Everything Happens for a Reason

Chapter 3

recap: 

He cut off my rambling. "My name is not 'kid,' it's Max..."

---------------------

He had an English accent. I loved guys with English accents. Grr, now I liked something about him. I snapped back to reality and realized what he had said.

“That’s all you can say for yourself? ‘It’s not ‘kid,’ it’s Max?” I said, attempting to imitate and make fun of his English accent, but it failed...

He laughed and I hit him. 

“Ow,” he said, grabbing his arm. His hurt expression turned to a sarcastic one. “Aw, you hit me so hard. The pain, the pain is unbearable.” He turned to a freshman walking by and stepped in front of him shouting, “The pain is unbearable!” The freshman scampered off.

I rolled my eyes. Was this guy serious? 

When I looked back up at Max, he was staring, no glaring at me with those cold green eyes. What did I do wrong now? 

“What?” I asked.

With no response, he turned around and walked the other direction. Okay, serious mood-swing, right there, I thought to myself, wandering off to find my history class. 

~ ~ ~

When I got home from school, I sat down on the couch in the living room, exhausted from the busy school day and... Max. For some reason I couldn’t get him out of my head. Bored, I turned on the TV, hoping to catch something interesting on. I flipped to Channel 6, the news. They were talking about some robbery at a pharmacy or something. I was about to flip the channel when a picture of the suspect popped up.

Max. 

I could not believe it. Well, actually if I thought about it, I could believe it but still, it got me wondering. Was he dangerous? Why did he steal? Did he even steal? Was he framed? I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Ugh, it was annoying.

I decided to start my homework. Maybe it would get my mind off you-know-who... It didn’t. Homework is waaaaay too boring to distract me. 

The basement door squeaked open and my mom came in. “Hey, Gracie, how was school?”

I sat down and told her everything, well almost everything. Just nothing about Max, who was basically the only interesting part about my day. 

~ ~ ~

My alarm clock blared, shattering the silence in my bedroom. I glanced at my clock. 6:15. Time to get up...

Half an hour later I had showered, dressed, done my makeup, and eaten breakfast. A new record. 

I hopped into my cheery yellow bug and pulled out of the garage into the pouring rain. What was with this rain? I only used to live three hours away and it barely ever rained. I think it was God telling me I use too much product in my hair and he wants it to be “natural,” or my definition; frizzy. 

I ran into the school with my backpack on my head again. Not as many people stared this time. That was a relief. I bumped into a few girls talking in the lobby of the school. One called me over. A pang of nervousness hit me, but quickly disappeared after I saw the girl’s genuinely nice smile.

“Hey. You must be the new girl, right?” 

I nodded in agreement.

“Grace, right? I’m Sadie and that’s Lauren, Kate, Paisley, and Molly,” she said, pointing to the girls in the circle.

I waved an awkward hand to them, “Hi, guys.”

I stood by Sadie a little edgy and nervous. I hadn’t really hung out with anyone since Clarissa moved. But I kind of liked it. Before I knew it, I was laughing and talking, just like the rest of the girls, like I was one of them... Was I one of them?

Mid-sentence, I suddenly felt my knee give and landed on the dirty linoleum floor. I turned around, scowling, and saw Max with a group of boys laughing at me. Wow, real mature, I thought. Sadie and Lauren helped me up and gave a glare at Max too, but when they turned back around to face me, they giggled.

I watched them, questionably. Then Lauren turned to me, “Grace, do you, like, know him?”

“Well, kind of. You see, we collided twice in the hall yesterday and he’s my chem partner. He’s such a jerk,” I said.

The whole group gasped. What had I said?

I think the girl named Paisley spoke up, “But Max is a, a... a god!”

My eyes bulged. So all of these girls had a crush on Max. They didn’t even know half of what I did about him and I’ve only been here a day. They certainly had a lot to learn...

-----------------

Chapter 3... what do you think? I wasn't sure if I should put in the whole stealing thing, but I did... so I'll try and go somewhere with that =) Max hasn't really changed yet, but can you see the little attraction between them??? hope you guys thought it was alright. vote and comment <3 thanks! ~Lucie