Max preferred to take pictures by hand. But this was a special occasion. It had taken her fifteen minutes to get her camera properly attached and set up. After taking another half an hour to figure out exactly where she wanted the photo, if she wanted the lights on, how she wanted them draped across the photographs, how her bed should look, ensuring the focus was correct. She was setting a stage. And everything needed to be perfect.

Finally, it came time for her to take her picture. She set the camera's timer and stepped in front of it. She didn't want to block out too many of her photographs, so she made sure to take several steps forward, placing herself perfectly between the camera and her bed. Her camera snapped the photo, the film automatically spitting out. Turning around, Max took the picture and examined it. Her endless nitpicking seemed to have paid off.

She carefully slipped it into her journal. This was it. This was the photo she was going to give Mr. Jefferson for her "Everyday Heroes" entry. Nervousness fluttered in her stomach. She had thought that it would fade once she had the picture taken and done with, but it lingered there, digging its claws into her.

I hope it's enough.

Max knew there was a high chance of her losing. After all, she was going up against people like Victoria Chase. But she had taken that step forward - one that she hadn't taken since applying to Blackwell as a student - and she just had to remember that that was enough. Despite this, she worried how she would react to not winning. She could only hope she would bounce back. If not, it wasn't a very promising for her future.

Heading out for the day, Max felt a bit of a spring in her step. It was the first Monday where she wasn't dreading getting up. She stepped outside to find Victoria sitting on the bench. Walking by, Max didn't even turn to look at her.

"Maxine," Victoria called out in a sickly sweet tone.

Max turned her head, her eyes narrowing. "It's Max," she corrected. Not even Victoria could get away with that one. "Never call me Maxine."

"Alright there, Mad Max. Come sit down. I have something you should really listen to," Victoria informed her, patting the space next to her. She had her phone out, and it was ready to play a recording.

Uneasy, Max approached her. "What is it?"

"Something that'll finish our little bet once and for all. Or did you already forget about it?" Victoria inquired.

Max felt her heart sink. Sitting down, she stared down at the phone. She didn't want to see it, but she also knew that her curiosity wouldn't allow her not to. After a point, she needed to know. "You took a video?"

"Audio recording," Victoria clarified. "I couldn't be obvious about it, Max. But this is the conversation Mr. Jefferson and I had after I blew his mind. Amongst other things."

Max caught the hint. Flushing, she closed her eyes as Victoria hit "play" on her phone. She could hear the recording scrape to life, clearly being hidden by some form of cloth - probably Victoria's pocket, given how she never let it stray far.

"So… what'd you think?" Victoria prompted, her voice muffled in the recording. Max leaned in closer to hear it better.

"I-I don't know what to say about it. I knew you were talented, but I didn't realize your talents encompassed this," Mr. Jefferson responded, his voice sounding honest. It was painful for Max to hear, given how it was the same tone he used with her when he told her she had a "gift."

Victoria giggled. "Well, I wanted to impress you, but I was worried my technique was a little… amateur."

"There is room for improvement, yes, but I would be happy to give you tips," Mr. Jefferson responded. "We'll find some time after school. Cool?"

"Yes, Mark. I so look forward to learning from you."

She even called him 'Mark.'

Victoria turned the recording off and looked at Max with a smug smirk. Eyes burning, Max could feel her throat tighten with emotion. But she wouldn't give Victoria the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Not over this. Max should have known better She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up that maybe this time was different. Maybe this time she would be noticed. The Victorias of the world belonged in the spotlight, not her. Even so, she couldn't help but think about how she had been with him the whole weekend. He hadn't made a single move on her, and she had thought it was because he was above it all. Now, she knew the truth. She just wasn't good enough.

"So?" Victoria finally prompted, clearly tired of being given the silent treatment.

Max replied, "We call a tie." The words almost stuck in her throat, and her tongue felt swollen and uncooperative.

"Wha-"

"Our deal was that you get photographic evidence. But you got a recording that I am willing to acknowledge. Therefore, we call a tie. We both get to continue the rest of the year without any restrictions in regards to Mr. Jefferson," Max pointed out. Her words came out monotonous even to her own ears.

Crossing her arms, Victoria scoffed, "Fine. But you better keep in mind that Mark is mine."

"Don't worry about that. I doubt I could forget, even if I wanted to," Max mumbled before getting up.

"Bye, loser."

The words bounced off Max as she walked away. Tears pooled in her eyes, threatening to fall. Stiffening her lip, she raised her head and choked them back down. She was not going to cry over this. Not over them. They had each other and were going to be perfectly happy together. They even looked like they belonged together. A match made in Heaven. Victoria in her posh outfits and Mr. Jefferson in his sleek suits. That was more than what Max could ever say. No matter how much she might have denied it, she would look awkward and out of place. Victoria was refined, and Max was… well, Max.

Chloe would have killed you if she heard you say something like that.

Max hiccoughed a laugh at that thought, wiping the tears away. It was times like these that she missed her best friend the most. But at the same time, it was when she felt most distant from her. There was no way that, after five years, she could call Chloe in a time of need. That was too hypocritical, even for Max. Still, she missed her best friend all the same. Chloe always could kick her in the ass better than anyone else.

As she walked into the school, Max debated taking a full sick day. She wasn't feeling up to classes or seeing Mr. Jefferson, now knowing what she did. But she also knew that she would just mope around all day and not get anything productive done. At least school would preoccupy her mind for a while. Perhaps she might just skip Mr. Jefferson's class. Or would that be too obvious? Would that give Victoria too much of a victory? Max didn't want that either.

Or, at least, that's what Max thought. Her mind never stopped flickering back to that morning. Every moment she recalled hit her like a recoil from a mortar shell, disorienting her. What concerned her more, though, was when did this happen? Was it before her rendezvous with him Saturday? Was she deluding herself the entire time she was with him? She felt as if the memory was already tainting, colored by the haze of pain and jealousy.

You're so stupid, Max.

Only the bell managed to cut through Max's thoughts. Getting up, she collected her bag and slung it over her shoulder. The students around her were all talking, some of them looking at their phones as they chattered. Max ignored them. Stepping out, she jammed her ear buds into her ears and turned on her music. As the low, acoustic melody drifted in, she sauntered down the hall. Algebra was next, but she didn't go into the room once she reached it, instead opting to lean against some lockers just outside the door. As the music swelled, she closed her eyes. "In My Mind" had never spoken to her as much as it did now.

A tap on her shoulder made her jolt. Opening her eyes, she found Taylor standing next to her. This struck her as strange, given how she and Taylor weren't remotely friends. Taking out one earbud, she asked, "Hey, Taylor, what's up?"

"Have you seen the video yet?" Taylor asked.

"What video?" Max asked.

Taylor sighed impatiently. " The video. Kate's video."

Confused, Max shook her head. "Kate posted a video?"

"No, Max. Look, give me your phone," Taylor pressed before snatching the phone from Max's hand. Max watched as she pulled up a YouTube video. "Kate got her freak on at the Vortex Club party this weekend. You have got to see it."

"W-wait, Kate went to a Vortex Club party?" Max asked, shocked. That went against everything Max knew of Kate.

Taylor laughed before handing Max back her phone. "Yeah. She got invited, and she got absolutely wasted ." With that, she wave Max an insincere smile and little wave. "You're welcome!"

Curiosity piqued, Max hit "play." The video was dark, but Max could definitely see Kate. She was on the dance floor, smashed between two guys. One guy had his lips attached to hers, and she seemed just as engaged with him. She then turned around to the guy who had been grinding on her from behind and started kissing him as well. The kisses were deep, open-mouthed, and filled with more passion than Max felt comfortable watching. Some pornos were less evocative. But by all accounts, she appeared to be having a good time. And if it had been anyone besides Kate, Max wouldn't have thought anything of it.

The video had over a thousand views, and it was just posted last night. Already, Max knew it was spreading like wildfire throughout the school. Her heart went out to poor Kate. She knew what it was like to be caught in the crosshairs of gossipers. And now she finally understood why Kate was crying. She must have regretted her actions, and Blackwell had a way of never letting anyone live down their mistakes.

Heading into class, Max sat down at her desk. Algebra was her least favorite subject, although it wasn't because it was overly difficult. Max just had no interest in it. Thus, she wrote down the bare minimum for notes as her mind tried to adjust to the new knowledge. Victoria and Mr. Jefferson were dating. Kate was hanging out in the Vortex Club. Pinching herself, Max winced at the pain. Well, at least she was sure that this wasn't just a terrible nightmare. But it also felt like she was in an alternate reality.

This day really couldn't get worse.

Lunch period hit, and Max leapt up from her seat. Kate had history before lunch, so she merely trekked back to her last classroom to find Kate there, staring at her desk. She seemed so out of it. Her notebook was empty, too, not even a doodle.

Poor thing.

"Hey, Kate," she called out softly. Kate looked up at her, her eyes puffy. It was clear she had been crying. "Do you want to have lunch together?"

"Hey, Max. No, I'm not really feeling up to it today," Kate answered honestly. Her voice was soft, wounded, and she could barely look Max in the eyes.

Max shifted her weight back and forth. Well, she hadn't anticipated that response. She murmured, "Then we'll go out for tea tomorrow. On me."

"Max, I don't know-" Kate started to object.

"It's just tea, Kate. We won't have to talk about anything you don't want to," Max pressed, her voice edging with a bit of desperation. Kate had reached out to her during a time when she really needed it. No way was she letting this go. "Promise me you'll come."

Kate hesitated before nodding. "Sure, Max. Same time as last time?"

"Sounds perfect to me, Kate," Max replied before offering her a sympathetic smile. One small wave later, and Max walked off. Obviously, Kate wanted to be left alone. She could just hope that she was feeling better.

Heading down the stairs, Max wondered if she should stop by Kate's room later. So far, Kate had been tolerant of Max's pressing, but that didn't mean she appreciate it. Max wasn't sure if she was making things better or worse. She worried it was the latter.

"That's so funny." Victoria's piercing voice cut through Max's thoughts.

Max halted and looked up to find that she was just in front of Mr. Jefferson's classroom. Quietly, she cursed herself for being so mindless. She really didn't want to see Mr. Jefferson today, even in class. But their eyes met, and Max looked from Mr. Jefferson to Victoria and back again. Hurt contorted Max's face without her bidding, and she couldn't neutralize her expression. Eyes burning, she ripped her gaze away and started walking again.

"Max, are you alright?" Mr. Jefferson called out as she brushed past them.

What do you think?

"I'm fine," she replied without looking back.

Victoria said sweetly, "See you later, Max!"

Max didn't give her the pleasure of a response. No, Victoria had already won that morning. She knew it. Max certainly didn't hide her pain. Not that she could. However, she had to face the facts. She also had to keep a straight face in front of Mr. Jefferson and Victoria in class. How else was she ever going to get past this? It wasn't as though this was the end of the world, after all. Max just had a crush. A crush that ended like so many of her others - with nothing to show for it.

Chloe would have kicked my ass if she was around.

Of course, Chloe would have also been horrified Max was supposed to be into cute, funny nerds like Warren. An age gap that large was certainly intimidating, especially when looking at the long term. Some women had been mocked for less. And no doubt that people would think Max was after his fame. After all, Max had no doubt that that was why Victoria was clinging to him. But Max would have been happy just being with him. She wouldn't have cared if no one knew, so long as he was hers at the end of the day. That thought made Max's stomach twist.

You are in love with him, you idiot.

She couldn't deny it now. Not now that Victoria had him for her own. Max had downplayed her emotions, even in her own journal, because she didn't want to face it. It was easier to hide behind her "JUST KIDDING" comments. Although Max knew other girls would understand her infatuation, she never felt that she had the right. She was seen as the goody-two-shoes hipster. Kate would have been mortified. Warren would have been jealous. Maybe Dana would have understood on an intellectual level, but not on an emotional one. The horrifying fact came down to that only Victoria would truly understand.

But when had her feelings changed? Max started the year with flutters and anxiety because of her respect for Mr. Jefferson. He was a visionary in the field, and he commanded much respect of both his colleagues and students. But at some point, she had wanted something more than just a student-teacher relationship.

It doesn't matter what I want. Not anymore.

Max looked up at the clear, blue sky. How she wished today was over already.