talk too much | max mayfield

*33. rink-o-maniac

Nora pays attention again as Angela drags El out of her seat and Will stands up from his aisle seat suddenly, watching Angela drag El onto the rink.

"Should we go?" Nora also stands, getting concerned with how concerned Will looks.

"Nah, my feet hurt," Mike answers for her, and Nora just glares.

"We'll go," Max stands up, grabbing her girlfr- kinda girlfriend's hand. "C'mon, Nora."

That was another thing. Max hasn't called Nora "Nor" ever since Billy either. Nora isn't sure if it's something she did, but she isn't really sure how to bring it up to Max either.

I mean, it's just a nickname. . . right?

"Alright, everyone," a voice over the PA system causes both Max and Nora to stop just before they step onto the rink, and before Nora can build up the courage to therapize Max. "This song is dedicated to the local snitch. . . Jane."

The two girls look hurriedly to find El, but there are too many bodies around that it's hard to look through them all.

"Wipe Out," by the Surfaris starts playing, and Nora isn't sure what to make of the insinuation.

A circle starts forming around the middle of the rink, and Nora moves to nudge Max to tell her where the source of the problem is, but she sees the redhead starting to walk off, back to their booth.

"Max- hey!" Nora feels conflicted on where to go, but decides El looks to be in more immediate danger - or whatever you wanna call this bullying - so she skates out to where a cluster has gathered, pushing aggressively through everyone.

The music stops suddenly and circle starts to part, but Nora's still trying to get to El.

"E- Jane!" Nora stumbles over her words, Jane feeling weird on her tongue as she gets feet away from El.

She's almost managed to get close enough to pull her out of the spotlight when one of the guys from earlier gets to El first, throwing a chocolate milkshake all over her, a few drops getting onto Nora as well.

El trips backwards on the impact, and Nora rushes to her side so suddenly she barely registers the other creep with the camera pointed in their directions.

"Didn't you read the sign, dummy?" Angela skates around the two, leaning over El as Nora seethes. "No food or drinks on the rink."

"God, you're so funny," Nora mumbles, as she helps get a close to tears El stand up.

"What was that, freak?" Angela leans down similarly over Nora to intimidate her.

"You're a bitch," Nora maintains eye contact then Angela just scoffs and walks away, the rest of her posse following short after. "You okay?" Nora looks at El, still annoyed by whoever that bitch Angela thinks she is.

"We should go home," El stands up the rest of the way without Nora's help, then skates away without saying a word.

Nora frowns a bit, but understands El's just probably not up for conversation right now, and takes the opportunity to go find Max.

She skates off the rink and goes in the direction Max walked in, then sitting in the seat across from the redhead in their original booth.

"Hey," Nora starts, unsurprised as Max's eyes don't move from the salt and pepper shakers in front of her. "What was that?" She references the way Max just left out of nowhere earlier.

"I wasn't feeling well," Max responds simply. "My feet hurt."

"They weren't hurting two seconds before," Nora tries pushing.

Max finally looks up, and Nora's taken aback by the exasperated look in her eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" Max says.

"What?" Nora stares confused. "Asking why you abandoned your friend back there?"

"We always do this, Nora," Max quickly makes Nora realize this is about more than roller skating. "You always invite me places, and we always try to have a good time, and sometimes I really do! Sometime I am having a good time, but we both know it's short lived, and I can only go so long without the past coming back to haunt me, and I really wanted California to be better, I tried so hard for you. I wanted this to be good for you. But I really don't think I can do it. I told my dad I would have dinner with you guys, so he has some work stuff he's doing right now and I don't want him to change his plans, but I'm telling you now because I can't watch you keep trying and keep putting your all into something that I won't be able to reciprocate."

Nora feels speechless at Max's words, not sure if she should be appreciative that the redhead even bothered to communicate those feelings with her, or feel stupid and regretful to realize how hard all this pretending might be on Max, or apologetic for even thinking-

"I know you're overthinking right now."

"Of course I'm overthinking!" Nora suddenly exclaims. "How can you say shit like that, Max? How can you be feeding me french fries one minute then telling me you want me to stop trying with you the next? What do you mean you wanted this to be good 'for me'? Are you only even agreeing to hang out with me for my sake? Are you saying you don't want to do all this?"

"No, I don't want to do all this!" Max responds. "I don't want to go roller skating, I don't want to watch my friend get attacked by a chocolate milkshake-"

"What does that have to do with-"

"I don't want to be with you, Nora."

Nora stares at Max, their eyes meeting straightforward.

"I'm doing this for your own good-"

"Bullshit."

"Don't do that-"

"Do what, Max?"

"Don't make this harder than it already is! I'm not. . . I'm not okay, Nora. I'm not good for you-"

"You don't get to decide that for me! That's so- that's so selfish of you! I know it's hard for you! I know you're not okay, but I'm willing to try for you not despite all that, but because I care about you! How can you just throw that away like this?"

"Okay, fine! Call me selfish! Call me a bitch, okay? If that's what it'll take, but I can't- I can't do this, Nora. I won't do this. Not to you."

". . .I hate you."

a/n:
so I was gonna say I don't want Will to be a fifth wheel but we don't have to worry about that now so 😊