[HIATUS] Malls and Arcades | Max Mayfield

Chapter Four

「 "Are you sick of me?" (Lovers Rock, TV Girl). 」
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Talia had gotten out of bed that morning, exhausted. She hadn't realized until that very moment how much the other day had drained her. But it also gave her newfound confidence.

She got to school as she usually did and was shaking in excitement the whole way there. There was no way her thorough plan wouldn't work.

It was easier to find Haydn because she had come earlier than she usually would. She anticipated that he would see her and try to flee, so she cornered him. The surprise on his face when she did so was also anticipated.

"Haydn, we need to talk," Talia said.

"No, we don't," Haydn replied and tried to sidestep her, but she just stepped in front of him once again.

"Yes, we do," Talia argued, exasperated. "I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have pushed you like that. Especially when I knew you wouldn't like it. I'll wait for you to talk to me first, I swear." She had this whole apology planned to the core and, while it wasn't long, she thought it was meaningful.

But obviously not meaningful enough, because Haydn was just staring at her. He was looking at her with his brows furrowed and his hands resting safely behind his back. Haydn only did this when he felt really bad about what he was going to do.

Talia was surprised when he began to walk away. He didn't even look back at her. He just walked away and took what was left of their friendship with him.

Talia didn't understand. She was so confident it would work and it hadn't. She thought she had planned out everything. She hadn't even anticipated what would happen if he didn't care.

But he had to care, otherwise, he wouldn't have had that look on his face. That guilty look.

She tried to continue to have hope. To think that this would work out and that they were just going through a rough patch. But it was hard when everyone in the hall was staring at her now that she was just awkwardly standing in the way.

She would have broken down right then and there if she wasn't in school, so she tried her hardest not to cry as she walked to homeroom. She failed by the time she got to her desk and was lucky enough to put her head down before the waterworks started.

She would have been content crying for the rest of that period, but she sat next to Max, so it wasn't possible.

"We should have a rematch," Max remarked as she slid into her seat. Talia hummed in agreement but didn't lift her head. "What's up with you? Was last night that bad?"