BellyAche (Elmax)

1

One:

max mayfield cleared her lunch plate and headed off to the courts to ride her skateboard. it was the only time she could since at home her brother was constantly 'up her ads' for everything: chores mostly. max jumped on her skateboard and decided she would just ride today. no crazy tricks, especially since she just ate lunch and didn't want to throw it up.

"hey max." max heard her friend anne say.

"sup anne?" she asked.

"nothing really. laying low on the board today?"

"yep. where's mike?"

anne was dating mike wheeler. that's actually how max met anne. well honestly they weren't even dating. max had met mike through dustin henderson and lucas sinclair. they both had liked her years back and she became part of their party: after begging mike of course. she was zoomer. then, a few months before sophomore year, mike started avoiding the party and hanging out with anne. he thought they wouldnt like her. turns out, they met her and loved her. now they liked her a lot, almost more than mike.

"no idea."

anne shrugged and left the courts, looking for mike as other kids entered the courts for basketball. max sighed of annoyance since anne started only talking to max about mike. probably because he would randomly avoid anne without warning. that could be irritating.
after school anne and max had their volleyball practice. max didn't like volleyball since it involved wearing short tight shorts and avoiding contact with the other team which wasn't her style, she joined volleyball for anne, since anne was a new kid and max was her only girl friend. she didn't know anyone else from volleyball. max decided it would be a great way to have friendly moments and more time together.

max and anne quickly got their shorts and tanks on in the locker room. they, as usual, we're the first ones out on the court and ready, they grabbed a ball and started volleying. after hitting back and forth and more girls exited the locker room, anne accidentally spiraled the ball away from max.

"it's okay i'll get it!" max yelled to her friend, chasing the ball as it bounced towards the bleachers. the ball stopped bouncing as it got very near and max looked up to see a brunette girl holding the ball. she handed it to max and max stared at her silently.

"here." the girl said and max snapped out of her stance, grabbing the ball.

"thanks. um, who are you?" max asked.
the girl awkwardly avoided eye contact.

"i just haven't seen you around before." max told her in explanation to the random question.

"i'm jane." she told max, still not looking her in the eyes.

"that's a pretty name. do you play volleyball?" max asked curiously.

"yes." jane replied.

"would you like to toss the ball around with my friend, anne, and i?" max asked.

"um. " the girl thought for a moment, "yes."

the two walked over to anne who was standing with hands on her hips from waiting long for max.

"this is jane. she's going to volley with us." max told anne and anne nodded as they made a triangular formation. max threw the ball up and jane bumped it up. anne then hit it back to max and the rotation continued. max noticed that the whole time jane only bumped and didn't use any other move. it was obviously fine but max at least knew her skill.

at 5:00 miss calli the coach dismissed the girls and they ran off to the locker room. anne and max started walking and noticed jane not follow.

"coming?" asked max.

"no." jane said, turning around and walking out of the gym, "bye."

anne and max looked at each other and shrugged, racing to the locker room to change into their comfy clothes.

"and mike wasn't in school the day before either. maybe he's sick," anne ranted to max after practice as they walked on the road to anne's house.

"i'm guessing so too," max agreed. anne got quiet and max looked at her, then following her eyesight to see a girl walking on the roadside like they were, but the opposite side. it was jane.

"should we say hi?" anne asked.

"no! it will seem like we followed her!" max argued. jane heard the girls and turned her head, spooked.

"shit." max mumbled, waving at jane and shouting, "hey!"
jane turned her head back around and plugged earbuds into her ears. that was rude max thought. the girls took a left turn as jane walked onwards the street.