Chapter 11: Pit Stop
Max had a good plan. Or, at least good enough. She and Alex would have a much easier time getting out of Washington if they left from a bus station not in Seattle. But neither of them really seemed to really understand the gravity of their situation. With Max's ability, I guess, the risk was moot—unless she really was right about it causing bad shit to happen. In that case, they were being downright reckless.
We hadn't even made it out of Seattle, and already they stopped to fill up Kristen's car. Instead of staying in the car and keeping their heads down. Max wandered off to make calls to Chloe and her folks while Alex tagged along because she wanted to. I couldn't really blame her. As far as security blankets go, a girl that could literally manipulate time was about the best there ever was.
It was a godsend that she showed up that day to save Alex. Even more so, that she was a kind, gentle soul—though I wouldn't let Alex know that. It was probably better for her to continue to think that Max was like everyone else and that a mistake on her part could bring a wrath even she couldn't defend against. I was pleasantly surprised how easily she forgave Alex for hitting her, not that I was about to let Alex live that incident down any time soon.
I only half paid attention to Max talking to her dad for a minute before I tore my attention back to Alex, curled up on the curb, completely silent. I could feel her shame and anxiety still lingering from when she hit Max. There was that ever-present uncomfortable sensation she always had in public, too. I sat next to her, for whatever good that did. "Hey. Max said she forgives you. You just have to control your temper better, okay?"
Alex shook her head a little but didn't say anything.
I'd give anything to be able to comfort her with more than just words. I raised my hand, pressing it to her back. She felt nothing, I know. All I could feel was the shirt, every roll of the fabric standing as firm as tempered steel under my touch. There was nothing I could truly touch anymore.
I sighed, hugging myself. "You and Max are going to have a long journey ahead. You'll get your chance to make it up to her."
"I hope so," Alex replied, her voice barely a whisper.
"Hey, this is your big chance to really get out there and live your life on your terms. No more hospitals and people thinking you're crazy just because you're stuck with me."
"I like Spots. She's nice," Alex said before gathering up her knees closer to her chest. "But I'm not. I hurt her."
I could hardly believe it. Alex actually felt remorse for her actions. This Max was nothing short of magical, and not just her ability, either. In two days Alex demonstrated more personal growth than she had in two years. "You have to prove to Max that you're worth being her friend. And the best way for you to do that is to find a way to keep that temper of yours in check."
Alex rocked a bit there as she shook her head. "I can't."
"You can," I said back to her. "I believe in you. In Max."
Alex didn't reply that time, so we just sat there, letting Max talk on the phone. It wasn't long before Max hung up the payphone only to feed it again and dial another number. Her voice lit up as she called out Chloe's name. That girl had it bad for whoever this Chloe was. The very thought left me feeling cold and empty. That was something I only got a taste of, and now I'd never know it again.
I got to my feet. One good thing about the outdoors was that I could actually get more than ten feet away from Alex. Though, for whatever reason, I never could seem to leave her line of sight. Which made no sense, given that she could never actually see me. I walked over toward the front and gas pumps, just watching the people pumping their gas and entering and exiting the store. It wasn't long before I spotted Kristen, snacks and drinks in her arms, exit the building. She immediately walked around the corner of the building where the payphones were. I followed after her.
"Hey, the car's fueled and ready to go. We probably shouldn't spend any more time here than we need to," she said, jerking her head toward her car.
Max let out a groan of protest before saying her goodbye to Chloe. I didn't really understand it myself. She could just use Kristen's phone to call her, or her parents for that matter. Cloak and dagger was clearly not Max's forte.
"Did they have an ATM?" Max asked as she pulled out her wallet. "I need to clean out my bank account, assuming I have anything in there at all."
Kristen nodded. "Yeah, make it quick. Your face is not exactly subtle."
She was right. Alex popped Max but good. Deep purple reached across the bridge of her nose and coalesced around her left eye. Max really looked like she got the shit beaten out of her, even though Alex hit her just the one time.
"Is it worse?" Max asked, bringing a finger to her face, only to hiss and pull it back.
"It's bad," Kristen replied.
Alex got up. "I'm sorry, Spots."
"I'll make it quick." Max turned back to look at Alex as she threw up the hood on her jacket. "Why don't you wait in the car?"
"O-okay," Alex said, a deep feeling of hurt running through her. She must've felt like Max was punishing her for it.
"It's dangerous for you two to be seen in public," I said. "Max is just looking out for you. She's not being mean."
Alex didn't reply. Instead, she followed after Kristen as Max went into the store. I stood there, watching Max, then, in the blink of an eye, I wasn't outside anymore. I was in the car, sitting next to Alex. No matter what, I always stayed by her side. I could still feel a deep sense of hurt and anxiety coming from Alex. "Hey, Max will be back in just a minute. She's not mad at you, I promise."
"Spots is mad at me," Alex replied.
"I don't think so," Kristen replied from the front. "I'd sure as hell be, but Max really is something else."
"Something else?" Alex repeated the last words Kristen said.
"She means that Max is an amazing person. You know that," I explained it to Alex. "She's also saying that Max isn't mad."
"Can Spots be herself, too?" Alex asked Kristen, completely ignoring me. Of course, she would latch onto that idea. As if Max wasn't already the most amazing person ever. She must've been a goddess in Alex's eyes.
Kristen adjusted the rearview mirror to look at Alex. "Uh… she is herself?"
"Kristen doesn't understand what you're asking. And no. Max can't do that. Only you."
"How do you know what Spots can do?" Alex replied to me. Like that wasn't going to confuse poor Kristen. It was so infuriating that the only social interactions I ever got to have had to be filtered through my capricious little sister. At least, through Max, someone other than Alex actually understood that I existed.
"Are you… talking to me right now?" Kristen asked.
It was so refreshing to be acknowledged. "Yes?" Alex replied.
And so infuriating that Alex was so bad at this. "Tell her you're talking to me, too."
"Big Sis says she's talking to me, too," Alex added.
"Oh, thank God," Kristen said, her gaze looking out the passenger window.
Just then, the door opened and Max got in, throwing her hood off. Alex watched her before looking over at the vacant seat next to her in the back. I could feel her shame and hurt. To Alex, it must've been a deliberate slight. "Don't hit her next time," I mumbled. As much as I wanted to comfort her, she really needed to learn to curb her violent temper.
"How much did you get?" Kristen asked as Max passed her a few bills. "That's it?"
Max held up a hand, some money tucked in it. "That's to pay you back for our bus tickets."
"Max, you didn't—"
"I insist," Max said, stuffing the rest of the money in her pocket. "Still have enough to get us to Arcadia Bay." Then she added, more quietly, "Barely."
Kristen held the money back toward Max. "Keep it."
Max pushed the money away. "I know what I'm doing. I could've rewound and kept withdrawing it, you know."
Kristen listened to the same screwed up tirade I did. "You wouldn't do that," Kristen accused.
Max grabbed her own arm. "Yeah," she muttered. But she still leaned away from Kristen, sending the message that she wouldn't take the money back.
"You're so stubborn, Max," Kristen said with a sigh as she started up the car.