Stephanie Hargrove was eccentric, and artistic. She loved everything - the littlest things made her happy. She was sassy, but in a funny way which made everyone automatically like her. She wasn't the most popular girl in school, not as popular as he...
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____________________________________ My black car screeched to a halt as I parked it just outside the arcade palace — the first place I'd now visited in the new town. "Wow, it's so much smaller than the one back home". Max listens to my words looking up and a 'seriously?' expression plastered on her face. "Oh well come on, red, it's better than nothing".
As I got out, adjusting my black - framed glasses and then my black jumpsuit that I'd been gifted by my cousin on my birthday last year, I felt the autumn breeze brush past my cheeks. I slid the car keys into my pocket and rolled up the sleeves of my white sweater that I was wearing underneath. The weather was comfortable and just the right amount of cold, but when I walked in a warm breeze enveloped me. I watched max quickly make her way to a strange boy who was stuffing his face with Cheetos, he must work here.
She questions him on if there was any good games here and he pointed to one that was called 'dig dug'.
She began playing it and I watched. I patiently waited for her to finish. I began attempting the game that my sister had just completed and it was actually pretty fun. I finished it as quickly as I started, and a rather fascinated look by max was shown to me. "You're really good at that." I smiled thanking her.
We exchanged smiles as max jokingly commented but only with a hint of seriousness because she was competitive, "I'll give you ten bucks if you beat me." I cocked a brow, shifting my glances between the screen and her. She smirked as she read off the screen, "well....." I snickered at her challenge but nodded. "Well, then. I'd like my ten bucks now."
The previous cocky expression she had was gone, replaced by a frown. She turned to look at the screen and when she saw 'Steph' above her own username, she pursed her lips. Both her eyebrows were raised and her eyes were wide with realisation, as I just chuckled at her face. "I got my ass beat at dig - dug by you?" I laughed at her serious tone. "I don't see my ten bucks anywhere."
"Alright," Max huffed, rolling her eyes while taking out ten bucks from her pocket and handing it to me. She mentally cursed at herself for losing to a someone who was bad at this sort of stuff. This was a situation she could've avoided getting into, but being the oblivious girl that she was, of course she had to. "There's ten bucks I'm never gonna see again." "What if," I started, with a playful expression on my face. "You could earn this money you so foolishly lost for no reason, back?"
Max cocked a brow and smirked, knowing damn well she wasn't going to let me get away with her money this time. "Careful, steph. I'm an expert at this game." I rolled my eyes, "Not much of an expert seeing as I beat your score, madmax." I mocked, as Max's eyes widened playfully. "Oh, okay. Save the trash talk for middle school. You're on."
"By all means."
And so the two of us competed relentlessly against each other, losing track of time. At last, when the boy who worked here and stuffed his face not so politely informed us that he had to close the place down, Max squealed with happiness making faces at me who had a contradictory expression on my face as of now. I rolled my eyes and scoffed as she stuck out her hand, signalling that she wanted her money back as I handed her the ten dollar bill.
"You mess with Madmax, you get a bitter taste of defeat." Max dramatically put it, pushing her hair out of her face. "Whatever." The pair of us finally got out, and the Cheeto boy locked the doors in relief.
Max waited outside while I walked towards my car, unlocking it. I turned to max, "come on". She walked over to the car and got inside.
I began driving and hesitated to say this knowing she shouldn't be the one I'm telling this too, "when we get back just go to your room, you know what he's like, he's probably in a bad mood and dads probably going to moan at him for it and it's just going to escalate, I know it has nothing to do with you, but you know what I'm talking about".
She looks down and nods, "hey, it's going to be okay, you've got me remember, I won't let him say or do anything to you, you'll be okay". Her frowns slowly starts to fade into a smile.
-
When we got home, she did as I told her to and went straight to her room. I make her a small dinner so that she's eaten and give it to her in her room.
As I walk out I noticed my dad in the living room, "what time do you call this?" He questions. I try to avoid situations like this but at this point I'm really tired, "I just went to the arcade, me and max wanted to check it out".
He seemed calmer than usual which made me relax a bit, "okay well, you know Susan doesn't like her being out this late, even if she's with you, so don't let it happen again". I nod and he walks into his room as I sigh in relief.
Before I went to bed I quickly went into Billy's room. He was smoking whilst looking out the window, "hey, have you eaten" I say checking up on him, I know he's 17 and quite capable of taking care of himself but I just wanted to check. He turns around a little tense from my voice as it came as a jumpscare, "yeah what did dad say to you just?".
"Oh just telling me that him and Susan don't want max out this late, but thankfully he didn't do anything this time", "he's so dramatic".
We both laugh a little and the thought of us starting school tomorrow crosses my mind, "right I need to sleep I am not having bags under my eyes tomorrow, night love you" I say leaving his room, he yells goodnight in response as I walk into my
