VIPER | M. Verstappen

XX

Chapter Twenty | A Snake's Bite
2012

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"Did you got bored of your so called friends, now?"

Azalea crossed her arms and looked at her house door in interest, not giving the boy any of her attention in bitterness.

It has been a month since Max met these group of boys in his school and became friends, and ever since then, he's been avoiding her like a plague—only comes around when he's not in the mood to hang with them.

To say the least, Azalea is jealous.

How would you feel when your best friend suddenly ditch you for other people?

After a couple minutes of silence, she hears a small sniffle.

"Max?" Azalea uttered in concern as she turned and saw his red face and tear-filled eyes.

He didn't utter any word—just stared into her eyes. Then, as the flood gates starts pouring, he rushed into the girl's embrace as he sobbed. Azalea was confused, but nevertheless, she took the boy into her arms and let his frustration rush out of his cries—letting him have his moment before questioning.

Once he settled down, Azalea asked what happened.

"It was all fake,"

"What was?"

"All of them,"

Azalea held unto Max's hand to help him calm down, offering silent support as he gathered his thoughts. His words came out in broken pieces, tangled with sobs. "They made fun of me,"

"Said I'd never be good enough to achieve it."

"They were just using me cause of my name..." He uttered softly as he leaned into her shoulder.

Azalea's brows furrowed in concern, anger flickering in her eyes as she realized what Max had experienced. "I'm so sorry, Max," she murmured softly, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "They're not worth your tears."

Max shook his head, his breath hitching. "I was so stupid," he whispered hoarsely.

"You trusted them. That's not stupid, it's brave."

Max wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve, taking a shaky breath. "I don't know what to do now," he admitted, feeling lost and vulnerable.

Azalea looked at him with compassion, her heart aching for her friend. "You don't have to do anything right now," she said gently. "Just focus on yourself. Surround yourself with people who truly care about you."

Max nodded slowly, a glimmer of hope beginning to emerge amidst the pain. "Like you," he said softly, meeting Azalea's gaze with gratitude.

Azalea smiled warmly, squeezing his hand again. "Always, Max. I'm here for you."

After a few moments of calming silence, Max looked at Azalea with sincerity in his eyes. "Azalea, I'm sorry," he began, his voice trembling slightly. "I've been an asshole these past few weeks, avoiding you and everything. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Azalea raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Oh, so you finally noticed?" she teased lightly, though her eyes softened with affection. "Well, apology accepted. But you owe me big time now."