Blood in the Water

Chapter 4

I wait until my parents go to bed before I sneak downstairs and into my car. I find a hardware store that is, surprisingly, still open. I'm in the store when I realize a flaw in my plan; I can't kill Mike yet because of our argument earlier, that and that I don't know where he lives yet. After I leave the hardware store I head over to the gas station and grab a couple energy drinks, I don't feel like sleeping tonight; I can go days without sleeping. 

I sneak back inside of my house with out stirring my parents and head up to my room to think of  a plan. I need to gain my new friends' trust and Mike's.  I come up with a plan, it may be out there but its the best I got right now. I think that if I make it seem like I like Mike, in a relationship way, it might gain his trust or I could just ignore him until he comes up to me. Everyone else will just have to wait, I believe I'll kill Charlie last.

The next morning I put on a nicer outfit, ripped blue jeans and a flannel, with my hair brushed downwards. I find my friends in the lobby at school and walk over to them, showing off my outfit and do a little spin. 

"Looking good, Max," Charlie high fives me. 

"You know it," I respond and smile. 

I see Mike a few feet away with the popular crowd and catch his glance. I look him up and down and smirk. I return my gaze back to my friend group and engage in what they are talking about. 

"I'm just saying, Harry Styles could spit on me and I would be honored," Melanie is talking about. 

"Am I the only one who doesn't find Harry Styles hot?" I jump in. They all gasp at me like I'm a monster, I am, but they don't know that.

"What?" I ask all innocently and the bell rings. I find my way to my English class and realize Mike is actually in this class. He sits diagonally from me in the second to back row. He flings a piece of paper in my direction. 

Hey, I saw you earlier, what was that for? It says. He's looking at me now, and I just smirk at him. I'm good at the mysterious flirty thing, it makes all of them go crazy. He shakes his head and turns back around as I throw the paper back at him. It basically said "What would you like to know?"

"Mr. Killips, are you throwing notes in class?" The teacher asks and the class looks at me.

"I don't know, am I?" I joke and wink at Mike. 

"No more of that nonsense," I nod at the teacher. 

The next couple of hours pass by and I make it to lunch and find my friends to sit with. I sit down and hear Melanie talking about me.

"Max! Are you flirting with Mike?" She asks me as I sit down.

"Why?"

"I heard him talking to his buddies about how 'the new kid' is like flirting or messing with him, he hates that he likes it but won't let no one know." 

"Oh, is that so? That's news to me." Everything is going to plan, I'm getting to him. 

"Are you flirting with him though or just messing with him?" Charlie asks, he looks upset a bit but I pretend to not notice it.

"Maybe a little bit of both," I answer. 

"Wait, are you..." Heaven asks.

"I don't like labels." Is all I say.

The teacher in photography says that as part of our first project, we're walking downtown Seattle for pictures. We have to be back to school by the final period bell or we'll get in trouble. Charlie and I start taking pictures of the skyscrapers and of ourselves when we get thirsty. 

"There's a café just down the street?" Charlie suggests and we head towards it. 

"I've been in here before actually," I say and pay for the both of us, "My treat."

We go and sit in the corner by the window and wait for our drinks. We're looking through our pictures when the popular crew and Mike come in. They order drinks and sit down a few feet away from us. We get our drinks as soon as they get theirs, which is weird. I see Mike get up and walk over here with his drink as his friends watch. 

"This is for earlier," He says and dumps the drink on top of me. I stand up and grab the collar of the shirt and get a good look at him. He has greenish-brown eyes, light brown freckles and brown hair. He seizes up at my movements, I took him by surprise. 

"Not such a tough guy now, are you?" I say and release him into the wall next to me. "I'll see you later, Charlie." 

I walk out of the coffee shop, pissed more than ever. I take off my flannel shirt as I'm walking back to the school to grab my things to leave. I realize my undershirt also got wet with the liquid so I consider taking it off before I get in the school. I take it off and sign out of the school, by this time everyone is walking back to the school. They all notice I'm shirtless now and all the girls start giggling, Charlie just stares and to my surprise, so does Mike. I flip him off and get in my car to go home. 

"Hey, mom," I yell into the house. 

"What are you doing home already?" She asks as she rushes out of room. Her shirt looks slightly unbuttoned and her hair is messed up. 

"I had an accident, what were you doing?" I ask, skeptically. 

"Oh, nothing..." My mom trails off, when a guy walks out that is not my dad. 

"Who the fuck is that?" I say through gritted teeth. 

"My name is Griff, I'm your mother's friend." He says to me. 

"Mother's friend my ass, you're cheating on dad, aren't you?" I can't handle this so I grab the nearest object my the door and throw it at them. 

"Max, it's not what you think," My mom tries to explain.

"How did you even meet him? We moved her less than a WEEK ago!" I shout. 

"I knew him before we moved her, he just happened to live here and yeah..." 

"Does dad know? Will dad know about this? God, I can't believe this!" I exclaim and go upstairs to my room. 

Fuck Mike being first, I have a new victim, or victims.