Seems like a dream
Awaken before it was done
How could this be?
I walk alone
But sometimes I picture your hands held in my own
My brave face it's too late now

We Are the In Crowd - Windows in Heaven

Edited

"Music plays. Laughter. Singing. Bright lights. Sirens. Flashing lights. A face. Mom"

"Mom," she screams. Jolting up, gasping, she sees her bedroom door fly open. Stepping in his Renny, a panicked look on his face.

"Max, are you okay?" He sits on the bed next to her, hand on her shoulder. She takes a deep breath, composing herself. She watches her brother for a moment, sees that he looks better, like he's been sleeping. Maxi hadn't woke him up in the middle of the night in a while. She used to have the nightmare every night, causing him to sleep outside her room.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bad dream. Sorry I woke you," she says, noting how sweaty she is. She looks at her clock, it's only 3:00am. "I think I'm going to take a quick shower, then try to get some more sleep. Go back to bed Ren, I'm alright."

He watches her for a moment, assessing her wellbeing, her mental state. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you – do you want to talk about it?" She gives him a small smile, a swell of love rushing through her. Even though she knew he hated to talk about it, she knew he would be right there if she needed him.

"I'm Ok Ren," she says, "Really. I'm fine." She's not sure who the words are meant for more, her or him.

"If you're sure. Remember you have plans with Gabi tomorrow. Can't break that, she won't let you," he says with a quiet laugh.

"I promised her, I won't let her down. And I promise to go back to sleep, as soon as I take a quick shower."

She gives her a small nod of understanding, pulling her in for a hug. She lets him hold her for a moment, before she pulls away. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, then makes his way out of the room. Maxi watches as he goes, shuts the door behind him, then throws herself back on the bed.

The Dream. It's the same one she's been having for the 8 months. It's never anything solid, just bits and flashes. Maxi never remembers much the next day, just the flash of a face, but even that's not solid. Shaking her head, she pushes herself up from the bed and made for the bathroom.

She turns the water on as hot as she can stand it, strips down, and steps in. She lets the hot water pulse on her back as she washer her hair and body. When she steps out, she wraps up in a towel and goes to get fresh clothes from the closet. She pulls on a nightgown, braids her hair, and crawls back in bed. It doesn't take her long to crash.

*Anchor*

"Wake up! Max wake up! You promised!"

The last day of winter break. Maxi had promised her little sister Gabi that they would go shopping sometime during it and they had yet to have the time. They had both made sure to clear their schedules and were going today. Gabi jumped around on the bed, bouncing Maxi around.

"I'm up, I'm up! What time is it?"

"Almost noon. Renny told me to let you sleep until you woke on your own, but he just left for work so he couldn't stop me anymore." Maxi laughed, realizing Renny must have kept her occupied.

"What did you two do this morning?"

"We made breakfast for Dad and you. Chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and eggs. There's still some left, if you're hungry. Or we can eat at the mall. Is Danny still coming with us?"

"Last we talked, yes. Let me make sure." Maxi grabbed her cell off the nightstand and sent a quick text. Within moments he had responded, saying he couldn't wait to spend the day with his two favorite girls. "Danny is a go. He'll be here shortly. I need to get dressed."

Gabi jumped off the bed, rushing out yelling something about making sure she looked ok. Maxi smiled. She was pretty sure that Gabi had a crush on Danny. Whenever she was around him, she tried her best to impress him and keep his attention on her. Maxi wasn't willing to crush her dreams, knowing that her best friend preferred the company of other guys, when he was one of the nicest guys she knew.

Maxi rolled out of bed and made her way to the closet. She pulled on a pair of argyle knee socks, a dark pair of skinny jeans, and a dark blue polka dotted button up. She pulled a maroon sweater on over that and rolled the sleeves up over it. A pair of dark brown heeled boots later, and she was nearly ready to go.

Gabi walked back in, green skinnys, a red Henley, and a gray cardigan on now. Maxi walked to her jewelry box, grabbed some silver bracelets and handed them to her sister. "Here, wear those." She then sorted through her necklaces, and found a silver elephant necklace. She walked up behind her sister, gesturing for her to hold her hair up, and clasped the chain. "Do you want me to do something with your hair?"

"Can you do the fishtail braid?"

Maxi ushered Gabi into the bathroom and set to work on fixing her sisters hair. 5 minutes later, it was fashioned into the braid requested. Maxi then removed the braid from her own hair, mussed it with product, and put on some eyeliner.

The two made their way downstairs, where Maxi poured herself a cup of coffee. She leaned against the counter, watching while Gabi wrote a note their dad a note. "Where is Dad?"

"He said he had some stuff to do at the office, but that he was cooking tonight. Renny and he asked us to pick up plain white undershirts and some henleys for Renny. Any color he said, nothing over the top."

Maxi nodded her head, finishing her mug and rinsing it out before putting it in the dishwasher. She then grabbed her purse and made sure she had the card her dad had given her for today. As she was placing it back in her purse, she heard the front door open, and a voice ring through the house. "Where are my girls?"

Gabi quickly rushed out of the room, and Maxi followed behind. She watched as Gabi launched herself at Denny and he held her in a tight hug. His family and he had spent the break in Hawaii, the way they had for as long as Maxi could remember. It had been a long break without him, and she was extremely happy he was back. She stood off to the side, smiling as she watched the two go back and forth. They talked about what Gabi did over her break, from a book report to practicing her soccer practice. Finally, he turned to Maxi.

"There she is! How's my girl," he asked, walking over and pulling her in for a hug and spinning her around. She laughed, swatting his back until he put her down. She then gave him a proper hug and stepped back.

"I missed you so much, and I am so glad that you are back. Even though you've done this every year since we were little, I never get used to it. I want to hear all about your trip, and I can't wait to see what you brought me," she said, grabbing her leather jack and following the other two out the front door.

*Anchor*

The trip to the mall was a mess of voices speaking as they discussed Danny's trip, their plan to attack the mall, and what the two sisters had done while he'd been gone. When they arrived, they started with the jewelry stores, and worked their way up to the bigger purchases. They finally reached Macy's, where they would do most of their shopping.

They grabbed the shirts and henleys for their dad, grabbed a couple of things Maxi thought would look good on Renny, and then made their way to the girls section. The three made their way around, all grabbing multiple things that they thought would look good on Gabi. Once their arms were full, they put her and all the clothes in a dressing room, and took a seat.

Danny and Maxi were discussing the return to school when they heard someone shouting their name. Looking up, they saw their other best friend Lydia Martin walking towards them. Beside her was her boyfriend, resident jackass, Jackson Whittemore. "Maxi, why didn't you tell me you were shopping today? We could have all come together," she said, reaching them.

Maxi stood up, wrapping her arms around her other best friend. "I didn't think you'd be back until later tonight. That's what you told me last we talked. How was your trip?"

"Once you've been to the mountains, their all the same. Why are you just sitting in the dressing room," Lydia asked, taking the spot vacated by Danny.

"Gabi is in the dressing room. We're here for her."

Lydia jumped up, going to knock on the door. "Gabi! You better be modeling these clothes." A moment, later, Gabi came out in the first outfit, and everyone praised it. With a smile and blush to her cheeks, she made her way back into the room. "She's so adorable."

The two sat, talking about the things Lydia had bought while on her trip. "You hadn't even said hello. I thought we'd agreed on being pleasant," Lydia whispered to her.

"Didn't you say the same thing to him, because I haven't heard anything from him either? I really don't get why it's so important to you. We haven't gotten along since elementary school, why would that suddenly change," she asked, not seeing why this was so important.

"Maxine! You are my best friend," Lydia said, only to be interrupted by Maxi.

"And you are mine Lyd. Your point?"

"Jackson is my boyfriend. If you two don't like each other, that means I have to split my time between the two of you, instead of spending my time with both of you. It's really quite an inconvenience."

"Lydia, I promised to be civil. Sometimes, that means just not saying anything." Lydia huffs, not happy about not getting her way. But honestly, she had to know Maxi was right. The two had never gotten along, even when they'd still called each other friends.

The room grows quiet for a moment, the only sound being that of Gabi shuffling into another outfit. The silence is broken when Jackson addresses her.

"So Taylor, how did you spend your break? Any hot dates," he asks, a slight laugh under his breath. Maxi watches as Danny elbows him and Lydia sends him a look.

"Nope, no hot dates Jackson. With good ole Danny out of town and Lydia in and out, I spent most of the break with the siblings. Watched a bunch of Netflix, caught up on some shows. What did you do? Drowned defenseless kittens and feed innocent girls poisoned apples," Maxi asked, a sickeningly sweet smile plastered on her face. It was then her turn to receive the elbow from Lydia and the look from Danny. The two stared each other down for a moment, before Jackson broke his gaze away. "Lydia, let's go. This is boring. Danny, get ahold of me when you are no longer tied down," and with that he walked off, not even waiting for Lydia.

"Seriously, I swear you two are like children," she said, hugging Maxi and yelling bye to Gabi. Danny took his seat beside her again, a smile on his lips. He threw his arm around her, leaning his head against hers. "Will you two ever get along?"

"No."

"Well, that's something you both have in common. You're the most stubborn people I've ever met." They sat, watching Gabi try on the last few outfits. Clothes decided on and pair for, they made their way to the food court, hands full of bags.

"Do we even bother with dinner or do we just have a light snack? Danny, you're more than welcome to join us for dinner, Pops is cooking," Maxi informed him. She watched as his face was covered with excitement, then disappeared.

"Man, I would love to but tomorrow is the first day of lacrosse. I cannot be all loaded down with Pops home cooking. Maybe next time."

They settled for some frozen yogurt and spent the rest of the afternoon talking about Hawaii. Around 5:00, they got up to leave. Danny needed to get home and finish unpacking and Maxi needed to see if their Dad needed any help with dinner. Renny would be at work late that night, and unable to help.

When they pulled into the driveway, Dad was just getting out of his truck. He made his way to the car, helping them get all their bags out of the trunk. He leaned into the passenger side window, asking Danny if he would be joining them for dinner.

"Not tonight Pops. As you know, lacrosse starts tomorrow. No heavy meals for me. Soon though, promise."

"I'll hold you to it son. Glad to have you back. See you tomorrow?"

"Bright and early!"

They all said bye to Danny, and made their way inside. They dropped their bags at the foot of the stairs and Gabi made her way to the living room, flopping over the back. Maxi followed her dad to the kitchen, asking what was on the menu.

"Eggplant parmesan and salad. You can do the salad prep, cut up the veggies. You know Ren, he's going to skimp on the eggplant and go for the salad." Maxi got in the fridge, grabbing out the vegetable and bringing them to the cutting board on the island. She started to chop up carrots, onions and tomatoes. She threw them all in with the lettuce, and heard the kitchen door open.

"I'm home! Going to shower then I'll be down to help with dinner."

"No need. I already did everything. Gabi will set the table. Take a shower, I can smell you in here," Maxi said, laughing. Renny made his way to her, wrapping his greasy arms around her.

"Love you too sis," he said, trying to get her as dirty as him. She wiggled around, finally getting out of his grip. She slapped his arm, wrinkling her nose.

"You are so gross! Go shower."

He left the room, but his laughter could be heard until the door to his room shut.

"Go relax," her dad said, gesturing her to leave the room. She nodded her head, and went to sit with her sister.

"What are you watching," she asked, seeing something bloody on the TV.

"The Walking Dead."

Maxi grabbed the remote, turning to something more appropriate for a 12 year. She settled on SpongeBob before placing the remote back on the table.

"Why did you change it? I was watching that," Gabi shouted.

"Gabi, you don't need to be watching stuff like that. It's going to give you nightmares."

"It isn't going to give me nightmares. I watch scary stuff all the time. Last weekend, at Olivia's, we watched True Blood. I didn't have nightmares, I was fine," she said, moving to grab the remote. Maxi grabbed it before she could, and Gabi huffed in frustration. "Would you just stop? I'm not a baby."

They wrestled over the remote, but were broken up by their dad walking into the room. "What's going on here?"

"Gabi is watching stuff that she really shouldn't be. I turned it and she then proceeded to tell me that she's been watching things way too old for her."

"I'm not a child! Stop treating me like one."

"You are a child Gabrielle! You are 12. You shouldn't be watching stuff with blood and guts, and especially not with sex."

"Maxi, just stop. You are not my mom. Stop acting like her instead of my sister," she yelled, throwing the remote back at Maxi and rushing out of the room.

She pushed past Hank, running up the stairs. "Gabi? Gabrielle," Hank paused, then turned back to Maxi. "Maxine? What was that all about?"

Maxi just sat there. Had she been acting like that? She had never meant to hurt her sister. She just wanted to look out for her, but maybe by doing that she hadn't been giving her what she really needed. A big sister.

"Are you going to be okay," her dad asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Yeah. I should probably go talk to her."

He shook his head yes, and went back into the kitchen. Maxi made her way up the stairs, walking past Renny's and her doors, and stopping at Gabi's. She knocked, and heard a muffled go away in response.

She waited a moment, fighting with herself. Go in or give her time. Maxi didn't want to let it go, so she slowly opened the door. She had to cover her mouth to stop the laugh from escaping. In the corner, Gabi sat in her reading chair, a blanket over her head. Maxi could remember her doing this when she was little, which only further proved her point.

Maxi sat down on the ottoman in front of her, placing her hands on Gabi's knees. She didn't last out, so Maxi took that as a sign to continue.

"I'm so sorry Gabrielle. I didn't realize what I was doing. I guess with loosing mom, I thought I needed to step up. I never thought that maybe you just needed me to be your big sister." She lowered the blanket, letting her eyes show. They were red and puffy, and that broke Maxi's heart. She had never thought she was hurting her, just doing what needed to be done, and stepping in for mom.

Looking back over the last year, she realized that she had been more of a mother then a sister. Constantly on her about her homework, her clothes, and what she was doing.

"I just want my sister back. We lost mom, horribly, and it sucked. I needed you to be there for me, to listen to me when I needed to talk. We don't need you to try and take her place. We just need you to be there for us, the way you always were before. We're all strong, especially together. We've proved that."

"When did you get so smart," Maxi asked, moving to sit on the arm of the chair and pulling her towards her side.

"I've always been smart, nearly a genius. Mom and Dad had me tested." They laughed for a moment, hearing Dad call them to dinner. The two stood up, looking at each other. Maxi wiped a tear from Gabi's face, cupping her cheek.

"Are we going to be okay?"

"As long as you go back to being my sister, we'll be fine."

Maxi nodded her head in confirmation and followed Gabi out of the room. She couldn't help but wonder, when had her 12 year old sister become the teacher? She was wise beyond her years, she thought sadly.

*Anchor*

Renny had sat the table in their absence, so they both thanked him as they sat down. Hank said grace, and they all dug in. They spent the meal talking about what the semester would have in store for them.

Renny had lacrosse, sure to be first line again. Gabi had soccer and science club. Maxi, she was sophomore class president and a tutor. It would be another busy semester but lately that was how they liked it. Once dinner was over, the kids cleaned up. Renny then made his way upstairs to make sure he had all his lacrosse stuff ready, Gabi went to read, and Maxi decided to go for a run.

It wasn't cross country season, but she still liked to stay in shape for it. She changed into a pair of Nike compression shorts, a sports bra, and a slouchy Pink sweatshirt. She then pulled on a pair of socks and her trainers. Her hair went up into a top knot, her bangs pinned back, and then headbands to hold back all the wispy hairs. She used a makeup remover, cleaning her face, and strapped her iPod to her shorts.

She stopped by Renny's room, but found him in bed. "Well, I was going to see if you wanted to run with me, but you appear to be ready for bed."

"Sorry, early morning. Maybe next time."

She shut his door behind her, and went to find her dad. She let him know where she was going, and left the house.

She started with a steady pace, getting her heartbeat up, before speeding up. With her running playlist on, she was lost in her own world, each song passing onto another that just pumped her up more. She crossed a street, and continued down the sidewalk. She'd gone maybe a mile, when suddenly a car backed out, nearly running her down.

"What the hell? Drive much," she yelled, taking her earbuds out.

"Oh shit! Did I hit you? Please tell me I didn't get you," she heard, coming from the other side of the vehicle. The drivers' side door slammed shut, and a boy her age came around to her side.

"Do you watch where you're going when you drive? What if I hadn't stopped," she asked, her anger rising. The boy stopped, taking Maxi in.

"Maxi?"

"Yes? Who are—," Maxi stopped, taking a closer look. "Stiles Stilinski." She let out a low laugh, taking a deep breath.

"Are you okay? I'm really sorry. I was in a hurry, my dad just left and I have to go get Scott, Scott McCall, like right now. Are you okay," he asked, coming over and looking her over, turning Maxi around with no thought to what she had to say.

"Stiles," she shouted, slapping his hands off her.

"Yeah," he asked, a confused look on his face.

"I'm fine. Please, stop spinning me around. I stopped before you could mow me down. Now, why are you in such a hurry?"

"Do you want the truth?"

That would be why I asked, seriously," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, fine. I just happened to overhear a call my dad got," he started, only to be interrupted.

"Eavesdropping? Very nice. Continue.

"Anyways. I heard a call my dad just got. Some runners in the woods found a dead body."

Maxi covered her mouth, gasping, "Oh my god!"

"Yeah, but that's not even the best part. Get this. It's only half the body," he nearly shrieked, jumping excitedly like a little kid. Maxi watched him, confusion washing over her.

"And you were going…"

"Oh right. I was going to get Scott, my best friend, to take him to the woods, to see if we could find the other half of the body before the cops do," he said, a wide grin on his face.

Maxi yelling wiped that look away fast. "Are you crazy? Couldn't you get in trouble? Or get murdered yourself?"

"Nah," he said, shaking his head, a smug look on his face. "We do this kind of thing all the time."

"You are crazy," she said, starting to walk away. "I guess be careful. I need to get home since there appears to be a murderer on the loose." She started to put her earbuds back in, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want a ride? I could drop you off before I go get Scott. He doesn't even know I'm coming, a few more minutes won't hurt," he said, shyly rubbing the back of his neck.

She dropped her ear buds back onto her neck. "Are you sure? Because that would be great. I'm honestly a little freaked out by the fact that I usually run in those woods."

"Yeah, not a problem," he said, rushing to open the passenger side door. Maxi hopped in, Stiles shutting the door behind her. She started to pull the seat belt over her chest, but it got stuck about halfway.

"Um, Stiles? Why won't this work?"

"Sorry," he said, leaning over her. "It sticks sometimes. Let me help."

He leaned across her, grabbing the buckle and yanking hard. It caused her to breathe in deep, the force jolting her. She was hit with a wave of axe and mint toothpaste. He finally got the buckle over and she heard it click into place. She gave him a smile and thanked him.

Stiles started the jeep and pulled out onto the street. Maxi gripped the arm rest, uncomfortable riding in a car with someone she hadn't before. Maxi decided to make small talk, "Ready for school?"

Stiles turned to her, "Is anyone really ready for school? Ever?

"Please, eyes forward," she said, a slightly panicked tone to her voice.

"Oh right, sorry," he said, turning forward again. "I haven't been excited for a day of school since the days of finger paints and nap time. You've got to somewhat like it, being involved in so much. Student council, tutoring, cross country, and all the various fund raisers you help put on."

She gave him a raised eyebrow. "You're pretty popular."

She nodded her head, "I just like to stay busy, occupied." He nodded his head, understanding. It got quiet, but not uncomfortable. Before she knew it, they were pulling into her circle drive, even though she'd never gave him directions. She looked over at the obviously nervous boy, sending him a questioning look.

"You're Maxi Taylor. Your brother and you throw amazing parties. Everyone knows where you guys live," she shook her head, knowing this to be the truth. She unbuckled her seatbelt, turning to Stiles.

"Thank you for being my knight in shining blue armor and making sure I made it home safe."

"Not a problem. What kind of guy would I have been, letting you jog off into the night knowing there was a crazed killer out there?"

Maxi smiled, thanking him again. "So, I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

He grew embarrassed again. "Yeah, um, I sit behind you in a couple of classes. Bound to run into each other," he said.

"Well, you also sit in front of me in English, so I guess you're right," she sent him a smile, and climbed out of the jeep. "Night Stiles!"

She made her way onto the porch and to the front door. Before she went in, she turned around, sending Stiles a wave. She watched as he drove off, then made her way inside. So much for that run clearing her head.

Alright, we have our first official chapter!
What did you guys think?

Any criticism is appreciated, I want you to enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it.

A very special thanks to MissECharlotte for all the help she has given me on this story.

She is seriously my rock, the thing that really makes this story get written.

Also thanks to BrittWitt16, xxbriannaxx, LionHeartMisfit, SpecialKtheDreamer, a weird production, helios selene, mortalLuxen, itsemilie, and lifeisarayofsunshine! You either reviewed, favorited, or followed and I really appreciate that. It's always nice to be supported.