Original Cindy looked on painfully as Max sat on the couch, her mind somewhere else. On someone else. OC knew. The words were never spoken, but she knew. She knew no one else could make her boo cry every night, haunting her dreams. She knew no one else who could take Max's mind off things – off anything but him. She knew no one else who could kill Max inside by simply leaving. She knew it was only him.
"Boo, you haven't been to work for days." OC sighed, knowing her fatal attempts at contacting Max would be of no use. This time, though, she got a small response.
"So? Neither has he." Max whispered into the silence of their apartment. She never took her eyes off the spot out the window. She didn't bother to glance at OC; her eyes would have been filled with worry and disappointment. Max's eyes were too accustomed to those feelings already. She didn't need more.
"Max, you have to get out of this funk."
"No I don't." OC moved to sit by her girl, hoping to comfort her in some way. Max winced at her friend's touch. OC was hurt. She was no Alec, but that didn't mean she was nobody. But at the moment, there could be nobody. Nobody but Alec.
"Okay boo, I'm gonna go. Just remember, there's only so many times a girl can use 'Max is sick,' on Normal without him going all rotated on us." The feeble attempt to make Max smile barely broke the surface of her mask.
"I'm sure he's too worried about HIM to notice." Max didn't even use Alec's name anymore. It hurt too damn much. At Max's comment, though, OC's lips twitched. It was the truth, and it would have been funny if Max hadn't been in the same state as Normal. Worse, even. And OC had to admit, that was kinda funny. But it was not enough to wake her boo from her trance. She glided out of the apartment, leaving Max in peace.
After a few minutes, Max moved to stand next to the windowpane. Her fingers splayed out, touching the cool, smooth surface. She stared out at the rain, and laid her head again the glass.
"Alec," she whispered to the cold, hard screen. It was the first time in days she had said it, like his name was forbidden. She felt unworthy of him, of his presence, of his guilt and of his name.
"Don't do this to me." She said quietly, silently sobbing in time with the rhythmic beating of soft raindrops caressing her face against the barrier. And in a millisecond, Max died inside.
The drum of the continual drizzle on the roof of his flashy convertible, which now seemed like a bad idea for a car, soothed Alec into a semi- peaceful state of mind. He was just letting his mind wander, listening to the whisper of the rain, until something hit him. Hard. Not physically, mind you. It was a jolt through his entire body, his mind sending him a secret message for him to decode. Suddenly, his serenity vanished, leaving no trace or evidence of its previous existence. Pain spread through him, like some other being was taking hold of his body. Unconsciously, Alec turned the key in the ignition and pressed his foot on the gas, turning the car around and speeding in the opposite direction than before. Something, or someone, was pulling him towards Seattle.
"Boo, you haven't been to work for days." OC sighed, knowing her fatal attempts at contacting Max would be of no use. This time, though, she got a small response.
"So? Neither has he." Max whispered into the silence of their apartment. She never took her eyes off the spot out the window. She didn't bother to glance at OC; her eyes would have been filled with worry and disappointment. Max's eyes were too accustomed to those feelings already. She didn't need more.
"Max, you have to get out of this funk."
"No I don't." OC moved to sit by her girl, hoping to comfort her in some way. Max winced at her friend's touch. OC was hurt. She was no Alec, but that didn't mean she was nobody. But at the moment, there could be nobody. Nobody but Alec.
"Okay boo, I'm gonna go. Just remember, there's only so many times a girl can use 'Max is sick,' on Normal without him going all rotated on us." The feeble attempt to make Max smile barely broke the surface of her mask.
"I'm sure he's too worried about HIM to notice." Max didn't even use Alec's name anymore. It hurt too damn much. At Max's comment, though, OC's lips twitched. It was the truth, and it would have been funny if Max hadn't been in the same state as Normal. Worse, even. And OC had to admit, that was kinda funny. But it was not enough to wake her boo from her trance. She glided out of the apartment, leaving Max in peace.
After a few minutes, Max moved to stand next to the windowpane. Her fingers splayed out, touching the cool, smooth surface. She stared out at the rain, and laid her head again the glass.
"Alec," she whispered to the cold, hard screen. It was the first time in days she had said it, like his name was forbidden. She felt unworthy of him, of his presence, of his guilt and of his name.
"Don't do this to me." She said quietly, silently sobbing in time with the rhythmic beating of soft raindrops caressing her face against the barrier. And in a millisecond, Max died inside.
The drum of the continual drizzle on the roof of his flashy convertible, which now seemed like a bad idea for a car, soothed Alec into a semi- peaceful state of mind. He was just letting his mind wander, listening to the whisper of the rain, until something hit him. Hard. Not physically, mind you. It was a jolt through his entire body, his mind sending him a secret message for him to decode. Suddenly, his serenity vanished, leaving no trace or evidence of its previous existence. Pain spread through him, like some other being was taking hold of his body. Unconsciously, Alec turned the key in the ignition and pressed his foot on the gas, turning the car around and speeding in the opposite direction than before. Something, or someone, was pulling him towards Seattle.