A/N: I woke up at like 9 this morning so I decided to update. Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. I'm happy that you guys are getting angry, that's kind of the point. Here's chapter 2.
With the start of school came the usual shopping and aggravation. Now that I'm a senior I feel superior walking into the front doors of the school. Even though my stomach twisted at the thought of seeing Max I marched forward anyway. I walked straight up to the table for seniors with a lady sitting behind it. After waiting in a line full of excited seniors, I finally made it to the front of the line and received my schedule.
First period science, or physics I guess, with Mrs. Torres. Again.
I guess some things never change. I guess I liked the idea of having my first period being in the same place with the same person again this year. It was kind of comforting to know where I'm going and who I'm learning from. I headed to my locker. I told Sam I'd meet him at my locker.
Sam was leaning against my locker texting when I strolled up.
"I have fucking Mrs. T for science again first period," Sam said looking up from his phone for only a second to glance at me.
"Me too," I mumbled. He looked up and smiled.
"No shit," he replied and then shoved his phone into his pocket. "Guess it's me and you on the first day of school again."
I gave a slight nod of acknowledgement, but my focus was now on a lost blond freshman down the hall. Taylor, Max's cousin, was moving through the halls like a lost puppy. If Taylor is here, it's possible that Max is already here too. Then again, I've never known Max to be on time for anything much less school. Taylor spotted me and almost looked relieved. She hurried over and I groaned internally.
"Fang," Taylor said, liberation from the nervousness in every part of her voice.
"Taylor," I said in response.
"Look, I know you and Max had shit go down, but I haven't seen one person I've known yet today. Mark drove me in and then disappeared. Ella said she would show me around, but she texted me saying she couldn't get Max out of bed. I guess she's hung over." I winced. "Her parents are pissed and they're in the middle of a long lecture. All my friends are already at their classes since they got here early. Nudge said she would help me, but I can't find her-"
"You're turning into Nudge. Too much information," I said cutting her off. I took her schedule and glanced down at it. "Go straight up, take a right, then it should come up on your left hand side."
She sighed.
"Thank you so much, Fang," Taylor said and then took her schedule back and headed down the hallway. When I looked back at Sam he was smirking at me.
"Fuck off, man," I mumbled.
"Aren't you just the helping helper," he said struggling to hold back the full smile. "Cute man, nothing like a senior helping the little freshman find her class."
I didn't say anything just gave him a look.
"You know how you could really get back at that bitch of an ex," Sam said getting in closer. Sam looked down the hallway at Taylor's receding form. "Fuck the freshman."
I shoved him off of me and he just snickered.
"That's sick," I said angrily. "That's not cool man."
Sam just held his hands up with palms up. "Just a thought."
"A sick one," I told him. "It be like fucking a little kid. It's not right. It's Max's cousin."
Sam just snickered and then we headed down the hall to first period. A sick feeling settled into my stomach at Sam's words. The idea that a guy even thought of touching little Taylor like that made me sick. Taylor was too innocent. Not even a year ago she was frazzled asking the girls how to kiss a boy on the way to her first date. Max and I had chaperoned that date.
I shook my head and walked through the familiar doors to Mrs. Torres' room. The air was warm and humid. Mrs. Torres sat at her front table, almost like she never moved from last year's first period. She had her glasses positioned on the bridge of her hook nose and was reading over some papers on her table. I looked at my old seat to see it empty. Sam and I looked at each other and then made a beeline for our old desks. Familiarity during first period on the first day of school is always a bonus. The chair was new or different since last year's had uneven legs and this one had four planted firmly on the ground all at the same time. Behind us the lab was pristine and clean, I wonder how long that will last. The only other difference this year was the lack of Max sitting across the room from me shooting me secret smiles or trying to communicate through the sign language she didn't know.
Students poured into the room and found open seats quickly. As the year goes on everyone will arrive to class later and later, but today was the first day and everyone was early. Once the bell rang, we were all silent and Mrs. Torres stood up and smiled at us all.
"I see some familiar faces," she said. "So welcome to physics."
The door was flung open and then a familiar blond head came into view. She was wearing some jean shorts, cut-offs actually, and a dirty white t-shirt. She'd thrown an old ball cap on over her hair and placed RayBans on over her eyes. Taylor told me she was hung over so I'm sure the sunglasses weren't just casually thrown on. Mrs. Torres looked in her direction and gave a long sigh. Just like last year I watched as Mrs. Torres seemed to have all her energy drained in a matter of seconds. I'm having serious déjà vu.
"Pass, Max?" Mrs. Torres asked in a monotone.
"Just be happy I'm here at all," Max mumbled angrily and then went to go sit in one of the open desks in the front row. Max threw herself into the chair like she was carrying hundreds of pounds on her back and then put her head down on the desk cushioned by her arms.
"I'm going to have to mark you late," Mrs. Torres said. Max responded with a muffled groan. I hadn't realized that I was clenching the desk until Sam nudged me and then nodded to my white knuckles. I let go of the desk and tried to relax.
Mark, Max's cousin, walked in next. He held a pass out as he walked through the door and smiled at Mrs. Torres politely. Mrs. Torres smiled back and took his pass. She looked at the pass as Mark went to take his seat.
"That's for my idiot cousin too," Mark said as he walked by Max and flicked her hat off her head. Max caught the hat before it hit the ground and swung it around to smack Mark on the ass with it. He jumped away and smirked at her. Max just glared at him and slipped the hat back on.
"Very well," Mrs. Torres said. Mark took a seat a couple down from Max in the front row and made himself comfortable. By now Max's cousins had long moved out and I'm pretty sure the pass wasn't actually for Max, since they didn't even carpool anymore, he probably just put her name on it to be a nice guy.
"As I was saying," Mrs. Torres continued looking at the Ride kids wearily. "This is physics. I'll be passing out the syllabus for this class." She grabbed a stack of papers and started to pass them out around the room. "Now I know this is senior year, but I want you to know that you will need to be dedicated to this class. This will not be an easy A and you will be expected to do your homework."
I took a paper when she put it on my desk and looked it over.
"Did you see how much tests are worth?" Sam asked me with wide eyes as he pointed to the paper while Mrs. Torres droned on about expectations. "Seventy-five percent. I'm dead, man, I'm so dead. I should drop the class now."
"Whatever dude, we just have to pass and get to college," I responded.
"My parents want all A's from me," Sam said shaking his head while staring at the paper.
"Maybe if you stare at it long enough it will change," I said sarcastically. He glared at me and shot his hand in the air. I ignored the conversation between Sam and Mrs. Torres and watched as Mark threw paper balls at Max's head. I knew she was going to snap eventually. Finally, Max collected all the little paper balls and threw them at Mark all at once.
"Max!" Mrs. Torres yelled. Max looked up at Mrs. Torres through sunglasses. "First, take the sunglasses off."
"No can do, Mrs. T," Max said, pointing to her head. "I've got a headache."
"More like a hangover," Mark mumbled. Max shot him a look that I'm sure was a glare, but it couldn't be seen with her sunglasses.
"Fuck off today," Max told him.
"You gonna make me," Mark challenged.
"Only if you want me to," Max retorted.
"Alright!" Mrs. Torres said interrupting their bickering. "Mark switch with Samantha in the back."
Mark got up and took his backpack with him.
"Someone got in trouble," Max taunted like a little kid.
"You watch yourself," Mark said, but the threat discredited by his smile.
I guess the day can only get better.
…
Max eyed me from across the hall. Maya was next to me telling me about her first period class, but I couldn't concentrate with Max's glare firmly set on me. She had discarded the sunglasses after I saw her pop a couple Advil in class. Now her eyes were set on Maya and I, only. Her friends were talking around her, but she wasn't listening. I watched her out of the corner of my eye, waiting for her to do something. I knew she would do something if I didn't end this conversation with Maya soon. I didn't want her to do anything.
I looked at Maya as she smiled at me. I missed Max's smile. When I looked back over at Max I saw her heading straight at us. She looked pissed.
"Max is coming over here," I whispered to Maya. Maya didn't even have time to get ready. Max had grabbed her and pushed her against the lockers seconds later. The bang of Maya's body on the metal lockers sent the whole hallway into silence.
"Outside," Max told Maya in a scarily calm voice. "You want to fuck with me, fine, outside in ten minutes."
Then Max was gone storming down the hall. I watched as the townies followed her, they had no choice. Maya kicked the locker angrily and then stormed off down the hall already pulling her phone from her pocket.
"Let's go," Sam said as he came out of nowhere. He pulled me down the hall with him. "We have to see this fight. Two girls are fighting over you man, this is big. This may never happen again in your life."
I looked over at Sam. I was still in shock. I went into autopilot and walked with Sam out the doors of the school. I did this last year, only a couple weeks after the first day of school. Last year I followed Sam out to the woods with a big group of kids to watch the two townie groups fight. The only difference is that this year I wasn't curious. I knew what would happen and I knew I wouldn't like it.
There was already a group of onlookers waiting to see the fight when Sam and I arrived. Max was pacing back and forth in the circle formed by the students with fists clenched. Behind her, Mark was crouched down with his head in his hands. Ella watched her sister blankly. Nudge was talking to Taylor, probably trying to calm her down, while simultaneously taking off her heels. Dylan and Iggy were waiting patiently for Max's call. Max stopped her pacing and looked straight ahead. Maya emerged followed by the five kids on her side. Maya was outnumbered five to seven, but she still had to fight, if not she would disgrace her family's name.
"You're a coward," Maya spat at Max venomously.
"I'm no coward," Max said levelly, but her tense muscles gave away just how angry she was.
"Fighting us when we have two less than you is cowardly," Maya said crossing her arms.
Max scoffed and smiled an evil kind of smile. "I remember getting my ass kicked as a freshman by three guys on your side. You had five seniors that year. That was cowardly."
Maya tensed and her fists coiled.
"You asked for this," Max snarled and with that everyone sprang into action. Punches were delivered and shoves were thrown everywhere. Max and Maya were on the ground rolling around in the dirt in seconds, while throwing punches wherever they would land. They rolled to the edge of the circle and kids backed away to give them room. I was five feet away from them as they threw their punches wildly and grunted. Max pinned Maya to the ground and wailed on her.
"Don't ever touch him again!" Max grunted and then slammed her fist into Maya's eye. Maya slammed her knee up into Max's stomach and then flipped them over. Maya pulled her fist back and it sailed straight into Max's chin and cheek over and over. Max flipped them again and then stood abruptly. Maya wasn't ready and Max brought her foot back and kicked Maya's ribs as hard as she could. Maya grunted and squirmed out of the way. Max sent Maya flying into a tree the second she stood up. Maya slammed back into the tree with a huge force. The on looking kids made room for them. Max grabbed the collar of Maya's shirt and held her steady as she decked her over and over. Maya is good at fighting, if you could call this fighting, but Max was ruthless and murderous today.
My stomach knotted. I did this. I caused this. I caused all these kids to fight like this. But really this is Max's fault. She made me end us.
Max had this scary look in her eyes as she slammed her fist into Maya over and over again. Maya started to go limp in Max's hands, but Max didn't let up on her. Max slammed her knee up into Maya's stomach to knock whatever air she had out and then brought her fist back to punch her again.
Iggy caught Max's fist in the middle of her swing and pulled her off of Maya. Maya fell to the ground in a crouch; she was a bloody mess and was done fighting back.
"It's done," Iggy whispered gently. Max shook violently and I just started noticing it.
"If you ever touch him again, I'll kill you," Max told Maya with cold fury in her voice.
Max's townies had destroyed Maya townies, just like they should have seeing they outnumbered them. Max surveyed the area with cold detachment and then motioned for her group to follow her. They were a limping bloody mess of a group, but they followed their leader faithfully.
I watched as they passed through the crowd silently and left their victims behind to collect themselves. Their friends would help them, since Maya and her group are townies just like Max and her group and as a result are equally as popular in the school.
I didn't help them. I just turned and headed back towards the school. What a great way to start my first day of senior year.
A/N: what's this story without a fight? Review guys! I'm thinking of trying to review at least every other day for this story but I'm going to have crazy weeks for the next couple weeks then it will hopefully start to settle down. Just so you know.