something about you.

Chapter 1

She really should have learned from Billy.

Some days Max hated being alone, but for others, she craved it. Neil had been screaming at her mother for hours, and no matter how loud she turned up her walkman, nothing could drown out their arguing.

She wanted to go to the kitchen and yell at Neil to stop. Yell at him to leave for being such a shitty person; a shitty father to her and Billy; a shitty husband to her mother. She wanted to scream and scream and scream at him until her voice was raw and her throat was sore. She had thought about it several times before but knew it would do more harm than good.

She wanted to go into the kitchen and yell at her mother to stop. To stop being absent and to start caring again. Max yearned for the mother figure she used to have, loathing the empty shell she had now.

She lost her composure when she heard glass shattering.

All her senses told her to run away and get the hell out. But she couldn't leave her mother in the house with him. After everything Susan had(not) done for her, she couldn't leave her alone with that monster of a man.

Max flung her door open and ran down the hall, observing the broken glass on the kitchen floor.

"Maxine, how nice of you to drop by. I've been meaning to talk to you."

Max gulped.

"It's Max."

"May I remind you who's in charge here, Maxine."

"Why is there glass-"

"Neil and I were just...discussing some things," her mother interrupted her, "Why don't you head back to your room?"

"Discussing things my ass! He's been shouting at you for hours!"

"Language, Maxine! Everything is fine, now please go to your room."

"No, mom, I'm not going to sit and let him bitch at you any longer! Not to mention he broke a vase during the little 'discussion' you had just now. And it's Max, not Maxine! "

"I am going to give you one chance, young lady," She knew that edge in Neil's voice. The voice he would use with Billy.

"Apologize for this little tantrum and go back to your room or there will be consequences. You will mind your damn business in the future. Do you understand?"

"No!" Neil grabbed her arm and the next thing she knew, his fist connected with her face.

"I said, do you understand ?"

She didn't answer and his grip tightened.

He punched her again.

" Do. You. Understand? "

"I understand," she whimpered, "I understand." Neil pushed Max away before rounding the corner of the kitchen. Max just sat on the floor, tears finding their way down her face.

"Mom-" She turned to face her mother, but she appeared to have left the room. Either the sight of her abusive husband punching her daughter was too much or she didn't care. Maybe both.

Max stood up and ran, determined to get out. After a matter of minutes, she found herself in front of a certain house.

The Sinclair's.