DISClaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer. I make no profit from this.

No POV this time. Take your own guesses.

Hope you enjoy this.

-x-

Hell. I wasn't gonna tell him. I'd just imprinted on a frickin' photo.

-x-

London, England.

I wrapped the flowers in white paper and put them in water. It was Max's birthday yesterday, and she hadn't called. I had found her email address and sent her a quick note, begging her to call, begging her to come home, but I knew she wouldn't reply, she wasn't that sort of person - to start something and not finish it. It was a change of scene for her, to be with her aunt and uncle in South Africa.

Her mum had told me that she'd emailed a couple of days ago, told her to phone her uni and tell them she was jacking it all in. that had got me worried - she wouldn't do that unless something utterly drastic had happened. I assumed it was a guy, because she wouldn't drop everything for nothing, if that makes sense.

"Evan…" Mum shouted from upstairs and I went to see what was wrong. There was a long second where my feet wouldn't move, and the world shifted around me. It was as if in that second, everything had changed about the world, and something immediately felt wrong.

I sighed for a long second and felt my stomach turn over happily. I smiled to myself, vaguely wondering what I had eaten, and went to see what mum wanted.

"Are you going to take those to Ben's?" Mum sighed as she said his name. "Bloody hell. I keep…" She shook her head and looked at me. "I'm so sorry, Ev'." She sighed and looked down at the carpet again.

"I know, mum." a long silence. "I can't believe Max went too."

She nodded and busied herself with pulling the duvet off her bed. We both tried to talk at the same time a few seconds later.

"Maybe it's for the best, Evan-"

"I think something's happene- What?" I looked up at her. "How can you say that?"

"I'm just saying… if she'd stayed, I think she would have gone mad. Her parents aren't exactly the most supportive of people, are they?" I stared at her.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh… don't worry-"

"Mum!" I stopped and looked at her. "Tell me."

"I can't." She stopped and looked away. "I didn't tell you this, alright."

"Tell me what?" I was suspicious now, and terrified. "Is Max alright?"

Mum wouldn't look at me and I felt my throat burn suddenly. Something was wrong. Something had happened to her… when Ben had died. She'd run away, she'd done something stupid… I didn't think there was anything… I knew she didn't want to stay, but she'd left so suddenly I thought she'd just… I thought it had been arranged.

"I don't know." The bottom of my world dropped out. I felt like the floor was collapsing underneath me. "Max… Mackenzie ran away the night after Ben's funeral." She looked at the floor again. "You… you couldn't see her because we didn't know where the hell she was. She's asked us not to go after her - in that email from last week. She said she didn't want anyone to worry," A small smile, mum wrapped her arms around me, "Least of all you."

"OK." I went red and looked down at the floor.

I missed my Max. She was my best friend and… she'd been the first kiss I could never forget. I wouldn't not look for her. Even if she didn't want to be found, I could find her. I knew her well enough. I was sure I could find her. I pushed mum away gently and made my excuses.

"Oh, Evan-" She called after me, but I ignored it, looking at the floor as I strode slowly down the stairs, focussed only on that bottom step, and not thinking of anything else.

When I got back downstairs, I looked back at the flowers and wanted to tear them in half. For a half-second, I hated Ben and how he'd torn the place apart, three households gone to absolute pot in his absence - The Scott's, the Buchanan's and our place. His girlfriend, Lizzie Buchanan hadn't fared well, clinging onto the other boys like there was nothing else that mattered in the world, Max had run away… was I the only person that still knew themselves?

It was an odd question, but I did wonder. Had Max changed in her absence? Was she still my best friend? Was she still… the same?

-x-

I took the flowers to Ben's grave and left them there, waited for ages for someone else to come along, so they would talk to me, so I could let myself work things out with someone else.

I closed my eyes and held a deep breath as I looked around the cemetery. It was empty, all of it was silent.

Something was off about the place; something was cold and lonely about the whole place. I didn't like it. Every time I came here, I felt like I was being watched, as if something was following me until I hit the sunlight on the other side of the trees.

I walked across the grass; it was wet with dew as I flicked my feet onto the path and looked up.

"Hello." The voice was melodious and charming. I was immediately on edge. "What brings you here?"

"A friend." I gestured vaguely, suddenly desperate to get to the sunlight. The boy was pale, blonde haired, but beautiful. I took another step sideways and he let me pass somewhat reluctantly.

"I suppose I'll see you another time?" He smiled wolfishly at me and I looked up at him again. I'm sure my breath caught in my chest as I realised he was less than a foot away from me and his eyes were bright red. Not even bloodshot. The pupils were bright red.

And he looked mad.

I backed off as fast as I possibly could, he sighed and stalked away. I hit the sunshine and felt so much safer within those two seconds. That kid had been weird. He must have been maybe a year older than me - Max's age… crazy.

I walked the long way home, kicked my shoes off and smiled as I got through the door.

"I can get him to call you back, Max?" I could almost hear her soft voice from here.

"Mum!" I yelled. "Don't hang up! I'm in!"

I ran down the hallway and into the kitchen, slipping on the wet floor and landing right beside my mum, she handed me the phone and I shook with anticipation as I looked at the receiver.

Her voice was like heaven as I put the speaker against my ear.

"Max?" I realised I was breathing heavily.

"Evan!" she sounded genuinely happy. "Are you on your own?"

"No… but-"

"Go to your room." She demanded and I shook slightly, "Please…"

"OK." I wavered slightly and walked up to my room. "Right…" There was a long silence as I threw my coat onto my desk and watched my guinea pig squeak and run away to the other side of its cage. "I'm alone. Are you alright? Where are you? What's been going on?" A pause, "I've missed you, Max."

"I've missed you too." She giggled softly and I heard what sounded like someone kissing her cheek. "Hey, Gerroff!"

"Who're you with?"

"A friend." She said softly. "His name's Seth. I'm here with him and his sister, Leah." A voice swore at the other end of the line. "Oh, shut up, Leah."

"Right. Well… where are you!?" I pressed again. She sighed down the lie and it crackled.

"I'm…" She sighed, "Are you sure you're on your own?"

"Yes." I repeated, "Listen, do you want me to…"

"Yeah, go on then."

"Alright." I picked up my phone and hoped she was far enough away from the receiver wherever she was. I slammed it against the desk and held it back to my ear. "Better now?"

"I feel much better, thanks."

"Why all the secrecy?" I said softly, "You've not joined a cult, have you?" She laughed genuinely and I could feel the smile in her voice.

"Don't be stupid. Course not, you pillock." It felt so good to hear her voice again, even if she was insulting me. "I'm in the US." I half choked on my own tongue.

"No." A pause, "You're joking?"

"Nope. I cleared my accounts and… just ran, Evan. I couldn't stay at home." A pause. "Mum and dad didn't tell you that, did they?"

"No." A soft sigh.

"Didn't think they would. Damnit." She hit something at the other end of the line. "Listen… would you like to come out here… just for a while." Someone made a small noise in the background, "I'd love to see you again."

"You're not coming home?" I said softly.

"I can't anymore." She said, "I'm… I'm all about here, Evan. It's all new, it's all wonderful and I love it."

"You're joking?" Surely there was an April Fool's joke in there somewhere, even in mid May.

"Nope."

"But Max… you can't just… leave everything-"

"I have." She stopped and sighed. "I wish I could see you again, Evan, just to explain." A small pause, "I bet you'd love it here - they've got bikes." I half choked, "Cliff diving…" The boy said something, "But I'm not doing that again for a while, believe me-"

"Mackenzie… you're not hurt, are you?" A small pause. Her silence told me I had hit the nail with the hammer pretty damn hard. "Oh, for god's sake, Max, what did you do?"

"Nothing." She retorted, then she relented just as suddenly, "Crashed a bike… hit my head cliff diving. Nearly died." She said it matter-of-factly. "There's an amazing beach out here, Evan."

"You nearly died?" I think my heart stopped right there. "Oh, Max, mate… what if you had? You've got to come home-"

"No!" She yelled it loud and I jumped on my mattress. "Please. Listen to me. Get onto the internet, book yourself a plane ticket."

"To where?"

"Seattle." She said softly, and I looked at the calendar on my wall. There was a picture of her, Ben, and me at the picnic last summer. When we'd been together. When we'd kissed the second time, on the swinging tyre by the huge lake in the park. Ben had caught us, half-choked, and half-given us his blessing. I had to see her again. I knew I couldn't last another day without seeing her, when for the past three weeks all I had done was wonder why she hadn't been in contact with me.

"Seattle?"

"Port Angeles." She laughed again. "Let me know when you get the ticket." A long pause.

"How?"

"I- just email me, OK, Evan?" She sounded suddenly sad, as though I still meant something to her and she didn't want to let that go. "I'll even reply to you this time."

"Thanks." I smiled at the receiver and closed my eyes. "I never did take much convincing when it came to you, did I, eh?"

"You know I love you." I nodded to myself.

"Yeah. Love you too." She laughed. "Miss you, Max."

"You too. See you soon, Evan."

I heard a click as she hung up and sighed, staring at the phone in my hand. My hands shook as I looked back up at the picture on my wall, remembered that day when I was sure my life had changed - for the first time for the better, since dad had died.

I looked at the floor and sighed.

"Love you too." A bitter smile crossed my face. "I'm sure you do." I felt utterly pathetic… and I knew I had to talk to my travel agent.

-x-

A/N: Please review and let me know how I did... :P

Oh, Evan... poor thing. you've got no idea, mate.

I'm really glad you all like it... so i'd appreciate more feedback...

And i'm really, really happy that you keep reading :)

Love you guys

xxx