Max's POV
I can't believe it, what Alex said was true! My friends pretended they didn't know who I was. I tried talking to them but they didn't even wait to hear my name, just carried on down the hall.
I didn't do anything though, just took my lunch outside. This sucks, I thought they'd be really happy to see me. As I walked around looking for a seat, I saw a group of kids, led by a really big guy that reminded me of Nelson from the Simpson's.
"Hey new kid, this is our bench. Move on." he ordered, his group laughing behind him. I shook my head, standing up.
"I'm not new. I was a student here but I had to leave for a few months. I'm Max, Max Russo." I said, holding out my hand. A hush went over the entire outside area, everyone staring at us from the circle that had formed. I really hope I wouldn't get caught up in a fight, I only condone hitting when it's really necessary.
"You." I turned back to the big guy in front of me. "You have a lot of guts talking to me like that." I gulped as he walked up to me and squeezed my eyes shut as he grabbed my hand. "I like that." I opened my eyes as I felt him shake my hand, a big smile on his face. "My name's Rick." I wanted to roll my eyes at the name but decided to go with the new kid routine, it seemed to be working.
This Rick kid seemed to be pretty feared around the school. Everyone kept giving me these weird looks as I walked down the hall with the guys during forth period. As I stopped at my new locker, Rick and the others raced past.
"Max come on! That nerdy kid Alfred brought in his pet snake, we're going to shove it down his pants!" I didn't want to follow them. Although he didn't remember me, Alfred had still been my friend. Unfortunately Rick was strong as he dragged me down the halls.
I ran at the back of the group watching them shove kids out of the way to get to Alfred. On our third small staircase I spotted Rick shove a girl away from the banister, who toppled over from the momentum. I leaped to her, grabbing her waist like that lunchroom scene from spider man. She was suspended above the bottom step, the drop not very far from the ground. Our eyes connected, mocha brown to emerald green.
"Hi." I gulped, my heart pounding. It was the girl from the street corner, the one who seemed to like flipping people off. She didn't look mad though, just shocked. "We have to stop meeting where you nearly get assaulted." I said lamely. I really need to work on the timing of my awkward moments now that I'm back in public area's. The corners of her mouth twitched up slightly, like she remembered something before it disappeared.
"Hi…Max?" she said, her green eyes shinning with confusion. I blinked, how come she remembered me, I have no idea who she is.
"Yeah, how did you know?" I think I said the wrong thing, again, because her surprised look turned to a glare.
"Because I saw you introduce yourself to Rick. Great choice in friends by the way now let me go!" she snapped harshly.
"But you weren't-"
"Max! Drop the chic and lets get Alfred!" the shout surprised me and I dropped the girl. She landed on her side on the steps, grunting in pain. I wanted to apologise but I was busy getting dragged away by Rick.
After finding Alfred and shoving Slithers down his pants, Rick dragged me back outside. I really was starting to dislike this guy, he was pushy, mean and just generally a bully.
"Ok guys, who do we see here that wants some…special attention?" I had no idea what that meant, but it sounded bad by the way all the others laughed. "Ok Max, pick someone." I hesitated before pointing at a girl sitting on a bench reading a book, figuring that was the kind of attention he was offering. Rick looked over and smirked.
"Nice. Watch and learn Maxus, watch and learn." I wrinkled my nose at the nickname, personally preferring my full name to that. Rick walked over to the girl and started talking with her, but she just ignored him. It was when he sat down and started stroking her arm did she turn and slap him before screaming at him to go away. I smiled, her accent making her sound even more deadly. Wait, accent?
I ran over to them, pulling Rick away before he could do anything to the girl.
"Hey just leave it. Rick leave her alone." I warned but he wasn't listening.
"You'll regret that you little Spanish bitch!" he snapped. My eyes widened, this guy really had an anger problem. The girl glared at him.
"One; I'm Brazilian you idiotic pig headed Cabrao." (I think she said something in Portuguese because I didn't understand the last word) "And second; you know I could take you and kick your sorry ass to central park and back!" Rick's look darkened.
"Oh yeah? Sixth period, you and me outside the front of the school. Lets see who beats who." he would actually beat up a girl? I know that sounded sexist but Rick was huge. The girl's eyes narrowed and she stood up, her book left on the bench.
"Fine, but don't go crying to your Puta of a mom," (I understood that one and had to choke back my laughter when he stared blankly at her) "when I beat your sorry ass all over the sidewalk outside." Rick glared at her and I was afraid the fight would start now. Thankfully the bell rang and I dragged Rick off to fifth period.
Throughout the whole of math class I was dreading sixth period. What would Rick do to that girl? What would the girl to do Rick would be a better question. I jumped as the bell rang and I dashed out of the classroom before Rick could corner me. My next class was history and I sat at the back. I had it with both Rick and the girl and I could see them sending each other dirty looks until the girl raised her hand.
"Miss, I have a stomach ache."
"Go to the nurse miss Fuentes." she mumbled, not looking up from her magazine. The girl stood up and walked out, glaring at Rick as she did. Rick's eyes narrowed and he raised his hand.
"I need to use the bathroom." he stated bluntly before getting up, grabbing the bathroom pass before heading out. I fidgeted in my seat, unable to think about anything else but the girl. What Rick was doing wasn't fair and I had to help. I stood up, shifting awkwardly towards the teachers desk.
"Uhh…I need to go talk with Mr. Laritate." the teacher raised her eyes from her magazine to give me a look.
"It can wait until after class." she mumbled, flicking the page over. I gulped, my eyes shifting to the clock.
"But it's really important. He said the he needed to talk to me about…wrangling in my troubled calves to be branded?" she raised an eyebrow and I felt myself start to sweat.
"That sounds like something he would say. Hurry up." I smiled appreciatively at her, grabbing the hall pass and bolting from the room.
Dropping the pass, I sprinted to the front of the school, passing a grumpy Uri along the way. I thought I heard him mumble something in Russian but I ignored him. I burst out the front doors of the school to see Rick standing over the girl, who was laying on the ground with her foot between his legs.
"If you even think of going any further your grape sized man berry's will pay the price." she snarled and I swear I saw Rick blush. I ran at Rick, pulling him off the girl. Close up I could see she had a bruise under her eye and he had a bloody nose.
"What the hell Maxus? I was just about to win!" Rick snapped.
"What are you doing?" I yelled at him. "She's a girl man and fighting doesn't fix anything." the girl scrambled to her feet.
"So you think I can't take care of myself?" the girl snapped. I froze, not expecting that.
"What's going on here?" I turned to the Russian voice, never thinking I would be happy to see Uri. He stopped behind Rick, who shrunk away from him fearfully. Wimp.
"Sorry, we were just messing around." I mumbled lowly, not looking at him. Uri sneered before turning to the girl.
"You two, go back to your classrooms, I will have to have a chat with this girl." he said. Something about his voice made a sick feeling cloud my stomach. Rick nodded, running off while wiping his nose. "Go boy, now." Uri ordered and I took a few steps back, noticing the white van that was pulling up on the other side of the street. I turned and walked away, stopping on the inside of the door to peek through. I could just hear them talking.
"So you have spirit little von, I have been vatching for quite some time now." I saw the girl back away, a disgusted look on her face.
"That's a little creepy." she said and I chuckled. That quickly went away when Uri advanced on her.
"Don't be so rude, I have a life changing opportunity for you." he said somewhat menacingly and I gripped the door handle tightly. "You will come with me to Russia and become my slave to sell." the girl full on backtracked, Uri stepping forwards to grab her arm.
"LET ME GO YOU filha da puta!" Uri's eyes widened and he slapped the girl.
"Don't you dare insult me!" he snarled. I ran out the door, plunging all my weight into Uri's side. He yelped in pain as he crashed to the ground. I turned to the girl.
"Come on, we need to get back inside and get someone!" I yelled, my entire body filled with adrenaline. She nodded.
"Ok, lets-Max watch out!"
I would have turned, but I felt something hard and cold connect with the back of my head. I stiffened before I slowly felt my body crumple to the ground into a pile of semi-consciousness. I felt the soft hand on the back of my head be yanked away before a large fist grabbed my hair.
"He's out cold boss, vat do ve do vith him?" I heard a voice that didn't belong to Uri ask. I tried to move, but found I couldn't, my body feeling to sluggish to obey my brains orders.
"He's von of de Russo children isn't he?" I assume one of them nodded because he continued. "Take him as vell den, Vladimir vill vant." what was so special about my family, you know besides the obvious.
I felt my body getting hoisted up, my arms nearly getting yanked out of their sockets, before I felt my body hitting a cold, metal floor. Just as the feeling was coming back into my arms and I was attempting to lift myself off the floor, a warm body crashed into mine, forcing me down again.
"You two stay quiet, it's long a trip." I heard laughter as the engine started up and the doors were slammed closed.
"LET US OUT CREEPS!" I heard the girl scream as she banged against the door. I moaned in pain, my head throbbing. I think she heard me because the banging stopped.
"Max are you ok?" I heard her soft voice ask. I think she crawled over to me because I felt my head get lifted and placed in something soft. "Please be ok." Justin and Alex warned me, and I didn't listen. Now me and this girl are going to Russia and will probably die.