Peace in a Storm

19 - Audrey

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I jolted awake from the rapping sound on my window. With narrowed eyes, I rolled over in my bed and looked at my closed window. To my surprise, Max was outside of the glass, knocking his bandage-wrapped knuckles against the surface. I caught a glance at the digital clock on my nightstand as I climbed out of bed. It was five o' clock in the afternoon. I didn't remember falling asleep - not an unusual occurrence lately. I'd been sleeping way more than usual, anxious to escape reality and my intrusive thoughts. I thought I was doing a bit better with the idea of possibly confronting my mom, but then Cat told me that Max had gotten into it with Tommy and Carter.

The tension in school was at an all time high. While Max wasn't officially affiliated with the Bloods, they still had his back out of respect for his father. The heir of one of their leaders fighting with two of their enemies set all of them on alert. Everyone was on edge, waiting for something to pop off. The rumor was that Max swung without notice or warning, and Tommy and Carter were waiting for the perfect moment to do the same. Max didn't seem worried about it; his thoughts appeared to be anywhere but on the situation. All week, he'd been zoning out, intensively thinking about something he hadn't said aloud yet. I didn't push him to talk about it. I knew he'd open up when he was ready. For now, I was just concerned about his safety. Tommy and Carter weren't who they used to be - and I really wished Max wouldn't underestimate them.

"Hey," I said as I opened my window. I moved aside, so he could climb inside.

"Are you alright? I've been texting you."

"Yeah, I was asleep. What's up?"

"Jordan and his girlfriend invited us to go roller skating with them. Do you wanna go?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I'd love to. Can you give me like an hour to shower and get dressed?"

"Sure." He wrapped his hands around my hips and pulled me close. Gently, he pecked a kiss at my forehead. "I'll be back in an hour."

After he left, I headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. I avoided looking in the mirror as I dried myself off. The dark clouds were already at the helm of my consciousness, waiting for the right moment to pounce. I did not need another thunderstorm wreaking havoc on my mind - not on a night like tonight. I just wanted to hang out with my friends and have fun. I promised myself we were going to have fun.

In my room, I dressed myself in a burgundy long sleeved baby doll top, a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, and a pair of black UGG boots. I spritz some curl activator on my curls, sprucing up my natural di-colored curls. Taking a page out of Cat's book, I reached for my small pile of makeup. I added bronze eyeshadow to my eyelids and swiped some liquid eyeliner to create a winged look. Carefully, I coated my eyelashes with mascara. As I was rubbing some magenta colored lipstick on my lips, I had to admit I was quite impressed with myself. I looked really pretty - and it was all thanks to Cat's long lectures about the skills she was learning in her cosmetology program and her observations at the salon.

Smiling, I snapped a mirror selfie and sent her the photo.

She immediately replied.

Cat: You're absolutely gorgeous!!!!

Cat: Where are you off to?

Me: Roller-skating with Max.

Cat: Wait, wait, with WHO?????

Cat: EXCUSE ME, MA'AM

Cat: AND WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME MAX ASKED YOU OUT????

Me: He literally asked me to go like an hour ago.