Max sat in his favorite corner of the library by himself, as always, surrounded by piles of books for his homework assignments. It had been weeks since anyone had talked to him, and he was feeling rather lonely. A girl behind him dropped a lot of books of the shelve "Oi, Bloody Hell!" He flinched at the sudden commotion, whirling around. There stood Bree bent over picking up all the books.
"D-do you want a hand?" he stammered, trying to be polite
She whirled around clutching her heart "S-sure, you scared the living daylights out of me, though"
"Sorrydidn'tmeantostartleyou," he said quickly, blushing when he saw how pretty she was.
"Oh you're fine, I'm Bree!" She stuck out her hand to shake.
He hesitantly held out his and shook it. "Max."
"Nice to meet you Max" He blushed and looked down.
She continued to pick up the books.
He reached down to help her with them.
"Thank you, so what year are you Max?"
"6th," he mumbled
"No kidding?"
He shook his head hesitantly
"I'm in six too."
"O-oh..."
"You're so timid"
He nodded quickly and blushed.
"You're cute" she stood once the books were collected.
He blushed even more and developed a sudden interest in his feet.
"Thanks for the help" She walked away, hoping he would come and follow or make an effort to talk to her.
He wanted to follow but was too terrified to.
She sighed, turned back around and gave him a look.
He was going to sit back down, thinking she was just another tease.
She walked back up, "Do you have any friends?"
He hesitated, then slowly shook his head
"Ah, well you just made on. Come on!"
He slowly got up and followed her. She grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the lake. He flinched at first from her hand but let her take his. Once they were close to the shore she sat down. He stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do
"Well, sit"
He sat, his long limbs sticking out awkwardly.
"I was hoping if I got you out here that you would talk to me more."
He shrugged and looked down, pulling at the grass.
"But obviously that's not happening."
"I don't know what to say," he mumbled
She sighed, and smashed her back into the ground.
He felt a lump rising in his throat, feeling like he had let her down, as he turned to go
"Oi! Where are you going?"
"Don't you want me to go?"
"No...what made you think that?"
"You got mad at me for not having anything to say..."
"You could try talking to me."
"I don't know how..."
"How do you talk to anyone else?"
"I don't..."
"Ask me a question"
"Hi?"
"Like what's your favorite color?"
"Black..."
"Ok now ask me"
"W-wh... wha... what'syourfavouritecolour?"
"Blue, thanks for asking, now come up with a question by yourself.
He felt that lump rising in his throat again as his face grew hot. Why was this girl being so mean and teasing so much? He wondered.
"Why are you so shy?"
"People are mean..." he mumbled quietly
"What happened to you?" The sincerity in her voice was easy to pick up.
"Life," he said miserably after a very long pause, making sure his wrists were covered.
"Meaning?"
He looked down, trying very hard not to cry.
"Oh my gosh, I didn't mean to make you cry." She gave him a hug.
He flinched from the touch, expecting a blow.
"I'm not going to hurt you." She whispers "I promise"
He hesitantly let her.
"Why would anyone want to hurt you?"
"Because they do"
A tear dropped from her eyes and onto his neck.
"I-I should go..." he mumbled.
"O-oh, okay"
He turned to go, wishing she would make him stay.
"Why do you need to go?"
"Because you don't want me to stay," he mumbled, hoping she wouldn't hear.
"Why would you assume that?"
"No one ever does."
"But...but I enjoy your company"
"Y-you... you do?"
"Mhmm"
He blushed and looked down.
"What do you want to do?"
He shrugged, still blushing.
"We could skip rocks if you wanted to?"
He shrugged again, looking more interested in her than rocks.
"Or we could go back to asking questions?"
He blushed and looked down giving a small nod
"Ok, what do you want to know?"
"You," he said meekly.
"Ok, I have an older brother, I'm single, I like to sing, I play soccer, uh... I don't know what else."
"Hi Bree," he said in a small voice.
"Hi Max" She grinned at him.
He tried to twist his face into a crude imitation of a smile, failing miserably.
"I'll get to smile eventually."
"S-sorry..."
"It's more like a fun challenge, then something sad."
"Oh..."
''So anything else?"
"I don't know..."
"Mkay" They sat in comfortable silence for a while.
"So... no boyfriend to kill me?" he asked shyly
"Not I'm a single pringle! Any girlfriend whose going to whop my ass?"
He laughed a short, bitter laugh. "As if."
"I win!"
He looked at her quizzically.
"Ï got you to laugh!" She was so happy
"That's not a laugh..."
"Awww" She crossed her arms and playfully pouted.
He blushed and tried not to notice how cute she was.
She poked him "Come on laugh!"
He looked down and blushed more.
"Fine" she rolled onto her back and rolled into the lake so that she was half in half out.
He sat there awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say.
"Now I'm a mermaid!"
"Yeah right."
"Yeah, I am right!"
"Mermaids are ugly."
She stuck her tongue out at him, "Then I'm an ugly mermaid!"
"You can't be a mermaid, mermaids are ugly..."
"That's the point!"
"But mermaids are ugly, so you can't be one..."
"I am ugly, which is why I am one"
"You can't be a mermaid, mermaids are ugly," he said firmly
She stopped for a minute, and saw how serious that he was being. "Ok"
He was too embarrassed to meet her eyes.
"Thank you"
"Welcome..." he mumbled almost incoherently.
She stood up, soaking wet, "Could we go back to the castle?"
He shrugged and stood up
"I need new clothes," She their entwined hands and walked back to the castle together.
He didn't even realize they were holding hands until they neared the Common Room.
"I'll meet you back here in 5 minutes ok?"
He nodded and stood there awkwardly
She returned 5 minutes on the dot in drier clothes. "Ok, now what?"
He shrugged, surprised but happy she returned.
"Hmm, we could go to dinner early?"
He shrugged again, having intended to keep starving himself
"Ök lets go" She grabbed his hand again, and then walked to the Great Hall.
He let her lead him, not actually having been to the Great Hall before
She lead them to a table, she began to fill her plate "Grab what you want boy!"
He looked at all the food and took a few small things
"That's it?"
He nodded, looking embarrassed. "I'm not hungry," he mumbled quietly
Ok then when we come back in the morning you're going to eat right?"
He shrugged.
"Don't make me self feed you."
He scowled and put a little more on his plate.
"Thank you, I'm not going to have you die on me, because you weren't eating."
He scowled some more and started to eat.
"Mr. Grumpy pants."
"Food Nazi,"
"Food is your friend, not mortal enemy."
"Fine..."
Once they finished eating they had to decide what they wanted to do.
He sat there silently.
"Now what?"
He shrugged, never wanting to take charge.
'"You can have an opinion you know."
"Don't have one."
Ocean sighed, "Fine how about we go get your stuff from the library?
"I sent it back to my room..."
"Oh ok"
"Yeah."
"Well I have home work. to do want to go finish that up?
"Sure."
"Okay I'll meet you at your room in a minute okay?"
"Sure"
Bree ran back to the room and grabbed her homework, and knocked on Max's door.
"Come in"
"Thanks" She looked around the room, "I like your room"
He nodded, not really hearing her.
"Are you okay?" She waved her hand in front of his face.
He blinked a few times and looked around like he was just figuring out where he was. "Y-yeah I'm fine."
"What happened?"
"Nothing..."
She sighed, "When will you begin to trust me?"
He looked ashamed of himself.
She ran her hands through her hair, and started working on her homework.
"You get this weird look when you concentrate"
She giggled, "Thanks, that's what my friends say"
"It's kinda cute..." he mumbled
She blushed, "Thanks"
He blushed a very deep shade of red.
She giggled, "why are you blushing?"
"Because..."
"Because why?"
"Cuz there's a pretty girl in my room," he mumbled almost incoherently.