Somewhere Only We Know

II - Burden

Third Person

Max woke up to a loud banging on her door. As she got up to answer it, her sister Diane messaged her, saying, "Don't open the door. It's Jesse, and he wants you to move to New York with him." Max picked up her phone to respond to Diane.

A deep voice shouts from the other side of the door. "Miss Davidson, please open the door before we have to kick it down. You are living alone illegally as a minor."

Max quietly typed on her phone, "Dude help me pls. There's a man outside tryna take me away. I think he's from child services or some shit. COME HERE NOW PLS."

The man stood outside the door, his voice firm yet reassuring as he repeated, "Maxine Davidson, please open this door. I'm Agent Fisher, and I assure you, I mean you no harm." He paused, glancing down the hallway as if expecting company, then continued, "I have full consent from your brother, Jesse Davidson, to be here. I have the authority to take you to the New York Maryvale Guild. However," he added with a warm tone, "your wonderful brother is more than happy to take you home with him."  Like the child she is, Max giggled after hearing the man's name, completely ignoring the mention of her brother whom she had lost contact with for years.

A notification chimed on her phone, drawing her attention. She glanced down at the screen to read the message: "On my way right now. Don't make any noise, you little shit."  A small smile crept onto Max's face. As the minutes ticked by, the tension in the room began to build, and the man sent another message to reinforce his earlier warning. However, before he could finish, a woman's voice suddenly interrupted him, cutting through the air. "Excuse me, sir. What are you doing in front of my apartment?"

"Are you Maxine Davidson?"

There was silence for a whole minute until the woman outside laughed frantically after saying "Hell, no!"

Max couldn't understand what was happening so she hid behind her couch, propping the frying pan she took.

She hears a loud thud, then keys wiggling into the door knob. Max quickly grabbed a dull knife and a frying pan from her kitchen. When the door opened, she immediately threw the pan and whoever she hit fell on their ass.

The woman shouts in a worried voice. "Max? Are you okay?" Max was so confused. This woman didn't look or sound like Diane.

"Max! It's Micaela."

Max gasps and drops the dull knife. She falls on the floor and tears fall down her cheeks.

"Chase, get the fuck up and deal with the man on the floor."

Mica runs to Max and wipes her face. "Are you okay? I can't believe Jesse would go that far. That piece of shit needs to learn he's as irrelevant to us as Dad is. Are you okay, though?" Max stays silent, trying to understand the situation.

"It's okay, Max. You're okay. I'm here with you. No one's gonna hurt you."

"Dealt with the Fisherman. Put him in a Janitor's closet. Hey, Em. You okay?" Chase asks. "Got a bunch of snot and shit on your face." Max nods and grabs an ice pack from the freezer to give to Chase.

"Thanks, Em. Some bitch threw a pan at me and I'm pretty sure they broke my fuckin' nose."

Mica glares at Chase.

"Why are you guys here?"

"Well, Diane called and told me to get here as soon as possible. I guess she knew we were just a few blocks away."

An hour later Diane finally arrives.

"Sorry, I was in the middle of mattress shopping when I found out about Jesse's plan."

Chase smiles brightly, looking at Diane. "Hey, Didi. Long time no see!"

"Don't you ever call me that again, Chase. We're not kids anymore."

Max goes into her room.

"We just saved her ass and we get the silent treatment?" Diane quietly argues.

"We? You're an hour late. Me and Chase saved her. Not you 'cause you were too busy mattress shopping." Mica responds while laughing sarcastically.

"Guys, I think we should loosen up a little. We don't know what Jesse Boys' next plan is. He might send another child services guy here. I think we should just chill here for a bit and keep Em company."

Max aggressively opens the bedroom door, "I'm safe, you guys. Go home."

"No. You are not safe. Are you crazy, Max? You need adult supervision." Diane shouts as she stomps toward Max.

"Hey, hey! Guys, let's not cause another problem here, alright? Calm down, Diane." Chase stands in front of Max and pushes Diane away lightly.

"I'm safe. Thanks a lot for showing up an hour late to save me. But, I don't need you, Chase, or Mica. I'm safe as hell. Got it? I have Dad's gun under my desk. If Jesse sends one of his guys here again. I'll be prepared. Now go. I'm fine, I promise. I'll call if I need help. But, for now, just leave me alone, please."

"You're a minor, god damn it! We are not leaving until you're safe." Mica shouts.

"That's where you're wrong, Mica." Chase follows up.

"Finally someone gets it," Max states.

"Max is technically an 18-year-old this year. So she isn't a minor anymore."

"Okay, whatever. But that's in a month. And it's not like Jesse's gonna wait another month to send child services here again. Are we going to wait for that?" Mica follows Chase's argument.

"Oh my God. Which is why we should probably just give her to Jesse. Hello? Is anyone in this room thinking?" Diane looks around. "She's been a burden our whole life which is why Dad won't take her back and why Mom keeps leaving for other countries for quote-on-quote jobs. And I don't plan on wasting my 20s on her when I already wasted my childhood on her. She and Jesse match anyway. They're both a bunch of trouble-makers." Everyone stays quiet for a while.

"So you've been planning on giving me up to Jesse? Did you know he was going to send someone here to take me?"

YO YO, WHAT'S GOOD CHAT WELCOME BACK. I revised it a tiny bit lol.

word count is 1050.