keep driving // max mayfield

06

We laughed at that. My father, despite being married to my very French mother for 20 years he still hadn't learned how to speak the language. 

"How was your day darling." My father asked. 

I sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"It was alright. Not bad, not good." I said.

"Ah, adequacy, I am very familiar." He said.

My mother looked down at me, "Are you okay?" 

I smiled, "I'm great."

I stood up from the couch. 

"Goodnight." I said. 

"Dormir avec les anges." My mother replied. 

I walked upstairs slowly, trying to process the conversation I just overheard. I opened my bedroom door and dragged my hands down my face. 

What the fuck.

I sighed and rummaged through the papers on my desk. I don't know what I was looking for, just something to do I guess. I looked up from my window and huh. Max attached had taped a large piece of poster paper on her window. There was writing in big red marker, but I couldn't see what it wrote. 

I unlocked my window, climbing out onto the roof. It was dark outside and I could barely read the writing on it, but with some squinting, it was legible. 

'Stop creeping stalker.'

I laughed to myself. She's good. I guess that was why she didn't look at me, she saw me, but she just wanted to fuck with me. I climbed back into my room, closing my blinds. I kept smiling to myself as I lay down on my bed. It was clever of her, I'd admit. I turned off the light above my bed and turned on my radio. I fell asleep listening to The Stones.

---

Friday morning I woke in a particularly good mood. I don't know why, I just did. I was still wearing my clothes from the night before. I checked the time: 6:38. 

Fuck it's early.

I took off my shit and bra and looked through my drawers for something to wear. I didn't feel like prettying up, better conserve my energy for tonight. I tossed on a graphic tee and some sweatpants. 

I still had about two hours before school, I didn't know how to kill my time. I need a smoke. My mom had left the newspaper on my dresser so I grabbed it and flipped to the crossword. I walked towards my desk and opened my curtains. Max's bed had been slept in, but she was missing from it. That's odd.

I went onto the roof, grabbing my cigarettes from my desk. It was cold outside, just how I liked it. I could feel the soft breeze on my bare arms. I lit my cigarette and hit it once. The smoke making my surroundings grey.

I got out a pencil and began my crossword. 

Let's see... six letters... 'treeless plain'... a steppe. 

I filled in the puzzle space, puffing on my cigarette again.

Next clue...'The sky, maybe'... 5 letters... hmm... limit! Clever.

I moved onto the next clue, 'Kind of scream'... huh...

"Hey!" 

My head twisted to the direction of the sound. Max stood on the patch of grass that separated our houses. She was holding her skateboard, headphones sitting on her neck as per usual. 

"Hey." I replied.

"What are you doing?"

I held out my cigarettes.