October 4th, 2013 6:15pm

"Well well well, if it isn't little Miss Caulfield. You got my money yet," asked Frank as he strode towards Max menacingly. Max wanted to run but with the damn crutches there was no way in hell she could escape.

"N-not yet. I'm t-trying," she said scared for her safety. Frank looked around and positioned himself close but in a way so no one could see what he did. He pulled his knife out and with a click the blade shot out of the handle. He held it up to her face with the blade pointed at her.

"Just know that I wont be so nice if I don't get whats mine," he whispered with a sneer before pocketing the knife again and walking away. Max breathed a shaky sigh of relief before finally making her way inside Two Whales. She walked in and sat at the usual booth. She hated the memories that flooded back at her as she sat there looking at the opposite booth. Memories of her and Chloe and better times, but also of the times spent with the blue feathered harlot. It made her blood boil as she found the engraving Chloe and Rachel had made next to the one she and Chloe made.

She sighed letting her anger simmer down before hearing the clicking of heals on tile. She turned just in time to see Frank's RV pulling out of the side parking lot, and also to see Joyce approaching with a smile.

"So glad to see you again Max. What can I get for you," Joyce asked as she pulled out her order pad.

Max pulled out her wallet to check her funds, she didn't have much. She factored in how much she would most likely need to until pay day, something she should have done before coming here and sighed. She put her wallet back in her bag,

"I guess just a glass of water. I didn't realize how broke I was," she said dejectedly.

"Nonsense. One burger with fries coming up and a coke," Joyce said with a smile. Max just looked up at her with wide eyes.

"I can't pay for that," she said feeling trapped.

"Who asked you to," replied Joyce gave her a pat on the shoulder and walked back to the counter. Max didn't know how to respond. She had felt alone only to have people giving her kindness. She let a small smile grace her lips for a moment. She decided to check her phone and as expected no messages. As she went to slide her phone back up she heard a ding behind her.

She turned around to see the one and only Nathan Prescott entering the dinner. She didn't know how to take him now. He had been mean to just about everyone she could think of, but for some reason he had been nice to her. He spotted her looking at him and with a scowl he walked over to her, He plopped down across from her in the booth.

"Well, well, well, hows little Miss Clumsy doing," he asked with a little snicker. She just starred at him for a moment. He noticed this and it seamed to annoy him.

"The fuck are you starring at me for," he asked with bite to his words. This snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry," she said looking down at the table top. She heard him sigh before hearing the clicks of Joyce's heals coming back to the table.

"Here you go Max," she slid the plate onto the table with her drink. Max looked up at her to see her giving a very warm smile. Max returned it and placed a fry in her mouth.

"And I see you have company now. What can I get you Nathan," she asked pulling her pad out.

"Let me get a burger, fries, and a sprite," he said still watching Max as she just nibbled on the fry.

"Alright. Be ready in a jiffy," she said wand went back behind the counter. Nathan just sat and watched as she nibbled on the fry until it was gone.

"You never answered my question," he said starring at Max.

"Do you actually care," she asked back as she grabbed another dry.

"Fine, see if I be fucking nice anymore," he said as he crossed his arms with a huff and watched Joyce behind the counter. Max was surprised for a moment as the fry was almost at her mouth. She sat it back on the plate.

"It still hurts but not as bad. Thank you for asking," she said as he turned back to her.

"See, now was that so hard," he said as he gave her a half smirk. He leaned forward on his elbows as Joyce returned with his plate.

"Enjoy," she said as a trucker sitting at the end of the counter asked for a refill. Nathan picked up his hamburger and took a large bite, chewing it with his eyes closed. Max couldn't help but notice the ketchup and mustard from the burger now on his cheek. She gave a small snort of amusement. This was caught by Nathan's ears as he opened his eyes to see the amusement written in hers. She gave a small smile and pointed at her cheek. He grabbed a napkin and wiped his cheeks.

"So what's got you so fucked up," he asked as he took another bite of his burger and a sip of his sprite. She gave a small frown before grabbing a few fries and shoving them in her mouth, buying a few moments to decide if she wanted to tell him. Telling Nathan anything could be used against her as he was the best friend of one Victoria Chase. She still didn't understand why he suddenly was choosing to associate with her. Quite frankly it boggled her mind. With a sigh she guessed she could let some of it out.

"Well its been shit for the past few weeks if you must know and it feels like its only getting worse," she said as she finally lifted her burger up and took a small bite out of it. Damn was it good. Nathan just watched her expectantly, waiting for her to go on.

"My scholarship is in danger cause my grades are down, I have no friends here, my old friends wont even speak to me anymore, and my girlfriend ran off with the chick she told me was 'just a friend'," she blurted out without much thought. She only realized that she had basically told the majority of her problems when it was too late. She really needed to think before she spoke sometimes. Man did she wish she had the powers to go back in time.

"Sounds like you've got one fucked up life, at least you've still got mommy and daddy right," he stated after swallowing another bite of his burger. He watched as her head fell and she put her burger down.

"As much as I wish I could say yes the answer to that is no. They weren't very accepting of my choice to date another female and dropped me like a bad habit," she said as she slid her hand out to grab her drink. She didn't know why she was telling him this but hell it felt good to just get shit off her chest. Wasn't like she had anything else to lose anyways. Nathan took a few fries from his plate, eating them, then taking a sip of his drink before responding.

"Jesus you have a life that just might be more fucked than mine," he said with a small chuckle. Max wasn't exactly too keen on being the butt of anyone's jokes but she didn't feel like he was judging her. She took a bite of burger before deciding to speak again.

"What about you? What's your life like if its 'fucked'," she asked with air quotes. His face contorted into a scowl at the question and the air quotes. He watched her face to see if she was mocking him but didn't see any as she took another bite of her burger and a few fries.

"Well Dad's a dick and only cares about the family name and his company, Mom's zoned out doing rich bitch shit, my sister ran off to join the peace corp to escape it all, and I'm the disappointment of the family. Happy," he said with serious bite behind his words that cause Max to flinch. She thought for a moment before speaking.

"I'm sorry Nathan. I didn't mean for my question to sound like a challenge. I just figured I would ask and maybe understand you a little better," she said as she looked down at the table and took a sip of her coke.

"Well I don't need another therapist to tell my feelings to," he said matter of factually with a scowl plastered on his face.

"…..," he heard Max mumble something but couldn't make it out.

"Speak up if you are gonna insult me bitch," he said snapping at her.

"I wasn't insulting you," she said in a whisper. "I said I wish I had one to talk to sometime."

Nathan didn't often feel bad but he felt a bit like an ass for snapping at her over something she didn't do.

"Why don't you talk to the school counselor then," he said as he took another bite of his burger, almost finished with it. She sighed as she took a bite of her burger with only a few left on hers as well.

"I don't like talking to people I don't know very much," she said as she sat there eating a few more of the fries on her plate. Nathan lifted an eye brow of confusion at this. She had basically spilled everything to him and they were practically strangers.

"Then why tell me," he asked and shoved the last bite of burger into his mouth.

"I don't know. You've been being nice to me today and I don't have anyone else I can really talk to," she said as she took a few small bites of her burger before taking another drink of her coke. This caught Nathan by surprise. He and Victoria had bitched to each other about their parents but no one had confided in him before like this. He wasn't much of a people person since most people either thought he was spoiled little rich kid or a walking money sign.

"Well I guess if you really need to unload your shit I can listen," he said with a small smile as he ate the last few fries on his plate and just sat there sipping on his sprite. Max looked up to see the smile and gave him a small one in return. She finished her burger and was nibbling on the last few fries when she finally glance at the clock. Holly shit! It was almost 7:30 now. She needed to get to the bust stop before 8 or she wouldn't be able to get back to Blackwell without taking a long hike.

"I gotta get to the bus stop," she said as she went to stand up. She saw Nathan hold his hand up in a halting motion.

"I suppose I can Taxi your ass back to Blackwell since that's where I'm headed as well," he said as he pulled out his wallet. She gave him another smile and a nod as he yelled for the check and paid for his meal. He slid out of the booth as she positioned herself on the crutches. They wandered out to the parking lot to his SUV before climbing in and heading back to campus. Once they arrived they walked up to the dorms in a comfortable silence. Once they rounded the sidewalk to the doors they saw the one and only Queen Bee herself, Victoria Chase.

Nathan walked ahead as Max crutched along slowly behind him. She looked as Victoria and Nathan chatted amicably before she walked up. Victoria looked over at her with a sneer and a scoff.

"Aw poor little hipster hurt herself," she asked with a smirk. Max just looked down at the ground not really feeling like getting into it with Victoria.

"Lay off Vic," he said while poking her in the side as Max looked up. She saw the finger land in Victoria's rib and her jump as she turned around with a hand on her hip with a sneer.

"What the fuck Nate! First I see you walking with her all buddy buddy then you tell me not to pick on the little hipster. Are you fucking her to," she yells back at him.

"Now you know damn well the answer to whether or not I'm fucking her. As for the rest of it I just don't feel its necessary to pick on someone that's like us," he said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. She scoffed crossing her arms.

"We have nothing in common with this peasant," she said as she stared him down. Max felt like the third wheel in this conversation regarding herself.

"I think we do. Hated by others, not many friends, parents suck. Same shit just different social status," he said as he released the smoke from his lungs.

"Oh please! Like her parents are any worse then ours," she said as she glanced over at Max with disapproval.

"From what she said I would be tempted to say worse," he responded as he took another puff.

"Bullshit," Victoria said turning back to Max, "what the fuck do your parents do to you? Scold you for being a retro hipster punk?" Max wasn't sure if she wanted to reveal her issues to her but figured that telling Nate had bit her in the ass after all. She sighed before deciding to spill it all.

"They disowned me for dating a girl," she said quietly looking at the ground. Victoria's face didn't change much but she seamed to be thinking.

"I guess your parents might have ours beat in the shit department. Bet your punk friend envy you for that," she said as she took another drag of her cig.

"I guess in all your ribbing at me you never noticed that I didn't talk to anyone but Chloe. She took off and what friends I use to talk to me stopped talking to me a long time ago," she admitted to the Ice Queen. Max was sure she would regret this as Victoria had always seemed to hate her so much and she never really understood why. Victoria frowned as she took another drag.

"Well at least you have Mr. Jefferson wrapped around your finger," she said watching Max.

"Yea right. I just love being the target of all his attention and expectations. 'You have a gift and you are wasting it' is so fun to hear every single day," she responded sarcastically. Victoria always liked to throw the fact Mr. Jefferson was always focused on her over everyone else. Victoria closed her eyes and seamed to be thinking.

"I guess you have a point," she said as she opened her eyes and took the last drag of her cigarette before putting it out.

"I guess I can give you a break, but don't think this makes us friends," said Victoria as she turned to Nathan. "I will see you tomorrow at the Club meeting she said as she walked inside. Max sighed at not having to argue with Victoria for at least tonight was a small mercy. She stood there for a moment as Nathan finished his cigarette before putting it out and looking at her.

"You need help getting upstairs clumsy," he asked as she shook her head and he walked up to the door and held it open for her. She made her way up the few stairs slowly as he patiently waited. Once inside she sighed at the climb she had to make to the second floor. They parted ways as the boys dorm was on the right side of the building and she went to the girls stairs and slowly made her way up them. Once she finally made it up the stairs, having almost fell back down them a few times, she exhaled in relief and opened the door to hobble through it.

She was on her way down the hall when suddenly one of the girls of her floor ran in front of her coming from the showers. She stumbled backwards and as if luck wasn't already on her side she tried to step back on her sprained ankle. A sharp pain shot up her leg and with a yelp she landed on her back hard. Just great. Back pain as well as a screaming pain in her ankle.

"Oh dear lord are you OK," she heard someone ask as she opened her pain squinted eyes. It was Kate Marsh of all people. She looked around to see the other girl was long gone. She sighed as she sat up and felt her back ache in protest. Her leg still felt like she had broken it, but she would get over it.

"I'm OK. Just a bum ankle," she said as she was trying to figure out how she was gonna stand up now. She was startled as she heard the metal clinks of her crutches, She looked up to see Kate standing them up against the wall then reaching out a hand for her with a smile. Max took it and with Kate's help she stood up without putting any weight on her bad ankle.

"Thanks," Max said as she finally took in Kate's appearance. She was in a pair of white pajamas with her hair down.

"Its alright. I was on my way to the bathroom when I saw that girl cause you to fall," she said with a frown looking behind her as if trying to mentally chastise the mysterious girl.

"I just got in. I was heading to my dorm room," Max said as she slid the crutches under her arms.

"Well I guess I will let you be," said Max as she went to walk past Kate,

"Do you like tea Max," asked Kate as Max turned her head. She didn't understand where that came from or why it was asked.

"Um...I guess. Why," she asked in return.

"Well you've been a student here for a while and I've never talked to you. I figured maybe we could have tea sometime and maybe be friends," Kate spoke as she put her arms behind her back and looked to be trying to dig the toes of her right foot into the ground. Max didn't know how to take this day. It started out feeling like she was alone just to see Nathan be nice to her, Victoria saying she would take it easy on her, and now Kate wanting to be her friend.

"I didn't think you would want to be my friend," she whispered out.

"Why did you think that," asked Kate.

"Well you are like, a hardcore Christian and I'm kind of a bisexual non believer," she admitted to her looking down. It wasn't that Max didn't believe in anything she just didn't think any one religion was correct. Kate frowned as she walked up to Max and gave her a small hug. She backed away after with a smile.

"I'm not like those judgmental so called Christians. Its not my place to judge and I don't see anything wrong with it. You love who you love. Not like you have control over how you feel," she said as she continued to smile. Max couldn't help but smile back at her.

"OK then we can have tea sometime. I'm sorry to cut this short but I've kind of had a rough day and I'm exhausted so I'm gonna go to my dorm room now," Max said feeling a little better at maybe having a friend.

"OK I will give you my number tomorrow so we can set up a tea time," she said as she waved at Max and made her way towards the bathrooms. Max made her way into her dorm room before plopping down on her bed. She sat the crutches against the wall at the head of her bed so she could grab them easier in the morning. She though back on her weird day and sighed. Nice Nathan, not so bitchy Victoria, not hating her Joyce, and maybe friend Kate? Today was just a cluster fuck of unexpected shenanigans. She sighed before she closed he eyes and succumbed to the exhaustion of a long day.


Authors Note: I appreciate the follows and reviews from everyone and hope you are enjoying the story. As it sits now I will most likely be posting a new chapter every other week as to give me time to think out how things should go and how fast I want them to progress as well as maintaining my other story Forgetting to Remember. Thank you all for your time and have a wonderful life.