Chapter 18: Mara's Confession

Sandy opened the door to Maxwell's room, but he wasn't there. Snoozer was on a bed. He was sleeping, of-course. Sandy sighed.

"Hi, Snoozer. Do you know where Maxwell is?" Sandy asked.

"Zu zu zu... so you finally realized it... zu zu..." Snoozer said.

"Yeah. I can't believe I didn't know." Sandy replied.

"Zu zu zu... he's out... zu... I don't know... where he went... zu zu..." Snoozer said.

"That's okay. Thanks anyway. I'm going to go look for him." Sandy said as she went out to look for Maxwell.

Meanwhile, all the girls at Bijou's room had left. It was late so everyone was planning to go to sleep.

Sandy was out all night. She didn't even think about going to sleep. She was determined to find Maxwell and tell him how she felt.

Stan was up late, too. He was sitting on his bed, thinking about Bijou and Pashmina. Pashmina was his girlfriend and, last he checked, he was in love with Bijou. He was confused.

"I never thought that love would be this complicated! I just don't know what to do anymore." Stan thought to himself. He told Pashmina that he loved her and he didn't even know if it was true.

When he thought about it, it seemed like he loved her. But he wasn't sure. He didn't know if it was possible to love two girls at once. He wasn't even sure if he loved both of them.

"Maybe I should do that thing I did before!" Stan said aloud. He thought about the words the strange girl had said. Only with a clear mind will you be able to see who is truly in you heart. He thought about these words, but nothing happened. Then, both Bijou and Pashmina flashed in his mind.

"Uh! Not even that thing will give me the answer!" Stan yelled as he buried his head in his pillow. Soon, he fell asleep. He had another dream. (It's different than all the others so read it!)

---Beginning of Dream---

Stan was in that same, white, blank place. There was nothing out there. Stan looked around for a moment. Then, he realized where he was.

"That dream! I'm having it again!" Stan yelled. He looked around for the girl in white. Suddenly, he saw her.

"Who are you and why are you in all of our dreams?" Stan asked. The girl walked to him.

"You have taken my advice. Now you need more." She said.

"I don't need any advice from you! Just tell me who you are!" Stan yelled. The girl grinned and turned around. Bijou and Pashmina were both there.

"Pashmina... Bijou..." Stan said in almost a whisper.

"She loves you and you love her, too. You know what to do." He girl said.

"Who loves me? Which one is it?" Stan asked. The girl didn't answer. She took Stan's hand and flew up into the whiteness.

---End of Dream---

Stan woke up on his bed. It was already morning. He reached into his pocket and took out a paper with the manga wing on it. This time, there were to manga wings on it. He sighed. Then, he looked over to Sandy's bed. She wasn't there.

"Where is she?" Stan asked as he got up. He got dressed and went over to Pashmina and Bijou's room. He knocked on the door. Bijou answered, but she was still in her pajamas and her hair was messy. Her eyes were drowsy, but they were still so darn pretty. Stan blushed deeply. All the feelings he had the last night came back.

"Uh, hey Bijou. Did I wake you up?" Stan asked.

"Kind of, but it's okay. What's up?" Bijou asked.

"Uh, is Sandy there?" Stan asked, even though he was pretty sure she wasn't there after seeing Bijou.

"No. Why?" Bijou asked.

"No reason." Stan lied.

"Well, okay." Bijou said, confused. They said goodbye and Stan walked away. He went to Sparkle's room and asked if Sandy was there, but she wasn't. Then, he went to Maxwell's room. Maybe she and Maxwell apologized got back together, Stan thought. He went to Maxwell room but, sadly, didn't find Sandy or Maxwell. He sighed.

Meanwhile, Maxwell had just woken up with a certain someone's head leaning on his. He was outside, leaning on a tree. One big coat was covering both him and the girl next to him. Suddenly, she opened her eyes.

"Good morning... I love you..." she said, as an odd greeting. Maxwell sighed as he moved her head of his shoulder.

"I know, Mara." Maxwell said, wishing it were Sandy.

"Please, why can't we just run away together? We don't need to tell anybody. Nobody has to know." Mara pleaded. Maxwell stood up.

"Mara, I told you before I don't love you." Maxwell said, sighing. Mara held back her sadness.

"I just don't understand. Why?" Mara asked.

"You broke Sandy and me up!" Maxwell yelled at her. They were both silent. Maxwell remembered what happened the night before.

---Flashback---

After the carnival, Maxwell had gone to his room and stuffed his face into his pillow. He didn't have much fun at the carnival. The whole time, Sandy was avoiding him. He couldn't enjoy himself at all. He longed to be with Sandy.

Maxwell thought about his whole situation. It's all her fault... Maxwell thought. He wanted to throw Mara of a thirty-story building, but he didn't want to admit it. He was so angry at Mara, but then, he thought about Mara's side of the story.

"An innocent girl started hanging out with a guy who was madly in love with his girlfriend. She hung out with him a lot, making his girlfriend feel like she was being replaced. Then the guy took advice from the girl, but the girlfriend overheard and took it the wrong way. She thought that the guy and the girl were in love when that wasn't true. The guy and the girlfriend got into a long fight and then broke up. The girl didn't even realize that she made the girlfriend jealous and that she made the two break up. Then, she realized what she did when she saw the two fight. She felt so bad that she ran away." Maxwell explained to himself. The guy was him. The girlfriend was Sandy. The girl was Mara.

"Maybe I should find her..." Maxwell thought. What if Sandy finds out? No, I'll go when it's dark. I'll be back before she or anyone else wakes up. Maxwell thought. At night, he left to go look for Mara. He searched deep into the woods until he finally found her. She was leaning on a tree and was shivering. Her face was pale since she had no jacket in the cold weather. Maxwell went up to her and gave her his jacket.

"Maxwell?" she asked, too surprised to believe that it was really him.

"Yeah, it's me. I came to take you back to the hotel. You might freeze to death out here. Especially without a coat." Maxwell said. Mara sighed with tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry..." she said softly.

"For what?"

"I'm so very sorry... but I can't go back with you." Mara whispered, sniffling.

"Why?"

"I love you..." Mara said in almost a whisper. Maxwell wasn't sure if he heard it right.

"What?" he asked, in disbelief.

"I love you!" Mara yelled, standing up.

"I love you! I meant to break you and Sandy up! I meant to do it! I was so obsessed with you! I wanted you to love me and not Sandy! I'm sorry!" Mara yelled. She turned around and cried on the tree.

"I... I... I can't believe it..." Maxwell said, stepping back.

"I'm sorry Maxwell. But it's all because I love you so much!" Mara said, turning back to him.

"No! You told me you were helping me with my problems!" Maxwell yelled.

"I'm sorry... I didn't want to hurt you... but when I heard about what you felt for Sandy... I wanted you to feel that way about me! Please... tell me you love me!" Mara yelled, "Or all of my work would be for nothing. Please!" She pleaded. Maxwell stepped back, shaking. He shook his head.

"No... no! How could I love you after what you've done?" Maxwell yelled. Mara put her back to the tree and slouched back down to the ground. She stuffed her face into her knees. She cried and cried. Maxwell sat at a tree in front of her. And for hours, crying was the only noise heard.

After a long time, Maxwell finally got up and sat next to Mara. He tried to speak to her softly. He put her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Mara." Maxwell said, softly.

"I love you." She whispered.

"But you have to understand. My heart belongs to Sandy, even if she doesn't want it." Maxwell said sighing.

"And you have my heart, even if you don't want it. And if Sandy doesn't want it, why can't I have it?" Mara asked. Maxwell sighed.

"It's not that simple. I love Sandy and I think that she's right for me." Maxwell said Mara sighed. She put her head back on Maxwell's shoulder and soon fell asleep, followed my Maxwell.

---End of Flashback---

"I told you before, I'm sorry!" Mara yelled.

"Listen, I have to get back even if you're not..." Maxwell began, but didn't finish. As he turned around, he saw Sandy.

"Sandy, no! Didn't you hear what happened? She-" Maxwell began, but wasn't able to finish because Sandy cut him off.

"I may not have heard, but I probably know what did happen!" Sandy yelled, turning around to walk back.

"Sandy, wait!" Mara yelled. Sandy stopped and turned around.

"I don't want to hear anything from you!" she yelled.

"But-" Mara began, but was interrupted by Maxwell, holding his arm in front of her.

"Mara, stop. I have to tell her. I don't need your help." Maxwell said, rather rudely. Mara felt very rejected as tears formed in her eyes.

"Stop crying! I told you before. I don't love you. My heart belongs to Sandy." Maxwell said, not even turning to look at Mara. Sandy was silent.

"Sandy, I love you." Maxwell said once more. Sandy stepped back.

"I... I..." Sandy started, causing Maxwell to grin in success.

"...I can't trust you!" Sandy yelled as she turned around and ran away.

"But Sandy!" Maxwell yelled out, but Sandy just kept running.

"What am I doing?" Sandy thought. She went out there to tell Maxwell that she still loved him. And she was really hoping that he would say 'I love you, too' or something. But Maxwell said it first. Why did I run? Sandy kept asking herself. But she couldn't turn back anymore. She went back to the hotel.

Maxwell sighed. He turned back to Mara. He put his hands on her shoulders causing her to blush.

"Listen, Mara, I know this is going to be hard for you, but you have to listen. I know you love me, but I love Sandy. We can't see each other any more." Maxwell said. Mara felt more tears forming.

"But why?" she asked.

"It wouldn't be right. I'm sorry." Maxwell said.

"So this is goodbye?" Mara asked. Maxwell nodded.

"Yeah. Goodbye." Maxwell said, as he turned around to go after Sandy.

"Goodbye." Mara said, as Maxwell walked away from her.

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Did that seem too M&M? it is S&M and it'll get better. R&R ASAP!