Yearbook Club. ||Joshua Bassett||

Assume the Worst

With the gain of a new friend-- Max-- came the loss of another-- Josh. Could I even rightfully call him that? Sure, he saved me from when Mason trapped me in a corner, but he hasn't talked to me in days since we had that argument.

In other news, Maddie and Charlie finally warmed up to Max. He is one of us now. I'd say that he and I are the closest though. He actually came over to my house the other day to hang out. My family really likes him, I knew that when he talked to my brother about soccer for 15 minutes straight, and when my mom and dad invited him to stay for dinner. After we ate, he and I sat in the living room and put on Clueless since he said he's never seen it. We finished the movie, which he ended up sorta liking, and he went home.

Over the course of the week, I noticed that Max was still super pissed at Mason. I didn't understand why, though. I thought that the Mason situation was over and done with -- I don't even shoot him a glance when we pass each other in the hallway anymore -- but Max still seems to give him dirty looks every time we see him around school. The same dirty looks that Josh has been giving me lately, guess that's something I'll have to get used to.

On Friday at lunch, Max and I were sitting at our usual table in the cafeteria before everyone else got there, I decided to finally ask him. "Why do you hate Mason so much?" He looked at me blankly. Maybe I should've worded that differently. "I mean... you totally have every right to hate him but... it seems like it's deeper than that... for you."

Max slowly blinked and turned to face me. "Mason and my sister used to have a thing."

"Your sister? I didn't know you have a sister."

"Yeah, she graduated last year." he said. "Anyways, not long before you moved here, they were kind of dating. He'd take her out and walked her to class, all that stuff. And it made me feel weird that my best friend was dating my sister but I didn't say anything. Then they broke up and she never told anyone why."

"Oh..."

"So time went by and he tried to get you to... you know, and I found out that... he tried to do the same thing to my sister." Max explained, finishing his story.

"That's why they broke up..." I said. Max confirmed my guess with a nod. "Wow, so Mason's always been a douchebag."

"What I just told you... I've never told anyone. My sister didn't want anyone to know, so you can't tell anyone."

I placed my hand on his. "I won't."

He gave me a subtle smile, to which I returned. "Hey guys!" Maddie greeted. I snatched my hand away from Max and scooted over to make room for the rest of our friends. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"You're good." Max said. Maddie, Charlie, and Josh all sat down in the same spots they always do.

"Are you all up for bowling later? We haven't gone in a while." Maddie suggested.

Max raised his eyebrows. "You guys go bowling unironically?"

"Yeah we're not like your old friends who go to parties every weekend." I teased.

"Okay okay, I'm in."

"Great! Does 7pm work for everyone?"

"Yeah." We all said in unison.

"Alright, it's a plan." Maddie said. The last time we all went bowling was when Mason was still part of the group. That felt like a lifetime ago.

Max and I agreed to go pick up Maddie and head over to the bowling alley. Josh and Charlie were waiting for us in the parking lot. The three of us got out of Max's car and began walking to the doors. "I have to warn you Max, I'm a professional at this." I joked.

His eyed widened, "Can we play in teams?"

Josh rolled his eyes, "We don't do that-"

"Sure! We've never done that before but it could be fun." Maddie said, cutting Josh off.

"Okay who's on who's team?" asked Charlie.

"Why don't Hayden and Max team up? Since they're basically a couple." Josh remarked.

Max spun around and faced him. "Nah, it's not like that."

"You sure? Because you spend every second together."

"Josh." I said, trying to stop the conversation from going any further.

Even though Josh didn't look at me, he heard me loud and clear because he kept on walking. "But seriously, can you be on my team?" Max asked me.

I scoffed, "Uh, you can be on my team."

It was Max, Charlie, and I against Josh and Maddie. There weren't enough of us to divide the teams equally, but Charlie wanted to be on my team. Of course we let him join us, Josh and Maddie didn't want him because they thought he'd drag down their scores.

My team was going strong throught the first half of the match, we were positive we were going to win, but then the opposing team caught up. It was all thanks to Charlie for the last strike, If it weren't for him we would've lost. When he saw all of the bowling pins being knocked down from his bright blue ball, Charlie stood frozen in shock as if that were his first strike ever. Max and I came up from behind and hugged him while jumping up and down. Maddie cheered with us, but Josh was too busy being a sore loser once again.

"Oh, of course William and Kate win.." Josh mocked. "...and Charlie, good job." At least that part sounded genuine.

"Look you lost dude, get over it." Max replied.

"You wouldn't have won if you were on different teams. But you just have to be around Hayden every second. What, do you like her or something?"

"I already told you it's not like that." The two were getting closer to each other.

"Then what is it? Did Mason put you up to this, huh?" Josh pried.

Max scrunched his face, "Why would I still be friends with that assh*le?"

"You tell me."

"I don't have to explain anything to you."

Josh shrugged. "Then I guess we have to assume the worst." He took a step back from Max.

"Mason dated my sister!" Max said loud enough for only the four of us to hear. Josh was silent. "He did the same thing to my sister that he did to her." He gestured to me. "Hayden is the only one that knows... or she was..so yeah." Max then walked out of the building, not forgetting to leave his rental shoes on the counter.

If looks could kill, Josh would be dead from the daggers I shot at him before running after Max.