A bullied girl meets the popular new student.
*****
"Still saying that you're perfectly okay?" Max whispers.
I'm surprised to hear that his voice is shaking.
"I'm going to find who did this to you."
*****
One time, I was the most popular girl in sch...
"I know that you still don't want to see me, but--" he pauses. "I just miss you so much." His voice is a whisper at the end of his sentence.
Tears spring to my eyes, and I swallow. I miss him too. So very much.
I take a deep breath and turn around, but before I can touch the doorknob, his voice echoes again.
"I'm not asking you to open the door for me," he says. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you, no matter what happens. I'll always be here for you."
I shut my eyes and lay my forehead against the door too, trying my best not to become too emotional, because my heart is about to burst.
"I'll go home now if you're still not ready to face me." His voice is now laced with pain, and my heart sinks. "But I'm not leaving you. I won't."
Silence falls, and before I can comprehend what's happening, there's nothing anymore from the other side.
My own loud heartbeat echoes in my ears. Max has left, leaving me with longing even more powerful than before.
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The sound of a knock on my door fills the room while I'm sitting at my dresser. "Sweetheart, it's me." It's Mom's voice.
"Come in." I stare into the mirror, combing my hair.
I just had a warm bath, which helped me relax a little, but I'm still restless nonetheless. I know why. Only I can fix this. Only I can help my own heart.
Mom approaches me with a warm smile on her face, and while I'm still combing my hair, she stops my hand. She takes the hairbrush and does the rest for me.
Even though I'm not a baby anymore, she still treats me like her little princess.
"So Max was here," she starts, and I know where this conversation is going.
"Yes," I whisper with sadness in my voice.
Mom sighs, staring at me through the mirror. "Why are you torturing yourself?" Her voice is so soft, so gentle. "It's clear that you want to be with him too."
When I look down at my lap, Mom holds my shoulders and turns me to face her. She tilts my chin up, and the moment she sees unshed tears in my eyes, a frown touches her lips.
"Honey." She wraps her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. She then holds my hands and helps me get up from the dresser bench.
We sit on my bed, and I sigh. When I stare at her, a sad smile forms on her lips.
"Did you know that Max stood in the rain today?" she asks.
My eyes widen in surprise. "He did?"
Mom nods, and my heart drops. What if he got sick because of that?
"Yes, he did," Mom says. "And when I wanted to bring him inside, Aiden stopped me. He told me to wait a little longer so that he could see how serious that boy was. Oh, God, your brother--" Mom seems to run out of words. "He's just... impossible."
