A/N: Been a while, everyone! With some help, I was finally able to update this week! I'm still a little swamped with projects, so I can't really promise I'll be back on scheduled updates. But I can say you'll most likely get an update next week :D That said, thank you all for reading and commenting! Enjoy!

Spotter

Max pinched the corners of the yellow flier, staring at it so hard that a little furrow formed in her brow.

Arcade tournament. Win two VIP tickets to see Metallica's Ride the Lightning Tour!

Start out your new year rocking out. Join the "Next Level Arcade" tournament Saturday, December 29th down in Indianapolis on 500 Virginia Avenue for a chance to win two Metallica VIP packages with two front-row seats, autographed posters, and backstage passes for a chance to meet the band. The player with the top score wins the grand prize!

She read it at least a million times, memorizing every single word. VIP Tickets. Next Level. Indianapolis. Grand prize! Top score.

And all of it was only a week away.

Since yesterday, Max wasn't sure what to do with herself. Or with this information. She could only think about Billy and that night on the side of the road. And the day after, how she so desperately wanted to make things right. And this was it, this was a blatant opportunity smacking her right in the face. She could make a difference. She could finally give Billy something he's always wanted. She could finally fix her mistake. All she had to do was win a tournament. To win a game. And she had won plenty.

She just had to win one more game to fix her mistake. Just one more game.

No way she could miss out on this.

But Indianapolis?

Max sighed. How the hell would she get to Indianapolis? There was no way she could tell anyone about it, at least not anyone in the house. It had to be kept secret, especially from Neil. He never told Billy he couldn't go to the concert, but knowing him, he'd find a reason to take this from him too. And her mom couldn't take her, not without Neil's truck. And hell would freeze over before he even thought about letting her use it. Besides, there was a chance she'd tell him, especially if she had to ask Neil for a ride. And Neil would be suspicious if he found out they took a travel bus down there instead of getting a ride from him. If only the local buses could travel that far...

Ugh. There was no winning the situation. She couldn't afford Neil taking those tickets from her. From Billy!

But she was getting ahead of herself.

She'd have to find a way to get there to win the tickets first. But how?

Maybe Billy could–

She stopped that thought. No way she could tell Billy about this tournament. No reason to get his hopes up if she couldn't get there…or win.

No, she sharply thought. I have to win. I have to.

"Max!"

Max looked up from the flier, her thoughts interrupted by Billy's call.

"What?!" she called back. What could he possibly want? He only called her when she was late or when he was upset or if he wanted her to answer the door or something. But there was no response. With a grumble, she hid the flier under her mattress. She'd have to think of a plan later. For now, it would be her own little secret.

Max walked into the living room to see Billy stacking extra weights onto the barbell. Headphones were draped over his head, her walkman at his side. She smiled slightly.

He's actually using it.

In fact, she noticed every single time he did. It was like her eyes just instantly focused on where it was attached to his side, and a little burst of satisfaction filled her every time. Normally, he kept one ear uncovered, which she always assumed was in case someone called the house or if Neil surprised him by coming home early. Sometimes he'd even have it on all day right up until Neil pulled into the driveway, and like clockwork, he'd shut it down, and it would disappear again. She knew it was because he didn't want it to be taken away like his radio had been, and with the way Neil was acting lately, she knew he wouldn't hesitate to do it again if he thought Billy was giving attitude or messing up. But today he had both ears covered, so that had to mean he was confident that Neil wouldn't come anytime soon.

Billy secured the last weight and turned, finally noticing her presence. With only a brief glance, he straddled the bench and uncovered one ear. "Come spot me," he said.

Max blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said come spot me. What, are you deaf?"

She paused again, rerunning the words in her head. She knew enough about weightlifting from Billy to know that spotting someone meant having to help make sure a person wasn't crushed or injured, or something like that. Max quickly shook her head. "Uh uh. No way. There's no way."

"Seriously, Max? It's not like you're the one lifting it. Now come over here and help me?"

She didn't move.

"Are you chicken?"

"No! It's just… you never asked me to do something like that before." Why was he even asking her now?

"That's because I never tried to up my weights before. Now come on. Stop bitching and just do it." Billy lied on his back and gripped the barbell.

Max hesitated. There was at least 100 pounds on that thing.

"So what, you can ask for favors, but I can't? Hurry up."

Max pursed her lips. She took slow steps forward until she stood over Billy and the bar. "So what do I do?"

"Make sure I don't drop the damn thing on my face and die."

How helpful.

With a huff, Billy gripped the bar tight and lifted it. Max instantly jerked her hands forward, hovering them under the bar as Billy lowered it to his chest. Each time he lifted and went back down, her heart skipped a beat.

I'm not qualified for this, she thought.

But Billy seemed ever confident. If anything, that confident, focused look on his face eased her a bit. Each time he lifted the bar, he released a sharp breath. It was admirable really, his strength. He was dedicated to staying fit, that's for sure. She figured he stayed in shape to pick up girls, but now she wondered if he worked out a lot to feel stronger because of Neil. Maybe even to one day overpower him…

Max's eyes slightly lowered at the thought, but she quickly refocused.

How many is he going to do–huh?

Billy was red in the face. The bar hovered over his chest close to his neck, barely an inch as his arms shook. He puffed out his cheeks, and Max wondered if he was breathing.

"Billy?" She slowly gripped under the bar.

The weight suddenly gave, falling and resting on his neck.

"Billy. Billy!"

Max freaked out, her fingers fumbling as she tried to help him lift it, using all her strength to help him get it back on the bar, but it just wouldn't budge. The red in Billy's face deepened as he let out a strangled breath.

No! Max thought. No, no, no, no. Shit! What do I do? "Billy, what do I do?!"

But he said nothing.

He squirmed under the weight, choking sounds escaping his throat as though he was gurgling on his own spit. Max's thoughts moved a mile a minute. I need to call 911. No! That's not fast enough. Help. I need to get help! She raced to the door calling for help, calling for anyone, for a neighbor, or even someone passing by on the street. She grabbed the knob and yanked, causing the door to fly open. It made contact with the wall on the other side with a loud bang, but it made no sound in her already frantic mind.

There was a cackle behind her, rough and spontaneous. It was different from the gurgling he was doing before, but the sound sent off an alarm in her chest, and she knew she didn't have much time left before he likely passed out. She was about to step outside when the noise settled into what she recognized as laughter.

Max stopped and tried to control her breathing. Her heart was beating so fast, it echoed in her head so that all she could hear and feel was her own pulse. The adrenaline had made her hands and arms go a little numb, so it took a moment before she had the strength to turn around. Something like nausea settled in her stomach.

Billy effortlessly lifted the bar, securing it on the rack as he sat up, still laughing. Pointing at her before slapping his knee and doubling over, clutching at his stomach. His face was red, but only from how funny he seemed to find this situation. Max's fingers twitched. All the panic she was feeling morphed into anger so strong it seemed connected to her tear ducts.

"You should see your face!" he laughed, taking a sip of his beer. "You were seriously about to run out of here with no shoes on. Classic!"

Max was stunned, still. The situation before her suddenly hit her like a train. This was just another damn prank. She clenched her fists and stomped across the room in record time. Swinging her arm back, she hit him with all her might, her fist to his shoulder making a loud meaty sound as half his body jerked back. Billy's laughter instantly stopped.

"Ow! What the fu–!"

"You're such a dick!" She screamed, her body trembling from the dissipating adrenaline, but quickly filled back up with rage. Her eyes began to sting, and she blinked them furiously as she gritted her teeth and debated hitting him again, but directly in the nose. He said not to let the bar smash his face, but nothing about my fist, she thought.

Billy's face went from amused to stunned anger in seconds. He opened his mouth, as though he was about to yell at her, but he stopped, his eyes going wide—stunned by the tears quickly filling in her eyes and quivering lip. His lips moved but for a second, he said nothing.

"Why are you so worked up?" he finally managed to say. "It was just a joke, damn."

"Well it wasn't funny, Billy! Jesus Christ. I thought you were… I thought you were dying! And I wasn't strong enough to do anything…" Her voice cracked and shook, the tears in her eyes now freefalling down her cheeks. She looked down in shame, hating the fact that she was crying in front of him, because of him. Such an asshole…

Billy just sat there, silent, not sure what to say. His mouth opened and then shut, open and then shut as though stuck in a loop. He couldn't find the words that would fix this mess, and an uncomfortable silence filled with tension settled between them as he was forced to sit in it.

She stood there a moment, wondering if he would say anything. But his silence just made her all the more furious. She should have known that he'd never own up to his actions. The word "sorry" wasn't in Billy's dictionary. With a huff, Max swerved on her heel and rushed to her room, a loud slam cascading through the house a moment later.

He was still. Billy's eyes darted along the floor, trying to make sense of what just happened. He went to take a sip of his beer but put it back down before it could reach his lips. There was a pinch forming in his chest and he raised his hand to rub at it. It was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what the feeling was. He'd only meant to tease her a little, thinking the look of shock on her face would contort into that surprised anger it normally did and she'd huff and stomp her foot before doing something petty like pouring out his beer, or offsetting his weights. Not in a million years did he anticipate the tears that would fall down her face, or the way she went pale as she turned to see him laughing. And what she said about him dying…did she care?

He rubbed at his chest again and then scoffed, standing to head to her room and tell her to grow up and get over it. To learn how to take a damn joke. But midstep, he stopped. Her words floated through his mind so quickly, it was like she stood there shouting it at his face.

Do you really want things to stay the same?

The image of her quivering lip and angry, tear-filled eyes filled his mind, and he sighed. No. He didn't.

Fuck.

Max sat on her bed, a mixture of anger and embarrassment swirling inside her. Stupid Billy, she thought. I should have known he was going to pull something like that. She sniffed, forcefully wiping the tears away. Stop crying. Stop crying, Max. Don't cry over Billy, he doesn't deserve it.

Her door slowly creaked open.

She threw her head up just as Billy slowly emerged. He looked her up and down with a strange expression on his face.

Max furrowed her brows and turned; she didn't feel like trying to decipher what that look meant. "Go away."

But he didn't. Instead, he opened her door all the way and leaned against the doorframe with a sigh. He stared at her, occasionally flicking his eyes elsewhere.

Max shifted on her sheets, uncomfortable. "You're not going to say anything?"

Silence.

"Before you say anything, yes I know. I'm a crybaby."

"I mean, you are being a bit overdramatic…" he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. When Max's face started to turn red again, he cursed under his breath and stared down at his feet. "I don't think that…" he mumbled.

When Max refused to turn back around, he let out a huff of frustration and backed out of the room, shoving his hands into his pockets. He realized for the first time that he'd actually have to do something to get Max to stop staring at him like he kicked a puppy. He wondered if he should leave her alone, but sooner or later she'd have to forgive him…

Billy stepped back into the room. He just stood there for a few seconds rubbing the back of his neck before slipping his hand into his pockets again, feeling out of place and unsure. He churned his jaw. "Neil won't be back until later this evening. Want to go… shit….I don't know what girls like you do."

He looked at her blunt, chewed-off nails and knew that getting them painted or fixed up was at least not going to be the choice. It had occurred to him that Max was different from most girls…especially the ones that he surrounded himself with. Ridiculous hair, long painted nails, skirts so short you don't have to wonder what's underneath. Max never wore makeup…her hair always looked somewhat unbrushed. She rode a skateboard for crying out loud and never seemed to take her nose out of her math book. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she was a boy.

"But you'll get in trouble…" Max mumbled, still not looking up at him. She glanced at the time and then finally up at Billy, a question on her face. It was a little after 5 o'clock, which meant they'd need to play it safe, or else they'd risk missing curfew.

"Not if we're back before 8 or 9. But we'd have to take the bus, so we should probably go now."

She paused, thinking. Was he just dragging her along with him somewhere because he didn't want to leave her home alone? It would be so fitting, for him to prank her then punish her….unless...

She sucked in a breath and stared at him for a moment, trying to see if she could tell whether or not he looked sorry. He only stared at her in his usual bored way, but it did occur to her that he didn't yell at her for punching him. So maybe he was thinking of a way to make it up to her? Would he actually bother? she asked herself.

"Make up your mind, Maaax. Clock is ticking." Billy whined, leaning his head back against the doorframe with a thump. He stared down at her, fidgeting in his impatience while he waited for a response.

Max stared at him for just a moment, then nodded.

"I know where we can go."

. . .

Billy looked around the shop, giving weird looks at the skateboards hanging on the walls. He glanced down at Max who brushed her fingers across one with a purple-painted bottom longingly. She gave the wheel a little test spin, and he broke the silence. " …surprised you didn't ask to go to the arcade."

"Well we kinda used up all our money, remember?"

He shrugged. "I've had enough of that place anyway."

"You only went once."

"And once was enough."

She raised a brow at him and gave a smug smile. He knows he liked it.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Billy turned and looked at the opposite wall where the different wheels came in all shapes, sizes, and colors. He raised a brow at the one with bright orange and red flames covering the sides and snorted out a bit of a laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Do people actually think this is cool? he thought. Not like you can go faster than ten miles an hour anyway. He glanced up to see two guys in the other aisle staring at him with frowns on their faces, and he gave them a glare, which had them scattering away as fast as they could go. He looked back down and the glow-in-the-dark wheels were enough to make him curl his nose in disgust. He turned back to Max to see her standing in front of another board. It was the longing on her face that had him intrigued.

He stepped up beside her and she mumbled, "It's still here."

Billy leaned in to get a closer look. The bottom was a deep red and the words painted down the middle read, "I ain't scared to fall, I've felt the ground before."

He scoffed and shook his head. Of course she'd like something so cheesy. "At least the red matches your hair… red for the redhead."

She gave him a side eye but didn't say anything. She stared at the board for a few more seconds and then walked away.

"So that's it? You're not gonna buy anything?" he asked.

"With what money? I'm only 13." She stared at him like he'd lost brain cells, and he glared before crossing his arms.

"Go sell lemonade or something."

"Very funny."

"I gave you twenty. Why not use that?" he asked, pointing back at the board.

"How's twenty going to buy a skateboard? Besides, I-I don't have it on me." She said, squirming and not meeting his eyes.

She was lying. He could tell by the way she avoided looking at him. Did she really not have the money with her? Or did she just want to use it for something else? He frowned as he watched her walk down the aisle, her eyes wandering over the other boards with slight disinterest. He couldn't help but ask himself if she didn't want to buy one because of him. She never brought up her broken board...the one he smashed with his foot, but maybe that was why she wouldn't spend the money. She might be worried he'd break it again…so what would be the point of spending the money…

His mind flashed to the look on her face when the board cracked in half, and in some ways, the broken rage mimicked how she'd looked at him after the weights prank. Back then, he hadn't cared that it hurt her…but now…he wasn't sure if he cared…but then why was he here?

"Besides, I'm saving up. A new issue of Wonder Woman was announced," Max said. It was announced that it would be out around the first week of January, which was lucky for her since it was right before school started up again. Even better, it would be right after Billy got his car back. She spun and stared at him as the idea came to her. She hesitated at first, a little nervous to ask in case he shot her down. "You can…take me to get it… right? When it does come out?"

She expected him to grumble or say something crude. But he just shrugged. "I have to take you places anyway, what's one more at this point?

She lit up. "You promise?"

What's with you and promises all of a sudden? Billy thought to himself. He wanted to say no, that he wasn't going to promise anything, but then the image of her tear-covered face filled his mind and the pinch in his chest came back. He sighed, "Yeah…"

Max tried to hold back a smile.

They walked down a few more aisles in silence, and Max tried on a helmet before putting it back with a frown. It had rumpled her already messy hair, and not once did she freak out or try to smooth it back into place. They finally headed for the door. Max used her foot to push it open, and Billy fought the urge to snort at just how Max-like the behavior was.

"So…what was your dad like? " Billy asked. At first, Max scrunched her nose at the sudden random question, but then she quickly lit up, and it looked as though she pondered memory after memory while considering his question. He hadn't planned on asking, but something about her behavior made him want to. Was she more like her dad? It was obvious she wasn't like Susan…hell, Max acted a lot like a boy some of the time. It made him wonder if she got a lot of her personality from her dad.

"He's very good with people," she said with a smile. "He has this ability to talk about anything, and he's so convincing that by the end, you find yourself agreeing with everything he says."

Billy raised a brow almost skeptically, and she laughed. "Everyone likes him. He was the guy to come to for fake IDs and was the one betting at race tracks after he picked everyone's brain. He almost always knew who would win."

"Seriously?"

"Uh-huh. I didn't know at first…but after a while, I realized he did a lot of that 'under the table' stuff. But he was just…so smart."

Billy paused and then huffed out a chuckle. "I would have never guessed."

Billy thought for a moment about how he really didn't know much about Max at all, but based on her small description, she seemed a lot like her dad—Well, probably minus the "Everyone liking her" part. It wasn't a secret that she had to have learned a few things from him with her ability to pick locks or sneak out of her window. Even steal a car… His car.

"So you were a little criminal in the making," he said. "Figured you'd top your old man by committing some grand theft auto? Hit the big leagues?"

She laughed and shook her head. "I wouldn't say that…but Mom really hated me being around him. She still does." Her expression fell, and her throat bobbed. At that moment, it occurred to Billy that that fact made her sad. It was written all over her face that she missed the guy.

"Oh don't worry…Susan has a reason to worry. You're giving your pops a run for his money I'm sure. Keep it up, I'll be visiting you in jail." Billy said, giving her a nudge. Max eyed him strangely, as though deciphering the nonsense that just spewed from his lips. He cleared his throat. "So, how'd he teach you how to pick locks?"

"Well, there was one time I had this little chest where I kept some candy...I'd lost the key and was just…sobbing. He just gave me one of those smiles and used a little pin to pop the lock. At the time, it was the greatest thing I'd ever seen." She said with a laugh, "I actually made a habit of doing it to my diaries, or other boxes just to have him show me over and over." She looked over at Billy, who just stared at the ground as she spoke. "You know, maybe I could teach you sometime. For someone like you, it might come in handy."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, glaring at her.

She smirked and looked up to see the sign for the record store just down the block. She pointed, "Hey, let's go take a look, see what they have."

Billy's heart dropped at her words, and he looked up to see the flickering sign that was barely working anymore. His mind thought of his broken radio as it lied on the ground. He hated going into the record store these days to see all the new models he couldn't afford. To be reminded of that night when he'd lost the one thing that held his sanity in check. The way he'd been beaten with a part of his own damned radio. He snuck another look at Max and how she seemed bored but carefree. Was she a lot like her Dad? he asked himself. Am I a lot like Neil?…

The thought made his stomach twist. He didn't want to be like him….

The first time Neil had beat him, he'd cried the entire time, and the time after that. But it had only spurred him on, like his dad reacted to the tears. To his cries.

Somewhere along the way, Billy just learned to stop screaming.

Billy wanted to tell Max "Hell no" immediately about the record shop, but the thought of having to explain why would be like peeling off a layer of skin, and he'd rather just suffer in silence instead of fighting off the onslaught of her nosey questions. Still, he felt the need to make some kind of comment. They still had an hour before they needed to head back, but surely there was something else they could do.

"I don't want anything from the record store, Max. Let's just…go somewhere else."

"Oh, come on. I can imagine my skateboard, you can window shop radios," she said.

"They don't display the radios in the windows, Einstein. Too valuable to risk brats with sticky fingers." Billy grumbled, raising a brow at her. "Besides, I don't even have the money for a new one right now."

"You could save up for one now that you have a job, right?" she said, as they came to a stop in front of the record shop window. She stood there and just stared at him, willing him to answer. He must have hated having her eyes on him because he let out an annoyed growl and pushed open the door to go inside. She couldn't understand why he was so secretive about his job. He had to have one by now, otherwise, Neil would have flipped his shit. She wondered if he was in a fast food joint. She'd kill to see him in a hat and tucked-in polo shirt. She smiled just thinking about it. Maybe that's why he wouldn't tell her…he was just embarrassed.

"What's your job?" she finally asked, unable to resist the temptation.

"What job?" His voice was bored. Max followed as he walked down the first record aisle.

She raised a brow as though to say, "Really?" and he looked at her only to scoff.

"Not telling, Max."

"Why?"

Silence.

"Ugh. Why do you have to be so petty?" she whined as he ignored her to peruse through the records. When it was clear he couldn't find what he wanted, he moved to the section labeled Rock/Metal.

"Holy shit…they have a copy of Kill Em' All live concert recording here! I haven't seen a record of this yet..." Billy said, his eyes wide as he stared at the record as though it was heaven-sent. Max snorted, and his head snapped to her. "These go for a crap ton of money on the black market, especially the first editions."

"Do they have any for the latest concert? The Ride the Lightning one? Maybe one they performed in a different state?"

Billy paused, his smile dimming. "Doubt it."

"Why don't we ask them about presale tickets? I'm sure they would play some of the songs from this album at the concert…"

"Don't bother," Billy grumbled, putting the record back. He turned away from it with a look of disappointment, and Max's heart plummeted in her stomach. Once again reminding her it was her fault he was missing out. She glanced back at the counter where a woman with frizzy crimped hair and too much eyeliner was wiping dust off the counter while popping her gum. Max swiveled on her heels and walked over with purpose.

Billy quickly turned. "No. Max!"

But she didn't listen.

Max stopped at the counter, and when the woman looked up, Max gave her a big smile. "I wanted to ask if you all had any leftover Metallica tickets for resale?"

"Honey, those tickets have been sold out since the day after they went on sale. Ain't no way someone would resale those tickets."

Billy, having finally caught up, gave her a look that said, "I told you so." But Max didn't miss the way his face fell or how his shoulders lightly dropped. He looked at the records to avoid looking at her as she approached again. So he does still want to go . . .

For a while now, Max didn't even know if he still wanted to go to that concert. The way he'd been acting…it seemed like he wanted to wipe the memory away completely. So now, she was trying to find out if he was still interested, and just as she'd guessed, he most definitely was. The way he'd flipped about seeing the record was her first sign, and the way his mood just soured about the tickets was the other. The flier stashed under her bed came back to her mind. She thought about the way his face might light up if she could hand him those tickets. Would they make him happy? Would they make him smile?

Max made her way to the Kate Bush section after deciding to give Billy a moment alone. She was flipping through the records when from the corner of her eye, she saw Billy walking up. He stopped short. Max turned, slightly stunned when she watched his eyes go from shocked to sad. Curious, she moved to see what he was looking at: "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis.

"Billy, what is it?" Max asked, wondering if she missed something. She stood there in silence, waiting.

"I used to listen to this all the time," he finally mumbled.

Max raised a brow. "Seriously? Doesn't sound like your kind of music."

"It's not." He paused. A distant look formed in his eyes, and it seemed like he wasn't even looking at the record anymore, but thinking of something else. Max hoped he'd say something else, so she waited. It felt like an eternity, but when he spoke again, his words were soft.

"My mom used to like this song. She'd always play it." His hand seemed to absentmindedly come up to toy with his necklace, but he dropped it just as quickly. Max's heart clenched. He'd never brought up his mom before, and more than anything, she wanted to know more.

"Did she get you into music? Or well, is she the reason why it's a big part of your life now?" Max asked, leaning closer.

Billy stiffened and glared at her before moving on to look at the cassettes. She went to say more, but he gave her that look that told her to shut it. "Change the subject, Max."

"What was she like?"

"Not what I meant by changing the subject…" Billy grumbled. He mumbled something under his breath, and Max stepped closer to hear. "…Night and day for my old man, that's for sure." He paused, that distant look in his eye again. And again, a brief silence lingered. "She was pretty." A ghost of a smile threatened the corners of his mouth, but it just as quickly vanished as though it was never there.

"What happened to her?" Max whispered, almost wondering if it was worth the risk to ask.

And his eyes . . . There wasn't hate in his eyes. It was something else . . . Something soft. Hurt. Something angry.

Billy shut down then, his face taking on his usual bored expression. "Time to go," he mumbled, sticking his hands into his pockets. He marched for the door, and Max was forced to keep up. She'd pushed, and just like she'd feared, he'd shut down. But the fact that she got anything out of him at all regarding his mother was a step she'd never expected to achieve. They walked to the bus in silence, but it wasn't filled with tension. In some ways, she had to wonder if he'd been apologizing after all, even if he'd never said the word "Sorry."

But she chose to look at his actions. And for now, that was enough.

To be continued…