𝐒𝐀𝐃 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋, 𝗃𝗃 𝗆𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖺𝗇𝗄

Chapter twelve

MAX WALKED DOWN . . . Her favorite part of the island, beach of the Outer Banks. As she was about to meet with the Carerra sisters. Her hair, styled half up and half down, swayed with the gentle ocean breeze.

She wore a short strapless burgundy red dress that ended just above her knees, feeling both elegant and carefree.

As Max made her way along the shoreline, her eyes caught sight of a woman from behind. A surge of emotions overwhelmed her, and tears filled her eyes. She couldn't believe her luck—Could it really be her mother?

With a trembling voice, Max called out, "Mom, mom! It's me!" Her heart raced with anticipation, desperate for the woman to turn around and confirm her hopes.

But as the woman slowly spun around, Max's smile faded, replaced by a heavy sense of disappointment. It wasn't her mother standing before her. The resemblance had played a cruel trick on her heart.

The woman's eyes met Max's brown eyes, confusion flickering across her face. Max's voice faltered as she tried to explain, "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else..."

Without a word, the woman turned away, her footsteps quickening as she disappeared into the distance. Max stood there, frozen, her heart sinking with each step the woman took.

Seeking solace, Max found refuge behind the shelter of a towering tree. The weight of her longing crashed over her, and she dropped to her knees, her body trembling. Tears streamed down her face, her sobs echoing against the sound of crashing waves.

In that moment, the beach became a sanctuary for Max's pain. She allowed herself to release the locked up emotions, the ache of missing her mother consuming her. The sand beneath her hands offered a small comfort as she wept, her heartache pouring out into the salty sea.

Time seemed to stand still as Max let her tears flow, her vulnerability and sorrow merging with the vastness of the ocean. The world continued to move around her, oblivious to the depths of her anguish.

Eventually, as the tears slowed down, Max wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. A hand fell on on her shoulder.

Rafe's hand on Max's shoulder startled her, leaving her momentarily speechless. She couldn't find the words to explain her tears, but Rafe's concern was evident in his eyes.

"Come on, let's get you home," Rafe gently urged, his bike parked nearby. Max nervously laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "No way am I going on your bike!" she exclaimed.

Thinking of another blonde boy who occupied her thoughts. She didn't want to complicate things with JJ. Or hurt his feelings in any way.

Rafe exhaled softly, not quite understanding her hesitation. But in a way he did, since she was hanging with the pogues all the time.

"I can't let you stay here, who knows what will happen?" he said, his voice filled with worry. "I will take you home right away, I promise."

Max hesitated for a moment, considering her options. Walk down the beach and risked getting yelled at by her father, or getting a ride from Rafe without hearing complains from her dad. Because Elom Perez always liked the Cameron's and did business with them.

She knew Rafe was right, and she needed to prioritize her safety. With a nod, Max finally relented. "Fine, Rafe." She grumbled.

After a pause, "Thank you for considering to take me home." She told him, sending him a small smile.

Rafe nodded at the girl, as they walked towards the Cameron's bike, Max's heart beat raced as conflicting emotions got the better of her. In that moment, her thoughts still wandered to the blonde boy named none other than JJ.

Max took out her phone from her bag, quickly texted Dahlia and Kiara in the group chat.

Pogues Without The Drama Queens.

Max
Hey, I'm not feeling well. Going home.

After a few seconds , she tightened her grip on the phone awaiting for a answer from the girls.

Dahlia
It's fine, get better!

Kiara
Yeah, don't worry dude.

Rafe placed his helmet on her head, fiddling with it as he tried to make it as safe as possible for the girl in front of him.

To be honest, Rafe liked the person Maxine was even though she hung with pogues. When Rafe was a senior, they got along pretty well.

And when they were together, they talked in their own bubble. Forgetting all the other kooks around them and their opinions. And just talked.

She then hopped behind Rafe on his bike, wrapping her hand tightly around his shoulders. Feeling guilty, she created some distance between them as they began riding towards her house, both lost in their own thoughts.

✩✩✩

The next day, JJ and Maxine wore earmuffs as he fired the gun at a teddybeer. "JJ!" Pope shouts. "What was that?" He mumbled firing at the teddy beer again.

"JJ!"

"That's what I thought, man."

"JJ!" Max and JJ turned to the side facing the dark skinned boy who had a grim expression covering his face. "They know."

She pulled of her earmuffs at the same time as JJ. "What?" He asked for him to repeat, barely hearing what Pope had said. "They know."

Maxine furrowed her brows in confusion, at the boys. "Who is they? And know what?" She questioned. "All right, chill, bro. Alright? They don't know shit." JJ tried to reassure him.

"Topper knows I sunk his boat." Maxine's eyes widened at the confession. One day she wasn't with him, and he did that? "You did what?" She all but yelled, brown eyes wild.

"How do you know they know?"

"Because Rafe and Topper posted outside of Heyward's and mad dogged me." Pope tensed as Max her expression faltered for a second.

JJ looked way too calm for his own good, "Will you calm down and get a grip, man? They don't know shit."

Maxine didn't know what happened, "Why the hell would you even think of doing that? I did expect it from JJ, but not from you Pope." She implored, "Hey!" JJ yelped.

Offended by her words.

"Shut it down, idiot." She told him, before fixating her gaze back on Pope. "I sunk his boat, because him and Rafe jumped me yesterday."

Maxine rose from her seat, anger bubbling up from inside of her. "They did what?" She snapped. JJ held her back as she was about to stalk towards them. "Calm down, princess."

She clawed with her hands, "Let me go, JJ! I will show them not to mess with us!" Max hissed back. As she tried to get out of his strong grip, she huffed as the blonde pulled her back.

Her back slammed back to his chest, "No, we already give them a taste of their own medicine." JJ told her.

"Guys." Pope cut their conversation short, "I.. they have cameras. They could've seen me."

JJ turned to his friend, "There was no power. How could they have seen you?" JJ calmly replied. "It's figure eight, they got generators. They don't give scholarships to kids who vengefully sink boats. It's not a good look on my transcript."

"Enough with the regret bro!" JJ interjected.

"They caved your face in. They hit us, we hit them. It's the law of the jungle." The blonde bellowed, "Sure tiger." Maxine snickered.

"Now, if any kooks come up to you and ask if you had anything to do with it, you walk up to them look em right in the eye," pointing at his eyes, "And..."

"Deny the living shit out of it." Pope told him.

"That's right. Deny, deny, deny." JJ repeated, "But just for safety, we don't go anywhere without protection."

Pointing at the gun, "Right." Before slapping the back of his neck.

Maxine scoffed at the two, staring at them in disbelief.