Number on me

9. Altair

Max didn't remember how she got home. She just knew she did it way quicker than usually, and while crying.

At home, she saw she had over 20 missed calls. Viv, Beth, Katie, Leah, Kim, Jonas, Viv again, and so on. She hadn't even heard it ring. She popped a pill in her mouth, and then another two.
Taking two yesterday was bad, taking three was worse. But she needed it, desperately.

She didn't take the time to text her teammates where she was, or to text them that she was okay. She wasn't, but still.

She spent over 30 minutes in a scorching hot shower, a redness spreading all over her skin. A numbness set in. Max didn't know if it was because of the temperature of the water, or the three ADHD pills she took at once, but she felt calm.

It wasn't even 5 in the afternoon, but Maxine went to bed. For the first time in what felt like forever, she fell asleep in mere minutes.

Maxine was lucky that they had a day off on Sunday, because she didn't wake up before noon. Cursing at the alarm she never set, she didn't know if she should feel relieved or mad about nearly sleeping 20 hours. She never got up late. Free mornings were reserved for extra long runs or work-outs. She never slept in, but then again she never slept.

Deciding today was a happy day, she took her medication. Her last doses wasn't 24 hours ago, and way too big, but that shouldn't matter too much. She whistled while making herself a kale smoothie, believing she still needed to watch her diet after that pavlova at the team dinner.

Her peaceful bubble was rudely popped when she finally checked her phone. She saw the high number of missed calls and messages, and even saw a few pop up on her screen.
———————————————————

Viv
Where the hell are you? You can't disappear like that.
Please let me know that you are okay.

Beth
Where the fuck are you?
Everyone is trying to find you

Alessia
please let someone know where you are.
I'm not mad and I'm fine

Sadie
Max are you still coming?
I knocked on your door but you're not there?
What the hell Max.

——————————————————

Max's eyes immediately went to the last few texts.
'Fuck.'

She was determined to fix this mess, putting one little fire out at a time. She would go to Lessie's house first, to apologise. Then, fix things with Sadie for missing coffee and then apologising to everyone else. She stormed upstairs, forgetting about the smoothie, and put on some clothes and her glasses.

As she was waiting on the bus she would take to her teammates house, her phone rang. It was her surgeon.

In the bus she braided her hair, while thinking about the call. Moving the surgery two days forward shouldn't matter this much to her. In fact, it would help her get ready for upcoming games quicker. But, she didn't feel ready to go to the hospital tomorrow, she still needed to patch things up with way too many people.

After a buss ride that felt way too short, Max knocked on Alessia's door, with some chocolates in her hand. When Less opened the door, a surprised look spread across her face. Max didn't get to look at it for long, as Less embraced her in a hug.

'I came over to apologise', Maxine said against the taller girls shoulder, 'I pulled a shit move and didn't even check on you, I'm really sorry.' Less looked at her with big eyes.