to go.”

“Are you talking to Max?” Stella’s voice rang out.

“Uh… yeah.”

“Will you put him on the phone?”

“Sure…” Scooter shrugged and handed the phone to Max, who took it confusedly.

“Hello?”

“Max, come to our room.”

“What? Why?”

“Jackie just told us everything about Michaela. We know you and Dina are the only two other people who know. Jackie’s sleeping right now, but we want to talk to you.”

“Um, okay,” Max said, hanging up the phone. He turned to Scooter. “I’ll be back later.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Stella opened the dorm room door and ushered Max inside. The first thing he noticed was Jackie curled up on her bed, tear streaks still apparent on her face.

“So, you two know everything now?” Max asked Stella and Lexi, who nodded.

“Yeah,” Lexi said sadly. “She said today that she and her parents have been distant since her sister died, and she was looking forward to going to Venice with them because she wanted to be a family again, but now they can’t go.”

“I heard,” Max said, glancing at Jackie.

“You know what else she told us?” Stella asked, smiling a little.

“What?”

“She was going off, listing everything she hates–” Lexi began, but Max interrupted.

“Did she say me?” he asked. “Because that’s kind of old news.”

Lexi laughed. “Well, she did say she hates you, but right after that, she said that she hated herself for telling you no.”

Max looked between the two grinning girls, waiting for one of them to yell, “Psyche!” But neither of them did.

“You’re serious?” he asked slowly.

Stella nodded happily. “Why don’t you go wake her up and talk to her?”

“We’ll leave,” Lexi added quickly, grabbing Stella’s arm and hurrying toward the door. “See you later!”

Max stood still for a moment, shocked, before turning to Jackie’s bed. He walked over and quietly sat on the edge, brushing a few strands of hair from Jackie’s eyes. Her face scrunched up at the contact, as if there was an annoying fly buzzing around her head.

This made Max chuckle. “Jackie,” he said softly. She didn’t move, so Max leaned closer to her ear. “Jackie…”

“Go away,” Jackie mumbled, not fully awake.

Max smirked. “Jackie, right now, in my hands, I have a giant blueberry muff–AH!”

Jackie sat straight up. Her head collided with Max’s, sending him flying off the bed and onto the floor. Both clutched their foreheads in pain.

“Max?” Jackie gasped, confused.

Max sat up slowly. “If there’s a head injury involved, I must be in the room,” he joked, wincing at his throbbing forehead.

Jackie didn’t smile. “Where’s the blueberry muffin?” she asked, still holding her head.

“Uh… I don’t really have one.”

“What? Why would you tell me there’s a blueberry muffin if there’s not?”

“I was trying to wake you up!” Max defended himself.

“Could you have picked a more evil way?” Jackie snapped sarcastically.

Max stood up. “Well someone’s cranky.”

“That someone just got bailed on by her parents,” she retorted.

“Oh. Right.” Max sat back down on the bed. They were silent for a few minutes.

“You were right,” Jackie said finally. Max looked at her, confused. “About telling Stella and Lexi,” she clarified. “It’s what I needed.”

Max smiled. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Jackie breathed out. “I feel… normal.”

“Like that’s possible for you?” Max joked.

Jackie leaned forward and hit his arm. “Jackass,” she muttered. “I just mean that there’s nothing hanging over me all the time.”

“I wish I could say the same,” Max mumbled, genuinely hoping she wouldn’t hear. But Jackie looked up at him and frowned.

“I’m sorry for you,” she said softly. “I wish you didn’t have to see your parents over spring break, so you wouldn’t have to take their crap.”

Max sighed. “And I wish you could see yours. I guess we both lose.”

Silence reigned for several moments. Neither Jackie nor Max knew what to say next, what to discuss, what should happen. Until finally, Max turned his head and gazed at Jackie.

“What?” she asked, shifting uncomfortably.

“You don’t have anywhere to go for spring break,” Max stated, still staring her down.

Jackie rolled her eyes. “Thanks for reminding me.”

Max shook his head. “No, that’s not what I meant. Why don’t you come with me?”

Jackie opened her mouth to come up with a very good reason why that was a terrible idea, but she couldn’t think of anything. “I… but… really?”

“Yeah,” Max assured her. “You being there will give me an excuse not to be around my family so much.”

“Good to know why I’m wanted,” Jackie said sarcastically, but she grinned.

“So… what do you say?” Max persisted.

“Don’t you have to talk to your parents first?” Jackie asked, unsure.

Max snorted. “Yeah right, like I would ask them permission. They can’t turn you down when you’re standing on the front steps of my house. Come on, what do you say?”

“Do you think it’s a good idea?” Jackie asked cautiously. “You know… with us… together…”

“We endured a week together before,” Max commented, raising an eyebrow.

Jackie smiled and looked down. “You’re not going to make me play basketball again, are you?”

“As long as you don’t make me do yoga.”

“Deal,” Jackie said, holding out her hand, and Max shook it.