We don't own MR by the way.
How Life's River Flow
By Vampire-knows
Max
My pencil pitter-pattered back and forth, like the sound of rain coming down all at once, as Algebra droned on. Every now and then Fang would lean forward and whisper something in my ear, his hot breath fanning my cheek and making my emotions forget themselves. I would either struggle to hide my laughter, or struggle to keep breathing properly when he did that.
Iggy and I had a note passing back and forth that was a crack conversation high on whatever drugs you could smoke. I wasn't quite sure considering the closest I had ever gotten to a drug was before my mother quit smoking four years ago, although I knew the few main ones and a few kids that did them.
"Max, see that picture of Einstein? That's what Iggy's hair looks like today," Fang whispered into my air, causing me to bite back a giggle as I glanced over at the strawberry blonde who thought bedhead was the new sexy. In all actuality, on him it was the new sexy, but I wouldn't dare tell Iggy that and boost his ego by a million. Instead I'd just laugh and quietly fist bump Fang until I could repeat it to Einstein Hair.
Before I could scribble it on the little note we were passing however, the bell rang and I was forced to get to my feet, listening to the pop of my back as I twisted so it would do just that. Kids shuffled and filed all around us, everyone eager to get out of class and head to lunch where the joy of food and friends would suck us out of our first of one hundred and eighty days of hell for about thirty minutes.
Fang and Iggy both diligently waited for me to pop every respectable bone I could and pick up my backpack before my trio began heading towards the door- and was stopped by a big piece of body stumbling in front of us, cutting off our exit.
"Whoa there, Buddy, walk much?" Fang asked, shoving his hands out to help steady the guy. I scowled at the victim of his own untied shoelaces, rolling my eyes.
"Don't bother helping him, Fang. He's an A class parking spot thief," I snapped, causing Lobo's eyes to darken with a bit of what seemed like regret.
"Hey um, Max, right? That's what I wanted to talk to you about, actually."
"Wait, this is the guy that cut you off?" Fang asked, turning to me in bewilderment. I had told him the whole story while our teacher spoke about his family and the great year we were going to have. "Bro, you could have killed my friend, here." He added, turning on the klutz with a look in his eyes that even made me want to take a step back.
"I know, it was stupid. We were just rushing, and- and I want to apologize." Lobo added, looking over to me expectantly. I sighed, not sure if I was ready to handle two Greyback's in two hours, but waved my friends off nonetheless.
"I'll catch up guys, go buy me some lunch." I commanded, and although Iggy hesitated and Fang licked his lips, ready to spit out another insult, they both walked out of the classroom, leaving the two of us and the air conditioning buzz the only ones left in the room.
"You were saying?" I pondered, crossing my arms over my chest in what I hoped looked like a slightly intimidating pose. This greyback didn't seem near as lethal as the other one, but I still wanted to keep my guard up for now.
"I'm just, I'm really sorry, but I'm glad the bruise isn't that noticeable," He tried for a weak smile, his fingers twirling and twisting together in a type of anxiety I reached most times when I was about to go into a panic attack. Of course, Lobo certainly didn't look like the panic attack type. He was probably just anxious because I wasn't immediately accepting his apology.
"That's because my hair is in the way," I spoke finally, my voice lacking the venom I would have normally used as I brushed my side bangs aside to show off the nasty bruise.
"Ouch. I really feel bad. Can I make it up to you?" Lobo offered, his hands running over his short dirty blonde hair. There wasn't much of it there but he still made running his hands through it look good.
"How?" I asked, more curious as to what he could come up with than taking him up on his offer.
"Well for starters I could get you an ice pack because that looks like you really need one."
"I'm fine," I lied, letting my bangs fall over the bruise. My head pounded out the morse code for No, you're not and I felt myself get slightly woozy, but quickly regained composure and walked past him and out the door into the empty hallways, Lobo following without question.
"See, I'd believe that except the way you just kinda swayed scares me. Let's go to the nurse, and then I can buy you lunch, and try to keep my sister at bay?" He offered.
"That last one is really making me enjoy you." I admitted, turning to smile at him. "No offense but your sister is a total bitch."
"None taken, but don't say that again or I might have to defend her." Lobo spoke up, and although it was a terrible shot at a joke, I still found myself laughing, and almost as if it was contagious, the better half of the Greybacks began to laugh as well.
We brought up casual conversation as we walked down the steps to the first floor where the nurse's office lay waiting, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of joy that Lobo was nothing like his sister. He was nice, and protective and held this loving aura around him that drawed me in. When we finally arrived to the nurse's office he got me the ice pack and brushed my hair back for me, his fingers gliding across the bruise and making me wince.
"Sorry," he mumbled, gently setting the icepack on the throbbing spot on my forehead.
"It's okay. I guess I should apologize really. I was a total jerk this morning. I'm just… I don't know, I haven't had the best summer and I'm really big about first impressions but… well, I guess I didn't make the best first impression on you guys, huh?" I chuckled nervously as we left the room filled with sick kids already finding ways to fake sickness and get out of school early, walking towards the cafeteria that wasn't too far away.
"It was my fault. Sometimes I just fall into my own world. I should have pulled into the right parking spot."
"I should have been nicer about it." I sighed, holding the ice pack loosely against my head as we walked over to one of the six lunch lines to buy some food.
"So, what would you like?" Lobo asked, catching me off guard. I almost dropped the pack at his politeness and soft smile.
"What?" I asked, figuring I had heard him wrong.
"Well I wanna buy you lunch to make up for hitting you with a door, so what do you want?" Lobo repeated, and I blinked once, looking at the array of food.
"You don't have to do that, Lobo. Really, I'm okay. You're sorry, I'm sorry, friendships were made, ice packs were retrieved. We're all good." I insisted, but he shook his head, not about to listen.
"We'll be all good when I buy you lunch." His pointer finger tapped the end of my nose and I snorted, shaking my head at him.
"Okay fine, but on one condition," I paused for dramatic effect, watching as his fingers tapped in impatience. "You have to sit with me and my friends at lunch."
Breathing out a sigh of relief, Lobo nodded and sent me a smile I couldn't help but return. "You got it."
I arrived at the group's usual lunch table with Lobo carrying two trays, one for me and one for him. Fang and Lissa were too busy playing the pocky game to bother with us and Nudge was in a heated debate with Sam about some famous soccer players. Iggy sat with JJ plopped on his lap. Every now and then she'd feed him a french fry and then he'd give her a kiss. The duo puzzled me honestly. They weren't officially together. They didn't express anything more than a crush for one another, and yet they acted like a couple. In my book that meant they were together, but I guess if I plugged Nudge's standards into the equation they were just friends with benefits. Close friends.
"Hey guys, this is my friend Lobo," I introduced the additional member to our squad, and Fang quickly bit off the pocky from where they had gotten, embarrassment tip-toeing up on him, turning his ears bright red. He wasn't much for public affection, unlike Iggy who had barely pulled away from his make out session to acknowledge us.
"Hi Lobo, I'm Nudge, and this is Sam. He's really cool."
"You're really cool," Sam shot back lamely, and Nudge giggled, causing me to raise an eyebrow at the both of them. I still couldn't tell if Nudge liked the boy as much as she said he did, but if she stuck around after his lame compliments I guessed she had to.
"Sit, won't you?" I suggested, taking a seat of my own. Lobo sat my tray down in front of me and I thanked him, waiting for him to grab a chair from another table before pulling it up and sitting next to me.
"You've got quite the friend group," He observed, and I nodded once.
"Hey man, I'm Fang, sorry I didn't properly introduce myself, I just kinda wanted to slug you earlier."
"Oh, why? What would make you so mad?" Lissa asked, her voice as innocent as a bunny rabbit's. A man-eating bunny rabbit's.
"Well I mean, he's the reason for Max's ice pack."
"Oh. Max." Lissa sneered, an obvious change in demeanor. Sam and Nudge quickly stopped showering each other with compliments and even Iggy managed to pull his vacuum sucking mouth off of JJ's long enough to watch what was about to go down.
"Is that a problem, Lissa? He's my friend. He's allowed to worry about me." I snarled.
"You're sleeping with him, aren't you, Slut?" Lissa spat in response, and I actually had to laugh at that.
"Whoa, let's calm down here." Lobo attempted to cool the crowd, which would have about as much effect as damaging Lissa's brain cells- there's nothing to damage so in other words there'd be no change.
"No, if I was he'd be a lot more satisfied," I growled back, causing her to scoff as she turned away from me. "I can't believe you're going to let her talk to me like that, Fang!"
"Max, shut up." Fang finally found his voice; of course it was to defend his precious girlfriend.
"She's the one who's accusing me of being a slut! God, why do you always take her side?" I exclaimed, slamming my fist on the table.
"Max," Nudge began, but of course Lissa had to continue the fight, as if it already hadn't escalated enough.
"Because I'm always right and you're always a bitch!"
"Lissa," Fang spoke in a warning tone. My fists clenched as I sucked in a breath, I tried to control my anger, I really did, but there was no point in trying when success wasn't an option. Without any thought at all I clenched my ice pack and wound it back, throwing it at her as fast and hard as I could.
Fang's girlfriend's nose job came to bits and pieces as the pack slammed into her, causing her to shriek as she fell back flat on her butt. "Max, what the hell?" Fang seethed before rushing over to help Lissa to her feet. I scoffed and rolled my eyes, pretending not to be hurt by the fact he always chose her over me.
"Whoa Man, that chick shouldn't have started this." Lobo defended lightly, getting an icy glare from Fang that obviously made him uncomfortable.
"Stay out of this, Bastard. Where'd you even come from? The gutters?"
"Hey now," Lobo got to his feet, an angry look on his face.
"Don't." I whispered, tugging on his shirt slightly, hoping he'd stop. Lobo didn't need to get dragged into all the arguments. It wasn't his fault and I refused to let it turn on him.
"They can't just team up on you, Max. That's not right."
"They're my friends, Lobo, we'll get over it." I told him, although I wasn't sure if we would. The last time I'd physically hurt Lissa Fang had deleted my number for a solid week.
"Come on, let's get you to the nurse, Babe." Fang said, helping his girlfriend steady her stumbling feet. The boy who I thought was my friend sent me a final glare before helping Lissa out of the cafeteria, and I sighed to myself.
"If you don't want to sit with me that's fine. I get it," I blew out, the only one who could still find it in herself to talk after that situation.
"Honestly, I just think I got a reason to sit here." Lobo answered and I smiled as he sat back down.
"Thanks." I said, appreciating the effort he was willing to put in to my dysfunctional life.
"You're my friend now, right? I gotta look out for you. That's what real friends do." Lobo grinned at me and I couldn't help but agree with that statement. Real friends looked out for each other. It made me wonder if I could ever consider Fang my friend again.
Review if you liked XD Gosh, this weekend's gone by fast. It's already Sunday.
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