Sweet Tooth [HS]

TWENTY TWO

Six years before.

"Max!" She heard her name being called, and she sat bolt upright in her chair. Her aching back welcomed the relief as for the first time all day she straightened up. She'd been bent over for hours, like some sort of hunchback, as she attempted to draw and re-draw sketches of a moth that Rory's friend had requested.

The brief had been ambiguous: "A moth" is all Rory had said to her, and it really didn't give her much to work with. But she wanted to make it good. She'd been hired as an artist here less than a month ago, and yeah, her work had been good - but this was her boss' best friend.

Harry, was his name. She'd caught a look at him here and there, sometimes she'd see him running up to grab his guitar in the break room, or occasionally he'd stand waiting for Rory by the door - but that was it, really. They'd never spoken. She didn't even think he knew what her name was, didn't think he knew she even existed, to be honest.

"Mackenzie!"

She looked around the studio, which was practically empty. It was late. Lola was done for the day, and Tyler was upstairs packing up his stuff. It was only her and Rory, who she saw emerging out of his office and walking over with a bottle of beer in his hand.

"Rory?" She asked, leaning back in her chair. "You alright?"

He nodded, "Always. Harry said he'll be here any minute, I just wanna see what you've come up with." He came to stand over her, peering low over her shoulder. Her work table was scattered with miscellaneous paper, pens and printed-out pictures of moths, and maybe to anyone other than Max it would look like a bomb had detonated in her little cubicle.

She'd always been messy like that, but it was just the way she did it.

Max watched nervously as Rory narrowed his eyes, and picked up the sketch she had just finished.

"This is beautiful," he nodded. "Wow, Max."

She grinned, all proud of herself. She loved when her hard work paid off.

"I think he's gonna love it, he-"

"He? As in me?"

Both Max and Rory's heads snapped up to the sound, and watched as this stranger, this elusive Harry sauntered towards them. God, he was sexy, Max thought. Fit fit fit. He was dressed in a battered-looking hoodie and ripped jeans, and he had a guitar slung over his right shoulder. His hair was long, nearly down to his shoulders and usually Max would have hated that, but God, it looked so good on him.

"Harry, mate!" Rory grinned, moving away from Max to wrap his arms around his friend. Harry hugged him back, then put his guitar gently down on the floor.

"This is Max," Rory gestured over to where Max was still sitting, trying her best to look all cool and collected in front of this adonis of a musician. "She's the one inking you up."

Harry nodded her way, "Hi," he smiled, and Max felt like it could have blinded her. "I'm Harry, it's nice to meet you." He reached out a hand and Max happily accepted it. When their skin touched she caught the smell of his cologne and she could have sworn she suddenly felt faint.

Keep it together, Max. What is wrong with you?

"I'm Max," she smiled. "Nice to meet you, too."

She looked up at him and it was sort of like she couldn't look away. His eyes were the brightest green she had ever seen and the way he was smiling at her, with these dimples and these full pink lips- he might have been the most attractive boy she had ever met in her life.