We got older | Madwheeler

Plotting happens.

The two teens sat underneath the bleachers, passing a cigarette between them. "So why do you smoke?" Max asked the boy, eyebrows raised. His lips curled upwards as he looked ahead, "same as you... stress." Max looked away from him, and stared at the pitch. It was a pretty shade of green, one that reminded her of her father's uniform. "You ever feel, like you're just going along with life?" Mike suddenly asked, eyes still ahead. Max frowned, taking a drag of the cigarette. "What do you mean?" she asked, passing it back to him. Mike sighed before exhaling a puff of smoke. "Never mind" he mumbled into the cigarette. "You wouldn't understand." Max turned to face him and smiled. "Try me." For the first time Mike turned to look at her, his brown eyes peering down at Max. He looked at her in the eyes, before his gaze flickered down towards her lips. Max shook herself inwardly. She was probably imagining that.

"Well..." Mike launched, smoking another puff. "I get this feeling sometimes, like I'm living my life... only I'm not really there. Like I have no purpose. I know that sounds like bullshit but I don't know how to describe what it is..." the boy looked at his feet, kicking a stone. "Does smoking always make you this emotional?" Max attempted at joking before seriously answering his question. "And yeah, I do get that feeling, like I'm drifting through life not really living it. Except it takes shit like abusive assholes and demo fucking whatevers to really show me that life is real. And that it can be easily taken away." Max concluded by taking a long drag of the cigarette. Mike looked up from his feet to Max, "life kind sucks more now than it did back then huh?" he asked knowing the answer. Max grinned. "Us two may have been dicks to each other but at least we both had the party to fall back on. We were complete. We should've never let that go" she whispered. Mike went silent and hung his head low. "Yeah" he muttered "we shouldn't have." Max suddenly perked up. "But not all's lost! We still have one last option" Mike stared at her confused. Max cast him a wide smile "party invites" she said simply holding up some cards. Mike smirked at her, following her train of thought. But his smile quickly dropped as he realised what he was getting himself into. "I don't think that's such a good idea Max" he started unsure. "Nonsense! Plus I haven't met the rest of them since —" "Since you got shipped off to prison or some shit?" Max grinned at him "it did feel like prison there" Mike smiled sympathetically. He'd smiled at her a lot more, now that they were older, she noted. They both felt at ease, and Max wondered why that was. "I'll slip the invites in the lockers since you probably don't know where their lockers are." Mike offered. Max arched an eyebrow "and you do?" Mike bit his lip, "Yeah." Max threw the cigarette to the ground and jumped up, "well it's a good thing I'm headed to the lockers too."

The pair walked down the hallway, with a million eyes plastered on them. "Wow you weren't joking about the staring" Max whispered to Mike. "It has it's pros and cons" he replied nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. "Well here's Dustin's" he said quietly, stopping in front of some lockers. Max huddled nearer to him, blocking him away from the prying eyes as his pale hand slipped the invitation in. "One down, three more to go" she said in a nervous chuckle. Mike moved quickly away from the locker, accidentally bumping into Max. "Sorry" he said smoothing his hair awkwardly, Max felt her stomach drop. "It's cool" she responded moving out of his way and following him down the hallway. "Will's" Mike informed, again slipping an invitation in. Mike lingered longer on Will's as if in mourning. Max glanced around, before placing a hand on Mike's shoulder. Mike looked up from the locker to Max. "Were your eyes always this clear?" he blurted out. Max let her hand drop. "What?" she asked. Mike cursed inwardly. "Or are they just clear from determination?" he finished lamely. "Uh, Wheeler are you high?" the girl asked slowly. Mike scoffed, "just making a joke" he covered. Max nodded apprehensively at him before walking towards the other batch of lockers. Mike rubbed his hand over his face cringing inwardly.

"And finally Lucas's." Max decided to slip the invitation in this time. Whatever little time she'd spent 'dating' Lucas Sinclair had been nice. It had been the only positive thing in her life. And dare she say it, but it actually made her look forward to school. He was a sweet boy who she had been through a lot with in that short week, but she knew herself well. Max knew that she was never one for loving relationships, the kind Lucas wanted from her, she'd seen how her mother's love life had played out, and definitely didn't want to have one of her own after witnessing that. She was a more closed off person, one who didn't like sharing and caring and all that crap. And honestly Lucas deserved better than her. "Max!" Mike said, interrupting the girl's thoughts. Max looked at him and beamed, realizing that the plan had succeeded. "Guess we don't make such a bad team after all Wheeler" she said playfully punching his arm, Mike caught her wrist and made her drop it dramatically. She rolled her eyes at him before giving him a wave as she made her way to her own locker.

Mike watched her go a smile dancing on his lips, and a warm feeling in his stomach. He actually felt like he had achieved something, and couldn't stop smiling. He decided to go his own way, ignoring the thousands of eyes. His hand still tingling from touching the girl's wrist.