Don't put your life in someone's hands
they're bound to steal it away
If you want to get out alive
Whoa-oh, run for your life
if you want to get out alive
Whoa-oh, run for your life
Three Days Grace – Get Out Alive
Edited
Shortly after 2:00am, Renny walked through the kitchen door. He'd spent the night with a couple of the guys, drinking beer and playing Madden. He didn't have a curfew per say, but it was agreed upon that he would either come home around a decent enough time or just crash with the friends.
He hadn't felt like staying, so he'd quit drinking around midnight and then drove home when people started crashing. He made his way to the fridge, pulling out a couple of slices of leftover pizza. He put them on a plate and tossed them in the microwave. He poured himself a big glass of water, chugged it, and then refilled it. When the timer went off, he grabbed his food and his glass of water, walking towards the living room.
When he entered, the first thing he noticed was that the TV was on. Looking to the couch, he saw his sister laying there, spooning with the Stilinski kid. Both were passed out, dead to the world. He didn't want to wake his sister, but he didn't like what he was seeing. He set his plate down on the table, and walked over to the two of them.
The Stilinski kid's feet were hanging off the end of the chaise lounge, so Renny gave them a quick kick. He jolted up, leaving Maxi laying down.
"What? Who? Renny?"
Renny just stared him down, giving him a harsh glare. "What's going on here," he said, quiet enough to not wake up Maxi.
Stiles looked from Renny, to a sleeping Maxi, and back to Renny again. "Nothing," he nearly shouted, but quickly quieted himself, "Nothing. She called me upset during dinner. I called her back later, wanting to check up on her. She said she was getting ready to call you, have you come get her but I was already out and offered to pick her up."
"That doesn't explain how you two ended up on the couch, with your hands all over her."
"All over her? I had an arm wrapped around her. I brought her home, and we sat down and watched Game of Thrones. We just fell asleep. Nothing happened. I swear."
Renny watches him for a minute, before finally speaking. "Look, I know I'm being a dick, but that's my little sister. I know how guys look at her, I've heard things that they say about her. I'll be damned if I'm going to let some kid come in and take advantage of her."
Stiles gaped at Renny. Is that what he thought was going on?
"Renny, I promise, I am not trying to take advantage of her. I like her," he said, looking at the still sleeping Maxi. "I like her a lot. I would never want to hurt her."
Renny watched the kid, seeing the way he looked at his sister. It wasn't like the rest of the male population, it was tender, sincere. Renny shook his head, standing up. "That's good to hear. I still don't trust you, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. You alright to drive home?"
Stiles stood as well, thanking god or whoever had just saved his ass, and followed Renny to the door. "Yeah, I'm fine. Will you tell her I'll get a hold of her tomorrow?"
Renny opened the door, watching as Stiles walked out. "Yeah, I'll tell her."
As Stiles started to walk to his jeep, Renny stopped him. "Hey, you said she was upset. At dinner? What happened?"
Stiles stopped, turning back to him. "She said she'd been having a bad day, and the reason for the bad day was there. Also, I guess Allison's parents asked about you guys' parents. It upset her, understandably."
Renny shook his head, "Shit. Allison's aunts name doesn't happen to be Kate does it?"
Stiles shook his head, confirming Renny's worst fear. "Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate it." Once Stiles was in the jeep, Renny made his way back inside, locking up the house. He sat down on the opposite end of couch from Maxi and turned the TV to Sports Center, keeping it quiet. He ate his pizza, then sat back to finish the show.
He was watching the Top 10 plays of the week, when Maxi started to move. Renny watched as her hand moved, like she was looking for something. When she didn't find what it was, she jolted up, "Stiles?"
Renny laughed, pausing his show, "Sorry sis, I'm not your lover boy. He just left about 20 minutes ago."
Maxi turned to him, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "You let him drive," she asked, grabbing her cell phone from the table.
Before she could dial or type out a message, Renny grabbed the phone from her and set it back down. "He was fine, I made sure of it. I wouldn't have let him drive if I thought otherwise."
"Thank you," she said, laying back down on the chaise lounge, curling up into the corner where Stiles had been previously. She buried her face into the cushion, breathing in the scent of his cologne. She smiled, man he smelled good.
"So, what happened," Renny asked, drawing her out of her girlie moment.
She rolled over, looking at her brother. The room was dark, save the light from the TV. He was on the opposite side of the couch, feet up on the coffee table, looking at the TV.
"Like you didn't question Stiles? Come on Renny, you know what happened," she said sleepily.
Renny laughed, "Okay, yes I did ask him. But he wasn't there. He could only tell me what you told him. I want to hear it from you."
Maxi grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch, wrapping it around her. She then proceeded to fill Renny in on the events of the night. She left out the parts of Stiles and Derek, which was not hers to share. When she was done, Renny didn't say anything at first.
"You should go to bed Max. You've had a long day."
Maxi shook her head, standing up and putting the blanket back where it was. As she started to leave the room, she turned back to Renny. "Were you at least nice to him?"
"The Stilinski Kid? I was nice enough. I promise I didn't scare him off Max. We just had a little chat, laid our cards out on the table and then he left."
Maxi smiled, "Laid your cards out on the table? Did you pull the overprotective brother act on him?"
Renny laughed, "Of course, it's my job little sis."
"Thank you for looking out for me. But I really don't think you need to do that with him."
"I'll be the judge of that. Night Maxi."
"Night Ren."
Maxi made her way to her room, changing into a sleeper shorts set and crawling into bed. She's pretty sure she was out before she hit the pillow.
~Anchor~
Maxi spent the rest of the weekend working on her contributions to the bake sale. 4 types of cookies, 2 cakes, 1 pie, and brownies. She had texted with Stiles throughout Saturday and early Sunday, and now she was being bombarded by Lydia. She said she had let her do her baking thing most of the weekend, but tonight, she was going to come with Jackson and her to Danny's for movie night.
She spent most of the afternoon cleaning up and packaging the baked goods, making sure that everything was ready to go to the school Monday. By 6:00 Sunday night, everything was ready to go and would just need to be put in the truck before leaving for school tomorrow.
Realizing that Lydia and Jackson would be there within the hour, she ran upstairs. Walking into the bathroom, she saw that she had flour all over herself. She stripped down and climbed in the shower, quick to wash off the day's activity. Once she was out, she blow dried her hair, then did a fishtail braid on it. She pulled on a long pair of socks, then a maroon pair of skinny jeans. She then put a pink camisole and a sheer blouse with bows all over it on. She sat down, pulling on a pair of black knee high boots and slipped a maroon watch on to her wrist.
She grabbed her purse, then her coat and made her way downstairs. She found her Dad in the kitchen, making dinner.
"Hey sweetie, you leaving?"
"Yeah, I'm going with Lydia and Jackson to watch a movie at Danny's house. I'll eat something there."
"Okay, just be home before curfew."
She heard a horn honk, and knew that they were there. "Of course, love you."
She walked out the front door, and Lydia let her into the backseat of her car.
"Nice to see you out of the kitchen."
Maxi laughed, "Sorry, I have responsibilities that I take very seriously. I had to make sure that we have enough baked goods for the bake sale or else were not going to raise any money and if we raise no money, we have no formal."
"Blah blah blah," Jackson said. "Let's just decide on what movie were going to watch."
Maxi sat back, listening to the two of them bicker over movies. They were halfway there, when her phone went off. She pulled it out and saw a text from Stiles.
S – So, are you still baking or are you finally finished?
M – Yes, all done. Actually going to rent a movie with Danny, Lydia, and Whitless. What about you?
S – Dinner with Dad.
M – That sounds nice. Have fun. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?
S – Sounds good, you have fun too.
As they stopped at the video store Maxi put her phone back in her purse. Listening back into the couple's conversation in the front, she realized they were still arguing.
"Well, while you two bicker like an old married couple I am going to head inside and see what they have."
Lydia let her out, and she walked into the store.
When she entered the store, there was no one at the counter, so she just started walking around. She knew that once Jackson came in, he would be looking for the Notebook. She hoped that she could find something before he got in, that Danny, Jackson, and she would like, that they could watch as well as keep Lydia appeased.
She was starting to be kind of creeped out by how quiet the store was. She jumped a little as a light towards the middle of the store started to flash. There was a ladder there beside it, but no one currently working on it.
She heard Jackson come in, asking for help finding the Notebook. When no one answered him, he called out hello, then asked if anyone was working.
As Maxi continued walking towards the back, she noticed something on the ground. It looked like someone's shoe. Someone's foot.
"Taylor, have you seen any employees in this dump," she heard Jackson ask.
When she didn't answer, he said her name again.
"Jackson? I think something is wrong," she said, continuing to get closer to the foot. As she got closer to the aisle, more of the body connected to the foot was revealed. Finally, the entire body was in view. There on the floor, was what appeared to be the store clerk, with his throat ripped out. Maxi fell back, bumping into Jackson, and shouting, "Oh my god! Jackson, Jackson!"
Jackson moved her aside, trying to see what she had. He quickly walked backwards, away from the dead body, and into the ladder. Which in turn knocked down the light they'd been working on and killing most of the lights.
"What happened to him," Jackson asked.
Maxi, crying, turned to the boy. "Do I look like I know? We need to get out of here. We need to call the cops."
Just then, they both heard a growling sound at the front of the store. They slowly turned, afraid of what they might see.
Through the flashing lights, all Maxi was really able to see was a large furry figure. Jackson grabbed her arm and pulled her down behind a shelf.
"What was that," she asked.
He shushed her, "I don't know. I don't want to know. We have to get out of here."
The lights continued to flicker, and Maxi chanced looking around the shelf. She quickly jumped back, "It's still there. What are we going to do?"
"Just stay calm. I'll get us out of here," he said, not really exuding the calming vibe himself. She just shook her head, hoping that for once she could trust Jackson.
Out of nowhere a bunch of DVDs started to fall, landing on top of Jackson and Maxi. It hurt but she wasn't going to complain about that now. Maxi started to take another look, but that was halted by a crashing sound. She realized that the shelves were falling, colliding into each other like dominos. Before she could do anything, Jackson was pushing her forward, saving her. Jackson was only able to get about half his body out before the shelving collapsed on his legs.
He cried out, then froze. Maxi, now on the other side of the aisle by the shelves, heard the breathing of the animal and it was getting closer. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if there was anything she could do. She crouched down, trying to make herself invisible. She covered her mouth, hoping not to draw attention.
She watched as the beast loomed over Jackson. It was almost like it was standing on only it's back two legs, like a human. It slowly leaned down, placing a paw on Jackson's neck. As Maxi moved, trying to get a better view, she heard a piece of glass below her crack.
The animal lifted its head, looking around, sniffing the air. That's when she knew she couldn't stay hidden while Jackson got killed like the clerk. She placed her hands on the ground, ignoring the pain of the glass cutting into her, and slowly stood up. Maybe she could scare it off.
It was still leaning over Jackson, "Go away", she whispered. It let out a soft growl and just continued to watch her. "Get out of here," she said, looking to see if there was anything she could use as a weapon. There was a large piece of glass from the lights, so she picked that up, not even bothering to worry about her hands anymore.
She slowly made her way towards the beast, ready to stab it if she had too. She still couldn't see it very well, but now that she was facing it head on there was one thing standing out. It's almost glowing red eyes. This caused her to stop where she stood, as the animal stepped over Jackson, moving closer to Maxi. When their eyes locked, it was like Maxi was unable to look away. She was locked in its gaze, and it was probably about to pounce. But she couldn't bring herself to do anything.
It continued forward, until it was almost close enough to touch, close enough to kill her. She could feel it's breath on her hands. The beast lifted its head, sniffed a little bit, let out a deep growl, and then took off for the front of the store. It jumped right through the window, running off into the dark. Maxi stood there, staring in the direction it had just took off in, dazed. She had heard Lydia scream, but couldn't bring herself to move.
"Taylor! Maxi? Maxine!" Jackson yelled, trying to get her attention. When she didn't answer, he grabbed her ankle. She screamed, jumping away from him.
"Taylor, you have to get me out of here."
She looked down at him, then to the shelves. She shook her head, "O-Okay, I can try."
She stepped around Jackson, and tried lifting the shelves. After a couple of minutes, she had only managed to lift it a little bit, enough to where Jackson could roll over. Between her lifting with her arms, and him using his legs, they were able to get him out.
As they walked to the front of the store, Jackson asked, "Are you alright?"
She shook her head, using her hand to brush some of her bangs back. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"There's blood on your face," he said as they exited the store. She brought her hand up to wipe it off, but before she could, she saw that the blood was coming from her hands.
"I must have cut myself on the glass," she said, bringing them both up. Her right hand was worse than the other, having cut her hand when she picked up the shard of glass to protect them.
Seeing that Lydia was still sitting in the car, Maxi rushed to the driver's side Jackson right behind her. She opened the door, and helped Lydia out.
"What was that," she asked, her voice shrill with fright.
Both Jackson and Maxi shook their heads, as Maxi pulled out her phone. "I'm calling the police."
The three of them took a seat, waiting for the police to arrive.
~Anchor~
The first officers showed up 10 minutes later. The three of them were checked over by the medics, Lydia cleared and taken to sit on the bumper of the ambulance to answer some questions. Maxi was kept inside, her hands needed to be cleaned and possibly bandaged.
She listened as Jackson tried to explain what had happened. He was not being the nicest to the cops. He turned away from the ambulance, speaking to someone else.
"Why the hell can't I just go home?"
Sheriff Stilinski stepped into view, "I hear ya, but the EMT says you hit your head pretty hard. They just want to make sure you don't have a concussion."
"What part of "I'm fine" are you having a problem grasping? I want to go home."
"And I understand that," the Sheriff said.
"No, you don't understand, which kind of blows my mind, since it should be a pretty basic concept to grasp for a minimum-wage rent-a-cop like you! Okay, now, I want to go home!"
"Jackson! Shut your damn mouth," Maxi yelled from the back of the ambulance, causing the sheriff and Jackson to turn to her. Jackson gave her a glare, then turned back to the sheriff. Before he could speak again, there was a new voice shouting, shouting for her.
"Maxi!"
Immediately Maxi recognized the voice. She tried to stand up, but the EMT pushed her back down into the seat.
"Stiles," she cried out. The sheriff, hearing his son's name, looked up at her.
"Ms. Taylor, are you alright," he asked, walking around Jackson.
"Sheriff, is your son here," she asked, suddenly feeling the events of the night catch up to her.
He looked off to where she couldn't see, then turned back to her. "He is, yes. How about you let the gentleman finish with your hands, and then you can come out and answer some questions."
Maxi, wiping the tears that were suddenly running down her face, shook her head. "Are you almost done?"
The medic shook his head, finishing the wrapping on her hand. "I retaped your fingers, after disinfecting the cuts. Most are just small superficial ones. You should be okay, just keep them clean."
Maxi shook her head, then stood up to walk out of the ambulance. As she reached the bumper, the sheriff stepped forward, holding his hand out to help her down. Once her feet touched the ground, she looked for Stiles. The sheriff, seeing that she was looking for his son, grabbed her shoulders and directed her towards him. He was off to the side, being kept back by another deputy. He was pacing and biting his thumb nail.
She started to walk towards him, "Stiles!"
He looked up, letting his eyes quickly scan her for any damage, "Maxi! Are you okay?"
As she got closer, she shook her head no, then threw herself at him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. Looking over her shoulder, he saw his Dad watching their interaction, Lydia sitting on the ambulance a blank stare on her face, and Jackson growing more aggravated by the minute.
"What happened Maxi?"
He waited, while she cried into his shoulder. He just kept rubbing her back and saying the generic soothing things. He didn't know what to say, how to make this better. Not until he knew what she had saw. After a couple of minutes, she finally calmed down.
"What happened in there?"
"Some animal attacked the clerk. Killed him! It was still in there when we got here. I found the clerk, and then the shelves were falling and Jackson was trapped. I couldn't sit there while it killed him. I got up, ready to defend us. The thing, it looked at me. Then it just ran away!" She left out the red eyes. She didn't want him thinking she was crazy.
By the end of the story, Maxi was nearly hysterical. Stiles pulled her back to his chest, hoping to calm her down again. He watched, as his dad walked away from Jackson and Lydia, and came towards the two of them.
"Maxine dear, I need to ask you some questions."
Maxi turned, her hand quickly finding Stiles' and gripping it tightly. The sheriff watched the gesture, then turned to his son. "Can you give us a minute?"
Stiles shook his head, turning to Maxi. She quickly tightened her grip, "Can he please stay? I'd really appreciate it sir."
The sheriff contemplated it for a moment, then shook his head. He gestured for the two to follow him back to Jackson and Lydia. Maxi quickly took a seat beside Lydia, who took her other hand. Stiles stayed standing beside her, and Maxi never let go.
She recounted her story, not leaving anything out except the eyes. She managed to stay calm this time, and when she was done, she looked to the Sheriff, "Can we go now? I really just want to go home."
"We had to call your parents guys, I'm sorry. They should all be here shortly."
Maxi shook her head, having expected that. Jackson of course threw another fit, but was quickly quieted by his father showing up. Mr. Whittemore said he was there for Jackson and Lydia, and that Mr. Taylor would be there shortly. Once he said it was okay, Lydia gave Maxi a hug, and then Jackson and Lydia got into her car and they left.
As they pulled out, Mr. Taylor's truck was pulling in. He had barely put it into park, before he was jumping out and rushing over to his daughter. When Maxi saw her father rushing towards her, she was up and running towards him. He pulled her to him, then quickly pulled back, checking her over. The person on the phone had said there were no serious injuries but he wanted to see for himself.
"Are you okay?"
Maxi shook her head, "Yes Daddy. The medic checked me over, it's just some small cuts on my hands. I'm fine."
Hank, seeing Stiles and his father standing behind her, walked over and shook both their hands. "Stiles, thanks for staying with her."
"Of course."
"Is she okay to leave?"
"Yeah, we got all we need. Just make sure she takes care of her hands."
"Will do. Thank you."
Hank turned, wrapping his arm around Maxi and leading her towards the truck. Before they reached it, Maxi ducked under and walked back to the Stilinski men. She hugged Stiles again, then turned to the sheriff.
"I'm really sorry for how Jackson talked to you. He knows you were just doing your job, but he's not the most patient or kind person."
The sheriff shook his head, placing a hand on her upper arm, "No worries dear. I've dealt with worse than grouchy teenagers. You just get yourself home, okay?'
"Yes sir. Good night Stiles. I'll see you tomorrow."
She walks back to her dad, who helps her get into the truck, and then they drive off.
When Maxi and Hank got home, both Gabi and Renny are sitting in the kitchen waiting for them. When they walk in the door, both siblings were up and hugging their sister.
Hank calmed everybody down, while Maxi took a seat at the bar. She recounted her story for the family, while her father finished up the dinner he had been cooking. They stayed at the counter, eating the grilled chicken and rice, Maxi answering any questions that she could.
When it was done, Renny and Gabi quickly cleared the table. Hank turned to Maxi, "Are you sure you're okay?"
Maxi looked down at her hands, playing with a piece of loose wrap, "Yeah, I'm alright. I just wish I could have been more helpful. I never really got a good look at the thing."
'Don't beat yourself up over that. Didn't you say the thing ran right by Lydia and she didn't know what it was either?"
Maxi shook her head, wishing she could take her dads advice. She couldn't get the image of the thing standing on just its back two legs. It was almost like it was human, but that couldn't be.
"You know you don't have to go to school tomorrow right? You've been through so much these last few weeks, no one would blame you for needing a break."
Her head shot up. "I can't miss tomorrow. Conferences, the bake sale, and Allison's birthday are tomorrow. I baked her cupcakes, and we're decorating her locker before school. I have to go Dad."
"Okay, alright. If you're sure."
Maxi said that she was, then excused herself from the table. She said goodnight to the family, then ran up the stairs, locking herself in her room. She changed into sweats and a tank top, then crawled into bed. When she heard a knock at the door, she pretended to be asleep, not wanting to talk about the events of the evening anymore.
She listened as the house grew quieter, as each family member went to bed. She was just starting to doze off, when she heard her phone going off. She got out of bed, walking to where her purse was hung, and pulled it out.
S – Just wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay. If I don't see you tomorrow, I'll get your work for you.
M – That's very sweet, but I'll be there. I'm doing okay, ate dinner and then went to bed.
S – I didn't wake you did I?
M – No, not having the easiest time falling asleep.
S – Understandable. You went through some crazy stuff tonight.
M – Yeah, crazy….
S – Are you sure you're alright?
M – Of course I am. I'll see you in the morning, night Stiles
S – Night Maxi.
She felt bad, being so short with Stiles, but she really didn't want to talk about the nights events. She really just wanted to forget that it ever happened. She wanted to forget how the blood had been oozing out of the clerks missing throat. She wanted to forget how terrified she had been. She wanted to forget the look of helplessness on Jackson's face. Most of all, she wanted to forget the feeling of the beasts beady red eyes staring into her, locking her in their gaze.
She laid her phone on her nightstand, and rolled away to face the wall. She was going to go to sleep and when she woke up tomorrow, everything would be better. Everything would have to be better, because she really didn't want to imagine what worse would look like.
~Anchor~
Maxi's night was plagued with nightmares. One minute she was riding with her mother, the next she was sprawled on the floor of the video store, watching as the beast killed her mother. She's not sure how she managed to not wake up the rest of the house. The last time she woke up, it was with a scream, sweat covering her body.
She shoved her hair out of her face, and turned to the alarm clock. She had never been more grateful for the soft blue glow of the lights. The clock informed her that it was only 5:30, her alarm wouldn't be going off for another hour. She thought about laying back down, but didn't have it in her to go through another round of the terrifying nightmare.
She threw her blankets back and made her way into her bathroom. She opted for a warm shower, a fizz ball thrown in to help relieve some of the tension she was feeling. When she got out, she put her undergarments on and wrapped herself up in her robe. Looking at the clock, it was nearing 6:00. She laid back down on her bed, not quite ready to start preparing for the day.
She must have been tired, because the next thing she was aware of, was her alarm going off and Gabi knocking on her door. She jolted up, shutting the alarm off, and walking to open her door.
"Hey, Dad just wanted me to check on you. Make sure you were still wanting to go to school."
"Yes, I'm going to school."
"Do you want any food?"
"No, no food. I'm really not hungry."
"Are you sure? Are you alright?"
"Yes," she snapped before she caught herself. Gabi looked taken back, not used to that tone from her sister. "Sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't sleep very well, and I'm a little bit on edge. I'm not hungry, but thank you. I'm going to get dressed."
Maxi went to shut her door, but before it latched, Gabi pressed it back open. "You know you can talk to me, right? I'm not a baby anymore, I can handle things. I'm here, if you want to talk."
Maxi just looked at her sister, amazed at how mature she constantly seemed. Before she could say anything, Gabi wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging her tight. Maxi didn't bother with words, she just returned the gesture.
"Maybe this weekend, we can just lounge out on the couch, watch some movies. Just the two of us," Maxi suggested.
Gabi's face lit up, "Really? We haven't done that in a while."
Maxi ruffled her hair, earning herself a mild glare, "Yeah, sounds like fun doesn't it?"
Gabi shook her head, then started to leave the room.
"I love you Gabs."
"I love you too Max."
Maxi watched as her sister left the room, shutting the door behind her. She then walked to the closet, finding a simple yellow sundress. She topped that off with a bright blue cardigan, a pair of knee high socks, and brown boots. She wrapped a watch around her wrist and found a blue and yellow necklace to tie it all together.
She then entered the bathroom. After just one night of nightmares and rough sleep, the bags under her eyes were pretty pronounced. She would have to resort to some sort of cover up today. Once the foundation was laid, she lined her eyes with a blue liner, hoping to make them seem more open and less drowsy. She then proceeded to use her blush, trying to add some color to her face. She threw her hair up in a top knot, wrapping a blue bow around it.
Deeming herself no longer a total mess, she walked out of the bathroom and started gathering her things. She then entered her closet, packing a change of clothes for the conferences tonight for her dad to bring with later. As she was about to walk out of the room, her phone rang. Pulling it out of her purse, she saw the Martin house number calling.
"Hello?"
"Dear, how are you doing this morning?"
"Morning Mrs. M, I'm doing okay. How's Lydia?"
"She's not doing too well. I'm going to keep her home today. Would you be willing to gather her work for her?"
"Of course. Not a problem. I'll bring it by after school."
"Thank you dear, have a good day."
Maxi said her goodbyes, then made her way downstairs. She poured herself a cup of coffee, then took a seat beside her father. No one said anything, but it was like she could feel all their eyes on her. "I'm fine. Please, stop."
Before anyone could say anything, Maxi's phone started to blow up, one notification after the other. Checking it, she saw that it was Lydia, giving her the run down on what she expected for Allison today. Maxi text her back a simple, I know, and left it at that.
"Renny, we have to stop by the store on the way. I need to get Allison's balloons and card."
"Let's head out then."
"Dad, you'll be at the school right at 3:30 to drop all my stuff off right?"
"Of course sweetie, it will be there waiting for you."
"Thank you," she said, placing a kiss on his head. "See you then. Love you."
Renny and Maxi left, stopping to get balloons, a card, and on a whim, a noisemaker. Maxi thought it would be fun to surprise Allison with it.
Once they got to the school, Maxi separated from Renny, going straight for Allison's locker. She used the combo she had given her, opening it up. She placed the bundle of balloons inside, then the 6 cupcakes, all specially decorated, and the card. She then walked a little ways down the hall, watching for Allison. Once she saw her nearing her locker, she started to walk up behind her.
When she heard the lock click, she brought the noisemaker to her mouth, and blew. The timing was perfect, as the balloons swarmed out, the noisemaker went off and Allison jumped. She quickly looked over her shoulder at Maxi then started to shove the balloons back inside.
"No, no, no. Not here."
Maxi leaned against the locker beside her, "What's wrong?"
Before she could answer, Scott was walking up beside Maxi.
"Is today your birthday?"
Allison turned to him, a deer in the headlights look on her face. If Maxi didn't know any better, she'd think that Allison didn't want people knowing it was her birthday.
Her thoughts were confirmed, when Allison spoke. "No. No. Uh, no. I mean, yes. Please don't tell anybody, either of you. I don't even know how you found out."
"I'm sophomore class president. I have a calendar, with everyone's birthdates on it. I scan it every now and then. Recently, specifically looking for your birthday. Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was today!"
"Why wouldn't you tell me," Scott asked.
"Because I don't want people to know. Because…," she paused, looking away from them. "I'm 17."
Scott gave her a shocked look, but Maxi didn't have a reaction. She already knew this, and it didn't bother her. It was none of her business the reason behind it, until Allison wanted to tell her.
"You're 17?"
"That's the reaction I'm trying to avoid."
"Why? I mean, I—I totally get it. Uh, you had to repeat a year because of all the moving around, right?"
Allison turned back to Scott from her locker, a shocked look on her face. Maxi assumed that wasn't the reaction she usually got. She closed her locker, and moved forward to kiss Scott.
"And that is my queue to leave you two lovebirds alone. I'll talk to you guys later," she said, making her way down the hall. Before she got very far, she heard Allison calling to her.
"Thanks Maxi!"
She raised her hand and continued on her way. She reached her locker, opening it up and placing her purse and coat inside. She had just grabbed her English book, when someone walked up behind her.
"Maxi!"
It jolted her, causing her to drop her book, in turn making a loud slamming sound as it hit the ground. She placed her hand on her chest, and closed her eyes. Way to stay cool, she told herself. She watched as Matt picked up her book, holding it out to her.
"Hey, you alright?"
Matt Daehler, her ex-boyfriend, who she had barely had any communication with since they broke up a year ago. The ex-boyfriend who was suddenly standing in front of her, looking like he wanted to have a conversation.
She shook her head, "Yeah, yes. I'm fine. Did you need something?"
"I was just wondering when you wanted me to be at the thing tonight. The yearbook wants pictures."
"We start setting up right after school, so any time after that should be fine. Whenever you are free."
"Okay, sounds good."
She turned back to her locker, placing her book in her bag. She thought he had left, but was surprised when he spoke again.
"So, is it true? Were Jackson and you attacked at the video store last night?"
She sighed, realizing that her wish for last night to remain an anonymous adventure, had not come true. If Matt knew, most of the school probably knew by now.
"We weren't attacked. We just found the guy that had been attacked."
"Well, yeah, but the animal was still there, right? You guys saw it? What was it?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. Before she could say anything more, she felt someone grip her arm. They slammed her locker shut and dragged her down the hall. They were 5 feet away from Matt before she finally looked up to see who it was.
It was Jackson. She wrenched her arm out of his hold, but continued walking. "What are you doing?"
'Everyone knows, everyone is talking about it. Did you tell someone?"
She stopped, and he did too. They glared at each other, neither backing down. "Did I tell someone? Why would I tell someone? I wanted people to know it was me just as little as you did. No, I didn't tell anyone."
Jackson sighed, leaning against a random locker. "I just, I hate the way everyone is looking at me."
She leaned beside him, "I know what you mean. It's that pity look. You'll get used to it."
He stood up, "No, I don't want to get used to it. I don't want anyone's pity."
Jackson stormed off, leaving Maxi where she was. "Well, that was fun! Let's do this again NEVER!"
She made her way back to her locker, seeing that no one was there. She finished getting her things and then made her way to English. She took her seat, one of the first ones there, and pulled out her phone. She sent a text off to Lydia, letting her know it had gone off without a hitch, then turned it off.
She laid her head on the desk, waiting for class to start. She heard someone take the seat beside her, and assuming it was Allison turned her head. Instead of Allison's smiling face looking back at her, it was Isaac's worried face. She smiled, sitting up.
She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off. "Are you alright?"
She closed her mouth, smiling at him sweetly. "You do care about me."
Isaac rolled his eyes, "Answer the question. Are you alright," he asked, seeing that her hands were both wrapped in a thin coat of gauze.
She turned towards him. "I'm fine. Just some cuts from some broken glass. Purely superficial though."
Isaac looked around, making sure no one was watching them. He couldn't have it getting back to his Dad that he was talking to Maxi, it would end very badly for him. "You're sure?"
She shook her head, leaning back into her seat. "Yes, I'm sure. Would my dad or Renny have let me leave the house if I wasn't?"
He let out a small laugh, "No, probably not."
Her face grew somber, "Thank you for checking on me though. It means a lot to know that you care."
He watched her face for a moment, feeling the guilt eat at his insides. He hated that he treated her the way he did, but if it got back to his dad that he was talking to Maxi, well he hated to think what might happen. Ever since the incident, he had been forbidden to see her. His dad didn't even know about the tutoring. It was the only way he could be around Maxi, without letting her back in.
He gave her a small smile, "I do care. It's just hard sometimes."
"I know. You should get to your seat."
He shook his head, then got up to go to his seat. Before he walked off, he turned back to her, "I am glad that you're okay."
"I know," she said, laying her head back down on the desk as he walked off.
~Anchor~
Maxi was making her way to science when she saw Jackson standing in the hallway, zoned out. After this morning, she really didn't want to even bother, but she knew that she had too. No one else really knew what they were going through. She had to at least try to be nice.
"Jackson?"
He didn't answer, just continued to stare off. "Jackson," she said again, gently placing her hand on his arm.
This jerked him out of his daze. "What do you want?"
"Well, the bell just rang and you're standing in the hallway, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."
"Don't think that just because we were stuck in there together, that this suddenly makes us friends. You hate me, and I hate you. Let's not try and pretend," he nearly spit at her before walking off and into class.
She stood there for a moment, not surprised by the reaction but feeling like it was harsher than usual. She forced it from her mind, really not caring. She walked in behind Jackson, and watched as the whole class stopped and stared. Mr. Harris stopped talking, turning towards them.
Maxi took her seat beside Danny, watching as Mr. Harris made his way to Jackson's seat. "Hey, Jackson. If you need to leave early for any reason, you let me know." Jackson shook his head, then Mr. Harris turned and made his way towards Maxi.
He rest his hand on her back, "Same goes for you. Just let me know."
Maxi shook her head, turning to look at Danny. He offered her a small smile, grabbing her hand under the table. She instantly felt better, knowing that she had Danny with her, by her side always. Mr. Harris told them to start reading chapter 9, so Danny and her both got their books out and started reading.
As he was walking back to his desk, Mr. Harris felt the need to call out Stiles, trying to embarrass him. It didn't seem to faze him, and Maxi turned back to her reading.
They had just started, when Stiles turned to them, getting their attention.
"Maxi. Hey Danny. Can I ask you a question?"
Danny smiled, "No."
"Well, I'm going to anyway. Is Lydia in school today? Is everything okay?"
Maxi turned to him, confused why he was asking. "Her mom kept her home. She wasn't doing so well this morning."
"Can I ask you another question?"
Danny again took the lead, "Answers still no."
Maxi let out a laugh, elbowing him in the side.
"Does anyone know about what happened to the three of you last night?"
Danny spoke first, "He wouldn't tell me," he said, looking at Maxi.
"Everything going around is just hearsay. I haven't spoken to anyone about it, except Jackson. He's not in the speaking mood," Maxi told them.
Stiles turned back to Danny, "But he's your best friend."
"Hey!"
Stiles rolled his eyes. Danny just shrugged his shoulders and returned to his work.
Maxi turned so she was facing Stiles. "Why are you asking so many questions?"
Stiles eyes grew wide, "Don't ask, can't tell?"
She shook her head, "So this goes back to what's going on with Derek?"
"Possibly?"
"You'd tell me if I was in danger right?"
"Of course."
"Alright then," she said, going back to work.
"One more question," Stiles said.
"What," Danny asked, aggravated.
"Do you find me attractive?"
Danny looked incredibly confused, looking to Maxi for help. In the end, no answer was needed, as Stiles had leaned so far forward to talk to them, that he fell out of his chair, thus ending the conversation.
~Anchor~
Maxi was just leaving gym, when she ran into Derek. She rolled her eyes, "We really need to stop meeting like this. People are going to start asking questions."
Derek gave her a small smile, gently taking her arm, and leading her off to an emptier hall.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you why you're here. I don't want to know, don't need to know. Stiles said that you guys were doing something, something that I didn't need to know about. I trust you two, so I'm just going to leave you too it."
Derek looked down at her, listening to her heartbeat. She was telling the truth, she did trust them and she didn't want to know why he was there. That worked for him. "I'm just checking on something and wanted to check on you before I left. You alright?"
She stood up straighter, trying to seem more confident in the answer she was about to give. "I am fine. It was just a matter of bad timing. It could have been anyone that, found that body." Her voice broke a little on her last sentence, but Derek didn't need to hear that to know that everything she had just said was a lie. He could smell the fear rolling off of her.
He placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping it would calm her down. It did, but not a lot. "That's good, it's good that you aren't letting it bother you."
She shook her head, jumping as a door slammed. She looked down at her feet, not knowing what to say after totally proving her words to be lies.
"But if it was, that would be okay too. You found a dead body Maxi, that isn't something you just forget."
"It was horrible," she whispered. "There was blood everywhere, and then we couldn't get out. I thought…"
When she didn't continue, Derek tried to urge her, "Thought what Maxi?"
She looked up, and Derek could see it written on her face. He didn't need the words, he didn't want to hear the words. "I thought I was going to die."
Derek did something then, that he honestly couldn't remember doing in a long time. He pulled Maxi to his chest, hugging her. She was taken back at first, but after a moment's hesitation, she placed her arms around him. It was like a damn broke, she just started bawling. Derek tried to shield her as best he could from the few people passing. It didn't last long, she quickly pulled back, composing herself.
"I'm so sorry. I know you hate crying girls," she said, trying to lighten the mood.
"It's okay, I can handle it in moderation."
The bell rang, and again Maxi jumped. She groaned, "I don't like being scared of every loud noise."
"You'll get over it, give it time. You should get to class."
She shook her head, walking down the hall. Before she rounded the corner, she turned back, "I've already told Stiles this, but I feel like I should say it to you too. Please, whatever you guys are doing, be careful."
Derek didn't anything, and she knew that was the only response she would get. She gave him a small wave then walked off to class.
~Anchor~
Finally, school was over. Maxi made her way out to meet her dad and helped bring everything in. They were setting up in the main entrance hallway, a long table on each side. All the parents would have to pass them to get to or from their meetings. It was the best spot.
She had just came back in with the last load, when Stiles walked up. "Hey, anything I can do to help?"
"Nope, all unloaded. Thanks though."
"Are you sure?"
"Actually, there is something you could do to help me out."
"Name it!"
She reached into her book bag, pulling out the folder with all of Lydia's work. "Take this over to Lydia's house for me? I promised her mom but forgot I have to be here until tonight. I'd really appreciate it."
"Well, uh, is there anything I could do, I don't know here to help?"
"Honestly, everything here is all set. This would be a huge help. Please," she asked, giving him the pouty face.
Stiles sighed, resigning to help. He took the folder, "Fine, I'll take it to her but you owe me big time!"
She smiled, stepping forward and placing a kiss on his cheek, "Name your price, it's yours."
"Let me think on that," he said.
He started to walk off, then turned back. "Let me get a cupcake."
"What kind sir?"
"Your favorite kind."
Maxi tapped her chin, thinking. Finally, she made her way to the containers and pulled out one of the individually wrapped Strawberry Shortcake cupcakes. "Here ya go, on the house."
"What is it?"
"Strawberry shortcake cupcake. You'll love it, I promise."
"I am sure I will. Thanks, I'll get this to Lydia immediately." She thanked him again, then watched as he walked out of the school.
Her Dad set up the tables, then Maxi put some bright tablecloths on both, taping them down so they didn't fly off. She then started to set out platters of different baked goods, all wrapped up individually or in groups of 6, 8 or 12. Others started to drop their stuff off as well, and before she knew it, it was almost 5:00 and parents were going to start to show.
Maxi grabbed the garment bag off the back of her chair, and quickly went to the bathroom to change. She changed into a white skirt with blue and maroon flowers in it, a maroon cap sleeved crop top with a dark blue cardigan over it. She pulled on a pair of black tights and a maroon pair of heels. She let her hair down, letting the curve of the bun leave it wavy. She put a simple off white headband in, then touched up her eye makeup with a black pencil. She put all of her clothes back in the bag and made her way back out.
As she walked out, she bumped into someone, nearly knocking her down but she caught herself.
"Well, well, well. Look who we have here." Maxi immediately looked up, locking gazes with Mr. Lahey.
She quickly took a step back, not wanting to be close enough for him to touch. "Mr. Lahey."
"Little Maxine Taylor, all grown up. We haven't seen you in a while. Why don't you come by the house anymore?"
She looked over as Isaac walked up beside his dad, a scared look on his face.
"I think it's a mutual decision, don't you sir?"
"You always did have a smart mouth, but obviously that's the only thing smart about you if you're here this evening. Only students with a C or below have to be here, isn't that right Isaac," he asked, looking at his son over his shoulder.
Isaac quickly looked down, "Yes sir."
"I'm sure if Isaac is having any issues at school, they are easily fixable. Maybe something else is bothering him, that keeps him from doing his best," she snapped back at Mr. Lahey, hating watching him put his son down. "And actually, I'm not here for my conferences. I'm sophomore class president, and we're having a bake sale to raise money for the winter formal."
"Why you little shit," Mr. Lahey started to say, stepping towards her. As Isaac went to grab his Dad, stopping his movement, his father turned on him, shoving him off of him. "Don't you do that again, you hear me boy?"
Isaac quickly let go, cowering from his father. Mr. Lahey turned back to Maxi, and started towards her again. Before he could reach her though, a voice interrupted his progress.
"Maxine, everything okay over here dear?"
Maxi had never been happier to see her father. "Everything is fine Daddy. I was just telling Mr. Lahey about the bake sale."
Hank reached his daughter, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He turned his gaze from her to the older gentleman, a mean glint in his eye.
"Is that so? He wasn't giving you any trouble was he?"
"Of course not Hank. We were just discussing the sale and how she's class president."
Dad then noticed Isaac standing a few feet behind his father. "Isaac, nice to see you son," he said, stepping forward to shake his hand. "It's been too long, you haven't been by the house in forever."
Isaac returned the hand shake, but was quick to let go and step back behind his father. "I'm sorry sir, I've been busy with school and lacrosse."
"Well, hopefully you can clear some time for a visit soon. I know Maxi misses you."
Maxi and Isaac looked at each other, and she gave him a small nod. She did miss him. He used to be one of her best friends, and now they were almost strangers. She hated it. She hated his father and what he was doing to him.
"Well, grades and school come first, right son?"
Isaac looked up at his Dad, shaking his head. "Well, we'd best be getting back to the table. Money to make. Isaac, hope to see you soon. Camden."
Hank placed his hand on his daughters back, directing her around the Lahey's. As he passed the father, he paused, and leaned in.
"Don't ever let me see you advancing on my daughter again. It will be the last thing you ever do, I promise you that with everything I am." He gave them both a smile and then they walked off. Maxi looked over her shoulder, only to see Mr. Lahey grabbing Isaac by the shoulder and dragging him in the opposite direction. Maxi loved her father for sticking up for her, for protecting her, but she couldn't but wonder if they had just made things worse for Isaac.
As the night continued, she sold her ass off. She was approaching everyone that entered the doors, everyone that was leaving. Nearly everybody bought something, all leaving happy. She had sold a batch of cupcakes to the Argent's, a single one to Mrs. McCall, and her table was getting pretty bare. She was sitting, waiting for Matt to come back for a few more pictures, when her English teacher and a small family approached her.
"Ms. Taylor, may I borrow you for a moment?"
She checked with the two other girls that were manning the tables, and they said they would be fine until she got back. She followed the teacher, a student she swore was named Boyd, and his mother to the English class.
"Please, take a seat."
She sat beside the boy, looking from him to the teacher. "Is everything okay? I'm not in trouble am I?"
"Goodness, no. Sorry for worrying you. Mrs. Boyd, Vernon, this is Maxine Taylor. She is sophomore class president, and one of my best students. She is currently the only tutor I have with only one student. Maxi, you've been asking for more students, here is your chance, if you still want it."
Maxi looked from the teacher to the family. "You go by Boyd, right?"
He shook his head, but didn't say anything.
"I would be happy to tutor you, in English I'm assuming. What time would work best for you?"
The mother spoke up, "I'm Mrs. Boyd, but Maxi you can call me Stella. When do you tutor the other student?"
"I tutor him on Wednesday nights, after his previous engagement. We study for about two hours."
"Boyd, would during school work or after," Stella asked, trying to get Boyd to participate in the conversation.
"Doesn't matter."
Seeing that he wasn't one for words, Maxi intervened. "Why don't we start with a short session during school, see where we're at, and then we can make more specific times for the future. Does that work?"
Boyd shook his head, and then they stood up.
She watched as the small family left, then told her teacher thank you. She quickly left the room, chasing them down, shouting at Boyd once.
They both stopped but he waved his mom away.
"Boyd, hey. Umm, how would a short session on Thursday work for you? I have a free period and I am sure I can get whoever you have at that time to let you meet with me."
"That's fine."
"Okay, its set then. I'll see you then."
They both started to walk down the hallway, Maxi trying to stay with him. "You don't have to walk with me."
"Well, were both going the same way, same location. Why not?"
She couldn't be sure, but she thinks she saw a small smile. "Do you want a cupcake or a cookie before you go?"
"No thanks, I'm not a fan of chocolate."
"We have tons of stuff that isn't chocolate. How about strawberry? Or vanilla. We have sugar cookies or peanut butter cookies too. Come on, on me, pick something."
He finally gave him, picking out a peanut butter cookie. He thanked her then left to go find his mom. Maxi couldn't believe it, she had finally gotten a second tutoring job. Finally!
~Anchor~
The night was slowly winding down. She had stopped Mrs. Martin on her way out, demanding that she take home some vanilla cupcakes for Lydia since they were her favorite. She thanked her for sending the twitchy boy over with her work, though he had left in almost a rush.
Her father and she started to load up the containers, all near empty. As she was walking to the truck, she saw the Argents and another parent talking.
"Maxi, dear, can you come here real quick?"
She gave her dad the stuff she was carrying and made her way to the parents.
"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Argent. Hope everything went good in there," she said, trying to not get involved in where she knew this conversation was about to go.
Mrs. Argent gave her a small smile, "Things went fine. Have you spoke with Allison today?"
"Or Scott," the other parent interjected. This must be Scott's mother.
"I saw them this morning. Lydia and I, we decorated her locker for her birthday. Balloons, cards, homemade cupcakes. When I left them they were still at her locker. Why, is everything alright?"
Mrs. McCall said. "They skipped school."
All the parents pulled their phones out, trying to reach their kids again.
"Allison, answering your cell phone will make discussing the terms of your grounding much easier. Call me back before your punishment reaches biblical proportions."
Mrs. Argent hung up her phone, "Kate hasn't heard from her either."
"Scott's not answering his phone either."
"I wouldn't be answering my phone either if I basically kidnapped someone today."
Maxi watched, her head going back and forth as the parents grew angrier with each other.
"How do we know skipping school wasn't your daughter's idea?"
Maxi looked away from them, seeing a familiar car pulling into the parking lot. She watched as they got out of the car.
"My daughter…"
"Just pulled into the parking lot, with Scott," Maxi said, pointing to the parking lot where they were getting out of the car. "I'm not needed anymore, am I?"
The Argents quickly walked away, not saying anything. Mrs. McCall gave her a thank you, then followed them. Maxi did not want to see what happened next, so she made her way back inside.
She was almost to the door, when suddenly there was a scream from the parking lot. She made her way back the way she had come, hoping to find her dad, but running into Mr. Stilinski.
"Dear, you shouldn't be out here right now."
"My dad, he's in the parking lot. I have to find him."
"Stay behind me at least then, please?"
She nodded her head, then followed the sheriff. Everyone in the parking lot was in hysterics, running to their vehicle and driving off quickly. When she heard the roar, she froze. It was the thing, from last night. It was here. The Sheriff, realizing she had stopped, came back for her. He grabbed her arm, snapping her out of it.
"It's okay. I won't let it hurt you. Just stay behind me, stay close."
She shook her head, sticking with the Sheriff. They wove through the cars, making their way towards the mayhem.
He kept having to tell people to move, resorting to pushing them aside so he could get to the animal.
They finally got close, walking to move around a vehicle. Maxi realized, almost too late, that it was going to back out. She quickly rushed forward, "Sheriff, watch out." She barely got him out of the way, taking the hit on her side. It knocked her down, but the gun shots distracted her from the pain.
"Maxi, Maxine? Are you alright," the sheriff asked, kneeling beside her.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Did they, did they get it?"
"Looks like it. Let me find your dad, you stay here."
A couple parents from the booster team stopped, making sure she was okay and staying with her till her Dad and the Sheriff returned. When the two men walked back up, her dad was quick to kneel down and pick her up.
"Dad, I'm alright. I can walk." He gave her a look, but set her down. Her side was a little tender, and she knew she was going to bruise.
"What were you thinking," the Sheriff suddenly said. "Pushing me out of the way like that. You could have been seriously hurt."
"My concerns exactly," Hank pressed.
"I wasn't thinking, not really. I just knew how upset Stiles would be if you got hurt."
The Sheriff's face softened at that, "I think he'll be pretty upset with me, for letting you get hurt."
"He'll get over it. I'm fine."
"Well, you're going to the hospital to get checked out, just in case."
"Figured."
She walked past Allison, who noticed she was limping. "Maxi, are you alright?"
She gave her dad a look, and the two men walked off, leaving her with her friend.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got hit by a car, all in a normal day."
"You got hit by a car? Are you serious?"
"Just one backing out, just knocked me down, shook me up a little bit."
Allison quickly stepped forward, pulling her in for a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. I didn't get to say that this morning, and now here you are with another close call. You're just an injury magnet."
Maxi waved her off, "Nah, this is all new to me. I've never had so many close calls before. It's like the universe is trying to tell me something, but I don't know what."
"Not to leave the house?"
They both laughed, "I should probably go. My dad wants to take me to get checked out really quick. Before I go, did you have a good day with Scott? Was it worth the extreme grounding you are about to get?"
Allison smiled from ear to ear, "Totally worth it. Best day ever!"
They high fived, and they went their separate ways. Hank and the Sheriff were at the truck, talking. When Maxi walked up, with a slight limp, her father opened the truck. "Definitely going to get checked out."
He turned back to the sheriff, shaking his hand. "Thanks John. I'll let you know."
Her father helped her up into the truck, and then made his way around to get in.
Once the doors were shut and they were on the road, Hank spoke up. "What the hell were you thinking? Pushing a grown man out of the way, only to take the hit yourself? Do you realize how badly that could have ended?"
It wasn't often that her father got upset, but when he did it never failed to make Maxi feel horrible. She turned to him, ready to defend herself but he didn't let her speak. He held a hand up, signaling that he wasn't done.
"I understand that you care about Stiles, and I know he cares about you too. But for you to put yourself in harms way, because of him, is not alright. You are just a little girl and that hit would have done a lot less damage on John then it did on you. You're already hurt from the bowling alley, and then last night with the glass. Now your entire side is going to be bruised, you might have damage to your ribs, you have to think about yourself Maxine."
She knew he was serious, he'd used Maxine. "I know it wasn't a smart choice, but the minute I saw that car moving towards him, dad I just reacted. I didn't want to be the one having to call Stiles and tell him that his dad had been hit by a car. I saw a chance to stop it and I did. I don't regret it."
He placed his hand on hers, "That's just it, I know you don't. You're too kind for your own good baby girl. Now, John has to go home and tell him that in order to save him, you got hit by a car. How do you think Stiles is going to react to that? Think he's going to be very happy?"
She looked down at her hands, "No, I don't think he's going to be happy. I'm sure he'll be upset, knowing Stiles he'll be freaking out. I'm sure I'll hear from him soon."
"He cares about you, a lot. Knowing you got hurt to help his dad, it's going to bother him."
"I know," she said, as they pulled up into the hospital parking lot.
"Let's get you checked out and home. I'm not letting you out of the house for at least a day or two."
She rolled her eyes, but just like she had told Isaac this morning, if she wasn't okay they wouldn't let her out of the house.
~Anchor~
The doctor looked her over, deeming that there would be some bruising and that she would be extremely sore tomorrow, but nothing was broken. He gave her some Tylenol with codeine while she was there, then sent home a couple of pills with her father. By the time they got home, the pain was gone and Maxi was feeling almost loopy. When they got out of the truck, Hank helped her into the house. He set her at the counter, determined to get some food into her. They heard talking in the living room, then Renny walked in.
"What in the hell happened tonight? The Stilinski kid has been here for the last 30 minutes, insisting that he needed to see that you were alright. Didn't he see you last night?"
"Renny, calm down. Where is your sister?"
"She is in the living room, talking to the kid. She has a huge crush on him, did anyone else realize that?"
Hank shook his head, and Maxi stood up. She walked over to Renny, giving him a big hug. "You are the bestest big brother there ever was."
"What is her deal? Why does she seem like she's high? Is she high?"
"She's on some pain pills. I'll explain it to you in a little bit. Maxi, come sit down and eat this sandwich please?"
She did as she was told. Hank then proceeded to walk over to Renny and lead him out of the kitchen. He'd been gone a couple of minutes before Stiles was rushing into the kitchen, trying to seem cool with Hank behind him.
"Maxi, you're alright?!"
She swallowed the bite she'd just taken, then gave him a big smile. "Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?" She continued to eat her sandwich as Stiles took a seat beside her. He ran his hand over her head gently, almost like he was looking for bumps.
"Did she hit her head?"
Hank laughed, sitting a sandwich down in front of the boy. "Eat. No, she got some medicine at the hospital. Nothing is broken, just going to be some extreme bruising, she'll be very sore tomorrow, and possibly hard to move."
Stiles took a bite of his sandwich, "What were you thinking? You could have been killed!"
"I didn't want your dad to get hurt. I didn't want to see you sad." He looked at her, a sad look on his face, "Like that, I didn't want to see that. Your dad isn't hurt, you don't get to make that face."
He looked to Hank, then back to Maxi. Hank seemed to realize that Stiles was nervous, "Son, before you say anything, you should know that she's pretty loopy right now. I don't know how much of this she is going to remember tomorrow."
He shook his head, "Maxi, I care about you too and now you're hurt. That makes me sad."
"But I didn't want you to be sad. I saved your daddy, so you would be happy. Aren't you happy?"
"That my dad is okay? Extremely! But I'm upset that you got yourself hurt. And I am just talking in circles aren't I?
Hank let out a laugh, clearing the plates. "Maxi, why don't you go upstairs and get your pajamas on."
She looked down at herself, seeing the whole left side of her body was a mess. Her tights were ruined, her skirt was extremely dirty, and her cardigan had a rip in it.
"Man, I am a mess! Stiles, don't look at me! I should go change," she said, leaving the room. Both the guys laughed, then grew quiet.
"She really just shoved him out of the way?"
"Without a second thought. Your father and I have both lectured her, so you probably don't need to tell her it was a bad idea. She's got a big heart that girl, and she'll do anything to stop people from getting hurt."
"Yeah. I should probably go huh?"
Before Hank could answer him, Maxi was yelling down the stairs. "Stiles, I'm changed! Come up here please?"
Stiles quickly turned to Hank, who still had a smile on his face. "I trust you, don't make me regret that." Stiles shook his head quickly, then stood up. "Go on, you know where it is."
He made his way out of the kitchen, passing by Renny and Gabi. Renny threw him a glare, but didn't say anything. He walked up the stairs, and when he reached her door, he knocked.
"Come in Stiles," she said, then a little quieter, "Silly boy."
When he walked in, Maxi was already on her bed. She was in a small tank top and sleeper shorts, and immediately Stiles tried to look anywhere but at her body.
"Well, come sit down," she said, patting the bed.
She moved closer to the wall, making room for him. He tentatively took a seat on the edge, but she was then grabbing his hand and pulling him further on to the bed. "Take your shoes off and get on the bed. I won't bite."
Not wanting to argue with her, he did as he was told. He leaned his back against the padded headboard, keeping his hands to himself.
Maxi yawned, "Today was a crazy day."
"Yeah, it's been an interesting couple of days for you."
"It really has," she said, moving to lay her head down on his thighs. He swallowed deeply, trying to think of things to keep himself calm. "Have I ever told you that I have nightmares?"
That cooled him down real quick. "No, what kind of nightmares?"
"Usually, they're about the accident. It was always the same. We're driving, laughing and singing, then were crashing. But in my dream I'm awake for it all. I can see the truck hitting us, my mother slamming around. Sometimes I'm not even really myself. I'm like a ghost, watching from the backseat. I watch as the piece of metal impales her, as the glass cuts into me."
Stiles watches her as she talks. Her eyes are closed, but she keeps talking.
"Then they're taking me out, her telling them to take me first. To save her baby girl first. Then I'm being wheeled away to the ambulance, away from my mom for the last time. Every time, right before they put me in the ambulance, someone talks to me, a guy. I've never seen his face before, until recently. Recently, he's started to look a lot like you. But you weren't there that night."
Stiles is shocked by what she's saying. He had never really thought about whether or not she had realized he was there, but now it's clear that she hadn't. It made sense, she'd been bleeding out, in and out of consciousness.
"I was there, actually. I'd been eating dinner with my dad when the call came through. It was me that talked to you. When I saw that you were hurt, I made my dad take me to the hospital to donate blood. They took a pint from me, and then my dad said they gave it all to you. They wanted to take more, but my dad wouldn't let them. You didn't end up needing it, thank god. I never would have been able to forgive my dad, if he had stopped me and then something happened to you Maxi. It would have killed me," he said, running his fingers through her hair.
When he looked down, he saw that she was out cold. He let out a small laugh, resting his head against the headboard. "I admit something to you, and you're not even awake for it."
"She might not have been, but I was," Hank says from the doorway.
Stiles jumps, then quickly checks to make sure Maxi is okay. "She's not going to wake up," he says, "You can move her to her pillow."
Stiles does as he's told, then gets out of the bed. Hank starts to make his way across the room, but before he can Stiles is already doing what he planned. He is pulling a blanket over Maxi, making sure she is covered.
"Come with me," Hank says, walking out of the room. Once they are in the hallway, Hank shuts the door, then turns back to Stiles. He doesn't say a word, just steps forward to hug the boy. Stiles is thrown at first, almost uncomfortable. It's over before it really begins, then Hank is stepping back again.
"I knew that someone had donated blood that night, but we never knew who. I just want to thank you, for doing that. You saved her life."
Stiles looks away, rubbing his neck. "I had to do something."
"I'm very glad that you did. I may have lost my wife, but you let me keep my baby girl."
Stiles really didn't want to cry in front of him but it was getting hard not to with the way he was talking. Hank seemed to realize this, so he clapped Stiles on the shoulder, "Let me walk you out son."
They made their way down the stairs and out the front door. Stiles said goodnight, and hopped into the jeep, driving off and headed home. Hank watched as he drove off, a weight being lifted off his chest. He finally knew who had helped to save his little girl, and he really wasn't all that surprised.
Another chapter down and it covers a whole episode! Man that was long! I really wanted to say thank you for the amazing response recently.
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