Max talks about Tapeworm getting his nickname
Chapter 7-Dad's back
A/N So…I hope you liked my b-day special if you read it. Here's the next chapter, and I hope you like it, especially you, Jon Voris! (My most common/only helpful so far reviewer besides 'interesting' and 'this is stupid where's tha' porn' I've not had out else.)
Ever wondered the unusual stresses of being a preteen tomboy? We are often overlooked, but what goes through our minds is nothing like what you see. My name is Max, and welcome to my world.
Laura-Stars
It was a cold Sunday evening, but I was still stood outside the house, shivering, getting ready to knock. I knocked, and, with fear, waited anxiously for an answer. I knocked again, louder, and a woman came to the door. Her curly brown hair was up in a messy ponytail and she stood, tall and gangly with her long limbs looking down at me.
"Hello," she said with a smile. I could tell she recognised me. "Alex?" she guessed a unisex name, at least she remembered me.
I shook my head.
"Sam?" she tried again. "Morgan? Jo? I'm sorry love, just tell me."
"Max," I corrected her.
"Oh," she looked a little taken a-back. "That's right," she nodded.
"Can I speak to Tape- I mean Stephen?" I remembered their disapproval of his nickname.
"Yes, err, come in love,"
"Stephen!" she called, then turned to me, "he's not been very well, you see," his mom went back to bellowing, "Your friends here to see you, she's coming up now," she turned to me and smiled, "Second door on the left,"
I walked up his stairs till I got to his door. I knocked tentatively, I didn't want another Zack-underwear type incident.
"Come in," his voice called. I opened the door and walked in. "Hey Max,"
"Hey," I went and sat next to him on his bed. "Why haven't you been at school?" I asked.
He still stared straight ahead, not looking at me. He shrugged, "Didn't feel like it," he turned to me, "I saw you on TV,"
I blushed, "Zack and Cody messed it all up,"
"I bet you're glad I wasn't there, I would've messed it up even more,"
"No, Tapeworm," I argued. "Look, I'm sorry," I almost whispered.
"Okay," he shrugged. "Sorry too,"
We smiled at each other. "Friends?" I asked.
"Friends," he agreed.
"I've got to go, sorry," I said, leaving.
"Bye," he muttered.
Laura-Stars
I went home after that, and started to cook myself Pot Noodles, Hailee would be back the next day, so I had nothing to worry about. I looked into the mirror with a hairbrush in hand, and couldn't help but sing.
"Step into the dragon's lair
If it's too hot get out of here
Don't you act like you don't care?
When you see me standing there
Always running hot and cold
Up and down and back and forth
You hear yes when I say no
Round and round, away we go
We agree to disagree
But were you ever meant for me
I don't know, I don't know," it was a song I'd written myself, but I liked it. There was more, but my Pot Noodles were ready. I decided to stop. I had more but it was in my hidden note book. No-one else knew. I was just stirring my noodles, when I heard the door open behind me. Oh God, Mom's home I thought, but the voice I heard was very different.
"Maxina," my dad cried and ran up and hugged me from behind. I pulled away, my eyes wide with fear. "I told you I'd be back, didn't I?"
"Yeah, and you also said you wouldn't leave without warning," I pulled away, and went to sit down on a box with my pot noodles.
"I had something to do," he shrugged, "But I'm here now,"
"You really disappointed me," I muttered.
"Hey, I saw you on TV," he tried. "It's a shame you didn't win." He shrugged again, "Don't worry, one day everyone will know the name Maxina Brooks," he smiled with pride.
"Maxina Gellar," I argued.
He gave me a puzzled expression, "What?" he looked shocked.
"I wanted to match my family,"
"Just because your mom and Halie have…"
"Hailee," I corrected.
He seemed to have lost his temper now. "Look Maxina!" he yelled, "You're my daughter, not some incest freak,"
I stared at him, the shock on my face completely obvious. Tears started to roll down my cheeks. My mom hadn't meant to, she was just practicing. And that wasn't Hailee's fault. There was a reason my mom had fled from England while my uncle took the consequences. She may not be a good mother, but she loved Hailee, her daughter and her niece. "I…hate…you," I stammered out, walking away to my room.
"Maxina, wait," he called after me, but he never followed.
Laura-Stars
I ate my dinner on my bed, then sat there, for a long, long time. Not really thinking much. I heard mom come home at about 8. "Gerard!" she sounded surprised to see my dad. "What are you doing here?"
"What? Can't a father visit his daughter?" he asked.
"He can when he calls first," she argued. "It's not really a good time, Hailee's not here and you know what her sister's like without her,"
"Speaking of Max, why is her surname now Gellar?"
"She's in the Gellar family now, and you always disappointed her,"
"No, Maxina is a part of the Brooks family, whether she lives with us or not,"
"No, you picked the first name, I wanted to name her Hailee the 2nd!" Mum yelled. I shuddered at the thought.
"Why would you give both your daughters the same name?" Dad yelled back, "and the child takes the father's name,"
"Well, the child doesn't like the father,"
Dad was about to say something, but I walked in. "Maybe the child should get a say," I said quietly. "My family is with the Gellar's, dad, and that's who I am. Hailee is my family, she looks after me. Neither of you are good parents. Mom, I still have the scars on my back, and Dad, you're hardly even here. Mom, I spend my life hiding from you, and Dad, you're not even a real parent,"
Mom and Dad then both spoke at the same time;
"Maxina," Dad said,
"Darling," Mom said.
"No!" I argued, "Everything I just said was true, you know it, and mom, you won't even say my name," I turned and walked back into my room.
Laura-Stars
I remember when Tapeworm, or Stephen as he was known, got his nickname. We'd been friends about a month, and I was going to his house almost every day. I was round there one night, and we were playing bets. It was the kind of game where we pick it up again every few days. I was my turn, and as we sat there without really much to do, I had an idea. Bring the bets game back!
"Hey, Stephen," I said.
"Yeah," he always seemed egger.
"I bet you can't eat twenty hotdogs in under two minutes."
"You're on!" We both ran frantically down to the store to buy them, then went back to his. Together we cooked and make 21, so I could have one, of course.
"Are you ready?" I asked looking at the clock.
"Yeah!" Stephen replied.
"Three…Two…One…GO!" Stephen ate, very, very fast. I don't know how he managed to eat a hotdog in 6 seconds, repeatedly. But he did. When time was up he'd finished, and looked quite pleased with himself.
"I bet after eating so many dogs, you must've got tapeworm off one of them," I joked.
He smiled. "I guess I am Tapeworm," he said, and it just seemed to catch on.
"Okay, Tapeworm, what do you bet I can't do?"
"I bet you can't…" he thought. "Climb a tree," his bets were awful.
Laura-Stars
My name is Max, and welcome to my world. I've fixed thing with Tapeworm, but what about Mom and Dad?
A/N Sorry this wasn't up Friday, I had my birthday party, where, lucky me, my twin ended up with more presents and more money (something like that will happen to Cody soon). Anyway, thanks to those who read my b-day special, even if you didn't review. Please review this one, as I don't really see the point in uploading my story anymore, I can just write it for enjoyment. But, something's coming up soon for Max; (In no particular order)
Zack goes to Max's house.
Max joins Scouts (or whatever it's called in America)
Tapeworm and Max.
Max sleeps over.
Max stays at her dads (as she's 'out of town' in 'Cody goes to Camp')
Max goes everything with Zack.
So, that's just a few, tell me what you think, and whether you think I should bother with 'Band in Boston'. I got Max to sing in this chapter, the song's by Alyson Stoner, like Max is, but if you don't like it, tell me. Thanks for reading, and if your name isn't Jon Voris, after reading this, you owe me a review. Even if you're reading this years later, review!
Laura-Stars x
