LONELY TOGETHER - max mayfield (EDITING)

25. "Watch and learn, Carrots."

ROBIN THREW the brick at the stained glass rose, smashing it. Steve reached his hand through and opened the door from the inside, allowing them in.

"Looks like someone forgot to pay the electric bill." Lucas joked, as the lamp he just tried to turn on didn't work.

"Lucas, the door was boarded up-" Jax began.

Dustin turned on his flashlight, allowing Steve to interrupt the boy. "Where did everyone get those?"

Dustin turned and gave him a look. "Do you need to be told everything? You're not a child."

"Thank you." Steve deadpanned in response. Dustin took off his backpack and handed it to Steve.

"Back pocket." He handed a flashlight to Jax, since he also was without once. They all began to split up and look around the house.

"Oh, fuck." Jaxon breathed out, tapping Max on the arm and pointing to the grandfather clock that was parallel to the staircase.

"Hey, guys?" Max called out. "You all see that, right?" Jax gently grabbed onto Max's bicep, incase he has having another episode.

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

Nancy walked over. "Is this what you guys saw? In your visions?"

"I mean.. its just a clock, right?" Robin chimed in. She walked over to it and wiped some dust off. "Like a normal old clock."

"Why is this wizard obsessed with clocks?" Steve thought out loud. "Maybe he's like, a clockmaker or something?"

"Think you cracked the case, Steve." Dustin said sarcastically, and the older boy just gave him a glare.

"All i know is the answers are here. Somewhere." Nancy looked around. "Let's split into groups. Robin, upstairs." She motioned for Robin to follow her, leaving the four boys and Max alone.

"C'mon, lets go." Max grabbed onto Jax's hand, and he could feel Dustin, Lucas and Steve's eyes on them. She lead them into a new room, but then told Jax he had to go first. He shined his flashlight around the room, listening to the faint "Running Up That Hill" coming from her headphones, until the track stopped.

"We need to lengthen that." He pointed out.

"46 minutes isn't bad." Max shrugged, waving a piece of hair out of her face. "I think there are bigger concern. You don't have any music. Or.. what if by listening to this over and over I get sick of it, and suddenly it's not my favorite song anymore? Will it still work? Or will Kate Bush like, lose her magic powers or something?" Max finally was starting to loosen up, and Jax had a smile plastered on his face because of it.

"Don't worry about me. And Kate Bush? Never. She better be in it for the long game." Jax teased.

"You're a Kate Bush fan?" Max asked skeptically.

"Uh, now I am. She saved your life. Plus, that day we took El to the mall she was playing. Not half bad." He shrugged, walking over to the piano. "I bet I could play you a song on this old thing."

"Oh please, they teach piano lessons at the shelter?" Max smiled, but secretly she hoped she hadn't overstepped a boundary.

"No, but I'm a quick-study. Watch and learn, Carrots." Jaxon cleared his throat before pressing on the keys to the melody of Material Girl.

"I'm not admitting anything, but that wasn't terrible." She spoke in a tone of defeat.

"Told you. Jeez, thought you were more than just brawns." Her tape clicked, indicating it was ready for her to start the loop again.