A/N: GUESS WHO'S BAAAACK. Hope you're all happy and safe wherever you are xx I'm so sorry for disappearing for two whole months that was never the plan. I'd go into all the reasons why I couldn't write but that would need it's own chapter lol. Tbh I'm not sure how long this story is going to be, I haven't really made up my mind. If there's something you guys would want to see, lmk. To anyone who has read, voted on or reviewed this story, thank you!x I read all your reviews/comments and they always make my day and I appreciate each and every one. I'm going to stop rambling now lol. Hope you like the chapter xx

Maeve was a wreck. It had been two days since Otis had asked for a break. She wasn't sure what that meant. Was it a break up? She'd tried calling and texting him and even though he had answered, she could tell he was unsure about what he wanted. She hadn't gotten out of bed all weekend, despite multiple requests from Aimee to come over and watch 10 Things I Hate About You. It was Monday now and Maeve had no intention of getting out of bed today either.

She had been awake for hours and even though she had plenty of time to get dressed and be on time for school, she decided to stay in bed and just stare at the ceiling. The simple act helped make her feel numb somehow, as if just staring at the ceiling could stop the sea of thoughts and insecurities that were threatening to enter her consciousness.

"You're still in bed? Get up!" Aimee said, suddenly barging into Maeve's room.

Maeve looked up at Aimee for a moment and then went back to admiring the roof of her trailer. Under normal circumstances, she would ask Aimee how she got in but right now she really couldn't care less.

"Maeve? Are you listening to me?" Aimee asked, taking a seat on Maeve's bed.

"I'm not going to school today." Maeve said.

"Why not?" Aimee asked.

"Because I don't feel like and besides, it's not like I'm going to be missing anything. They barely teach us anything." Maeve said.

"That's not the point." Aimee said.

"What's the point then?" Maeve asked, not really looking for an answer.

"The point is you haven't left your bed in two days and that's not good. I know you're hurting Maeve but you need to take care of yourself." Aimee said.

Maeve didn't say anything. She started looking for something else in her room to focus on.

"You and Otis are going to be fine." Aimee said.

"How can you possibly know that?" Maeve asked, a little irritated.

"Because it's you guys, you always make it work." Aimee said.

"He's tired of me, Aimes. He's tried of me being a complete and utter mess all the fucking time." Maeve said.

"That's not true." Aimee said.

"Yes it is." Maeve said.

"If you think that's the truth then why don't you get out of bed and show him that's not true." Aimee said.

"Because I can't, I physically cannot. I feel like I'm in pain all the fucking time. I have never in my life felt like this. It's scary." Maeve said.

"If you love him this much, you need to fight for him. But more than that, you need to fight for yourself Maeve. You need to take care of yourself and stop selling yourself so short all the damn time. You're a smart, beautiful and talented girl, who deserves the fucking world. I know there's that voice in your head that tells you don't deserve anything good, that you don't deserve Otis but you do. That voice in your head is what you need to be at war with, not yourself." Aimee said.

Maeve felt the lump in her throat forming as she heard Aimee speak. She'd never had someone take care of her the way Aimee did. It made her wonder how she and Aimee even became friends in the first place, despite being so different. It didn't matter though because Aimee was literally the best person she'd ever met and she was so fucking lucky to have her.

Maeve hugged Aimee like her life depended on it because it kind of felt like it did. "Thank you so much, Aimes. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. Thank you for always knowing what to say and always being so fucking wise. I love you so much."

"I love you too babe." Aimee said, hugging Maeve back just as tight.

"Okay, let's go to school." Maeve said, letting go of Aimee and getting out bed.

"Yay, okay! Go get dressed, I'll wait here." Aimee said with a smile.

Maeve still found the whole experience of getting ready pretty hard, every now and then, the voice in head would tell her to just go back to bed. But she decided to not listen and fight through it.

Her first class of the day was health and they were all supposed to meet separately based on their assigned groups. Maeve managed to reach before time so she decided to just wait in the room where she was supposed to meet Jackson and Isaac.

"Hey, you alright?" Jackson asked, walking into the room.

"Yeah." Maeve said, her voice a little low.

"You don't seem alright. Where's Otis?" Jackson asked.

"Why?" Maeve asked, getting a little pissed off.

"No reason, you guys are usually attached at the hip." Jackson.

"Yeah well, he's not here. As you can see." Maeve said.

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend you." Jackson said. He was a little taken aback by Maeve's sudden outburst but decided against asking her about it. He took a seat at the other end of the room and decided to do some reading.

"I'm sorry." Maeve said, a few moments later.

"It's alright." Jackson said.

"We're on a break." Maeve said.

"You and Otis?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah, at least that's what I think is going on." Maeve said.

"I'm sorry." Jackson said.

An awkward silence surrounded them as neither of them said anything for the next couple of minutes.

"Was I indecisive when we were together?" Maeve asked suddenly.

"What?" Jackson asked, looking up from his book.

"When we were together did I make you feel like I could never make up my mind about us?" Maeve asked.

"Kind of." Jackson said.

"How so?" Maeve asked.

"I'm not sure if this is a trick question." Jackson said, not wanting to get Maeve angry again.

"It's not. I'm just trying to figure some stuff out." Maeve said.

"Okay." Jackson said.

"So, how was I indecisive?" Maeve asked.

"I mean sometimes it felt like you were all in and other times it felt like you were going to run away the first chance you got." Jackson said.

"How?" Maeve asked.

"Well for one, you literally ran away when I made you meet my parents." Jackson said.

"Yeah I'm sorry about that." Maeve said, sheepishly.

"Nah, I should've known you were a flight risk." Jackson said.

Both Maeve and Jackson began to laugh; it had been a while since they'd been so comfortable around each other.

"So I guess I've always been on the verge of running away." Maeve said.

"Nah, I don't think that's it." Jackson said.

"Then?" Maeve asked.

"You were indecisive about us but not in general. You knew how you felt about Otis; you were just scared to act on it. And as far as we were concerned, I was just ready for more and you weren't. I think you wanted things to be somewhere between casual and serious and I wanted a proper relationship. We just never spoke to each other. We didn't stop to ask what the other wanted." Jackson said.

"Wow, you're really smart." Maeve said.

"That's what you have to say? I just gave you such a deep account of our relationship and that's what you have to say?" Jackson asked, teasingly.

"I mean yeah, I never knew you were this wise. But thank you. You're right, about everything." Maeve said.

"For what it's worth, I don't think the insecurity or the past is going to go away in the blink of an eye. I don't think you should expect yourself to wake up one morning and be completely fine and I don't think Otis should expect that either. I think you have to work through it, just like everything else. I've started seeing a therapist recently and it's really been helping me. It might be good for you too." Jackson said.

Maeve stayed silent, thinking about what Jackson had told her. Therapy had always been a fleeting thought, nothing she considered too seriously but maybe he was right. Maybe she didn't need to deal with this all on her own. Besides, the pain in her heart from the emotional burden she felt like she carrying was becoming overwhelming.

"I'll think about it." Maeve said with a smile.

"Okay. If you ever need someone to talk about it, let me know." Jackson said.

"Thanks Jackson. I'm sorry about everything and how it happened between us but I think you're a great guy. I really hope we can be friends." Maeve said.

"It's in the past, Maeve. Of course we can be friends." Jackson said.

Jackson and Maeve smiled at each other, knowing this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

A/N: Idk how this chapter was but I hope you liked it. I think I might explore Maeve's mental health a bit more. It's something that came to me as I was writing. Not sure yet tho. Let me know what you think xx