Max ran on the treadmill, feeling content that this wasn't as painful as the last time he was here. His leg was healing, and this was helping him stay in shape.
He had been back on campus for a week now, and had taken a short break from his physical therapy sessions.
"Two more minutes and I think we can call this a success," Mr. Tanner said, noting something down. He was the physical therapist Max had been working with for the past three months.
"I... feel.. great," Max said, as he continued to run.
He felt great, having had one of the best breaks so far. He had spent most of his time with Roxanne, and he was happy to be back on campus. Lately there had been no more sudden attacks from the Ghouls, but it still bothered him that the girls lived across their frat house. He didn't think it was safe for them to do so.
Jasmine had gotten them security, but still. Security hadn't helped that poor woman in the parking lot of the club.
"And.. done! Great job, Mr. Goof." Mr. Tanner stated, stopping the machine. Max bent over, catching his breath. "A solid thirty minutes."
"You think I'll be ready for the Games this spring?" he asked him, wiping his sweaty face on the towel that was handed to him.
"I don't see why not," said Mr. Tanner. "Your x-rays look fine and you're regaining a lot of your strength back,"
"Yeah, my arm doesn't hurt as much as it did before. And I can walk without support," Max said, "I guess my leg wasn't as bad as I first thought."
"You were lucky," Mr. Tanner responded. "Usually these things are a lot worse."
Max nodded. He tried not to think back to the accident. Could it have been the Ghouls?
"I'd like to see you twice a week now, especially since I'm assuming you're going to start your training again, correct?"
"For sure," Max replied. "I have to get us in shape, and look for a fourth member, I doubt our last guy wants to play for us again,"
"If I was younger I would have loved to play," Tanner said, surprising him.
"NO way, you used to ride?"Max asked.
Tanner nodded. "It's all we did in the 80s,"
"That's cool," Max said. "Why did you never try out for the games?"
Tanner turned red. "Who said I didn't?"
"Are you forreal?" Max asked. "This whole time and you never mentioned it to me! How was it?"
Tanner began to laugh. "Roughly the same. I used to be in the Gamma House."
"You are full of surprises my man," Max said, stepping off the treadmill. "The Gammas?"
"Yeah, they were the leading house, and the only main house that represented this university in the Games,"
"This is awesome," Max said. "We will have to talk more next time I'm in,"
"Of course, I'll see you next week Max,"
Max waved as he walked out of the physical therapy office. Bobby and PJ were waiting for him in the lobby.
"How did it go, dude? Did he check you off to play in the games?" asked PJ, standing up.
"Yo, if he didn't I'll go pop his tires," Bobby stated.
"Relax," Max said laughing, "He gave me the all clear."
"That's awesome dude!" Bobby said, embracing him in a tight hug. He felt PJ slap him in the back.
"You guys are suffocating me," he joked as they let go of him.
"Does this mean we get to start practicing soon?"
"Yeah," Max said, leading them out of the hospital. "But we need a fourth player."
"Have you tried asking Tony?" PJ asked.
Max sighed. He hadn't spoken with Tony in a long while. He also felt weird that Tony had dated Roxanne. He shook his head. He didn't want to think about it.
"I don't think he'll join," Max said, putting his jacket on. The brisk January air was cold and unforgiving. "Especially since I'm dating Roxanne now,"
Bobby and PJ burst out laughing.
"You're not dating Roxanne," Bobby said, through chuckles.
"Yeah, dude. Nothing's official." PJ said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Not yet, but soon," Max said, embarrassed. The guys were right. "She wants to take things slow. Get to know each other. Stuff like that."
"You still have to work hard," PJ said, his face red. "I'm sorry Max, it was just funny. It reminded me of our old high school days,"
"Yeah, Maximilian," Bobby said, still laughing.
"I will win her back, you guys watch." Max said, smiling. It did feel like high school all over again.
Jasmine watched Mona as she sulked in the corner of the room. They had been back in class for a week now, and Mona had kept a low profile. Jasmine didn't blame her. Max had broken up with her over the holidays. A dick move but a move that had to be made nonetheless.
Tony was sitting next to her, his beautiful tired face trying to stay awake. Why did he work so much? He used to be one of the top working models. What was he doing here? She would have to talk to him. He didn't need to do this.
She looked out the window. She noticed that it was starting to snow again. She needed to run some errands. Now she had to do this in the snow.
Mona began to slowly pack her bag. Jasmine focused her attention back on her, noticing that she looked paler than usual. A tiny part of her felt bad for the girl. But only a tiny part.
"Professor, I'll be leaving, I'm not feeling well," Mona said, raising her hand. Professor Tao stopped his lecture and nodded.
Mona tucked in her chair slowly, not wanting to make a sound.
I must be really bored, Jasmine thought as she watched her walk out of the classroom.
She quickly put her books into her backpack and followed Mona out, not caring what the professor would say.
"Now where did she go?" she asked herself as she slowly walked down the hall, looking for her.
"What are you doing?" Mikolaj asked, making her jump. She hadn't noticed him leaning against the wall.
"Nothing, mind your business," she whispered. She continued walking, wanting to know where Mona was going. Something told her Mona was not well.
"I came to wait for you, so I guess it's my business now," Mikolaj stated, following her.
Jasmine spotted Mona leaning over a trash can, her face paler than it had been in class.
Why am I such a nice person? Jasmine thought as she walked over to her.
"Mona, are you okay?" she asked, approaching the girl. Mona looked up, eyes wide and turned to vomit, missing the trash entirely. Jasmine paused, not knowing what to do.
"Leave... me... alone," Mona stated, holding her mouth. She threw up again, dropping to her knees. She definitely was not okay.
"Yo, what's going on here?" Tony asked, running up to them. She should have known Tony would have followed her out of class. "Is she okay?"
"I don't think so," Jasmine said, looking around. Roxanne should be in Biology right now with Max. She was the only one she could think of calling for help.
"I'll call the ambulance," Mikolaj said "There should be a phone in one of these classrooms,"
"NO!" Mona yelled, her face green. "I don't... need... anyone,"
Jasmine didn't know what was going on with her. If this had been earlier in the year she probably wouldn't have thought twice about helping Mona.
"I'll be right back!" Jasmine yelled, running back into the building. Everyone was in class now, so the hallways were empty. She turned the corner, remembering that this was also where Bradley had class. She sighed.
Luckily the door was open. She noticed Max sitting in the front with Roxanne and Bradley. She waved, trying to get their attention. Roxanne looked up, eyes wide.
"Come here," she mouthed.
She also noticed Bradley's eyes on her. She hadn't seen him in over a month. It was weird how her stomach began to flutter with nerves. She broke eye contact as Roxanne ran out.
"Sorry, but I don't know who else to call for help, and well you're pre-med-" Jasmine began, trying to get her thoughts together.
"What is it? "Roxanne asked
"It's Mona," Jasmine said. "I know, I know, but I don't think she's okay,"
She noticed Roxanne take a deep breath and nod.
"C'mon, take me to her," Roxanne said, grabbing her hand.
Mona was leaning against the building, both Tony and Mikolaj standing over her. Jasmine and Roxanne ran over.
"I called the ambulance, they should be here soon," Mikolaj said, arms crossed. "She doesn't want anyone to help her,"
"It's not about what she wants," Roxanne said, getting close to her. Jasmine saw Mona look up, and quickly look away, holding her stomach. Something was clearly wrong.
"What do you feel? Did you eat something?" Roxanne asked her. She placed her hand to her forehead. "She's burning up,"
Mona was too tired to say anything. She shook her head. Sweat was falling down her temples.
Jasmine could hear the sirens now. Someone would come to help Mona and it'll all be over.
Why did she feel anxious though? Was something bad going to happen?
"She's going to be okay," Mikolaj said to her. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She nodded.
Mona woke up, the smell of alcohol strong. The room was so bright. Where was she? What had happened?
She tried to sit up but felt so tired. The pain from earlier had subsided, but now she just felt empty.
What had she done?
She began to cry, remembering the events from earlier.
"Mona? Mona dear, are you okay?"
She turned to see a short, African-American doctor sitting by her bed, hands on her lap. She had the kindest eyes. Were they looking at her with pity? Did she know?
"Can we talk?" the doctor asked her. "I am Dr. Fally, the Gyno at our University Hospital."
Mona groaned.
"I think you know where this is going," she said softly.
"Did I lose the baby?" Mona asked. That's all she wanted to know.
The doctor shook her head. "Thankfully no, but we could tell that you were trying to terminate this pregnancy, am I correct?"
Mona took a deep breath in and nodded again.
"Who is the father?" Doctor Fally asked.
"I don't know," she lied.
"I would like to offer you some resources if you'd like," Dr. Fally said softly. "The choice is yours ultimately, and I would rather you have all the safe information available at your disposal than trying what you did again. Am I clear?"
"Yes," Mona said, feeling her tears run down her cheek. Was she relieved about what happened? Was she happy that she had failed?
She didn't know.
"Your friends are waiting outside to take you home. I haven't disclosed any information, I'll leave that at your discretion. Here is my contact information if you feel like calling me for anything," she said, handing her a small business card. Mona took it, her hands shaking.
"I don't have friends," Mona said.
"Well, whoever they are, they're worried about you. They've been here all day, waiting for you to get better," Dr. Fally said with a smile. Mona sighed.
She walked out, her body trembling. She felt so weak.
She was surprised to see Roxanne, Jasmine and Tony waiting for her, all sitting in the lobby.
"Hey," Jasmine said, getting up.
"Mona, are you doing okay?" Tony asked, walking up to her.
Roxanne stayed quiet, watching her.
"Why are you guys here? I don't need help getting home," Mona said, feeling defeated. She just wanted to go home and sleep. She needed to think about her next moves.
"We wanted to make sure you were safe, that's all." Roxanne said. "We brought you here, and felt like it was our responsibility to see it all the way through."
Mona didn't say anything.
"I can take you home," Tony said. "If that's okay,"
"Yeah, that's fine," she agreed, knowing that she didn't have any other way home. "Thanks again for helping me out. You really didn't have to."
She saw Jasmine shrug and Roxanne smile.
She followed Tony out.
"She never said what was wrong?" Max asked as they ate dinner.
Roxanne shook her head.
"She was quiet the whole time," Jasmine responded, refilling her glass.
"That was nice of you guys to help her out," Mocha said.
"It was all Jasmine," Roxanne said, smiling. "I guess she has a soft spot for her,"
"Whatever," Jasmine said, taking a sip of her soda. "I'm just an angel."
Max laughed at that. It was nice to see everyone eating together, even if it was in his small dorm. He couldn't have imagined that Roxanne, the love of his life, would be sitting here, with Jasmine, a woman that had stolen his heart once before. He could have never predicted that his group of friends would include Bradley, who he was on talking terms with. This year had been so unpredictable.
"Were you able to talk to Tony?" PJ asked, biting into his pizza.
"No, dude. He was with the girls all day," Max replied. He needed to do that soon.
"I think he'll do it," Mocha said.
Max bit into his pizza. He still felt resentment for Tony, having dated Roxanne. He was jealous, he wasn't going to lie.
"So," Stacey said, lifting an eyebrow. "That New Year dance, huh?"
Max turned to look at Jasmine who had turned red.
"What about it?" Jasmine said.
"Mikolaj," Stacey said, smirking.
"Don't tease me," Jasmine said, rolling her eyes. "It just happened."
"It was one of the most viewed events on TV," PJ stated. "You guys were really good."
Max agreed. Jasmine looked stunning. She had redyed her hair red, having gotten bored of the black hair she had decided to get on a whim. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked in his direction.
"I hate how they keep running the video on campus," Jasmine said, turning her attention back to her food.
"It's because you both are basically celebrities," Bobby exclaimed. "You were in the same room as POWERLINE."
"You never told me you knew Powerline," Max said, remembering how surprised he was to see him at Jasmine's parent's party.
"You never asked," Jasmine said. "He's a friend of my dad's."
"Max is Powerline's biggest fan!" PJ said loudly.
Max felt his ears go hot. He had never talked about Powerline during his time in college. It felt like something so private, something intimate. He turned his gaze to Roxanne, who had also gone red.
"I didn't know," Jasmine said, surprised.
"Yeah! He was at the concert in LA back in '95!" Bobby said, raising his hands in the air. "He DANCED with him on stage!"
"You guys, that's not necessary," Max said embarrassed.
"Tell me more," Jasmine said, interested. "I think I remember that concert."
He looked up and saw Jasmine's eye grow larger.
"Oh my gosh, it was you!" she said, recognition hitting her. "Your dad was on the stage too! Oh my gosh! We dated for what, three years and you didn't think to tell me this?"
"That was the past," Max said as Jasmine began to laugh.
"I love it," Jasmine said, catching him off guard. "I had thought you were so cool. Wow, tell me everything!"
Max looked down, not wanting to get into this. He hadn't thought about that moment in a long time. It had been painful to remember, especially since he had thought he had lost Roxanne forever. He looked up at her, her brown eyes reflecting what he felt. This was also personal to her.
"C'mon, Max," Bobby pleaded. "Tell the story! It's so great. I know. I was there."
He turned his attention to the cup he was holding. He could see the stage now, the colorful lights hitting him from every part of the stage.
"I wanted to right a wrong," he said softly, getting lost in the memory. He saw 14 year old Roxanne standing in front of him, upset at having been turned down from going to the party. "I lied, because I was embarrassed to admit that my dad wanted to spend time camping. He had this idea that I was going to become a criminal."
He heard the gang laugh at this.
"I wanted to show off to a girl I liked, so the first lie that came out was Powerline's concert. I wanted to see her smile at me again, whatever the cost," Max said, remembering how often he would daydream about her, wishing there was a way he could have been spending his summer with her instead.
He remembered feeling so empowered on stage. He knew he had to try his best because Roxanne was watching.
"I was lucky Powerline didn't kick us off," Max said, smiling. "He was so cool with it. He did the moves along with my dad and I."
"That girl must have been so important," Jasmine said, nudging Roxanne.
"It was her," Max admitted and Jasmine jumped up excitedly.
"No!" she squealed. "Oh my goodness, what the heck!"
Max laughed. It felt good telling this story, it was as if he was finally coming to terms with the past.
"He was always so extra," Roxanne said, stifling a laugh behind her hand. "It was adorable."
"I've never seen him dance," Jasmine teased. "Now you gotta show us something, Max."
"Oh no, I don't dance anymore," Max said.
"It was a sad day when he stopped dancing," Bobby said, lowering his head. Everyone started to look at him. "What? It's the truth."
"We need to go dancing again, I want to see this," Jasmine said, laughing.
Max went and sat next to Roxanne as she packed her bags.
"Leaving already?" he asked her after dinner.
"I have a paper to start," she said "Thank you for dinner, this was fun."
"I'm sorry if the conversation got a little uncomfortable," he said, leaning back against his chair.
"Not at all," she said smiling. "It was actually nice."
"You want me to walk you to the library?" he asked her, hoping she would say yes.
"You don't have to," she said, zipping up her bag. "You should take this time to rest."
"Yeah, no, I'm coming with you." he said, grabbing her bag.
"Just let him," Jasmine said, handing her bag to Max. "Here, take mine too."
Max watched as Roxanne burst out laughing. He loved seeing her like this.
"What do you need to do?" he asked Jasmine.
"I just want to catch up on some reading, that's all." Jasmine responded.
"You always did love reading," Max said "Geez, Jaz what do you have in this bag? It's so heavy."
"Everything," she said, placing her coat on. "C'mon. I'm not trying to get caught in another snow storm."
"Anyone else want to go to the library?" Max asked, turning to look at his friends. Bobby was asleep on Stacey's lap, while Mocha and PJ were cuddled in bed, watching something on the tv. They all shook their heads.
"Must be nice to be all coupled up,"he heard Jasmine say as she walked out of the dorm. Him and Roxanne exchanged an awkward smile and followed Jasmine out.
"We must be defective or something," Jasmine said as she pulled her hood over her head. "What two girls hang out with the same guy they dated?"
I should have stayed at the dorm, he thought, feeling uncomfortable.
"I guess we are," he heard Roxanne say. She playfully slapped him on the shoulder.
"So," Roxanne said, grabbing Jasmine's arm. They looked like sisters. Max couldn't help but feel grateful for having been given this opportunity. As rough as the last years had been for him without Roxanne, he couldn't deny that Jasmine had been his rock.
He followed the girls through the campus, reminiscing about his sophomore year here. Everything had been so different right after his first x-games.
He woke up before she did. The air was cold, the snow making the night eerily quiet.
He looked down at her, her pale back to him.
The clock read four in the morning.
He didn't expect them to do anything when she asked him to stay over.
But they did.
And he hated how much guilt he felt.
He wanted to leave, knowing that it was too late to take back anything now. He was officially hers.
He grabbed his jacket and slowly crept out of the room.
He made his way through her apartment, feeling both glee and anxiety.
He thought he would always be in love with Roxanne, but tonight was the first night he didn't think about her. He had kissed Jasmine today, not Roxanne. He felt something growing for Jasmine, something he couldn't explain. Maybe this was how he was going to forget Roxanne, right? It had been a year without any word from her. Not a letter, or a phone call. She knew he was at this University. She had helped him apply!
He knew it was time to move on, he couldn't be stuck in the past.
He walked out into the cold night air. Any other guy would have been jumping for joy at having just lost their virginity, but not him. He had always been certain it would happen with Roxanne. How stupid was he?
Thinking about another girl? Still?
He kicked some rocks, frustrated. He ran his fingers through his hair. He was happy that no one was out to see him like this. He felt so tense, annoyed and defeated.
He walked until he reached the library. He didn't know what he was doing. He took a seat on the ice cold bench.
He didn't want to leave Jasmine tonight, but he couldn't help but feel so guilty. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, making her think that he left her there, alone.
"You're such a fuck up," he mumbled to himself. He saw the phone booth across the street. He would try, one more time.
The phone rang. His hands were shaking. He couldn't tell if it was because it was cold or because he was nervous. Even if her dad was to pick up, he would demand to know where she was.
He was surprised when the ringing stopped.
"Uh, hello?" he said nervously. Why wasn't anyone saying anything?
"Look, Mister Moon, I am sooo sorry to be calling at this time of night, but I just," he sighed, not knowing where to go from here. He was surprised that Roxanne's father hadn't hung up on him. "I just want to know where she is,"
Again, silence.
"I want her to know that I'm still thinking about her, and that I'm sorry. Please, could you tell her that?" his whole body was shaking now.
Still no response.
"I'm sorry, I am really sorry." he said and hung up. His heart was beating so fast. He thought he was going to pass out in this phone booth.
"Max?" PJ asked, opening the door to the booth. Max had called him, not knowing what to do next.
The sun was up now. He must have looked a mess, sitting on the floor of the pay phone booth.
"I guess it really is over," he repeated, looking up at PJ.
"What happened?" PJ asked, reaching for him. He helped him up.
"I called Roxanne's dad. I called Mister Moon," he said.
"You what? Why?" PJ asked, worried.
"I don't know! I slept with Jasmine! And still my damn mind goes back to her! I feel guilty for liking Jasmine. It feels like I'm cheating on Roxanne! Peej, what do I have to do to forget her?" he asked, feeling exhausted. "What fucking jerk leaves his girlfriend on their first night together?"
He felt PJ wrap his arms around him.
"It's okay, bro." he said "It's okay,"
"Thanks for walking us," Roxanne said to him as they stopped in front of the library.
He snapped back from that memory.
"Yeah," Jasmine said, grabbing her bag from him. "Thanks, doll. Now, I'll see you guys later."
"Want to walk home together?" Roxanne asked her. Jasmine shook her head.
"I'll see you at home. I have something to do tonight." Jasmine said, walking away. "See yah!"
Max watched Jasmine cross the street, wearing her fluffy white boots.
"That's weird," Roxanne said as he handed her her bag. "I wonder what she has to do, she didn't mention anything to me."
Max looked over at the same phone booth from his memory.
"Roxanne," he said, feeling nervous. He had to know.
"Yeah?" she asked him, her nose red from the cold.
"Did your father ever tell you I called? Sent letters? Anything?" he asked her. He saw her smile fade.
"He did," she said, not taking her eyes off him. "I saw them all after he passed away."
"I'm sorry," he said, regretting bringing it up. "Forget it-"
Roxanne moved her bangs away from her face. "No, it had to be brought up sometime right?"
"We don't have to talk about anything," he said, feeling like a jerk.
Roxanne had flown home with Stacey to bury her father. The house had been empty for a week now and it felt so weird knowing that he wouldn't be here anymore.
It was snowing, and she had refused to turn the heater on. She wanted to feel cold. It helped the numbness she felt.
She had cried enough already. She knew this was coming. It wasn't a surprise.
She walked to her father's room, noticing the time. It was 2am. She should have been sleeping, but the time difference was keeping her up. She was still on European time.
She had found the letters in his closet. Her dad had tried to protect her from Max. She smiled as she reached for the first letter, noticing Max's scratchy penmanship on the front. This one had been dated three months after he had started college.
Dear Roxanne,
I hate that I haven't heard from you all summer. I was hoping to see you on campus, but I haven't. There's this girl that looks like you and she almost gave me a heart attack when I saw her at the store. I thought it was you.
I've tried calling a few times, but your dad always hangs up on me. I'm sorry about prom. Please get back to me. I left my phone number below. I miss you so much Roxanne.
MAX
Roxanne sighed. That had been over a year ago. She had decided to study abroad instead of going straight to college as had been their plan.
She didn't know how to feel about it all. She was dating Marc now. She grabbed the next letter, which was in a dark blue and yellow envelope. She opened it, her heart racing a little more.
Roxy,
Still no word from you. I haven't had luck reaching you either at home. I hope you're doing well and thriving wherever it is you are. I know you are.
I wanted to let you know that my DAD decided to come to school with me. MY DAD. Roxy, this must be punishment for what I did to you. My freshman year in college is not going at all how I pictured it at all. For one, I thought we would be here together.
Anyways, I'm on a team, TEAM 99! We'll be competing against the Gammas in the Spring. Their leader, Bradley, is the current X-Games king. I had admired him so much, remember? But turns out he's the biggest jerk on the planet.
I love you Roxanne.
I'm sorry.
MAX
She sat down on her father's bed. Was she really going to go through all these letters? What was the point? She knew how everything turned out. She continued to read:
Hi Roxy,
PJ says this isn't healthy. You clearly don't want anything to do with me. But I don't know, it helps writing to you. I miss my best-friend. So guess who has a girlfriend? Before you get a heart attack - it's not me! (Why would you?) - Anyways... it's my dad! He met this woman named Sylvia. She's super nice and has been keeping him distracted. It gives me time to focus on the Games and trying to adjust to my new life without you. I know, selfish of me, but it's so weird having him here. Everyone loves him! I don't know how he does it.
I'm sorry again for everything, I just want to hear from you.
MAX
Roxanne sat that way for almost two hours, going through all the letters Max had written. She was smiling, knowing that he had tried so hard to reach her, and didn't stop. Even now when she felt so alone, he was here, comforting her. She couldn't lie, the letters were helping her with her grief.
She got to the last one, knowing that she wouldn't like it. She felt a tear roll down her cheek. She wiped it away with her sleeve, and slowly began to open the last letter.
My Roxanne,
This is going to be the last letter. I promise. I'm sorry if it's going to be long, but I want you to know what you meant to me. This whole year was hard for me, and I'm sorry for all the letters I sent. I must have sent around fifty? I don't know, I lost track.
We won the X-Games! My dad came through. I guess his stay here on campus wasn't for nothing. He also got his degree and decided to move in with Sylvia. I'm happy for him. Since mom he's just been focused on me. It'd be good to have someone else on his mind.
Roxanne, I am still so in love with you. There's not a day I don't think about you. I feel like since you've been gone, I've changed. I can't explain it. I feel... empty? You're always on my mind, from the moment I wake up, to the moment I go to bed. PJ and Bobby are tired of hearing me talk about you. But I'm sorry. I am so sorry for my stupid mistake at Prom. I really wasn't thinking. I promise you that it was nothing more than my ego. Roxanne, you are and always will be the only one for me.
But I gotta move on. It hurts too much to wait for you when I have no idea where you are and if you want to hear from me. I'll try again this summer. I will come home and I hope I see you. It's the only reason I'm going back. If I don't see you, I'll take that as my cue..
I love you Roxanne Moon,
Maximilian Goof
Roxanne was crying now. She had decided not to stay at home for the summer. Right after she came to watch the X-Games, she had left, wanting to take her father to Europe. She was glad she did. It was the last time they got to spend time together.
She knew how the story ended. Max was dating someone now, and she was here, forcing herself to be in a relationship so that she wouldn't think about him. Ironically, it was Max who was bringing her comfort, and not Marc. She laughed at that.
"Thank you, Max." she said softly, organizing the letters back into the box they were in.
As she went to place the box back in the closet, she heard the phone ring. Who could be calling at such a late time?
She looked at the wall clock. It was 430am.
Should she answer?
She picked up the phone, but didn't say anything. She hadn't told anyone she was here.
"Uh, hello?
It was Max!!
Her knees gave out and she fell to the floor, shocked. What were the odds? Why was he calling so late?
"Look, Mister Moon, I am sooo sorry to be calling at this time of night, but I just," she heard him sigh. "I just want to know where she is,"
Roxanne was trembling now. His last letter was from the end of his first X-Games. It was almost 7 months ago. Why was he calling her tonight? Of all nights?
"I want her to know that I'm still thinking about her, and that I'm sorry. Please, could you tell her that?" she heard Max's laboured breathing. Was he outside?
She wanted to say something, but she was paralyzed. She had so many thoughts racing through her head. What could she say? She had ignored him for over a year!
"I'm sorry, I am really sorry."
"Max!" she yelled out, but heard the dial tone. He had hung up.
She stared at the black phone in her hand in disbelief. She threw it against the wall angrily, crying out loud.
"Roxanne!" she heard Stacey run through the door. "Roxanne, what's wrong?"
Roxanne cured into herself, the tears falling. She had just lost her father and the one guy that had unintentionally made her feel better was gone too. The two men she loved were gone.
"He was on the phone! And I hung up on him, Stace!" she said. "I let him slip through my fingers!"
"Who was on the phone?" Stacey asked, wrapping her arms around Roxanne. "Honey, it's okay to cry,"
Roxanne sobbed, shaking her head.
Max listened as Roxanne finished her story.
"So it was you who picked up that night," Max said. Roxanne nodded.
"I'm sorry if I didn't try to reach out," she said. "I felt like you had made your life and I wasn't going to come in and ruin it."
Max brought her into a hug, wanting nothing more than to stay here holding her. She had gone through so much alone, and he couldn't help but feel responsible.
"It's okay," he said to her. "I'm just happy you're here now,"
Roxanne turned to look up at him. She was smiling.
"I wonder how many times we almost just missed each other," she said, poking his cheek with her finger. "Gosh, this was a lot easier in highschool, you were much shorter then."
Max laughed. "Yeah, I was."
Roxanne surprised him by jumping up and planting a kiss on the same cheek she had poked.
"I gotta go," she said, quickly breaking their embrace. "I'll call you when I get home? I think we should talk about all this some more"
"Yeah, you better!" he said, waving at her. "Be careful!"
He watched as she entered the library. He hoped this meant they were heading in the right direction. He wasn't going to push her. He was just so happy to have her back in his life.