Coal for the Naughty, Coal for the Nice Part II

From the back seat of the car, Max could see the white-knuckled grip that Billy had on the wheel. No one spoke, and hell, no one even moved. Only the rumbling of the motor filled the otherwise tense silence. Max fidgeted nervously in her seat, the dread taking root deep in her stomach. Her thoughts were beginning to get the better of her, and no matter how much she tried, she couldn't make sense of them.

Why was Billy doing this? Why was he taking such a risk?! Was it because of the conversation they just had about him being nicer to her mom? Although, driving the car and risking his own neck wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind in regard to him being nicer…

Maybe he just thought it was a double edge sword; he could get in trouble for driving her, but he could get in trouble by refusing too. Maybe that's what was running through his mind. She didn't know. All she knew was that she was sitting in the backseat, watching her mom clutch the car for dear life as Billy sped down the street. She glanced back at Max with wrinkled brows as if to say, "This is how he drives?" Max just shrugged, glad the roads were clear of snow.

Still, Max wished her mother had taken the car instead, as funny as it was to imagine her driving Billy's Camero. But between Billy agreeing to take her and refusing…who knows; maybe this—Billy taking her to work—was the safer bet.

Keep telling yourself that, Max.

They dropped off her mom at the bank, tires screeching to a halt, and still no one said a word. It was as if a ticking time bomb waited for them back at home. Everything about this situation screamed 'run'.

Susan flew open the door, heels clacking on the pavement as she rushed out. "Thank you! Love you, Max!" But after a few steps, she stopped mid-run and sprinted back to the car. "Oh, and Billy, I promise I'll tell Neil as soon as he picks me up from work." She turned, only to rush back again. "Oh, and please, please drive safe—"

"GO!" Billy and Max yelled.

"OK."

She waved to them and rushed inside, and Billy sped out of there so fast Max didn't even have time to climb into the front seat. Not that she wanted to, given how Billy looked so tense, he was bound to snap at any moment. She practically heard his teeth grinding from the front seat, and she knew no matter how much she didn't like this whole thing, he likely hated it even more. For a second, she debated trying to reassure him, but any words died on her tongue. He'd probably get pissed, and considering the monumental risk this was, she thought better of it.

Billy whipped the car into the garage and climbed out so fast that the slamming door rattled Max down to her bones.

Yeah, definitely on edge.

They both had gone about their day as usual, but it was clear Billy was looking over his shoulder or was at least prepared for things to implode at any moment. He scarfed more breakfast down, then retreated to his room, and naturally didn't forget to slam the door on the way in. Max thought he might just lounge and nap like he normally did, but she could hear him moving around inside for nearly half the day. He came out a couple hours later to work out, passing by her door as though she wasn't even there, and then passed again on the way back. She heard the shower turn on and sighed. There had been no incident, not even one. Max allowed herself to feel a bit relieved by that because maybe this meant her mom really would have taken care of the issue before it became one. She wasn't sure what she expected to happen though, like if they even touched the door handles to the car, it would alert Neil, and he'd appear out of nowhere with that red face of rage, ready to dole out the punishments. Maybe he'd never know they touched it at all. He'd just think her mom took the bus as planned….right?

Max sighed. She'd worry about that later; she had other important matters at the moment.

Max sat on her bed, the phone to her ear, cord extended from her dresser. She had been on the phone with Lucas about the contest for a while now. She talked to Dustin about it earlier, having threatened him not to participate as a joke. He wasn't interested.

"Afraid I'll beat you?" Max teased.

Dustin gave a dramatic scoff. "Yeah! Even if I did make it to the end of the tournament, which is highly likely, I wouldn't stand a chance against you in the final round."

"What makes you say that?"

"Come on, Max. You're like the queen of the arcade. You've got mad skills."

She laughed. "You're not too bad yourself, Dustin."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but I'm just being realistic. I mean, you're like a pro at Dig Dug and Galaga. But good luck anyway, even though I know you don't need it."

Max smiled. That meant a lot coming from him. They had talked only a bit more about the tournament, and she carefully left out the fact that she was doing it to win tickets for Billy. Except Lucas knew the second she couldn't explain the Metallica tickets.

"Tickets? Max, you don't even listen to—Oh….oh no." Lucas's voice ended with a slight groan, one that struck Max as a little exasperated. She winced, waiting for him to process everything before saying something else.

"I don't really get it…Why would you want to get those for him? After everything he's done?"

"It's….complicated…honestly. Point is, I have to do this, and I need to find a way to get to Indy without anyone finding out," she said, looking down at the flier.

3 days until the tournament. She had virtually so little time to get it all figured out.

Since the tournament was all the way in Indy, she'd need to ride the travel bus, but she didn't want their parents to think she was running away again. But even that wasn't the thing that made her stomach twist that little ball of dread. It was starting to feel like it lived there, making a home. She hadn't noticed it at first, but at the very bottom of the flier, in small print, was the one ridiculous thing she hadn't accounted for.

DISCLAIMER: BRING YOUR OWN MONEY

It made sense. The money they would gather for the tourney would pay for the tickets in the first place. But the only money Max had…was the $20 from Billy. She'd have to use it to play, let alone take the bus to get down there if she didn't find another way to earn extra cash, and soon! The thought unsettled her more than she expected. It sat tucked away in the back of her sock drawer where she'd intended to keep it for….a while. Because of that, things were going…better.

To her, that $20 was more than just money. It represented the agreement she had with Billy…

"Max?" Lucas said, breaking her from her thoughts. She tucked the flier back under her pillow so she wouldn't look at the words anymore.

"Sorry…just got a little distracted," she said.

"Yeah, like I was saying…how are you going to get to Indy without anyone noticing?" he asked.

"Well, what if I told my mom I was staying the night with your sister?" she said, twisting the phone cord. As soon as she said it, she knew it wouldn't work. Not only was it an obvious lie, but if Neil caught wind that she was there….yeah, she could already hear the racial slurs.

"That won't work..." Lucas said.

"Yeah…I know." She slumped. None of her friends would be an option, not only because of the risk of parents being involved, but because she wasn't entirely sure she'd even be able to go to anyone's house for the rest of winter break. Not with how she's talked back to Neil. And there was no shot in hell she was going to ask him for permission.

So yeah, her only plan was out.

"No," Lucas said, cutting off her thoughts. "I mean…Erica is going to some overnight camp for middle schoolers at a college this weekend, and I doubt my parents would let you stay if it was just me here."

"Wait…an overnight camp?"

"Yeah, only Erica's is indoors. I think it has to do with winter sports or….girly crap. Beats me, but uh the flier is still in the kitchen if you want me to bring it to you tomorrow?"

Max mulled over the idea for a second. It wasn't a bad one…in fact, it could actually work. Her mom had always wanted her to spend more time with other girls. To do more things in general, and if those happened to be something girly, she'd be all for it. But the type of camp would be the tricky part. It was the middle of winter, so the options would be limited and it needed to be convincing. If Lucas's flier ended up being hockey or something, there was no way her mom would let her do it; too rough. Maybe she could say it was a volleyball camp; it was technically a winter sport. She'd probably believe something like that. Too bad it's not a skateboarding camp.

Either way, this overnight camp…It would knock out two birds with one stone. If their parents believed she went to a weekend camp, then Billy wouldn't think she'd snuck off, and he'd have no idea, or probably even care if he thought she was off to some girly camp. And then no one but Billy would be in the house by the time she returned from the tournament. Her mom and Neil would just think he'd picked her up.

"Yeah, bring me that flier tomorrow. It's a good–"

Max's door flew open with a bang. She startled, almost dropping the receiver. Her eyes went wide as she made eye contact with Neil, and for a second, she thought she might throw up at the sight. His chest heaved, and his shoulders were slightly hunched as he stood there, glaring at her. Her eyes snapped to the belt in his hand, and for a moment, she wondered if that was for her.

He wouldn't… she thought.

Her eyes searched behind him, looking for an escape, and landed on Billy's door wide open…and it appeared he wasn't in there. She slowly dropped the phone from her ear, gripping it tight to keep her hands from shaking.

"Where's Billy?" His voice was laced with something spiteful, and fierce. Max could feel the anger emanating from him. If it was possible for steam to be coming from his red, sweating face, it would be. In waves. It clicked right then, as though her brain needed time to come to the conclusion—Neil was home early. The gravity of that realization surged, pumping adrenaline through her at lightning speed.

Shit, shit, shit. He's early. Why? What do I do? What do I say? Didn't mom explain everything to him? Wait…where is mom?

Lucas was still on the phone, his voice an echo. "Hello? Max? Max, are you there?"

But Max didn't dare speak, didn't even dare move an inch. Thoughts quickly swarmed, trying to make sense of what was going on…

The car.

Neil must know about the car, which meant her mom hadn't spoken to him about it yet. Suddenly, she knew why he was mad. He thought Billy had broken the rules.

"Billy didn't—"

"Where is he?!" he yelled, taking a step closer. His hand twitched, and Max hadn't taken her eyes off of it. The looming threat had her frozen in place while she tried to control the frantic thoughts in her mind.

She didn't say, locking her lips tight. And that was her first mistake. The air between them was so quiet, she could hear the water running down the hall. Neil seemed to hear the sound—honed in on it—and started storming towards the bathroom. Max hopped up, slamming the phone on the hook with a loud bang. She followed him so fast, she stumbled on her own feet and yelled out as though it would stop his warpath, "Wait! He was just helping…he didn't do anything wrong!"

But that knowledge didn't deter him. Neil strutted down the hall with long, booming strides. It was hard for her to keep up—like her legs protested against her scrambling to stop him. As soon as he reached the bathroom, he banged on the door, rattling the knob so hard that the whole door shook.

"Open the damn door!" Neil yelled, and the sound ricocheted down the hallway. Max was frozen there, pressed against the wall with wide eyes.

What the hell do I do? Shit! This is so damn bad! Max thought to herself as she stared at Neil like a deer in headlights. She took a step forward at the same moment Neil seemed to decide Billy wasn't answering fast enough. With one kick of his boot, the door flew open, the hinge cracking down the middle. He charged inside and yanked the curtains back, and Billy turned mid-rinse, eyes the size of golf balls.

"Dad, what the hell–!"

"Get out of the damn shower!"

Billy went to say something, but his eyes quickly saw the belt and froze. He opened his mouth again to speak, but nothing came out. His eyes never left the belt dangling in his father's tight-fisted hand. He moved back a step, which was his fatal mistake.

Neil swung, snapping him out of it. Heavy leather wrapped around Billy's rear and thigh, and Max cringed at the slick, wet sound of the belt on wet skin. A sound so loud, it cascaded off the bathroom walls with an echo. But Billy had little time to react.

Neil swung again, nearly nicking Max behind him. He smacked Billy good in the arm, solid contact as Billy moved, cowering in the corner, holding out his hand to try and block the hits.

"Stop it!" Max yelled, lunging at Neil, trying to grab his arm, but he easily slipped from her grasp and pushed her out of the bathroom before slamming the door shut behind him. Max rattled the knob, but it wouldn't open. She had no idea how it managed to stay shut with the broken hinge, but no matter how much she tried to turn the knob, it wouldn't budge. Her hands flew to her hair as she tried to think of what she could do…she needed to get some kind of distance between Billy and Neil. Just long enough to make him listen….to break his rage-filled focus. Like she had before.

Pick the lock. I can try to pick the lock, she thought as she turned back to her room, running inside. Max dug through the mess of things on her desk to try and find something that would fit into the ancient keyhole. She had no idea if it would work if the door-locking mechanism was broken, but she had to try. For Billy, she had to try.

Another slap echoed down the hall. Max's movements halted as she winced. Damn, that had to sting. How is he so silent?

She heard the door fly open, bouncing off the wall, and the thunderous sound of footsteps barreled down the hallway.

"FUCK!"

It was Billy's voice.

Max flew from her room towards the noise. Suddenly, Billy flew past her door and ran towards the living room, doing his best to hold the towel that haphazardly hung around his waist. He fumbled trying to hold it up while glancing over his shoulder, and his necklace flung up to whack him in the face. Neill was hot on his trail, belt raised, ready for the next swing. As Max approached, she could see the soap running down Billy's body, the little bubbles clinging on for dear life. A long red mark wrapped around from his back, onto his arm, ending just on his left peck. Another one on his back just below wasn't as angry of a lash, but she knew that his skin had to be on fire. To be whipped while wet? It made her shiver and her gut churn.

Another chase ensued. Billy began to duck and dodge, using the furniture as a barrier between him and Neil, who remained ready to swing again if given half the chance. His face was still scrunched into a look of rage, and it only grew as Billy moved. But Billy misstepped, slipping as he almost lost his towel again, and Neil jumped, cutting off the space.

"No stop!" Max yelled, moving to try and put herself between them. She just needed one moment, enough time to break Neil's focus and figure out what the hell was happening. Did her mom not get a chance to tell him about the car? Had to be…nothing else made sense. Unless he somehow found out that Billy snuck out right before Christmas…

Shit! Why the hell is he early?! she thought as Neil blocked her with his arm, keeping her from going around him.

"What did I do?!" Billy yelled, a wild look of panic on his face.

Neil gave that same dry laugh he always did, but this time, it was heated and laced with a growl. "Imagine my surprise when I got home to see that the keys to the Camaro weren't where I left them. So I go check the car, and it's not in the same place I put it. Why the hell would that happen, son?!"

Max wasn't prepared for this. She'd been banking on her mom explaining things before either of them had gotten home. Neil wasn't supposed to be home early. And now, her mom wasn't here, and Neil was on a rampage. Max cursed under her breath and ran to the kitchen. She grabbed the phone and growled when she fumbled it.

"Come on, Max. Focus." She punched in the number on the form, jamming the keys to call the bank where her mother worked. "Pick up, pick up!" she chanted impatiently when the sound of another slap cut through the kitchen.

"Hello. Hawkins Credit–"

"I need to speak to Susan Mayfield–Hargrove! Whatever! Just please put her on the phone. It's urgent!"

"And who's calling?"

"Max. Her, her, her daughter. Please, it's urgent."

"One moment, please."

"No! I-I don't have a moment! Just put—Hello?!" The other line was silent. "Hello? Hello?! Shit!"

Max bounced up and down impatiently as the elevator music queued, telling her she was on hold. She chewed her thumb nail nervously, knowing she didn't have much time before Neil got tired of the chase.

A loud noise startled her—something had fallen to the floor and broken into a million pieces. She turned to see a small lamp on the floor as Billy moved around the end table. Neil began to chase him, no longer standing on the opposite side. Billy's legs tried to move as he scrambled to get away, but the leftover water and soap from his shower made it slippery, and his legs were giving out.

Max continued to bounce anxiously like that would speed up her being on hold. She tapped the phone with her fingers and kept her eyes on the fight as though at any moment, all hell would finally break loose.

"Come on, come on, come on," she growled, gritting her teeth in frustration. This was all a damn mess. Such a bad idea that she knew would blow up in their faces.

"Get over here!" Neil yelled.

"Dad, just wait! I can explain!"

Neil lunged for him again like he couldn't hear Billy's pleas. He swung wide with the belt and slipped on some of the water that had fallen from Billy. Max didn't think his face could get any redder, but it had. He was a ticking time bomb again. Neil reached out, almost snagging Billy's towel, and Max's heart dropped.

"STOP IT!" she yelled from the kitchen, but it went ignored again. She squeezed her eyes shut, getting annoyed by the stupid music in her ear.

"Come on!"

"Hello?"

"Mom!"

"Max?"

Max scrambled to gather her words, but the hastiness only produced a surge of babble. "Mom, please…. you have to–the keys…Billy and the car….Neil's trying to hurt him….I can't…listen, I need him to stop…he's beating…he's got the belt!"

"Wait wait wait slow down–"

"—he broke a lamp! He keeps chasing him—"

"Wait, wait, Neil is home…right now?!" Her mom's voice slightly rose, staggered and littered with a hint of panic.

"Yes! That's what I'm trying to tell you! He came home early—I'm trying to stop him, but I don't know what to do. He won't listen–"

Another deafening slap cut through the kitchen.

"DAD!" Billy screamed, but it was a broken sound. One that told Max he was reaching his breaking point–like back on the side of the road. She swallowed down the nausiating feeling quickly building inside her.

"MOM!" Her voice was panicked and nearly shaking.

"Alright, alright, just put… put Neil on the phone."

With a sharp nod, Max ran as fast as she could and as far as the landline would take her into the living room. Billy separated himself from Neil with his weight bench, holding out a hand as though to signal he meant no threat. The other held his towel in place. Max saw a new bright, red mark across his stomach. His skin was in goosebumps, and she couldn't tell if it was from the cold or the pain from Neil's hits.

"Neil!" Max called. It felt weird to say his name; she'd avoided ever directly calling for him or using his name to his face. In fact, she had always aimed to speak to him as little as possible. But now, she couldn't find it in her to care. She needed his attention, and this was the only way.

"Neil!"

No answer. He swayed back and forth on both feet with his arms spread wide as though he had Billy caged at last. He didn't even flinch when Max spoke.

"Neil! Phone. It's for you."

"Not now!"

"Neil! My mom's on the phone. She wants to talk to you."

"Call her back later."

"She wants to talk now–"

"I said later! Now go hang up the–"

"JUST ANSWER THE FUCKING PHONE!" she screamed so loudly, her voice cracked.

Everything went silent.

Neil snapped his head to her, his eyes wide and feral as he processed what she had just said. No one moved, and her heart thundered in her head, it was beating so hard. Her Dad had always told her that her brain was fast, but her mouth was faster. And given the way Neil stared at her, she knew she had fucked up. Billy stared at her in horror, glancing between her and Neil as though he wasn't sure who would move first.

If the air was thick before, it strangled her now. A metallic taste in her mouth snapped her into awareness as she realized she'd bitten down on her tongue to keep from letting her tears spill over. She swallowed and continued to hold the phone out to him, as though it was on fire.

Neil slightly turned. "What the hell did you just say to me?" His belt was still tight in his grip as he lowered his hand, switching directions as he began to walk towards her. Billy's mouth fell open. He took a cautious step forward as he stared at Max with wide eyes. But Neil heard the wet footstep—the creek of the wood floor beneath him—and spun, pointing his finger at Billy, and yelled so forcefully that spittle flew from his mouth.

"Don't you move a fucking inch!"

Billy stopped and tensed, clenching his jaw. It was clear he was stuck, but the way he kept glancing in Max's direction made her wonder if he was worried for her. The hand he'd raised in the air squeezed and unsqueezed, and he looked down at his legs as though to say, Why won't you move?

He hated the fear that overcame him the moment Neil pointed his damn finger. A shiver worked its way up his spine like a disgusting parasite he couldn't shake off. A small puddle of water had formed at his feet, and he could only stare as though it was filled with electricity, that even one step would knock him flat.

Max felt like the walls were closing in with each of Neil's furious steps toward her. He seemed bigger and bigger with each step—like a giant—until he hovered over her, and his chest heaved with his angry breaths. The heat of it hit her face—it took everything not to react, not to cringe. For that split second, she noticed for the first time how intimidating and frightening he really was. All that anger targeted at her felt so much worse than she'd ever imagined. It felt like her whole body was nailed deeper into the ground. She couldn't breathe.

He's gonna hit me, she thought. He's really gonna hit me.

Neil reached for her. She flinched as he moved his arm, snatching the phone from her hands.

"What?!" he shouted into the phone.

Max held her breath as she heard snippets of conversation blare through the phone. She knew her mom had to be scared, maybe as much as Max at that moment. But Max was shocked when she heard her Mom's voice raise. It was like a panicked shrill, but the words were muffled, and she couldn't make them out at first, but as her voice got louder, Max could hear the plea in her voice–the way she tried to reason with Neil.

"Keys were moved when I got here…" Neil growled.

"...Billy…drove…missed the bus."

"You undermined me. You knew he was on punishment," Neil snapped.

Susan's voice raised again, sounding irritated, and it was finally loud enough for Max to hear it clear as day. "Aren't you the one who said to get Billy to give me rides if I ever needed one?"

Neil went silent. His lip twitched, and Max knew he couldn't deny it. He had said it, and Max was there at the dinner table when he did. The time with the Chevette.

Neil made a grumbling sound, and for a moment just stared at Max, and she felt the urge to twitch.

"Don't ever do that without telling me first, do you understand? Next time you call," he said.

Her mother's voice softened again, and Max didn't hear her reply. But after a short pause, she heard "tell you when" and "pick up". Neil sighed. It was heavy and calmer, but she knew some of the anger still had to be there. Surely her mother's words would be enough…

"How was I supposed to know I needed to pick you up? I thought you were taking the bus, so I came home…" he growled.

Her mother's voice came through again. Max picked up the word "sorry".

"Yeah, yeah…I'll be right there…Bye." His words were empty and final as he slammed the phone down. It was so quiet now, Max could hear the shower still running down the hall. Neil stared at the phone, and his jaw was so tight, she waited for it to snap. He turned to her, and she stiffened, immediately recognizing the dangerous look in his eye.

"Well you've really got a mouth on you." He surged forward and grabbed her tightly by the arm, gripping it so tight, she thought he'd break it. Max's heart raced, eyes wide in fear as he yanked her towards him just like he'd done with Billy countless times…. like Billy had done with her, just much much stronger; So much more anger behind his grip and his words.

Neil leaned close to Max's face, the musky smell of fish on his breath made her eyes water. He slowly pointed a finger at her, his voice low, hushed, and menacing. "Don't you ever talk to me like that again, you understand me? Or you'll be one sorry little girl. This is your only warning."

The room spun a little, and it felt like she'd choke. She nodded, on the verge of tears, but Neil cocked his head at her, waiting for a response.

"Y-Yes . . . sir," she said, catching herself.

With a heavy breath through his nose, he pulled back, slowly letting her arm go, but kept his eyes locked on her, and moved back towards Billy.

Max turned to look at Billy, but he wasn't standing in his puddle anymore. He was closer to them—He no longer stood behind his weight set, but in front of it, almost reaching the doorway to the kitchen. There was still a frightened look in his eyes, but also something else. Something serious...

Neil seemed taken aback, glancing again at Max, but it was only a split second before the expression was gone.

Neil stepped closer to Billy, only a foot from his face. "Next time, you tell me when and where you're going until your punishment is over, you got that? You don't leave without my say-so."

Billy nodded. Then quickly caught himself. "Yes, sir."

"Get your ass back in the shower."

Billy looked at Max again and back at Neil with his brow furrowed. There was hesitation on his face, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Neil stepped forward.

"Go!"

With a flinch, Billy moved, but without giving his back to Neil. It was clear he wasn't sure if it was actually over. He glanced at Max again, giving her a look she couldn't read. Could he be worried about leaving her alone with Neil? As though he came to some kind of decision in his head, he huffed out a breath and disappeared into the bathroom.

Neil looked at Max once more, and panic seized her again. After a moment, he huffed and stormed off, leaving her there alone in the kitchen. All the fight left her body at once. Max slumped against the counter, steadying herself with her trembling arms. Her right one still throbbed from how hard Neil had grabbed her. Her mind couldn't wrap around the fact that that had actually happened. For that small moment, she'd expected him to finally hit her. She hated the fact that Billy's words ran through her mind…Just because he hasn't punched you in the face yet.

But did he want to? Is that what he'd struggled with as he breathed in her face? She thought she felt fear before when witnessing one of their fights, or just from Billy getting punished. But nothing compared to seeing Neil march toward her with rage solely for her. It was close….too close.

Next time I might not be so lucky.

Something tight gripped Max's chest at the thought, and in seconds, she felt like a little girl again. She wanted a hug from her mom. The tears stung her eyes again as she came to terms with the fact that she wanted to be comforted. To smell her mom's perfume or feel her arms wrap around her. Just to be near her and make it all go away. But she knew that wasn't going to happen…not this time.

. . .

The air in the house was still tense, even with Neil finally leaving to go pick up her mom. Max paced around her room, trying to distract herself with anything—her comics, the phone, details for her plan to get to Indy…

Indianapolis…

After that display with Neil, Max felt something slowly brewing through her body and in the back of her mind. A hesitance… Like a thick fog settling over her, almost slowing her down.

What if I get caught?

Max swallowed at the thought, remembering the belt in Neil's hand…the firm grip on her arm…Would next time be different if she was caught? But more than anything, she worried that if she was, somehow Billy would get the brunt of the punishment. Max bit her lip at the thought and looked out her room to Billy's closed door.

Across the hall, Billy sat on his bed in sweatpants. Once out of the bathroom, he furiously rubbed his head dry with a towel. The stings of the belt still tingled his skin. A light knock at his door made him freeze. He didn't speak, but the door slowly opened anyway. He was surprised at the light feeling that streamed through him upon seeing her red hair as she timidly entered his room. For a moment, his body relaxed. But his surge of anger quickly returned.

For a moment, she stood there, saying nothing.

"Are you ok?" Max finally asked.

"Does it look like I'm okay?" he said sharply, gesturing to the red welts on his torso. "The man just beats first and asks questions later. It's so annoying. Fuck." He dropped the towel on his bed and rubbed his stinging arm. It was still red and angry, more so than the others. The cool water after everything that happened had done nothing to take the edge off. "I knew I shouldn't have taken her."

Max shifted on her feet, a ball of guilt starting to grow and fester again. Was this her fault again? There was something about that look on his face right before he decided to drive her mom...not much later after the conversation they had about him being nice to her. No way it was a coincidence…right? But he wouldn't have risked getting in trouble just to please her, would he? Max felt an ache in her chest and wanted to rub at it to make it go away.

"We…we can tell someone," she said, pointing to the marks on his skin.

"No." The word was sharp and final.

She wanted to ask why, but the daggers in his eyes shut her mouth with a snap. Was he afraid? They both knew Neil could be unpredictable...so maybe he was worried that telling someone would just make things worse…Did he think no one would believe him? She would, but was it enough? Did he not want to take the risk?

"And what the fuck is wrong with you, huh?"

Max blinked, taken aback by the sudden question. "What?"

"Seriously. Do you have a brain or are you just stupid?" he barked.

Her eyes went wide as she blinked in utter shock. She stuttered a little, "W-Wait…you're mad at me?" she said, pointing to herself. It was clear his anger was palpable and obviously aimed at her, but she didn't expect things to go in this direction.

"What, am I not being obvious enough, Max? You cussing at him like that… Are you actually insane?"

"I was just...I was trying to get his attention. I was trying to help!" Each sentence grew louder as she matched his anger, scowling at him and shaking her head in disbelief.

"No, you were being selfish!"

Max's mouth dropped. "Selfish?! I was doing all of that to save your ass!"

Billy shot up from the bed. "My ass? You're the reason it was on the line in the first place! Trying to get me to be nice and all that bullshit. Well, look where it got us! Where it got me!"

That pang of guilt surged again, mixing with the anger swelling in Max's throat. So Billy had done it for her—he had been nice to her mom only because she'd asked. Because of their deal. He didn't have to agree, he'd known the risks, but he did it anyway. An ache pulsed in her chest again, but Billy's rage-filled words switched that ache to a blistering fury.

"You know, your so-called 'help' always seems to put my ass on the line," he said. "No matter what, you always manage to get me in trouble one way or another."

Max's breath quickened, her chest heaving. She took a furious step forward. "I never asked you to do that! Hell, I didn't even want you to because I knew you could get in trouble! And I didn't want to be blamed or feel guilty for doing that to you again. I would have just been glad if you had tried! Say 'good morning', compliment her food, not drive my mom to the damn bank knowing full well it was going against your punishment. So don't stand there and blame me for all this!"

"You think that's all I'm blaming you for? You just had to go and run your mouth as always, never thinking about the damn consequences. You could have made the situation even worse!"

"Oh, worse than you getting another beating of a lifetime?"

"Yes!"

"Oh really? How? How could I have made it so much worse—"

"By getting hit in the fucking face!"

Max froze, confusion and surprise washing over her. In an instant, she was taken back to the first time he'd said something like that, but this…this was different.

Billy was towering over her now, so close she could feel the steam blazing from his nostrils. She opened her mouth to retort, but Billy turned away and snatched up his towel before plopping back onto the bed.

"It was stupid of you to sit up there and provoke him like that," he grumbled. "He looked ready to snatch your head off."

And like a light bulb going off in her head, it all finally clicked. "Wait… you're mad at me because… because I could have gotten in trouble...punished by Neil?"

Billy was silent. His eyes darted side to side, almost like he didn't fully know or understand himself. "I wouldn't have been able to do anything about it…not really…"

Max softened. All the anger gradually left her body, her shoulders falling, eyes drooping to the floor as a wave of stupidity and guilt engulfed her entire being. "Billy I…I'm…" but she stopped. She wanted to say sorry—for so many things—but the teetering abrasive look in his eyes…Somehow it felt like he didn't want it.

She stood there a moment, feeling like the biggest idiot. In a way, she'd gotten them—him—in trouble again. He had all the right to be angry. With slumped shoulders, Max turned to leave and grabbed the doorknob.

"Thanks."

Max paused. It was spoken so softly and quickly that she'd almost missed it. She gasped and swallowed the knot in her throat. Billy's words…It felt genuine—sounded like it too. And just as quickly, she knew what he was thanking her for. This was the third time she'd intervened…the third time things had somehow not gotten completely out of hand.

She looked back and stared, trying to catch his eyes, but he continued to look down at his lap. "What? Why are you still here?" he mumbled as though he could feel her eyes on him.

Max pursed her lips and left the room, her mind swarming. Thanks. That simple word ignited something fierce in her—a determination she had never experienced. More than anything, she wanted to rush down to Indianapolis and win that tournament, to win those tickets…to have that be her apology, to have that mend whatever mistake she had made in the past. But that blazing flame somehow wavered, uncertainty trickling into her chest. A damning thought threatening to blow it out:

What if I get caught?

But that scare with Neil was too damn close…She almost hadn't stopped Billy from getting beat again. And Billy's words had hurt, but in a way he had been right. She was the reason he always got in trouble. Every single time. And this risk—this tournament—was one of the biggest….but the payoff…

But the consequences…

But Neil…

Should I get the tickets?

She hated that she even asked herself that question. The answer was obvious, right? But it was a tug of war in her head. This tournament was a gem in a boobie-trapped cave that could crumble at the slightest misstep, leaving her trapped with nowhere to go. And the more she thought about it, the more her determined flame flickered, Indianapolis growing distant and out of reach.

Max bit her lip, giving Billy's closed door one last glance.

What do I do?

To be continued…