How Long Will This Last? (Maxley)

Dorm to Dorm

Max didn't feel too good about how things ended with Bradley the day before, but Bradley brought it upon himself, so Max tried to brush aside his empathy. Maybe if Bradley were to open up once in a while, Max would actually be able to help instead of just "making things worse". He rolled his eyes to himself at their argument. It wasn't like he cared really. About their fight. Or Bradley for that matter. It wasn't like it was three in the morning and he was trying desperately to get some sleep but was instead thinking about the one guy he probably hated most. Well, after yesterday, Tank might've taken the cake for that title. Max then groaned, remembering how he drenched Tank with a viciously hot cup of coffee. So not only was Bradley on his wanted list, but now Max was too. He hoped the morning would never come.

Meanwhile Bradley couldn't get any sleep either. The two of them were wide awake, lying in beds just one room away, and they couldn't get each other out of their heads. Bradley's heart raced even now, recalling the way Max whisked him out of the Gamma circle. A ball of passion swelled in his chest and tickled his stomach. It was true he hated Max so much he was passionate about it, and that fact was embarrassing enough. But to lay awake at night thinking about him was something he could never admit.

Max woke up with a start, his alarm screaming in his face sooner than he wished. His lack of sleep really hit him once he got up and tried to carry out his morning routine. His eyelids were so heavy he could barely see. Bobby only said something after Max ran into the wall for the fifth time.
"Hey, Max, you good?" He asked. He had yet to get up.

"Who, me?" Max said stupidly.

"If I'm remembering correctly, your name is Max."

"Right. Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't get a lot of sleep last night, I guess," he said.

"Why not?"

"No reason," Max lied.

"Really? You've been acting crazy ever since yesterday," Bobby said.

"I'm fine," Max assured.

"If you say so," Bobby turned over in his bed.

"Shouldn't you be getting up?" Max tugged on his pants.

"College is for losers."

P.J suddenly crashed through their door, causing both Max and Bobby to jump. Max hadn't even noticed P.J was gone.
"God! What was that for?" Max asked, pulling his t-shirt over his head.

P.J caught his breath for only a second before blurting out, "Bradley and Tank are fighting in the courtyard!" A wide, amusing smile was on his face, as if it was great news.

"No, waaay!" Bobby hollered as he sprung up from his bed, a smile spread across his face as well. He was still in his boxers as he ran down the hall. P.J followed quickly after.
Max stood there for a second too long before launching himself out the door and down the hall after his friends.

A large huddle of people circled around two students in the center; Bradley and Tank. Max was the only one out of the crazy mob who wasn't smiling. He didn't think it was funny, and no one else should have thought it was funny. He shoved his way to the front of the crowd.
It was more of a one sided fight than anything, not like Bradley had much of a chance anyway. Tank knocked Bradley to the ground, and he didn't do anything to stop him. He didn't fight back. He only got up again, and the process started over. Bradley had tried to squeeze out of the circle multiple times, but people kept throwing him back in. Now he was practically beaten to a pulp. His shirt was dirty and no longer tucked into his pants, and his hands were scuffed up from catching himself on the ground so many times. A light stream of blood tricked from his nose and across his lips, down to his chin.