The Unplanned Struggle – A Wizards of Waverly Place Fanfiction…
A/N – This idea came to me a while ago, and I finally wrote it down. I've been rewatching Wizards and watching Wizards Beyond (which I love) and was sad Max was only mentioned in it, so I decided to write a fanfic about him. This is set in season 4 of WOWP originally but I might tie it in with WBWP. We'll see where this goes and how far I get with writing it.
This is a Max/Talia pairing because I started to like them as a couple after they worked out their issues and thought she would have been good for Max. So yeah...anyway, let's start.
Topic warning: Teen Pregnancy and slightly family against.
Rated: T in case.
Chapter 1
"Hey, Mom and Dad, Talia's inviting me to go to this party with her on Friday night, and I was wondering if I could go?" I asked nervously as I helped my parents set the table for dinner that night.
I watched their reactions to my question. I knew how my parents felt about high school parties. My older brother Justin once threw that party with Uncle Kelbo as Shakira, and my older sister Alex always got into trouble with those things. I bit my lip while placing the last plate on the table.
"Will there be parental supervision? "My mother asked, raising an eyebrow at me as she mixed a salad bowl.
"Most importantly, there won't be alcohol, right?" My father questioned me while he gave me a look.
Shaking my head, I say, "No alcohol, and yes. It's Talia's friend, and her mother will be there." I explained, remembering what Talia had told me on the phone call earlier that day.
I watched them consider the thought; it was only Wednesday, so the party wouldn't be for two days. If they agreed, I knew I would have to keep myself out of trouble and help around the house to thank them and make myself look good. After the Family Wizard Competition was over and I lost my powers, I promised to live my mortal life to the fullest, having fun and being myself. Thankfully, I was mortal because I didn't have to lie to Talia about anything anymore or why I couldn't be somewhere with her because of wizard training. Sighing, I silently waited for my parent's response while shaking my thoughts off my mind; I could never concentrate on one thing at a time.
"Very well; you can go, "my father said finally, making me cheer for myself.
My mother came around the kitchen with the salad bowl to set on the table. "But you know the rules; you have to be home -, "she began, only for me to cut her off.
"By eleven, I know. But come on, it's Friday; can't we extend it a little?" I questioned, wondering if I could push my luck that night.
"No, you're lucky we're even letting you go," my father stubbornly said, but I sighed, knowing that would've been the answer anyway. Now come on, let's eat!" He said while starting to dig into the food.
However, my mom called up the stairs, "Alex! Harper! Dinner!" She yelled while I jumped.
As I made my plate, my older sister and our family friend trotted down the steps. Alex and Harper took their respective seats. While we ate dinner, Alex went on yet another magical adventure she and Harper went on. Ever since she became the Family Wizard, it has been fun hearing about her tales. I chuckled as I heard my father scold Alex again for the trouble she caused before fixing it.
Once dinner was over, I helped my mother clean up everything for the night. Then I went upstairs to try and do some of my homework, the best I could anyway; I was never good at school like Justin. Finally, giving up on homework after a little while, I texted Talia to let her know I could come and started deciding what to wear for Friday's party. It was two days away, but I wanted to look good to impress my girlfriend and her friends. I wasn't invited to parties (people usually avoided me for my randomness and dumb-like state), so I wanted to make a first impression. Sighing, I rubbed my eyes when I saw the time and decided to lie down for the night, feeling very tired. Before I knew it, I fell asleep…
…
Two days later, it was finally time for the party. I was standing in my chosen outfit (thanks to Alex and Harper's help in fashion tips) outside of Talia's door with a banquet of flowers, ready to pick her up. Checking my breath before knocking on the door, I smirked when I felt confident. Knocking on the door, I waited until someone opened the door. It was Mrs. Robinson, and she greeted me with a warm smile, allowing me into "their gracious" home, as she called it. I waited for Talia in the main entrance while being lectured by her father about being a gentleman and having her home on time; it was awkward. I almost wanted to hide in embarrassment from how Mr. Robison eyed me.
"Oh, Daddy, leave Max alone; he's fine." A voice said, catching all of our attention.
I wiped my head around to see Talia in a beautiful outfit coming down the steps. Of course, Talia always looked beautiful to me, but something about this moment stood out. I smiled as she met me at the bottom of the stairs, and I handed her the flowers.
"Very well, I'm ensuring my little girl is safe." Mr. Robison still said as he eyed me, "You're lucky I'm even letting you go, and I only am because it's Marcy, and we've known her since you were little." Mr. Robison explained while eyeing Talia that Marcy had been Talia's best friend since kindergarten.
"Yeah, yeah, we'll be home on time," Talia says, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door. "Come on, let's go, or we'll be late!" She started as she pulled me away.
Together, we walked hand-in-hand to the party, and when we arrived, I couldn't help but feel my nerves rise. Talia squeezed my hand as if to reassure me. Entering the house, the music was loud, making the walls vibrate. Lights flashed in various colors, and almost every room was crowded with dancing high schoolers. Some I recognized from school, and others I had no clue who they were.
Instantly, party me started to regret coming, remembering why I was not too fond of crowds. Another part of me told me to suck up and stick by my girlfriend's side; everything would be fine. Looking around, I followed Talia as she walked through the house, looking for none other than Marcy. It took a while, but we found Marcy. She was sitting on a stool, cigarette in her hand and a red solo cup in another.
"Hey, Tales, you made it!" Marcy grinned, slurring her words a little.
Talia deflated slightly at the nickname but recovered, "Yup, I'm here like we promised."
Marcy took a puff of her cigarette. "We?" She looked at me and grinned. "Right, I brought the boyfriend. You know he's cuter in person." Marcy stood up as she came over and walked around me, no doubt checking me out. She offered her cigarette to me. "Wanna puff?"
My eyes widened in surprise, and Talia came to my rescue, "Sorry, but Max doesn't smoke." Talia explained, and suddenly, I felt a little embarrassed.
"Lame," Marcy said as she eyed me. Whatever." She muttered, waving the situation off. She grinned at us, "The bathroom is the third door to the right in the hallway, and drinks are at my parents' bar. Help yourself." Marcy finished as she winked at me before vanishing off somewhere.
I turned and stared at Talia. "I'm sorry about her; she doesn't always think before speaking," Talia explained, frowning. She sighed. It's even worse when she's smoking and drinking."
"Drinking?" I asked, widening my eyes again. I looked at Talia in disbelief. "You told me there was no alcohol at this party." I restated while eyeing Talia.
"Of course, there is, Max; I only told you that so your parents would agree to let you come," Talia explained with an innocent smile. "It's a high school party. What did you expect?" I looked at her, astonished, trying to find the right words. Suddenly, I didn't want to be here anymore, and I could see why my parents weren't wild about things when Alex went to one of these. However, before I could speak, Talia frowned. "Come on, it's not that bad. I'll show you."
Before I could question her, she grabbed my hand and dragged me off to where the bar was. I tried my best to find my words while we made our way there, but a part of me kept quiet because I didn't want to be called lame again by Talia or another one of her friends. We arrived at the bar, and thankfully, most high schoolers here had their drinks already, so there was no one in line.
"Two beers, please," Talia says while we sit at the bar.
The bartender nodded and grabbed two beers. Talia opened mine and handed it to me, she then opened hers. Together, we cheered (as she taught me), and I eyed the beer can suspiciously before taking a wig. At first, I didn't taste anything, but during my first drink, I nearly choked and gagged on it; it tasted horrible. How did people drink this stuff? Pulling the can away, I coughed while trying to get the taste out of my mouth, and I frowned when I saw Talia shake her head at me.
"Try it again," Talia urged. I eyed the can in disbelief but sighed when she wouldn't stop urging me.
Giving in, I tried the beer again and waited for the horrible taste and burn. But this time, I was surprised it wasn't as bad as the first time. After the second time, I kept taking more sips. Talia watched me in amazement as I downed my first beer. I was almost done with it when she took it out of my hand, and I looked at her in confusion.
"You've got to sip it and be careful; otherwise, you'll get drunk and have a hangover," Talia said with a frown. I eyed her in confusion, still not understanding what she meant.
"Hu?" I questioned, wanting further explanation, but she shook her head and handed the beer back to me. "What's a hangover?" I wondered while eyeing her.
"Never mind." Talia sighed, seeming to think it wasn't worth explaining to me. I shrugged. She grabbed my hand once more. Come on, let's dance!" she said with a smile.
So, we danced together for a while; by the time we were two hours into the party, I was up to my fourth can of beer, and Talia was on her third. Oddly enough, I was starting to like the taste of beer, not believe I missed out all this time because of how strict my parents were (no wonder Alex drank this too). However, while we were dancing, I noticed my racing mind was starting to ease, and I felt strangely confident. I was having a blast at my first high school party, and Talia was enjoying herself, too.
By my fourth beer can, I was standing in the middle of the dance floor, drinking it down while the crowd around me was cheering me on to do so. When I finished this beer, Talia pulled me off the dance floor and into another room; I was confused, and things started spinning a little while my body felt wobbly. Was it weird that I liked the feeling? I noticed Talia's worried look; we both no doubt reeked like beer.
"Wha?" I was slurred, not sure what I was saying.
"I just wanted you to myself, babe." Talia grinned as she pulled me into a kiss.
Sure, the kiss was a little sloppy, but we both stood there and made out. Before we knew it, our make-out session started getting heated. We were both lost in our moment until a passerby yelled at us to get a room. So, Talia and I went upstairs (where no one was supposed to go) and found an empty guest room. We continued our make-out session there, and everything was a blur…
…
The following day, I woke up with a splitting headache, and my vision was slightly blurred. Feeling confused, I stretched while groaning in pain. Lying in bed, I adjusted my vision and lay there, feeling a slight breeze from the open window on my bare skin. Wait…bare skin?...
Once my vision adjusted, I noticed I was not in my room on Waverly Place. I was in a room I had never seen before, and a slight breeze came from the cracked window nearby. Snapping awake, I allowed my vision to look around and see where I was; I was still at the house where the party had been, crap; my parents were going to kill me for sure this time.
As I turned to remove the covers and get out of bed, I heard a voice: "Max?" I turned to see a sleepy Talia waking up slowly.
However, I didn't respond to her, feeling slightly out of it and having a headache. Putting on my clothes quickly, I dashed out of the house as fast as possible and ran to Waverly Place. Thankfully, my stamina from my workouts had built up over the years, and I was able to make it.
Reaching Waverly Place, I pulled my phone out of my jeans and saw fifteen notifications. Mom, Dad, Alex, and even Harper had all tried to call and text me at some point, wondering where I was. Entering the substation (which was opened), I stumbled inside, trying to act casually.
It wasn't long before I heard the mother yelling at me, "Maximillian Russo, where have you been!?" She demanded while rushing over to me once she saw who entered the building.
"Do you have any idea how worried we were!?" My father yelled, coming up behind her.
I didn't answer but instead stumbled, still trying to get over this awful feeling I was experiencing. My mother seemed to be the first to know: "Aye, you even hung over. Come on, we're going upstairs to get you to bed. Your father and I will discuss everything with you later, "my mother explained as she dragged me upstairs.
Knowing I was in trouble, I allowed her to drag me upstairs. I slightly started crying, realizing the mistake I had made. Surprisingly, my mother didn't yell at me; she hugged me and helped calm me down. When I was calmer, she got me into bed and made me take Advil and drink water before falling asleep.
And that morning, I slept peacefully, not realizing how a simple mistake would change my life…