Escaping Maximoff

At Last

My body ached from the day before. The bruise on my wrist had darkened to a disgusting black-blue, prompting me to wear a hoodie to cover the mark, as I did not want Victoria to find out. I practically had to drag myself through the forest to keep up with the tall girl, thoughts of murdering Zach Davis racing through my head, as my numb legs stumbled over knotted roots. I wondered if anyone would actually care if he just disappeared – other than his parents of course.

Victoria turned to look at me, guitar case strapped to her back. "are you coming or what?" I looked at her, confused; she was standing by the side of a mountain, covered in a curtain of green ivy. She smirked at me and brushed the leaves aside to reveal a small cave. I shook my head in disbelief and followed the girl inside, swatting away the soft tendrils to enter.

The inside of the cave was mystical; soft beams of sunlight pierced through a small opening above, illuminating glistening stalactites that adorned the rocky interior and cast shadows on the smooth walls, which glistened as though they were adorned with diamonds. It was noticeably cooler than the outside world, and the drips of water, along with the soft echoes of my steps, created a symphony of ambient sounds. Holding my breath in anticipation, I sat down, the earthy scent catching in my throat as I waited for Victoria to say something.

"You just want me to play, don't you?" Her angelic laugh echoed off the cave walls, and I smiled, shrugging coyly as though it wasn't the thing I wanted most in the world.

"Please," I asked softly. Her grey eyes sparkled in the dim lighting as she nodded.

"Only because you asked so nicely," she replied, picking up her guitar and placing it on her lap. I expected to hear the warm strumming of chords, her fingers plucking and brushing against the strings. What I didn't expect was for her to sing. My mouth hung open in astonishment as her silky voice enveloped me. Her body swayed gently with the music, lost in concentration as her eyes focused on a distant point, too nervous to meet mine. I couldn't believe how incredible she was, her voice beautifully encapsulating every emotion and lifting me into the clouds with its transcendent melody. I stared in awe at the girl before me, too caught up in the music to notice me take in every inch of her face – from her freckle-dusted cheeks to the slope of her nose. Everything about her seemed perfect. It was hard to believe she was sitting in front of me, singing with such ease, as if it were nothing.

She finished the song and the cave fell completely silent, save for the quiet echo of the last note she sang bouncing off the walls. She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to say something, but I struggled to find any words to describe how I felt.

Eventually I managed to string a sentence together, invading the comfortable silence we had created. "I didn't know you could sing."

"I wanted it to be a surprise," she said, smiling shyly at me, clearly unsure whether I had enjoyed the performance or not.

"You're incredible," I reassured her, genuinely confused as to how she could possibly think otherwise. She blushed at my response and busied herself with putting the guitar back in its case, an attempt to hide her flushed cheeks. "Is that all I get?" I joked as we walked out the cave together.

"Yep. I've gotta see your drawings first," she replied with a hint of a challenge. I let out a sigh, and bumped into her shoulder in mock frustration.

"You're so mean." I teased.

"And you're impatient," Victoria countered, gently nudging my arm in return.

"What can I say, I know what I want," I shrugged. After hearing her sing once, I knew I had to hear her again. I was already addicted to her angelic voice. She stopped in her tracks, turning to face me.

"What do you want?" She asked. My heart raced at the intensity in her eyes, and a nervous laugh escaped me.

"To hear you sing again." My voice cracked as I spoke, betraying my attempt at keeping cool.

"Right," She said, her gaze softening, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her lips. She always seemed to know how I really felt, even if I didn't want to admit it. 

We walked back to her house in silence, just enjoying each other's company, not feeling as though we needed to say anything that hadn't already been said with our eyes. Victoria squeezed my hand as we reached her door – a silent promise that we'd meet again. She turned to step inside, but then, fighting with herself, she spun around to hug me. "Bye y/n," she mumbled into my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

"Bye," I whispered back, dropping my arms to slip out of her warm embrace and walk away, hoping that, for once, I could leave her wanting more.

I didn't feel like there was much point in going home, considering I'd probably just lie in bed thinking about the day, and the warm feeling that still remained from the girl's arms. Instead, I found myself outside of the library, the lingering scent of Victoria's citrus perfume causing me to rush inside, hoping I could escape her.

The tranquility of the library offered a safe refuge, with the musty smell of old books enveloping me like a warm blanket, and the silence – stifled sounds echoing softly as the doors shut behind me. It felt as though I was walking through a mausoleum, with weathered spines lining aisles of forgotten words said by people no longer on this earth.

My sense of safety came tumbling down when strong arms pushed me into a shelf, causing books to fall off and smack against the floor. "Well, isn't this just perfect," Zach Davis said, inches from my face, his mouth set in a wide grin. I struggled to escape his grip, but a second shove that winded me was enough to make me stop trying. I was screwed.