A/N: A slightly AU story which contrasts with Suite Life on Deck canon. Enjoy!
What Doesn't Kill You
By Snapplelinz
****'*****
Max was a mess.
Everything had been great a month ago.
A month ago, she had been doing well at school; basketball was great and Barbara had still been her best friend. But now, everything was completely ruined and it was all her fault.
Granted, it hadn't been perfect a month ago. Even though she had put on a brave front, Max's emotions had been all over the place and leading a double life had begun to take its toll on her. Then again, being in love with your best friend who just happened to be another girl wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to deal with, especially when you were a teenage girl trying to figure yourself out.
Max honestly still didn't know how it had come about. She and Barbara had known each other since they were kids, although they hadn't been as close as they were now. They became best friends around the time that they first befriended the Martin twins; when Max had a crush on Zack and Barbara and Cody eventually started dating.
After one appalling date that neither of them had ever brought up again, Zack and Max had remained steadfast friends while Cody and Barbara had broken up after he and Zack had gone to Seven Seas Academy aboard the S.S. Tipton. Cody and Barbara had parted ways at the twins' farewell party and she had subsequently hooked up with Bob, her new boyfriend and the twins' best friend, on the same night.
Max had been oddly depressed when Barbara and Bob had gone to visit the twins aboard the S.S. Tipton to tell Cody that they were a couple. Even though it had barely been a week, Max had missed her best friend a great deal. They were as different as night and day: Max was a tom-boy and sporty while Barbara was girly and book-smart. But in spite of that, they complemented each other in their varying interests and tastes. Max could talk to Barbara about anything and everything under the sun.
With her raven black hair, chocolate brown eyes and cute button nose, Max had always thought that Barbara was beautiful. But it wasn't till she and Bob had returned from their cruise and the Mediterranean sun had given Barbara's skin a golden brown tinge that Max began spiralling into a world of emotions that she had never felt before regarding her best friend.
She had ignored it for as long as possible, revelling in hers and Barbara's close friendship whenever they hung out together. But it became more and more difficult to see the way that Barbara looked at Bob on countless occasions when they were all hanging out together. It wasn't a perfect relationship by any means, but Max knew that Barbara was beginning to fall hard for Bob and it was happening right in front of her eyes. It was only a matter of time before they took their relationship to the next level.
Max began withdrawing from Barbara bit by bit, much to the latter's disappointment since she didn't know what had changed between the two of them. She began cutting class and Zack, of all people, had been the first to notice. He and Cody had returned to Cheevers High for junior year and he and Max had resumed their close friendship just like before. He finally confronted her and Max broke down, revealing her deepest darkest secret.
She was so relieved when she finally spoke the words into existence. And Zack didn't flinch or look at her any differently. On the contrary, Zack took up the trusty stead of friendship very seriously by comforting Max as best as he could and encouraging her to come clean to Barbara about her growing feelings for her. Even though Max was dying to tell Barbara the truth, she was resistant right to the end.
But then a drunken night at a party at Amber Dawson's house had changed everything.
Zack had tried his best to keep a close eye on Max during the party, especially when that jerk, Drew Franklin, handed her a flask to liven her up. But somehow, he had lost sight of her in the crowd and she had stumbled in a drunken stupor up the stairs to Amber's bedroom to lie down and stop her head from spinning. Barbara, who had seen Max at the party, followed her upstairs in a bid to talk to her about why she'd been avoiding her for a good two weeks now.
"Max?" Barbara asked in confusion.
"Tha's my name, don't wear it out," Max responded with a nonchalant slur before burping loudly.
She was sprawled out on top of Amber's bed and breathing heavily while she tried to collect herself before going back downstairs. Barbara sat down uncertainly next to her on the bed, her hands in her lap.
"God, you smell like a brewery. What the hell have you been drinking tonight?" she asked in a scandalised tone.
"I don't know, but Drew gave me this pretty flask," Max explained with a drunken giggle while handing Barbara the silver flask.
Barbara unscrewed the cap on the bottle tentatively and took a whiff. She screwed up her nose in revulsion, the smell burning at the veins inside her nose.
"Wow, that's strong stuff," she noted dryly before screwing the lid back on.
"And tasty," Max noted matter-of-factly with a click of her fingers.
"Max, what the fuck are you doing? This isn't like you at all, getting smashed at a party." Barbara remonstrated painstakingly.
"Maybe this is the real me and you just didn't notice, Bar-bra," Max drawled facetiously, going slightly cross-eyed at the same time while she spoke.
"Would you cut the crap and just tell me what's going on? Why have you been avoiding me for the past two weeks? Did I do something to upset you?" Barbara questioned pleadingly.
"Nope. I'm the one that screwed up," Max admitted soberly while staring off into space.
She had finally stopped giggling and sat back up on the bed, her legs dangling over the sides in a similar position to Barbara.
"How did you screw up? Max, you're the coolest and sweetest girl I know. What could you have possibly done?" Barbara asked kindly while gently removing tendrils of Max's clammy brown hair off of her cheeks.
"Stop saying that!" Max exclaimed abruptly, taking Barbara completely by surprise.
"Stop saying what?" Barbara asked blankly, idly wondering why Max was so angry at her.
"That! Stop being you! You're just so smart and beautiful and sweet. I hate that," Max complained with a visible pout on her face.
"O-k…" Barbara trailed off uncertainly.
"That's not true. I love that, and I love you." Max added, changing tune abruptly.
"And I love you too, sweetie. You're my best friend in the whole wide world," Barbara answered truthfully.
"You don't get it!" Max fumed indignantly.
"What don't I get? What's going on, Max?" Barbara pressed firmly, evidently disturbed by Max's lack of coherence and sobriety.
Instead of explaining with words, Max decided to show Barbara exactly what she meant. Even though her movements were quite wobbly and uncoordinated, she still managed to shift her body closer to Barbara's till they were face to face. And then she inched closer and closer till she could make out the tiny beauty spot on the left corner of Barbara's mouth right before she melded their lips together.
Barbara was far too stunned to even think about breaking the kiss. So all she could do was sit there dumbly while Max assaulted her mouth, her tongue darting out and licking gently at the contours of her thin lips. When they finally broke apart, Max realised all too clearly by the look of utter shock on Barbara's face what she had just done. This sobered her up just enough to emit a strangled sob before she staggered out of the bedroom, leaving Barbara sitting on Amber's bed with an astonished expression.
****'****
Max hadn't spoken to Barbara since the night at Amber's party. Even though she had been drunk, she vividly remembered kissing Barbara and the look on Barbara's face after she had done it. It had been a whole month of constantly avoiding her at school and leaving through the locker room after every basketball practice just so she wouldn't run into Barbara coming out of the English classroom while working on the school paper. Bob had stopped her in the cafeteria on several occasions to ask if everything was ok between her and Barbara, but Max only offered a non-committal shrug before hurrying away each time.
Just looking at Bob these days made guilt swirl around in the pit of Max's stomach every time she thought about the fact that she had kissed his girlfriend. Zack was the only one she had told about that night and she had spent many a day after school crying on his shoulder when she thought about how she had ruined her perfect friendship with Barbara.
"I still wish you'd let me come over and cheer you up. There's a 'Monster Truck' special on tonight," Zack pleaded for the umpteenth time over the phone.
Max grinned slightly at this while twirling the phone cord absent-mindedly around her index finger.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather just be alone tonight, Zack." Max explained patiently while pacing the length of her bedroom in her PJ's.
"Ok, but let the record show that I don't think this is a very good idea. You shouldn't be alone tonight, especially with things being weird between you and Barbara and your parents out of town, Max." Zack persisted vehemently.
"And I appreciate your concern, but stop worrying already, Zack. I put the alarm on downstairs and Shaq's outside in the backyard guarding the perimeter," Max responded mildly.
"I still can't believe that you named your Airdale Terrier 'Shaq'. That dog is smaller than Snoopy," Zack teased over the phone.
"Hey, no hatin' on my mutt, Zachary. And he's not smaller than Snoopy," Max retorted reprovingly.
"Maybe so, but that dog is not equipped to guard any perimeter." Zack remarked knowingly.
"Fine. Then I'll just let him back into the house through the doggy door and I'll guard the perimeter myself, problem solved. I promise I'll be ok tonight, Zack." Max declared earnestly.
"I don't believe you, but I respect your need for privacy. I'm still going to call you back around midnight just to make sure that you and Shaq haven't been eaten by cougars and shit," Zack responded seriously.
"Ok, Captain America. Talk to you then," Max greeted in a resigned manner with a wry smile on her face.
"Later, Maximilian," Zack greeted, causing Max to roll her eyes laughingly as she hung up the phone.
Max shook her head once more, laughing inwardly at Zack's attempts to make her feel better. It had worked somewhat; she definitely didn't feel as depressed as she had in recent times. But once the depression had dissipated for the time-being, she was now left with an intense feeling of absence, missing Barbara so badly that it actually ached in her chest.
Max shrugged and skipped downstairs so she could let Shaq in through the dog flap on the back door. Max watched her furry black and brown bundle of joy bound up the stairs and flop lazily onto her bed, his tongue and tail wagging exuberantly. She idly wondered to herself how dogs were able to be so happy all the time.
Instead of dwelling on morbid thoughts, Max decided to distract herself by kicking back with a bowl of her favourite ice-cream and snuggling with Shaq on her bed while watching a DVD box set of "Vampire Diaries". She would never admit to any of her guy friends (least of all Zack) that she watched a show on the CW, but Barbara had put her onto it. And as it turned out, it wasn't as lame as what she had initially thought.
Max got comfortable on her bed and was about to watch yet another verbal fracas between Stefan and Damon when she heard a loud rapping on her bedroom window. Her heart in her stomach, Max grabbed hold of an ice hockey stick underneath her bed and approached the window with caution, Shaq barking loudly and obnoxiously. More rapping ensued, followed by a squeaky voice which made Max's heart literally stop.
"Max, it's me! Please let me in!"
"Barbara?" Max questioned in bewilderment.
She hastened to drop the ice hockey stick on the floor before running to the window and yanking the curtains open. A few seconds later, she had unfastened the bolts on the French windows and opened up the glass planes with a sweeping noise. Barbara stood just beyond the windows on the balcony outside Max's bedroom in a pair of pyjama pants, sneakers and a thin hoodie covering her tiny frame.
"Barbara, what are you doing here?" Max asked in amazement.
"I came to see you," Barbara answered through chattering teeth, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"How did you get up here?"
"I used your Dad's ladder and climbed up."
"You could've just used the front door," Max pointed out sardonically.
"And risk activating the alarm on the first floor? I don't think so. Besides, you always leave the alarm off when you're upstairs in your bedroom. Can I please come in? It's freezing out here," Barbara pleaded.
Try as she might, Max couldn't resist that puppy dog look of Barbara's or her pleading brown eyes. With a sigh, Max stepped back and gave Barbara enough room to climb the rest of the way in. Shaq went skipping towards Barbara, his tail wagging happily at her appearance. Barbara grinned wryly at the small dog and bent over slightly to pat him on the head and scratch him behind the ears. Then Shaq howled once and darted out of the room, leaving Barbara standing in the same spot for close to a minute, rubbing her arms quickly to chase away some of the cold in her bones.
"You changed your wallpaper," she noted quietly with a gesture of her hand towards the wall.
"What are you doing here, Barbara?" Max demanded seriously.
"I wanted to see you, Max. So we can talk," Barbara replied earnestly.
"What's there to talk about? You hate me and our friendship's over," Max spat scornfully.
"Max, how can you possibly think that?" Barbara asked woefully, her eyes crinkled in sadness.
"Oh, let's see. I've been avoiding you because I kissed you at Amber's party a month ago. Why don't you hate me for that, Barbara?" Max demanded pathetically.
"Because you're my best friend and I miss you. And…I need to know what that was all about," Barbara persisted tentatively.
When Max didn't answer immediately, Barbara moved closer to her till they were standing next to each other in the dimly lit room.
"You like me, don't you?" Barbara pressed softly, her hand going towards Max's arm to rub it gently.
When that didn't seem to work, Barbara moved well into Max's personal space and lifted her best friend's face upwards with both hands to look at her while she spoke. When faced with Barbara's persistent eyes, Max caved and sighed in resignation.
"Ok, yes. I like you, Barbara. I like you the way a guy likes a girl, not the way a best friend's supposed to." Max relented shame-facedly.
"Max, it's ok…" Barbara trailed off slowly while caressing Max's cheek gently.
"No, it's not ok, Barbara. This is so unbelievably fucked up. It's bad enough that I like you as more than a friend, but I kissed you when you already have a boyfriend. Bob's my friend too," Max interjected painstakingly.
Max wasn't even aware that she had started crying until Barbara leant in and embraced her tightly, her hands weaving their way around her neck and back. Max was too surprised by Barbara's actions to reciprocate; so she just stood limply in Barbara's arms with her hands at her sides while the latter hugged her. When Barbara eventually pulled away, Max was surprised to see that her eyes were shining with brimming tears.
"Barbara…" Max whispered soberly, her heart breaking at the sight.
Barbara got a hold of her emotions quickly and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand before speaking again.
"Max, I'm not mad at you, I never was. When you…kissed me, it caught me off guard. But that's not necessarily a bad thing." Barbara admitted in a small voice.
Now it was Max's turn to be surprised. For the first time since the start of the conversation, it was Barbara's turn to not maintain eye contact.
"It's not?" Max asked weakly.
"No. It sucks that you've felt this way for a while and I didn't know. But honestly, it got me thinking about me and Bob and where we're heading in our relationship. I like Bob a lot, really I do. But when you kissed me in Amber's bedroom, something happened that I can't quite explain, even to myself. I guess that's why I came here tonight: to clear the air. I just needed to see if I was right," Barbara explained haphazardly.
"Right about what?" Max questioned cautiously.
"This," Barbara murmured heatedly before leaning in again and crashing her lips against Max's.
At first, Max tried with all her might to try and push Barbara away from her, fear and panic nearly paralysing her with shock at her best friend's actions. But then Barbara's hands cupped Max's cheeks with such tenderness while she kissed her that Max finally succumbed to everything she had been feeling for the past few months. It was as if Max had been caught in a net like a fish this entire time and someone had deliberately cut the cords, which had wrapped themselves around her. And now she was falling, knowing nothing and feeling everything around her as Barbara deepened the kiss.
Max moaned against Barbara's lips, her hands encircling Barbara's shapely hips and holding tightly onto her as she poured every ounce of her feelings into each kiss. Emboldened by this sudden turn of events, Max's tongue darted out of her mouth and began exploring Barbara's mouth, causing her to gasp and moan in what sounded like intense pleasure. Max could feel Barbara's body humming and vibrating to her touch as she nipped sensually on her bottom lip with her teeth, getting lost in the sensation of their lips fused together.
Their mouths ebbed and flowed together like autumn leaves swirling in the wind, rising and falling as they parted and joined in harmony. It was everything that Max could've ever wanted and hoped for, being here with Barbara in this particular moment. Both of them were breathless and gasping for air when their lips finally parted with a soft popping noise.
"Wow," Barbara marvelled in awe, staring deep into Max's eyes.
"Yeah," Max replied dumbly, not knowing what to say to express herself better.
"I can't believe you just kissed me," she added a few seconds later when it finally began to sink in.
"Me neither. But I don't regret it, not for a second." Barbara stated emphatically.
"But what about Bob?" Max questioned anxiously, refusing to believe that this was really happening.
"I don't know, Max. I don't wanna hurt Bob, but no one's ever kissed me like this before," Barbara confessed slowly.
"Really?" Max asked in amazement.
"Is that a bad thing?" she asked hesitantly.
"Not at all. It's a very good thing," Barbara answered with a small smile on her face.
Barbara's fingers were tracing a thin line across Max's bottom lip while she spoke, making it impossible for her to think straight. This whole situation was wrong on so many levels. But now Barbara was in her bedroom, admitting that she liked kissing her, Max didn't want to think about stopping. Before the moral and rational side of her brain could kick in, Max swooped down on Barbara's luscious lips once more, gripping her face tightly in her hands like she didn't want to ever let go of her.
Barbara's body responded automatically to Max's kisses and touches as she mashed their bodies together till their chests were touching. Then Barbara tilted her head to meet every single one of Max's kisses, a low and sweet moan escaping her mouth as their lips parted each time. Max groaned in response, her entire body sizzling with pent-up desire aching to erupt and be released. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt movement on the buttons of her flannel pyjama top. Her lips parted abruptly from Barbara's when she realised that the latter was trying to unbutton her shirt.
"Barbara, what are you doing?" Max asked hoarsely.
"It's ok, Max. I want to," Barbara chided reassuringly while tenderly caressing Max's cheek.
"Are you sure?" Max questioned uncertainly.
"Of course. Don't you want me?" Barbara queried softly.
It was impossible for Max to ignore the breathy way in which Barbara had phrased her question. If Zack were here now, she imagined that he'd have a whole lot to say about what was about to happen. But for the moment, Max wasn't thinking about anyone else right now except for Barbara and the fact that she wanted her so badly that it physically hurt.
"I do, so much…" Max trailed off painstakingly, her breath fanning Barbara's face while she spoke.
"I'm yours," Barbara replied without hesitation.
That was all the incentive Max needed to plant a searing kiss on Barbara's lips. Barbara responded in kind, her fingers moving to Max's shirt once again, opening each button from top to bottom with a loud pop. Max's hands hastily moved to the zipper on Barbara's hoodie, peeling the soft material away from her friend's body. And then Barbara's soft skin came into view, a tank top covering her upper torso, her petite breasts straining against its cotton confine. Max shrugged out of her pyjama shirt, tossing it onto the floor next to Barbara's hoodie.
Barbara pulled her tank top over her head and tossed it behind her before helping Max shimmy out of her pyjama pants. Max yanked at Barbara's pyjama pants till they pooled at her ankles. The sprightly Asian girl haphazardly kicked her sneakers off her feet and they skidded across the floor while she pulled her pants all the way off. Barbara managed to take off her spectacles with shaky hands and place them on the pedestal next to Max's bed.
That left both her and Max in just their panties as the two teenage girls collapsed onto the bed and began kissing and touching each other. Barbara was on top of Max, peppering her with sweet kisses all over her mouth, her hands wandering all over the brunette's chest, tweaking deftly at her nipples and her luscious mounds. Max hissed in ecstasy, needing more friction from Barbara. In one swift manoeuvre, Max flipped Barbara over so that she was straddling her supple waist. Barbara's brown eyes darkened over in lustful anticipation and Max smiled down at her before claiming her lips once more.
Barbara gyrated beneath Max as the brunette kissed her lips before planting small kisses along her chin and her neck. She took a moment to suck on each of Barbara's pulse points, causing the Asian girl to whimper with sodden pleasure. And while she was doing this, Max used her hands to fondle Barbara's breasts, massaging the mounds in her palms. Then she planted kisses all over the supple mounds, the sounds of Barbara's moans like music to her ears.
"Max, please…" Barbara begged hoarsely, her eyes shut tightly.
"Relax, Barbara. I'm gonna make you feel so good in the next few minutes," Max promised sincerely.
Barbara's entire back arched backwards in ecstasy, her neck jutting out at an impossible angle as Max began kissing a trail down her smooth and clammy stomach, her tongue lingering momentarily in her bellybutton. Max hooked her thumbs around the waistband of Barbara's white cotton panties and began pulling the thin fabric down her friend's tanned legs. Barbara shuddered beneath Max, the tickling sensation of her panties leaving her body driving her insane with lust. When her panties finally came away from her ankles, Max took a moment to lift her body upwards and pull her own panties down and off of her ankles.
Now she had a clear view of Barbara's centre, which was soaking wet. Max planted several kisses all along Barbara's inner thighs, making the latter moan and groan loudly. When she was finally done teasing, Max took her thumb and starting stroking Barbara's hard clit, which pulsed with every movement of her finger. Max began creating a slow and delicate rhythm, her finger stroking Barbara up and down, creating a delicious friction which set the Asian girl's senses alight with desire.
"Fuck, Max…" Barbara panted loudly.
"Please give it to me," she pleaded painstakingly.
"You got it, baby." Max replied earnestly.
While she continued stroking Barbara's bundle of nerves with her index finger and her thumb, Max's mouth clamped down around her dripping core and began sucking on her wet folds. Barbara went cross-eyed at the sensation of being pleasured in this manner, her hips bucking forward with each thrust of Max's tongue. Max tasted Barbara's exquisite juices, her chest exploding with happiness at this intimate moment they were sharing together. It made her all the more eager to touch Barbara everywhere and make her feel every ounce of her deep passion.
She continued stroking and sucking Barbara until she felt the Asian girl below her stiffen up till her toes curled of their own accord. And then Barbara cried out in ecstasy as her entire body sang with the force of her very first orgasm. Max kept in sync with her all the while, her head bobbing back and forth as she carried Barbara to her peak and brought her tumbling down with a stroke of her digits and a flick of her tongue.
The force of Barbara's orgasm caused her knees to rise upwards off the bed. And they brushed accidentally against Max's inner thigh, causing her aching centre to pool with desire. Max began grinding slowly against Barbara's knee, the delicious friction making her desire for her friend all the more great.
When Barbara finally came down from her high, she saw Max moving above her, grinding against her leg with heady thrusts. Seeing her best friend above her in the throngs of ecstasy made Barbara's pulse quicken all the more at the erotic sight. Her hands moved upwards and began caressing Max's breasts, tweaking the nipples till Max began mewling with satisfaction. This spurred Barbara on further as her other hand moved between Max's legs, stroking rapidly at her throbbing clit, which sent Max over the edge in a matter of minutes.
Max's heart pounded in her chest as she felt her belly tighten with an exquisite knot, which twisted and uncoiled with springs of intense pleasure. And it made her rock her hips rapidly against Barbara's, rubbing against her until the force of her orgasm made her dizzy. When it was finally over, she leant down and captured Barbara's lips in a passionate kiss. And then they lay together side by side, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms.
****'****
"I can't believe it…" Zack muttered under his breath.
"You and Barbara!" he hissed.
"Zack, would you lower your voice? I don't want the whole school to know what we're talking about!" Max hissed back in a reproachful tone.
She and Zack were sitting at a table in the corner of the cafeteria at Cheevers a few days after her encounter with Barbara. Ever since Barbara left her bedroom in the early hours of the morning, Max had only seen her in passing around school. Max was wondering if her best friend was having second thoughts about what had happened.
"Ok, no need to get your panties in a twist. I'm just a little jealous," Zack whispered back nonchalantly.
"What do you have to be jealous about, Zack?" Max queried in confusion.
"Girl-on-girl action happens within a mile-radius of where I live and I don't even get to watch." Zack explained teasingly.
"Zack," Max scolded, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face while she smacked his arm.
"Ow, not the face. Ooh, here comes your girlfriend," Zack quipped conspiratorially under his breath with a jerk of his head.
Max followed his gaze and saw Barbara enter the cafeteria with Bob in tow. She was surprised that they weren't holding hands for a change; she took this as a good sign.
"This might be your one and only chance to talk to her," Zack advised more seriously in an aside to Max.
"You're right, Zack." Max agreed readily, not taking her eyes off of Barbara once.
"Go get 'em, Tiger," Zack whispered encouragingly while giving Max a playful shove forward.
Max took the hint and began walking steadily towards the table where Barbara and Bob sat together. Barbara looked up at her, her brown eyes clouding over with sudden intensity.
"Hey, Bob." Max greeted as brightly as possible.
"Hey, Max." Bob greeted jovially, unaware of the sudden tension between his girlfriend and her best friend.
"Do you mind if I borrow Barbara for a couple of minutes? I need to talk to her about a basketball insert for the paper." Max asked smoothly, lying on the spot.
"Sure, go ahead. I'll keep an eye on your tray for you, Sugar Lump." Bob replied sweetly while flashing Barbara a brilliant smile.
"Thanks, Sweetie. Be back in a few," Barbara replied, matching his tone before following Max out of the cafeteria.
They walked quickly out of the school towards the bleachers outside. They took a seat along the wooden pews and stared out at the football field a few meters away.
"You're avoiding me, aren't you?" Max asked seriously.
"No, I'm not. I just…I needed some time to think." Barbara admitted carefully, still not looking at Max.
"What's there to think about, Barbara? I told you that I have feelings for you and we…spent the night together." Max pointed out in a low voice.
"Do you regret what happened between us?" she asked in a hurt tone.
"No! Of course not! This is just really complicated," Barbara confessed morosely.
"Because of Bob?" Max pressed shrewdly.
"That's part of it. I do care about him – I don't wanna hurt him, Max." Barbara replied painstakingly, chancing a look at her best friend since the start of the conversation.
"Barbara, Bob's one of my oldest friends – I don't wanna hurt him any more than you do. But you can't pretend that nothing's changed between you and me." Max responded reasonably.
"I know, and I don't want to do that. I've just never been in a situation like this before. I don't know what to do." Barbara admitted sincerely.
"Come to Prom with me," Max declared unexpectedly.
"What?" Barbara asked in confusion.
"You're having trouble deciding on what you want. So why don't we meet there this weekend and talk things out?" Max asked seriously.
"You're asking me to meet you at Prom this weekend so that we can figure out our ambiguous relationship?" Barbara asked laughingly.
"Basically, yeah." Max responded unflinchingly.
"But we're both juniors, Max. How are we gonna get into Prom?" Barbara asked curiously.
"Think about it. You're on the school paper, so you can easily get an invite. Amber asked me to help out with the decorations a few hours beforehand, so that practically makes me part of the Prom Committee." Max responded cleverly.
"But you hate Prom, Max." Barbara pointed out dryly.
A serious expression crossed Max's face when Barbara said this. She leant forward and engulfed her best friend in a chaste kiss. Barbara closed her eyes and reciprocated the kiss, getting lost in the sensation for the moment. When they broke apart, Max caressed Barbara's cheek tenderly, causing the latter to blush under her touch.
"Yeah, I do. But I'm willing to brave it for you. Will you come?" Max asked sweetly of Barbara.
Barbara only hesitated for a few seconds before responding.
"Ok, I'll come." She relented seriously, locking eyes with Max.
"Good. See you then." Max replied briskly.
Then the two of them got to their feet and hopped off the bleachers, heading back towards the main entrance of the school.
****'****
While looking for the perfect dress to wear, Max didn't see a whole lot of Barbara. But she reassured herself with the thought that she was going to make herself look as beautiful for Barbara as possible on Prom Night. She had no idea what would happen once she got to Prom, but the thought of seeing Barbara there was enough to keep her spirits up throughout her mom's nauseating excitement at her wearing something girly for a change.
Max went to Cheevers on Saturday and spent most of the morning and afternoon helping Amber and some of the other seniors on the Prom Committee decorate the gym with streamers and such. Then she left school around 4pm to head back home to shower and change into her dress.
It had taken some doing, but Max and her Mom had found a cute little boutique in downtown Boston and the perfect dress for Max to wear. It was a knee-length royal blue dress with a halter-neck, which showed off a lot of Max's tanned skin, her shapely legs and her supple neckline. She wore simple black stilettos and wore her honey-brown hair down over her shoulders in wavy ringlets. Her Mom had done her make-up with a subtle gold eye-shadow, mascara, eyeliner and light blush which made her arched cheeks all the more pronounced and her smile breathtaking. Max hated to admit it, but for the first time in her life, she felt genuinely beautiful. It wasn't just the way she looked on the outside, but also from the way that Barbara made her feel. And tonight felt like the beginning of something more between them.
Max's Dad gave her the keys to his car and she drove with haste to get to Prom. She cursed all the while as she drove, wishing she hadn't spent so much time taking pictures with her parents at their home. Prom had already started 30 minutes prior and she was sure that the dancing had already begun. The light music filtering in from the parking lot confirmed this when Max finally arrived at school. She parked her Dad's car haphazardly close to the entrance and skipped up the stairs to the main entrance, her heels clinking against the floor in the hallway leading to the gym.
Taking a deep breath, Max squared her shoulders and opened the heavy doors of the gym. The disco lights swinging overhead hit her first, illuminating her body with pink and blue circles which made her positively fluorescent. Just as she predicted, there were a horde of Cheevers students already on the dance floor, the serious couples swaying slowly in sync with the romantic ballad playing through the speakers.
There was one couple in particular moving languidly in the centre of the gym floor, their hands wound tightly around each other. The girl wore a beautiful white silken dress with spaghetti straps that went beyond her knees, decorated with black flowers all along the chest and stomach, white stilettos, her usually straight raven black hair tied into a chique French bun. Her partner wore a simple black tuxedo with a white dress shirt and a black artificial flower attached to the collar. Max noticed his shock of red hair long before she saw the goofy grin on his face reminiscent of a lovestruck teenager.
Max's heart was in her throat and she wanted so badly to run, but she couldn't move a muscle. Then Barbara turned on the spot and finally locked eyes with her. Max expected there to at least be recognition and then shock from Barbara when she finally realized that she had arrived.
But there was nothing. What Barbara did next was worse than outright denial. All Max received was cold detachment as Barbara turned away again and steered Bob off to the left, wrapping her arms more tightly around his torso as they continued dancing together. Max's entire face was hot like fire and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Before anyone at school could see the tears that she knew were coming Max turned away and fled the gym, the heavy doors swinging violently behind her as she sprinted towards her Dad's car, not caring whether she tripped over her own feet.
She kept it together till she got home, ignoring every single Boston traffic rule as she sped throughout the entire journey. Her parents asked her why she was home already, but Max brushed them off as she climbed the stairs and escaped to her bedroom. Once the door was shut, she collapsed onto her bed in a heap and began crying violently, her entire body convulsing.
She didn't even hear him come in, but she assumed that her parents must've told him just to come straight up. Zack looked especially dashing in his black tuxedo with maroon dress shirt and matching artificial flower on the collar which matched his date's dress and corsage. He had been invited to the Prom by an attractive senior named Heather McKenzie, who happened to be the head cheerleader too. He had been looking forward to going to Prom for weeks simply because of who he was going with. And he had left her at Prom to follow Max home when she had seen Barbara and Bob dancing together.
Zack didn't say anything as he sat down on Max's bed next to her. But he didn't need to a moment later when Max's head dropped into his lap and she began crying harder than ever. All he could do for now was push the wet strands of her brown hair off of her cheeks, rub her arms soothingly and comfort her as best as he could while she cried her heart out for her lost love.
****'****
Two weeks had passed since Prom and neither Max nor Barbara had spoken to each other about what had transpired on the night in question. Zack and Max were once again sitting at the corner table in the cafeteria at school. Just like every other day, Zack was eating Max's fries while Max stared unabashedly at the table where Bob and Barbara sat together, drumming her fingers absentmindedly on the table top. She watched them every single day, never quite making up her mind to finally confront Barbara about everything. But things were about to change.
"What's it gonna be, Champ? Are you gonna get back in the ring or stay down for the count?" Zack asked seriously, breaking into her thoughts.
Max glanced back at Zack, who was watching her with a steady eye.
"I may be down, but I'm not going out this way," she answered without blinking.
"That's my girl. You know what you have to do," Zack responded with an encouraging smile on his face.
Max nodded one last time at Zack and got up from the table. And before she could chicken out, she began walking purposefully towards Bob and Barbara's table. Barbara looked up from her macaroni & cheese with a startled expression on her face at Max's unexpected appearance.
"Hey, Bob."
"Hey, Max. You've been kinda MIA lately – where you been hiding?" Bob asked half in amusement, half in concern.
"I've been around, just busy with school work. Do you mind if I borrow Barbara for a few minutes?" Max asked quietly and with determination.
"Sure, go ahead." Bob replied graciously, as trusting as ever.
Barbara followed behind Max with her head slightly bowed until they reached the parking lot, which was well out of eyesight and earshot.
"Max, I really don't think we should do this here," Barbara began awkwardly, not quite meeting Max's eyes.
"Well tough, because I deserve an answer from you about everything." Max spat in a no-nonsense tone.
"Just answer one question for me," she implored in a biting tone when Barbara remained silent.
"Were you ever gonna tell Bob the truth?" she questioned painstakingly.
"I wanted to tell him everything, you have no idea just how much, Max. But when it came down to the moment, I chickened out. Bob doesn't deserve to be betrayed like this. I was scared of my life changing so drastically. And then there's my family too – they would've never understood." Barbara answered pleading, tears escaping her eyes.
"So now you're hiding behind your family? First it was Bob, who's it gonna be tomorrow, Barbara?" Max demanded with a slight sneer to her tone.
"Max, you don't understand…"
"I don't understand? Fuck you, Barbara. You're the one who's completely clueless here, not me. I know exactly what it's like not to fit into your own world and to have everybody around you judge you without really knowing shit about you." Max interjected heatedly.
The first of her tears finally began flowing out of her; first in angry spurts, then diverging into streams of sadness which spread across her cheeks.
"But you know what? I didn't care about any of that because you were my friend and you always had my back no matter what. I'm freakin' in love with you and you broke my heart, Barbara. There's nothing I wouldn't have done for you, no one I would've chosen above you. I would've gladly taken the blows and the snide comments and done it all happily for you. And do you wanna know what the sad part is? I now know that you wouldn't have done the same for me." Max replied morosely, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.
"You have no idea how sorry I am that I couldn't be stronger and better for you, Max. You're the last person I ever wanted to hurt, you have to believe me. I know you must hate me a lot right now and you have every right to. But isn't there any chance that things can go back to how they used to be between us. Can't we still be friends?" Barbara questioned miserably, the tears flowing more steadily down her cheeks.
"No, Barbara. Things can't go back to how they used to be. That's not enough for me anymore. As for being friends again, I just don't know about that either," Max replied frankly.
"I don't hate you, Barbara. You have no idea how much I want to hate you, but I can't bring myself to do it because it just hurts way too much right now. I'll always love you in spite of everything. But I'm not the one who has to prove anything anymore. I wish you and Bob all the best."
And with that, Max left Barbara standing alone in the parking lot, digging her hands deep into the pockets on her hoodie as she trudged back into school. It was going to be hell walking back into the cafeteria, her tear-stained face on display for everyone to see. But she was spared the humiliation when she found Zack waiting for her in the hallway, his backpack on his shoulders and holding her backpack in his hand.
"Thought you might be needing this," he offered with a small smile with a head jerk towards the backpack in his hand.
"Thanks," Max replied meekly, taking her backpack from Zack's outstretched hand and pulling the straps over her shoulders.
"How did it go?" Zack asked softly with a head jerk in the direction of the parking lot.
"Awful. I hate myself a little more." Max confessed sadly.
"Yeah, I figured. But you'll stop hating yourself a little less every day from here on out. Give or take 50 years, you'll be completely over this," Zack teased, causing Max to roll her eyes at him.
"Very poetic, Zachary." She remarked sardonically.
"Thank you very much. You wanna get out of here?" Zack asked whimsically.
"Please," Max replied readily.
"Where we headin' to?" she inquired conversationally as she and Zack strolled through the gym with a plan to skip through the boys' locker room and head out the back exit of the school.
"Well, since we're cutting class, I figured a two-for-one chicken nugget special from 'The Cluck Bucket' is just what we need." Zack answered cleverly with a smirk in Max's direction.
"Sounds awesome to me," Max replied evenly.
Zack offered Max one last smile before placing his arm around her shoulder and drawing her closer to him as they walked. Max placed an arm around Zack's waist and rested her head on his shoulder as they exited the boys' locker room and stepped out into the welcoming sunlight.
****'****
A/N: Thanks for sticking with me through this very long oneshot ;)
Max is played by the beautiful and talented Alyson Stoner, a veteran on the Disney Channel. She is a recurring character who has appeared in several episodes of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" as a close friend of the Martin twins.
Barbara Brownstein is played by the beautiful and talented Sophie Oda. She too is a recurring character who first appeared in "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody", first as a classmate of the Martin twins before later becoming Cody's steady girlfriend. To date, she has made one appearance in "The Suite Life on Deck" series in one of my favourite episodes, "Flowers and Chocolates".
