Thanks to everyone who is reading, reviewing, following and favoriting. This chapter is much longer than the previous ones and that may happen sometimes. I like this chapter because it brings out a different side of Max, making her more realistic as a person. I hope you guys like it too! As always I only own Max, not the other amazing characters!
"I'm home!" I yell as I push open the front door. I catch the time on the clock it's already 6. Had it been a long practice I may not have gotten home until 8. I sling my backpack up on the coat rack not to be touched until Sunday night.
"I'm in the kitchen," dad yells back. I stagger in to find him with papers spread thick across our kitchen table.
"You got a case?" I ask excitedly realizing death and killing really does cheer me up. I try to tone down my excitement by sticking my head far into the fridge. "You want something?"
"Yeah. Can you grab me a coke?" dad says rubbing his lined face. I silently pray that this case doesn't make him as exhausted as the last one.
"What's this one?" I say sitting down next to him. He takes the coke and throws some back before handing me a photo. "Oh lord-" I splutter closing my eyes. An unrecognizable human has had its flesh ripped off the front of its body. It's clearly been eaten, but I know it wasn't by a werewolf and not the Kanima. Maybe Derek or Peter would know.
"Pretty messed up," dad sighs rubbing his face like me. "I thought the deaths had stopped…"
"But dad this isn't like the other deaths!" I tell him pushing through the other reports on the table. I find pictures of the other dead bodies and compare the black and white photos. "Two different people committed these crimes!"
"Yeah, ok Stiles," he says pulling the pictures away from me. "I appreciate you wanting to help, but I don't really want you looking at this stuff."
"You know I can help you!" I tell him trying to take the photos back. He holds tight on them and moves them into a stack.
"We don't need your help, just hope that this is a one time thing," he says looking me square in the eye. He takes the stack into the next room and hides them from me on the top shelf under mom's good china serving bowl. I lean back in my chair throwing back my own can of coke. "How was school?" he asks slightly more cheerily when he comes back into the room.
"Fine," I nod my head reliving the day, Max and her Victoria Secret bra cross my mind. "Oh! Dad!" I shout pushing the can of soda away from me. "Do you know a girl named Max?"
"You mean Maxine Discite?" he asks as he tries to scratch his back.
"Yeah, I mean I think so, her name is Maxine," I say quickly.
"There aren't too many people named Maxine, so let's assume they are the same person," dad laughs slightly as he lets the doorway scratch his back for him.
"Right, ok well, she said you're her guardian or something?"
"Yep, she got permission from her Social Worker to move out here when her grandfather passed," dad says nodding. "She's had one heck of a life." He pauses looking down at me. "Her parents died and she moved in with an uncle. I guess he abused her or something so she moved in with her grandfather, but he past a month or so ago. She's sort of odd, but I understand why."
"Jesus Christ…" I sigh.
"Come on I told you not to say that," dad frowns at me.
"It's not doing any harm!" I argue.
"You never know when-" the doorbell interrupts his argument.
"I'll get it!" I yell jumping out of my chair, but he's already at the door.
"Hi Mr. Stilinski," Max smiles sweetly on our doorstep.
"Oh Max! Hi!" dad smiles both of them look over at me and I stop myself from staring. I wave slightly. "Ignore him, he's socially awkward," dad says and Max laughs slightly.
"Yeah great, give her another reason to think I'm weird," I say moving over to the open door.
"All the best people are weird," she shakes her head making a silver ring at the top of her ear catch the porch light.
"I see you two have met," dad raises his eyebrows.
"Yes dad," I moan and Max nods.
"Oh sorry Max, didn't mean to make you stand out on the porch, why not come on in?" dad says courteously pulling the door open further.
"No, that's ok I just stopped by to have you sign these papers, I need them for school," she lets a leather strapped backpack fall from her shoulder. It's locked up with two big metal buckles, which she easily undoes. She's too far for me to see what she carries around with her. "Just sign at the bottom," she says passing dad a stack of papers.
"Let me get a pen," dad smiles and turns back into the house. She smirks at me as I try to look cool resting my arm in the doorway.
"Will I always see this much of you?" I say trying to flirt.
"Only if you keep following me," she replies quickly.
"Wait, what? I'm not following you!" I snap letting my arm drop from its perch. She nods her head. "No I'm not!"
"You sat with me at lunch," she tilts her head sideways like she's trying to make the accusation less harsh.
"Yeah, but you're at my doorstep! And, and you came over to me in the hallway this morning!" I yell.
"You were making fun of me this morning! And I came here for your dad, not you," she crosses her arms and pouts her bottom lip.
"Hey what's with the yelling?" dad says pushing me out-of-the-way to sign the sheets of multicolored paper. "That ought to do it Max," dad smiles again.
"You have as charming smile as Stiles, sheriff," Max says before stepping backward off the porch. "Thank you for signing." She says as she puts the papers back into the bag. "I have a ways to walk so I'll be going."
"Wait!" Dad cries pulling me into the doorway by my shoulder. "Stiles can drive you home."
"Actually I have a thing-" I try to get out of it, but he forces me in.
"Actually I bought you the car so you have to do what I say with it," dad growls. Max laughs slightly before shaking her head and commenting.
"No, no it's fine. He probably doesn't want Puca in the car," she says as her big black dog comes bounding around the side of our house.
"Sure he does. Stiles loves dogs. Its dark, I don't want you walking all the way home," dad pushes me out the door and slams it behind me. Dammit. I needed to photocopy that picture before I left.
"You really don't have to drive me," she says stepping backward.
"No, come on I'm already out here," I sigh motioning to the jeep. She lets Puca get in first before sliding into the passenger's seat. "Where do you live?" I ask revving the engine.
"North end," she says quickly.
"What? That's like an hour-long walk!" I look at her from around the black mess of fur.
"35-40 minutes," she nods.
"Alright buckle up," I say before turning out into the road. I'm thankful Puca is between us so she can't stare at me. I like the idea of being able to look at her, but the thought of her studying me makes my hair stand on end. We ride with the rumbling of the jeep as our music; most girls go right for my stereo. Well most girls meaning the three I've had in my car. My phone's loud buzzing scares me to the point that I almost swerve off the road. She snatches it from the cup holder before I've got the jeep under control.
"That scared you," she laughs.
"Don't answer the-"
"Hello, Stiles' phone, Max speaking…" she says ignoring the few words I got out. I rub my face as I strain my neck to see her around Puca.
"Lydia?" she says raising her eyebrows looking over at me. Just the sound of her name gets me buzzing. I shake my head and mouth the words hang up! "You need him now?" she pauses and now I want to know what Lydia wants. "Ok, we'll be there soon. Ok great, bye!" she smiles and then hangs up.
"Am I going to Lydia's house?" I ask her frantically.
"I don't know," she shrugs. "I didn't ask her for directions, I assumed you'd know," she says her brow crinkling with confusion.
"No, I mean should I turn to go to her house?" I ask again not bothering to make a sarcastic comment.
"I think that's up to you considering you're driving. She did say she needed your help urgently," she shrugs as I take the sharp right into Lydia's cul-de-sac. We stop in front of the big house and she jumps right out with Puca on her heel.
"Wait, wait!" I say slamming my door shut. "This shouldn't take long, you guys should wait in the car," I say coming around to the front of the car to meet them.
"We aren't staying in the car, take us home first if you don't want us to come in," she says putting her hands on her hips like that action is the period to her sentence. Puca sits next to the car, tongue and tail wagging.
"Fine, but Puca stays out here." She pats the dog on the head and it lies down. "Ok, come on," I gesture toward the door which Lydia opens as we approach. Her strawberry blonde hair perfectly surrounds her round, flawless face. I'm not sure if she is naturally this gorgeous or if she's just amazing with makeup. She's got on a blue floral dress that cinches in at the waist thanks to a thick braided belt. My mind jumps to her fingernails remembering Max's bare ones. Sure enough robin egg blue polish covers every one of her nails.
"Who is that?" Lydia asks me her green eyes hiding under her furrowed brow. I look to my right and open my mouth to introduce Max, but she beats me to it.
"I'm Max? The one who answered the phone?" Max looks annoyed; I turn back to Lydia who is equally as annoyed.
"Oh," Lydia says quickly turning to me.
"I'm right here... Why not ask me who I am?" Max grumps under her breath.
"Whatcha need help with?" I say rubbing the back of my neck embarrassed to have brought a girl to Lydia's house.
"I'm supposed to clean the pool. Jackson used to help me with it. Can you do it?" She asks quickly. Before I can answer she turns back into her house and I'm following her.
"Seriously?" Max asks grabbing my arm so I can see her face. She looks pissed, but also like she may laugh.
"Yeah," I say quietly making my way through Lydia's mess of expensive furniture. "She's my friend I'm going to help her when she asks."
"She's using you!" Max exclaims in a hushed tone. "How can you not…" She waves her arms around pushing her hands into her face.
"No she isn't!" I yell whisper back.
"Here's the pool," Lydia says pulling back the glass door. I step out, Max following after me. The pool is a long rectangle that is being illuminated by a single bulb under the diving board. At the surface there are clumps of swimming leaves casting shadows on the cement bottom. "Once you finish you can come tell me. I'll be in the kitchen." She gives us a half-hearted smile and then closes the slider.
"What a bitch!" Max yells at the glass door.
"Shut up! She can probably hear you!" I yell trying to cover her mouth.
"If she can she'd have turned around when I yelled bitch," Max spits pushing my arms away from her.
"She's just a little pampered," I try to argue for Lydia who I know is a good person deep down.
"She's a full-out brat," Max rolls her eyes. "Forget this and take me home."
"No," I furrow my brow.
"I have homework to-"
"It was your first day at a new school for crying out loud, close your trap and don't lie to me."
"Hey, hey," she smiles now. "You have already learned to call my bluff. Dammit. Now you can beat me in poker."
"I literally said the same thing about you today to Scott," I laugh slightly.
"Scott is the dark-haired kid you were hanging out with I assume?"
"Right, yeah. He's my best friend," I nod feeling like a dumb kid for using the word best friend. What a little girl's word.
"Cute," she says still smiling, but now looking up in the sky. Cute, great. Another little girl word. "How well would you say you know Scott?" she asks excitedly stepping over to me.
"Uhh…" I'm not sure what to say.
"Do you know his deepest secret? Can you keep his secret?"
"Actually yes I do know his secret. I can keep his secret, but so far he's had trouble keeping it," I laugh slightly thinking about the growing number of people who know that Scott is a werewolf.
"You seem very trustworthy to me," she nods her head then sits down by the side of the pool. I watch her slip off her sneakers and socks before watching her feet dip down into the illuminated water. She turns back to me, but I don't move to try to hide the fact that I am watching her. "So are you going to clean the pool or what?"
"Oh, yeah," I say uneasily.
"You have no idea how to clean a pool, do you?" she says kicking her feet in the water. Her soles cast long, shivering, black shadows at the bottom of the pool. I want to dive into the water and try to catch the shadows. They are so dark that they look like they could be scooped up and put into my pocket.
"No," I admit after a pause.
"Get that pole," she points to a long, blue metallic pole on the other side of the pool. I circle around to pick it up. "It has a net on the end, you can use it to scoop up these leaves." Once I get my hands around it I carefully swing the net over the pool. I watch the net slowly sink into the water before looking up just in time to catch a glimpse of the front view of that Victoria Secret bra and a pair of pink and white panties. She gives me a crazed smile and before I can shout no, she's in the pool. She dives gracefully and glides easily through the water. Her hair ripples out of its bun and floats wildly around her. She seems like a dream, so distant yet magnified by the glowing water. Again I have the urge to dive in, but the thought of Lydia coming out stops me. She swims in circles and floats on her back as I fish for leaves around her.
"Do you often do Lydia favors?" she asks swimming up to the edge closest to me. She lets her arms emerge from the water making a wet stain spill out onto the cement deck.
"Sometimes. I do her favors sometimes," I tell her.
"Does she do favors for you?" she asks ringing out her hair now two shades darker.
"Uhh… Well…"
"If you do things for people without them doing things in return people will take advantage of you," she pulls herself up out of the pool just as I manage to catch the last floating leaf.
"Then I expect you to do something in return for driving you home," I say not looking at her. Knowing I need to prepare myself a little longer before looking at her all wet.
"I already did," she laughs slightly. "Told you how to clean a pool didn't I?"
"That doesn't count," I say turning to her already forgetting that I had stopped myself from looking up for a reason. Her bra dips leaving little for my imagination. I close my eyes trying to push away the pleas for her to turn around. I want to see her underwear stuck to her skin; I want to see it cut up slightly letting me see part of her cheeks or better yet the whole ass.
"The sight of me in my underwear that bad?" she laughs again slightly.
"No, no!" I yell opening my eyes.
"I'm just messing with you," she says punching me in the arm as she passes me heading back to the chair where she left her clothes.
"You just-"
"Shut up!" she yells and I turn to look at her again. Every muscle in her body has tensed. I follow her gaze to a back gate, which is slowly opening. A shadowy figure appears and I instinctively put myself between Max and the figure.
"Who's there?" I yell as light from the house casts over Peter Hale.
"Hello Stiles," he says in that melodic tone of his.
"What do you want Peter?" I growl knowing he has a strange connection to Lydia. I thought after she brought him back to life their tie would be cut.
"Peter?" Max asks in a confused tone. "Peter Hale?" Peter squints at Max who is now pushing me out-of-the-way.
"Maxine Discite?" Peter smiles as he gets a better look at the almost naked girl. That creep doesn't deserve to see her like this. "What are you doing here!"
"I just moved here!" she says excitedly. "I would hug you, but I'm kind of wet."
"I can see that," he laughs in that slinky tone and I pull Max behind me again, shielding her from his eyes.
"Ok, ok, what do you want and how do you know each other?" I demand. Max wriggles out of my grip before Peter answers.
"I knew her parents, I met her when she was much younger. I'm surprised you remember me," Peter smiles, but it isn't a warm smile like Max's, its cold and sneaky and distant and I just want him to turn back around and go back where he came from.
"I was nine! Of course I remember you. You and Derek too!" Max smiles broadly.
"What?" I yell. "You know Derek too?"
"Yeah, you know him?" she smiles.
"Unfortunately, yes," I sigh. "I have to go to his place after I drop you off."
"I want to go see Derek! I bet he's really different from the last time I saw him!" she says giddily.
"You've changed quite a bit and considering he's 23 now and the last time you saw him was when you were nine I can assure you he's quite different. Still moody though," Peter says sarcastically.
"Can I come with you Stiles?" Max asks almost grabbing my arm, but she stops herself like she is just noticing that she is soaking wet.
"I don't know…" I start then Peter helps me make up my mind.
"Well you can come with me if-" I cut him off.
"Yes, yeah you can come with me," I say quickly and she laughs at me slightly.
"I need a towel… And a hairbrush," Max declares before walking over to the glass door. She wraps on it twice before Lydia appears in the doorway. She looks angrily down at Max who smiles up at her.
"What?" Lydia huffs.
"I need a towel and a hairbrush," Max informs Lydia.
"What do you want me to do about it?" Lydia smarts off.
"Considering Stiles and I just did you a favor by cleaning your pool I thought you could do me a favor by letting me barrow a towel and hairbrush," Max says through her smiling teeth. I'm appalled that anyone would have the nerve to talk to Lydia like that, but Peter seems entertained.
"Fine," Lydia says before slamming the slider shut.
"I hate this girl," Max looks over at me brow furrowed. "How are you in love with her? And why are you sneaking into her backyard?"
"She's clearly having an off day. Usually she's really lovely. She's very popular around town and many people come visit her, which is what Peter is doing. Visiting," I explain before Peter can say anything. Peter smirks at us as he rubs his chin. Before Max can call my bluff Lydia is opening the slider again.
"Here," Lydia says handing Max a bright pink towel and hairbrush to match.
"Yeah thanks," Max says halfheartedly as she wraps herself up.
"Thanks for cleaning the pool Stiles. Hi Peter," Lydia says not stepping out of her doorway. "Did you need something?"
"I was coming to check up on you, everything ok?" Peter asks.
"Fine now, thank you," Lydia nods. Max watches Lydia like some strange and potentially poisonous snake. "Leave the towel and the brush on the chair. I'll get them later. I'm tired now. Goodnight everyone." She closes the slider again and that slight part of me that hopes things will change between us is crushed again.
"Anytime…" I sigh.
"The water was warm, but now I'm cold!" Max says through chattering teeth. She has managed to get her clothes back on, but she is shivering. "Let's go, into the car! Into the warmth!"
"Ok," I say pulling myself away from the glass slider. "I'm ready."
"I'll see you at Derek's?" Peter asks.
"Yes," Max laughs slightly. "I'm sure you'll beat us." Peter smiles and nods before walking back out of the gate. My brow furrows what could she mean by that? Yes, I knew he would beat us too. But that's because I know he's a werewolf…
"Stiles," Max chatters pulling me from my thoughts. "Can I have your sweatshirt?"
"Oh yeah," I say shrugging out of the thin navy sweatshirt.
"Thank you!" she smiles pulling it around her as we head back to the car. "It smells like you," she says inhaling deeply.
"Yeah I know," I say pulling open my door. She lets Puca get in first again. "Question is why are you smelling it? Smells like lacrosse sweat. Smells bad. I wouldn't have worn it had I known I was going to be seeing you and Lydia."
"I don't mind the smell. It's your real smell. It's the truth. The truth is always good," she says inhaling again. "And it's warm. Hey wait you'd have worn something different if you knew you were going to see me?"
"I mean… I meant see people that I needed to make…" I stop myself from causing anymore embarrassment. "You shouldn't have gotten in the water," I tell her as we turn out onto a main road. "It made you cold and it ticked Lydia off."
"Two good reasons to get into the pool!" She yells as she wraps her arms around Puca. "Puca warm me!"
"Why did you choose to move to Beacon Hills?" I ask suddenly. I wasn't expecting that to jump from my lips, I can only guess she wasn't expecting it either.
"Following my research," she smiles at me, her lips barely visible over the thick black fur coat.
"Yeah you said you were out in the woods last night doing research," I say looking sideways at her.
"Yeah I was," she nods.
"Ok, on what?"
"I'm not sure I can tell you yet," she says with a soft face. She's lost her flirty, vindictive tone.
"It's a secret?" I ask.
"It's a secret," she nods.
"Can I ask about your bag then?" I ask.
"What about it?"
"What's with the big metal buckles? Why not just use a zipper?"
"They're iron," she says like that should be explanation enough.
"Yeah… so…" I say as I pull up to the curb in front of Derek's apartment.
"Keeps pixies from getting in and messing with my stuff," she says with a serious face, but it breaks into a smile as we exit the car.
"Haha, very funny," I roll my eyes.
"Stay here Puca," she commands before closing the door.
"He's on the third floor," I nod toward the building. "We won't stay long."
"Whatever you say boss," she nods as we enter the building. I hit the elevator button and get ready to wait for the doors to open. There is a loud metallic crunch behind me as Max pushes open the door to the stairs.
"I hate stairs," I inform her.
"I hate elevators," she informs me. "Beat you up there," she sings as the door crashes closed behind her. I tap my foot for a minute, but no doors open so I crash through the blue door with the word stairs on it behind me. I run up the stairs taking them two by two.
"I'm winning!" I hear far above me.
"You got a head start!" I bark willing my legs to go faster.
"Doesn't matter!" she says before I hear the crashing of a metal door opening. I reach the third floor landing just as the door closes behind her. I push it open to find her leaning against the wall. She winks at me when the door is fully extended.
"Looks like you lose!" I yell flying down the hallway to the last door on the right. "Haha! I got here first you big loser!"
"Oh shut up Stilinski," Max growls as she reaches my side. I wrap on the door with my eyes still locked on her. I stick my tongue out at her and she copies.
"What are you doing?" Derek's low rumbly voice makes my tongue suck back into my head.
"Hi Derek, good to see you like always," his dark eyes shift from me to Max. She's smirking, probably because she knows who Derek is, but it looks like Derek has no idea who she is.
"Peter said you were bringing an old friend of mine with you?" Derek's brow furrows.
"Yeah. I did," I point at Max and his dark eyes move back to her.
"Hi Derek," her flirty, vindictive voice has returned.
Wait," Derek squints like Peter. "Maxine?"
"Just Max now," she nods then pushes past him into the fairly empty apartment. "Wow nice place."
"Maxine Discite!" Derek yells grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around to face him. "Holy God!"
"You look different too Derek Hale!" She yells matching his decibel level. I slink past the two over to Scott and Isaac who must have been looking at the paper covered table, but are now watching Derek and Max.
"Oh my god! What are you doing here!" Derek looks down at Max, but then shifts his gaze to his Uncle perched on the spiral staircase across the room. "Peter? You knew she was coming to Beacon Hills?" Derek asks letting Max go so he can see his Uncle.
"No," Max shakes her head. "We just ran into each other."
"She was swimming in Lydia's pool in nothing, but her undergarments," Peter informs the room.
"That's why my hair is wet," Max says turning her head upside down so her hair flips water droplets across the floor.
"How do you guys know Max?" Scott asks looking between Derek and Peter.
"Family friends," Peter says.
"Last time I saw you, I was fifteen! And you were only-" Max cuts Derek off.
"Nine," she says flipping her head into it's original position. "Sorry to be rude," Max says walking over to the table Scott, Isaac and I are all behind. "I'm Max, you're Scott, I know that," she says taking and shaking Scott's hand.
"Right, good to meet you," Scott says uneasily.
"Maybe tomorrow you can sit with me at lunch too and not just force Stiles too," she smiles sweetly and drops his hand. Scott looks surprised and clearly isn't sure what to say. I laugh slightly.
"I'm Isaac," the tall boy with dark golden curls covering his head nods as he takes Max's hand to shake.
"Oh I like you," Max smiles. "Pretty and well-mannered. All of you are pretty actually, have you noticed that?" We all look around at each other, but no one says anything.
"You are just like your mother," Peter says finally breaking the awkwardness. "You both say exactly what's going through your mind." Max gives a quick forced smile.
"I need to use the restroom," she declares and Derek points to a door. She nods and disappears inside.
"She screams sexual tension doesn't she?" Peter says standing up from his seat on the stairs.
"Ok that's creepy you're like a thousand years old!" I yell.
"She is quite the looker," Derek says looking back at the closed-door.
"It's creepy for you to say it too! You're like ten years older than us!" I yell again slamming my fists into the table.
"Don't worry I'm not going to steal your girlfriend," Derek growls.
"No she isn't-" Scott cuts me off.
"He loves Lydia, remember?"
"Right," I nod, then look angrily over at Scott. "Ok no, I don't love her-" Isaac breaks in this time.
"Yes you do, everyone knows, even Lydia," Isaac says crossing his arms.
"We don't know about-" Peter cuts me off this time.
"Why were you in Lydia's backyard tonight?" he asks me.
"I was… It was a favor!"
"You can't always do the girl favors! She's taking advantage of the fact that you are completely and madly in love with her!" Isaac yells.
"That's what I said!" Max yells from behind the closed-door.
"She could hear you talking about her…" Scott says in a lower tone.
"Yes I could!" Max yells again. We hear the faucet run then she emerges from behind the slim door. "Well it was great to see you Derek and Peter, and meet you Scott and Isaac, but I better get going."
"I'll take you," I say moving toward the door.
"I'm right down the road, but if you could come unlock your doors so I can get Puca out that would be great," she says pulling open the door.
"Yeah sure," I say following her into the hallway.
"Wait," Derek says following after us. "What are you here to study?"
"I'll tell you if I find it," she smiles.
"And that Puca is still hanging around you?" he asks.
"Oh yeah, I think he's more interested in being fed three meals a day then bothering me anymore," she says as we walk backward toward the staircase.
"It must be helpful to have him around for your work. That part of the book is probably very thorough," Derek says smiling. That might be the first time I've ever seen him smile. "I'd love to see him."
"I'll bring him over sometime! Call me if anything weird happens!" She yells just as the metal door closes. We walk down the stairs in silence, I want to ask her so many questions, but what can I ask that won't freak her out? We reach the car and I hit the unlock button. She pulls the driver's side open and Puca comes flying out.
"Well," I nod and she nods back. "See you-" she cuts me off.
"Be careful, ok?" she says so quickly I almost miss it.
"Ok?" I say my brow furrowing. "Can I walk you home?"
"No," she snaps. "Sorry, no." She shakes her head.
"Are you mad at me for something?" I ask truly confused.
"No, no," she shakes her head again. "I still have your sweatshirt on, here," she says starting to slide out of it.
"Keep it," I tell her. "Otherwise you'll be cold on the walk home."
"Oh God," she smacks herself in the face. "Why do you have to be so cute and sweet?" She makes a loud "Arg!" sound before turning away from me.
"Bye?" I yell at her. All she does is throw up a hand, what a lack luster wave.