I'm Only Me When I'm With You
Disclaimer - Dark angel is not mine, nor do i claim to own it
Summary- I have posted 2 new stories, whichever gets the most love i will continue. The other is called Everything About You, check it out.
Max and Alec were best friends from the moment they met in kindergarten. No one could get between them and they stayed that way until. One day in 10 years later, Max walked into Alec's house and dropped some bad news on him.
"I'm leaving" A 12 year old Max informed a 12 year old Alec.
"What?" he wasn't really listening to her as he was in his pool swimming.
"I'm leaving" she repeated "you just got here" he swam to the edge of the pool.
She laughed "I'm leaving Seattle"
"Why?" he asked tilting his head to the side trying to get the water out of his ears "for how long?" he added.
"Good" her voice was small and nervous.
"Why?" he shrieked.
"My dad has a new job and we all have to go"
Alec shook his head "You don't you can stay with me" Max pulled her best friend into a hug "I already said that and they said no"
"When do you have to leave?"
"2 weeks"
Alec pulled away and marched back into his house, annoyed. Max followed him "Alec"
He refused to look at her instead he sat himself down in the last step in his house.
"You're my best friend" he said as if he needed to remind her "what am I gonna do without you?"
"I'll call and write everyday" she promised "but we still have 2 weeks"
"Ok" he stood up "wanna play in the pool with me?"
"Yeah" she said as she ran back to her house which was just next door to put on her swimsuit.
Two weeks later Max had left Seattle and Alec to go start a new life with her family in Los Angeles. Of course for the first few months they had spoken and wrote to each other everyday but as the months went on the communicated less and less. Not because they didn't want to but because they were growing up and they wanted different things.
Alec was the first to stop writing and calling, he started high school and got into football, it had upset Max a lot the first time she called and his mother told her he was out when she knew he wasn't. So she continued to write but after 2 months of not hearing anything back she gave up which wasn't easy because he was her best friend and she wasn't having much luck making any new ones in LA.
5 years later
"Alec" his mother called out when she heard the door to the house opening "Yeah mum?" he asked walking into the kitchen where she currently was.
"How are you honey?"
"Good practise was good, what's up?"
"It's Max" she said carefully.
He stood up the chair he was sitting on almost falling back onto the ground but he caught it "what about her? Is she ok? What's wrong?" he fired question after question towards his mother before she had a chance to answer.
"Calm down" she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder "she's fine"
He visibly relaxed.
"She's coming to stay with us for a while"
"WHAT?!?" he screamed.
"I thought you'd have been happy" his mother was looking at him confused, she knew he missed Max all he ever did was ask about her but she had no idea why they didn't talk anymore.
"I am" he said quietly more to himself than to his mother "really" he said still unsure whether or not he was trying to convince her or himself.
"Good she arrives in two days"
"Ok" he walked away up to his bedroom in a daze.
Max is coming back? What if she doesn't like me anymore? What if she's changed? He couldn't help it, they'd been apart for 5 years and in the past year they had spoken twice and both of those time combined wouldn't make a minute. He was scared as far as he was concerned she was still his best friend but he wasn't the same Alec she left behind and he knew she wouldn't like the Alec he was.
But there was nothing he could do about it now.
Meanwhile in LA
"Mum why do I have to stay with the McDowell's?" a 17 year old Max was standing in her sitting room hands on her hips glaring at her mother.
"Well you said you didn't want to come to Egypt that you wanted to stay in school so we thought you'd enjoy this"
Max made a grunting noise "We thought you'd want to spend the next year with Alec, getting to know him again"
Max covered her face with her hands and made a frustrated noise "Mum I haven't seen that boy in 5 years"
"I know won't it be fun catching up?"
Mac scoffed, "Yeah great"
"You better pack honey, just essential stuff we'll have the rest sent to you"
Max turned on her heel and stomped towards her room "Guess I'll need to go pack then!" she slammed her bedroom door once she was safely inside.
She threw herself down onto the bed, thoughts of Alec invading her mind.
It's been 5 years you both have changed, nothing is going to be the same you're not 12 anymore, and Max reminded herself. He plays football now and probably has a girlfriend you're only going to get hurt but what could she do it was arranged, she had to go.
The next day Max's plane landed in Seattle, her mother had told her she would have to get a cab to the McDowell's Max was fine with that it gave her more time to prepare for seeing Alec.
The cab pulled up outside the house, it was the same house as before still as beautiful as she remembered.
She knocked on the door, a few seconds later it was opened and an older woman in her 40's was looking at Max with a small smile
"Can I help you?"
Max laughed "It's me, Max"
The older woman's eyes lit up "Max" she said grabbing her and pulling her into a hug "my god you look so different" she held her at an arms length so she could get a good look at her.
"You look great"
"Thanks" Max looked around the room and Mrs McDowell smiled "he's not in we weren't expecting you until tomorrow" she said explaining Alec's absence.
"But I'll show you to your room get you settled then call him and tell him to move his ass back here, ok?"
Max smiled politely but didn't answer.
20 minutes later Mrs McDowell had left Max alone in her room and set off to call Alec.
Max found herself wondering about the house, it had changed a lot in 5 years, she opened a door to what used to be Alec's room checking to see if it still was, opening the door it wasn't the same room but she knew it was Alec's. She walked in looking at his stuff, there were pictures of him, his family and his friends but she couldn't see one of her.
It suddenly all became too much for her and she had to leave. Running downstairs she almost bumped into Mrs McDowell "I left him a message, he'll be back soon"
Max smiled "Do you mind if I take a walk? Have a look at the old place again?"
"Go right on ahead just give me your cell number and take the house number in case you get lost"
After exchanging numbers Max left the house and took a walk.
She was walking past a park when she heard a boy's laughter, she knew that voice it hadn't changed in 5 years, and it was Alec.
Slowly she turned back and walked into the park, she could see him, and he was standing with a few other boys. He looked good.
"So what does she look like?" she heard one boy ask. Max noticed they were coming her way and jumped behind a tree. Alec stopped just a few feet from the tree "Who?"
"The girl that used to be your friend your mum said she was coming back is she hot?"
Alec started laughing and Max really wanted to know what he was going to say "Nah man"
Max felt her heart break as he continued "she's chubby, looks like a boy really, not hot at all" Alec assured them "don't get your hopes up"
Max felt tears spring to her eyes, she needed to get out of their.
She knew she'd have to walk past them but she didn't care. Putting her head down she walked past them, but as her head was down she didn't notice Alec had taken a step back until she collided with his body.
She looked up into his green eyes "Sorry"
"It's alright" Their eyes locked as she moved away and even after she had stopped looking at him Alec was watching her, a warm feeling in his stomach and he had no idea who she was.
"She was hot man"
"Yeah" Alec agreed in a distracted voice.
"Hey man can I borrow your phone?" one of his friends asked "Sure" he said pulling his phone out of his pocket he noticed he had a missed call and a voicemail.
"Just a sec" he said calling his voicemail, he listened to his mother saying Max was already in town.
"Sorry guys, got to go" With that he turned away from his friends and ran as fast as he could home, he couldn't wait to see her again, the past 5 years had been hell without her.
Max arrived home just before Alec and ran up to her room, locking it behind Mrs McDowell had seen her arrive but luckily she hadn't noticed she was crying.
5 minutes later Alec burst threw his front door "Where is she?" he asked out of breath.
Mrs McDowell smiled at her son "In her room"
He was about to run up stairs but she stopped him "give her a chance to settle in" she grabbed hold of his arm "come help me with dinner".
Alec pulled his arm away from her "I wanna see her" he complained.
"You can wait 10 more minutes" she assured him. Alec defiantly shook his head "Now?" he begged.
Mrs McDowell called upstairs to Max telling her Alec was home, Max paled he was going to recognise her from the park but she didn't care "I'll be down soon" she called back.
She smiled at her son "See come on"
Alec was trying to help his mum but he couldn't stop thinking about Max.
He heard movement on the stairs it took all his will power not to run to those steps and sweep her into a hug; instead he let her come to him.
"Hi Alec" he heard a familiar feminine voice say from behind him. He turned around and his jaw dropped.
"Max?"
A/N - Tell me what you think!