Escaping Maximoff

White Ferrari

It was officially spring break. For a full two weeks, I was free to do whatever I wanted. Sam, Victoria, and I planned to meet at Victoria's parents' farm for a picnic and to watch the stars when night fell, an idea that was inspired by the unusually clear blue sky.

I sprinted down the stairs, bag packed to the brim with snacks and my chest full of excitement, almost crashing into Julie when I reached the bottom.

"Hey, what's got you all in a hurry?" She asked, hands gripping my shoulders to stop me from falling over.

"Just going to meet up with my friends," I replied, barely able to keep still, my whole body buzzing with elation. My aunt lifted an eyebrow, giving me a look that said 'are you sure that's all that's going on?' Julie was always really good at expressing herself without needing to speak a word.

"Don't you mean girlfriend?" Ryan joked, munching on a packet of Cheetos as he sidestepped around the two of us to go up the stairs. I couldn't stop my cheeks from flushing at his words, but I managed to hold on to part of my dignity by tripping him as he walked past. "Hey, what was that for?"

"Sorry, I needed to stretch my leg," I replied nonchalantly, stealing a chip from the open packet and eliciting a further groan from the boy. Payback.

"Leave her alone, Ryan." Julie by came to my aid, giving me a wink as she opened the door, offering me a way out. I muttered a small thank you as I gave her a side hug before making my way outside.

Despite the extreme weather warnings, the day was beautiful. The sun shone down from a sky void of clouds, bathing my skin in a warm light that made me forget all my worries. The rows of houses lining the streets stood in all their glory, their panted colours finally not dulled by the usually grey horizon. My feet padded gently against the pavement, moving to a swift rhythm as I briskly walked to the farm, which was barely a few minutes from my house. Sam waved me over to a corner of one of the many fields owned by Mr and Mrs Steinfeld, where both he and Victoria were sat on a neatly placed blanket.

"Hi guys." I smiled, plopping my bag on the floor and practically collapsing on top of Sam, the heat finally getting to me. I was relieved they had chosen a spot under a tree, where the shade offered a nice sanctuary from the relentless sun.

"Hey, watch it y/l/n," Sam said, holding a pack of Uno cards up to my face. "I'm doing something very important here,"

I gasped.

"Are you finally ready to lose to me again?" I joked, referring to the many times he'd refused to play the game after his incredible defeat.

"What makes you think you're going to win?" Victoria asked, squinting at me with her light grey eyes and challenging me with a quirk of her lips.

"Because I always win," I responded, hardening my stare so she knew I meant business.

"I think you'll find you've met your match."

"I wouldn't be so sure." I held out my hand so Sam could give me the deck, aware that we would all end up with cards of the same colour if I let him shuffle.

It started well. I won the first two games with ease, my head full of cockiness as the third game rolled around, but that was the last of my win streak. It seemed as though Victoria was only toying with us, having won every single game after that.

"Uno," the grey-eyed girl stated calmly, making both me and the blond groan.

"What the actual fuck," Sam exclaimed, running a hand over his face and then through his hair.

"Come on Sammy, concentrate," I said, kicking his foot to get him to focus up. "We can't let her win again!"

Victoria laughed at how serious I was being, holding her card to her chest as Sam not so sneakily leaned back to take a peak. But no matter how long stared at my deck, there was nothing I could do.

"It's all up to you, man." I turned to the boy next to me, projecting the weight of the world onto his shoulders.

"It's ok, I got this," Sam assured me with a wink as he laid down a card that allowed him to change the colour. He locked eyes with Victoria, as if he was trying to read her mind, eventually settling on an answer. "Blue."

Victoria's smile dropped, making both me and Sam cheer out loud, reaching to give each other a high five and completely missing the girl drop her last card onto the blanket – a blue 8.

"So what do I get as my prize?" She asked, forcing us to turn around and face the reality of the game. I sighed and flopped onto my back in defeat, the humiliation of loss burning away my pride.

"Okay, no, you're actually cheating," Sam huffed, slumping onto the floor next to me, equally embarrassed by our defeat. Victoria had thrashed us so many times that the sun had practically set, and the stars were beginning to make an appearance.

"Are you guys going to keep being sore losers, or are you going to eat some of my mum's famous chocolate chip cookies?" She questioned, shaking a box of the cookies in front of us, causing me and the other losers to rise from the dead.

We didn't have long to snack on the delicious baked treats before the sky was fully painted with stars. The inky horizon was splashed with shining white, a spectacular show of celestial power. The three of us lay side by side, enveloped in each other's warmth, as our eyes took in every inch of space. A small smile inched its way onto my face as I remembered sharing moments like this with my parents. They had always promised me that one day we would explore the stars together, that we'd go on endless adventures among the planets. That was before they had left me behind. My smile disappeared. I missed them. More than anything in the world, I wished to know where they were, if they were okay. Part of me was convinced that I'd never be sure. They had left me when I was so young, I couldn't even picture their faces anymore; they were just a mess of skin and a blur of bones in my mind – a smudge of the people who once loved me enough to stay around.

A tear escaped from my eye, but I wiped it away instantly. I didn't want to waste any more of myself on those people. They had already taken part of my heart; I couldn't let them take moments with the people I cared about as well. I sucked my emotions back in and tucked them deep down – I was determined to not let them ruin what had been a great day.

As if sensing my mood shift, Victoria reached out to me, her fingers grazing mine before intertwining with them. A breath caught in my throat as electricity spiked up my arm, heat radiating from her touch. We remained in that position for the rest of our time at the farm until the freezing night air became too much for all of us, and we eventually agreed it was time to head back.

I walked Sam to his house, but I couldn't bear to return to mine. I couldn't face the four walls of isolation and the prison of my own mind. I needed someone to talk to. So with tears creating silent tracks down my face, I headed into the woods, hoping a certain redhead could make my pain disappear.