Ripped and Stitched

23: Reality

Max was trying to calm down by listening to some music but it wasn't working. He was pissed at the thought of Alison at that party. She needed help and Max couldn't be there for her.

The music was doing nothing to help his anger. He ripped the headphones off and threw them at the wall.

"Max!" his dad yelled from the other room.

"Damn it," Max grumbled.

"What was that?" his dad asked.

"Nothing," he yelled back.

He heard footsteps and his dad opened the door a few moments later. He looked nice. He was wearing his good blue shirt and dress pants.

"I'm going out," he said.

Max had given up trying to calm down, so he just nodded back.

"Isa is at a sleepover," his dad continued. "There's pizza in the kitchen."

"I got it," he mumbled.

"All right," his dad said back.

Max continued to lay there until he lost track of time. Then suddenly, the doorbell rang. Grumbling curse words under his breath, he put some clothes on and answered the door. He was shocked to see the people who were standing there. Although at second glance, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise. He knew she would go to that party.

He sighed as he let Liam, who was holding up Alison, inside. She looked beyond drunk.

"Hey man," Liam said.

"What happened?" Max asked as he watched Alison stumble over her own feet.

"I don't know," Liam admitted. "She came to the party and got absolutely plastered. I felt like I owed her for scoring the drugs for us and figured I would bring her here, I knew you used to take care of her when she got like this."

Max looked over at her. In all the time he had known her, Alison had never been this reckless, sure she had gotten drunk before, but he had never seen this side of her before.

"I know this is weird, me bringing your ex here and all, but my parents want me home soon and I didn't know what else to do with her," Liam explained.

Max nodded. "Yeah, I got her. It's fine."

He put his arm around her waist and steadied her as Liam left.

"What happened to you, Ali?"

Max wasn't really expecting an answer but then again Alison was always full of surprises.

"I fell in love with tequila!" she sang at the top of her lungs.

Max's eyes widened, he was suddenly reminded of how paper thin the walls were.

"Shh," he said, nervous his neighbors would complain to his father. "Come on, Ali," he said, leading her to his bedroom.

She began to giggle as she wrapped her arms around his neck and then spun around.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"I just love my boyfriend so much," she said excitedly.

Max froze in place. He couldn't tell who she was talking about, or if she was even serious. He continued walking though and helped her into his room where she excitedly flopped onto his bed.

"The whole day I just wanted to come over and sleep in your bed," she whispered as she hugged a pillow.

Max furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Had they not just fought earlier today?