Bathroom (Max x Bradley) - Maxley

CHAPTER 17

I could hear people fussing around me, but I couldn't understand them. Everything was in slow motion. I could hear the heartbeat of my own heart, which got louder and quicker by the moment. I was staring at the carpet, with blood. There wasn't much of it. Really. Just a few drops. I looked up and saw the crazy girl standing in front of me, with the bloody knife, out of it. She was saying something, most probably apologizing, but I couldn't care less. Someone took the knife away from her. I didn't see who.

I could feel a hand on my back. I wanted to turn around, but something wasn't letting me go. I looked at the ground. The carpet disappeared, and instead, there was grass. Confused about where the carpet went, I looked up and saw... Roxanne's house.

I could hear faint voices from PJ and Bobby, telling me something. "Max! Hey, buddy, it's okay. Come back to us. Do you hear us, you are not alone." But I couldn't answer them. My breathing got quicker as I saw Roxanne coming out of the house, with the guy she was cheating on me with looking out of the window, scared. I had the following conversation memorized. I sometimes thought about that day, wondering, if I would have said something differently. I came to the conclusion, that I wouldn't Change any of my answers.

"Max, it's not what you think it is-" she said, with no emotion in her eyes. "Really? Because for the past couple of weeks, you have been acting way differently and not spending any more time with me! And now this? Really, him?" I heard myself say, my past self. Back then, I wasn't even surprised she cheated on me. I should have seen it coming, the indicators were there. I just didn't want to accept it.

"Well, you are always out skateboarding, what am I supposed to do?! You got boring, Max. Just deal with it. Leave me alone, or the consequences will be big," Roxanne said, turning around and walking back into the house. From my nightmares, I knew how it would continue. And this is the only part I wanted to change since day one: I should have left. But I didn't. My ego held me there. She was my first love. First kiss. First everything. And I thought it meant something. And he did, but not to her.

I could see my past self walking angrily towards the house, to give her a piece of my mind. No, no, no, no, no... please, turn around. Please. No, no...

I could see my past self knocking aggressively on the door. No, please... Please, NO!

With the gaps, I found myself back in Bradley's living room. I looked around, with uneven breathing and a fast heartbeat. I hugged myself. Tight. I was almost there. The nightmare almost repeated itself, just a few more seconds, and I would-

"Max! Are you okay? It didn't come to it, did it...?" PJ asked me, slowly approaching me. I simply shook my head and proceeded to sit down on the couch, next to the frightened and confused Bradley. "What happened? Are you OK? Does the wound hurt?" he kept asking, still not understanding the situation. Of course, he doesn't understand. Nobody explained it to him.

Now, I could see Mocha standing next to my friends, worry and confusion also lining her face. She said something to PJ with a low voice, but he only shook his head. The other guests didn't seem to notice what had happened.

"Hey, freshman, are you-" began Bradley, reaching over to me. But all I could see was a big hand with a knife attacking me. I flinched and put some distance between us. "Please, no!" a little scream left me, and my breathing got faster. Oh, no. Not with Bradley. It was a reflex, a response to trauma, but he didn't know that.

The hurt look on his face and the way he slowly put his hand down broke my heart. I got sick to my stomach just thinking about how this might have hurt him. He just lost his friends, and I wouldn't even accept his touch. I stood up and ran to the bathroom to empty my stomach into the toilet. Then, I just sat there on the ground, not knowing what to do next. I put my head in my hands, disappointed in myself.