Bradley couldn't believe that Max had showed up at his party. A party for the Gammas. How he wanted to brag and rub it in his face, but Roxanne's reaction was more than enough for the Goof kid.
Did he feel pity? Of course he did. Part of him was ashamed of what he had done to Max at the beginning of the year. He wasn't himself, and he didn't know if he could ever forgive himself for going to such a dark place.
But he knew he wasn't rid of evil Bradley just yet. The fact that he wanted to go embarrass Max made his hand shake from anticipation. He knew he was resisting. He looked down at his cup of champagne and decided it was best to not drink anymore for the night. He didn't want to deal with evil Bradley tonight. Tonight was about his victory. The right way.
"You think it's that easy to get rid of me?"
Bradley froze, his heart pounding. Even with the music blaring the guy's words were so clear, as if he'd been standing right next to him. He turned around to face the DJ who was mixing his tunes, unaware of the Evil Brad standing next to him.
"You're not real." Bradley found himself saying. He couldn't believe his luck. Evil Bradley wasn't in a reflection anymore, but standing in the flesh, behind the DJ.
"Oh, but I am Brad. And your victory made me that much more stronger." Evil Brad said, tapping the DJ on the shoulder. The DJ looked up, surprised to see Bradley staring at him. Had he felt that?
Bradley felt the sweat beginning to form at the back of his neck. He rubbed it forcefully, wanting the image to go away.
"So go on. Go pour that drink on Max's face. It's the least he deserves. Congrats on our victory Bradley. This wouldn't have happened if Max had been in the round, but thanks to you he wasn't." Evil Bradley laughed. Bradley shook his head, wanting to remain calm. He wasn't going to let this get to him. Not tonight.
He walked over to the Goof kid, startling everyone around him when he outstretched his hand. Max looked shocked and hesitated, but took it. He heard Evil Bradley curse. He looked over his shoulder. He was gone.
"Thanks dude," Goof said, clearly uncomfortable. Bradley could only manage to nod, and set his cup down on the counter next to them. Before any type of conversation could resume he walked away, needing to get air.
He found Roxanne outside, standing by the fence. She was eating one of the sandwich platters he had ordered from the deli. When she saw him she smiled.
"Is everything okay?" he asked, grabbing a sandwich for himself. He bit into it. Tomato mozzarella.
She sighed and shook her head.
"It's Max right?" he said, not knowing if she wanted to talk about it or not.
"It's that obvious huh?" she said.
"Well, yeah."
They both stood in silence for a while, watching as the people in the party enjoy themselves. He hadn't seen a scene like this since he was the king of X games. It was nice to have people on his side again. From what Stacey had said, she had to kick out a bunch of people who hadn't been officially invited.
"He had said some mean things to me back at the games today- because I had been cheering for you instead." Roxanne randomly said. Bradley wasn't surprised.
"Max has a huge Ego. I know it killed him for you not to cheer for him." Bradley said chuckling. "That's how I felt when Jasmine switched sides on me the year after Max came. It hurt my pride."
"I'm sorry about Jasmine," Roxanne said. He could hear the sincerity in her voice.
"No worries. It was for the best. But you shouldn't let this keep you from having fun. I don't know why I'm being so nice today- he is my rival after all- but I'm sure he wouldn't dare be here if he wasn't sorry about today." Bradley said.
"I guess you're right." She said. "I'm so glad I ran into you at the library."
Bradley smiled. "Me too. You have no idea. C'mon, lets go back in and get this party going. We still have the sing off we agreed to remember?"
"Please, for tonight could you not say anything to Roxanne?" Stacey had said to him after Roxanne had walked off. "She's not to happy about you being here."
"I could leave-" he said, not wanting to cause anymore drama.
"No. She needs to see that you aren't just giving up. When she is ready she will come up to you. Understand?" Stacey said. Max nodded.
He watched Stacey go up to the DJ as Roxanne and Bradley walked in. He hadn't expected that nice gesture from Bradley. He hadn't said some smart remark, or rubbed the victory in his face. It was just not like him.
"Well guys! This pretty little lady here tells me it's time for the sing-alongs to get going! Let's hand out the mic's. Whose going first?" the DJ announced.
People cheered all raising their hands but it was Bradley who walked up to the DJ, grabbing both the mic's.
"It's going to start with us." Bradley said, extending his hand. Roxanne looked nervous but took it, smiling. Max couldn't help but feel jealous of their friendship. He and Roxanne didn't even have that. All because he couldn't keep his feelings on lock.
"What do you guys have planned?" The DJ asked.
"Play 'Dance me to the End of Love' by the Civil Wars" Roxanne said. Max's eyebrows shot up. Was she really going to sing? Could she even sing?
The song started, the calming guitar solo making everyone sway. When the Roxanne opened her mouth, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"And dance me, to the end of love, please dance me, to the end of love." She said, her voice so soothing he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Bradley was just as impressive. They both sounded professional, not a note missed. People started clapping to the beat and Max felt his heart drop. He was falling more in love with this girl with everything new he was learning from her. It was as if he had never known the real Roxanne.
"Oh, let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone, Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon, Show me slowly what I only know the limits of.." Bradley sang, making Max's skin crawl. He never knew this side of Brad either.
"Wow."
Cora had walked in, her eyes focused on Bradley.
"They are amazing." Max said as her eyes reflected something Max knew too well.
"They're more than amazing." She said, watching as Roxanne and Bradley slowly ended the song.
Loud cheers began to erupt from the party, and Max could help but hop over to the DJ.
" I want a turn." He told the DJ, looking over at Roxanne.
"We have a whole line of people waiting." The DJ said.
"Let him have a go. It's okay Don." Bradley said, handing the mic to Max.
"Thanks man." Max said. Bradley nodded and went back into the cheering crowd. Max what are you getting yourself into? He thought as he whispered the name of the song to Don.
"Yo, Go ahead MAXXX!" Bobby said, throwing his fist in the air. "Show em!"
"Good luck dude!" PJ said, slapping him on the back. The rest of the party got silent as he held on to the mic awkwardly, not knowing if he could do this again. He looked over at Roxanne, her face worried.
Roxanne couldn't believe Max was going to sing. She had remembered what he had said their senior year. He was never going to sing after that whole powerline fiasco he pulled their freshman year. And back then he wasn't even singing she had told him. It was all lip sync.
So when 'EYE to EYE' by Powerline began to play, she felt her heart stop. He had played this song for her the day he had asked her out to be his girlfriend. Why did he have to sing this song? Could he sing?
"I got myself a notion, One I know that you'll understand, to set the world in motion, By reaching out for each other's hand. Maybe we'll discover what we should have known all along, One way or another, together's where we both belong."
The crowd at the party was going crazy as Max killed the song. He sounded just like Powerline. She couldn't believe it. People were beginning to dance to the all knowing dance moves that came with the song. Max couldn't really dance because of his injuries, but his stage presence was just as she had remembered it back in freshman year.
His eyes never left hers. He wanted her to know that he was singing for her. He chose this song because he wanted her to know how he felt. Damn if only he could dance, he would show all of them who Max Goof really was. He hadn't felt this comfortable in years. He had forgotten how much he loved to do this.
"And maybe love is the reason why, for the first time ever, we're seeing it Eye to Eye"
He went up to her, knowing that this part of the song is what he wanted her to hear, if she listened to any part at all. She blushed as he got closer, and he smiled, gripping the mic tighter.
"If a wall should come between us, to high to climb, to hard to break through, I know that love will lead us, And find a way to bring me to you, So don't be in a hurry. Think before you count us out. You don't have to worry, I won't ever let you down..."
He noticed her hands tremble and a smile broke from her. She began laughing.
"For the first time-" he began and heard another voice join him.
"SEEING IT EYE TO EYEEEEEE." Roxanne had sang, ripping the solo that one woman had in the song. Max couldn't believe it. This couldn't have gone any more perfect. They both ended the song, and when it ended, she threw her arms around him.