"I'm making this weird, aren't I?" (remake)

Why.

The wind softly hummed as it blew a cold breeze into Max's room. The streetlights outside were the only light source leaving most of the room nearly pitch black. Outdoors was quiet, the world was asleep. Everyone but Max. He lay there staring at his ceiling. His phone lay beside him completely shut off to not drag his attention. That didn't help. It had to be 2 am by now, almost 3. He's still awake.

With Neil, they skated around the rink a couple of times together until Neil finally used his two feet properly. It was fun but it had him thinking, thinking about that page he'd managed to read before the footsteps approached.

"Yes, but no"

So he is mad at him. Neil's silence was for a reason. He was unsure... of that reason.

Max rolled over in his bed to face the posters that hung all over his walls. His eyes squeezed shut and still, that sleepiness failed to come. That notebook. It pretty much filled in the blank spaces. The thoughts Neil had he so desperately wanted to understand whenever Neil paused or lied. If he upset him then why does he have to read a stupid diary to know that? It was infuriating yet it was clear Neil wouldn't clarify anything.

-

7:30 am.

"So how was your Thursday party? Fun?" Max inquired. He sat in their usual spot in the auditorium along with Nikki and Neil had just entered the building.

Nikki tucked in her lips a second. "Um. It was kind of lame, honestly. Parties on Thursdays are so uncool."

"Really? You're disagreeing with Ered on something. Shocker." Neil lifted a brow. "I'm not her puppet. I can make my own decisions." She spoke rather harshly. The other two looked at each other, taken aback by her sudden outburst.

"Are you okay?" Max put a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged off the hand and silently nodded. "Yes! We were out so late. I'm kinda tired."

"Oh. Are we going to the sleepover still?"

Nikki slowly nodded. "Yes, silly, It's a sleepover, Max. Just like how we planned."

"You sure? Nobody sleeps early at those things You sure you won't need a nap?" Neil asked.

"You guys ask WAYY too many questions." She waved her hands around as she huffed. "We're going to the sleepover."

"Okay. Damn.." Max mumbled.

-

"Nikki, are you okay?" Nerris waved a hand in front of the green-haired girl's face. Nikki bounced up. Her head delayed to process what she said.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? I'm good."

"What about E. R. E. D." Nerris spelled the name in a whisper and Harrison nodded in agreement.

"What about Ered?"

"...."

"Soo!" Harrison interrupted. "This lunch sucks, right?" The group, minus Ered, sat in the cafeteria at their usual table. Nikki left the trio again mostly to avoid further interrogation. Seems like that plan failed.

"The nuggets are so good though." Nerris shrugged. "What? No. They're kind of gross. It's mystery meat." Harrison argued.

"They're not..." She narrowed her eyes at him. Everyone felt the tensions arise. Mostly expecting another stupid argument to break out. Instead, their attention is directed at Nikki again.

"Anyways I was right. They are dating. That pink-haired girl dropped her off at school and I swear she kissed her cheek. Again, I was right." Nerris smirked and deepened her glare on Harrison.

"Whatever! You were right, so what?" Nerris nodded her head toward Nikki in response. Harrison let out a small oh before continuing to speak. "Are we still going to that sleepover?"

"Yes. Why would we not?"

Unexpectedly attention pointed behind Nikki. Her eyes followed theirs and behind her was a Max whose hand held still in the air, just moments from tapping Nikki's shoulder. He retracted his hand into his pocket. Mumbling a hello to the others.

"You left Neil?" Nikki asked. "Yeah... He'll be fine. Look, can we talk?" He confessed.

"Lunch is almost over though. How about later?"

-
Last period. Mr. Trunk's class.

"Alright, class! Today we're going to have a class discussion. I hope everyone will participate. I'll mark if you joined the conversation and you'll get points." Mr. Trunks lifted the clipboard with each student's name written on it. "Today we'll be discussing the issues with how we humans treat the earth and how we can better improve it." He lifted a marker and began to write down the topic of conversation on the white board.

"Whoops!" He hummed as he missed a letter in his writing. He dragged the easer across the board. Nothing erased. He tried again. Again. Again? He blankly stared at the bored. Eventually, he lifted the marker he wrote with. Turning it over it revealed PERMANENT marker in bolded black letters. "Oh dear.." He whispered.

Max sat in the back of the classroom with a huge grin plastered across his face. Next to him was Nikkj and she couldn't hide her snickers. "You did that to David, didn't you?" She pointed the question toward Max.

"I will neither confirm nor deny that accusation."

David's eyes immediately paused on Nikki and Max laughing in the back of the classroom. His smile was still at large. It barely paused him on the outside. Quietly he came up to the two.

"Max, Nikki. Did you guys switch my marker?"

Max gasped and put a hand over his heart. "To think you'd blame us before considering maybe you or another teacher misplaced a marker. Talk about a lack of accountability."

"...I suppose you are right Max. I could have misplaced it. Apologies." He nodded and accepted his defeat. "I hope you two will join our discussion for today's social justice class. Before that, I'm going to... google how to remove permanent marker from the board so this doesn't come out of my paycheck!" He spoke cheerfully of it somehow. He made his way back over to his desk. Sitting down in his chair the teacher pulled out his phone and google some attempts to remove it. The class took the opportunity to start their conversations.

"Soooo?" Nikki leaned closer to Max.
"What?"
"You had something to discuss with me? I'm all ears."

Max nodded a bit. His foot gently tapped as he carefully decided his next words. "It's about Neil." Her face completely lit up.

"You two practically live together. Has he ever confided in you something about me?" He questioned.

"Confided..?"

He rolled his eyes. "Has he ever secretly you something about me? Ever said I did anything? Called me a bitch, annoying?"

Nikki's enthusiastic face faded. Her blink slowed as if she realized something. "No. What? You're crazy!"

"...We never told you but we got in a bit of an argument last week. Me and Neil haven't even spoken to each other until this Wednesday."

"For real?" Max nodded to confirm. Nikki knit her eyebrows and pursed her lips. Max looked her expression up and down but put on comment on it.

"Oh.. Uhh. I have an idea as to why Neil would have an issue with you. Maybe he's just mad about that argument you two had. Hey, why didn't you guys tell me?"

She so obviously looked somewhat nervous. So, what? Everyone just doesn't tell Max anything anymore, right? These two were the worst fucking liars. He saw through them like windows.

"Alright." His tone sounded more irritated. Nikki frowned a bit. "Don't tell me."

"Max, I don't know. Really."

He slammed his hands on his desk. "Bullshit!" A few classmates turned to the banging. He mouthed a 'duh?' at all times. A few glares but ultimately they lost their attention.