Red Hourglass : Dark Coming Of Age Romance Thriller

Max

Max bullied the weak boys at school and coerced them into giving him protection payments. He was always escorted by two big boys as he collected his money-and he was constantly swarmed by crazy fangirls.

I wanted to unlock the secret of his popularity and I began sketching him in class. With his angular chin, spiky hair, long sideburns, and intense black eyes, he made a good subject.

I was reading a book with the nerds in the schoolyard when Max and his gang approached me.

"I've heard about you ... Mary Summers," said Max.

"Who are you?" I continued reading my book. I was worried that he was mad because he'd found out that I'd been secretly sketching him.

"What? You don't know who I am?" He eyed me carefully from head to toe. "Sorry. I guess I should introduced myself. I'm Max. These two guys here are my buddies. Wanna hang out later?"

"Sure, why not?" I knew Anna had a secret crush on him in fifth grade. I'd seen her write love letters and slip them into his locker. But who was I to decline an offer from the most popular guy on the planet?

"Great. Meet me outside after school." He smiled and did a stealthy little fist pump as he walked away.

The other girls were all staring at me. I knew they were jealous. Hah, stupid girls.

The clock seemed to tick in slow motion the rest of the afternoon. It felt like an eternity. I couldn't pay attention in class as I daydreamed and feverishly drew on my notebooks-hearts, swords, and lots of other nonsensical things. Why did I agree to meet someone I wasn't at all attracted to? I knew I was acting silly, but the thought of doing something out of the ordinary excited me. I guess it was the thrill of the unknown, and being envied by the other girls was quite ... satisfying.

The loud school bell at the end of the day brought me back to the chaotic classroom. As everyone else scrambled to leave, I erased the scribbles on my notebooks.

I skipped toward the school gates. Max was standing next to one of the stone pillars, beside his shiny motorcycle. The frame and tank were painted metallic-white with electric-blue flames.

"Wanna go for a ride?" Max asked.

"That would be ... nice." I didn't want to sound too excited, but I was screaming with delight on the inside, like a little girl.

"Put this on." He handed me a helmet.

I took the clunky helmet and clumsily put it over my head. Max helped me tighten and fasten the chin strap.

"There you are. Now we can explore together. Let's go," he said as he got on the bike and put on his black leather gloves. He signaled for me to hop on the back.

I threw my leg over the saddle and climbed onto his dangerous weapon. I'd never gone out with someone I barely knew, much less ridden on a motorcycle.

"I'm gonna start the engine," he said as he used his foot to put up the kickstand and turned the key in the ignition. "Hang on tight to my waist and lean with me when we turn. But most of all, make sure you don't fall off."

"Okay," I said as I put my arms around his sturdy waist and clasped my hands in front of him.

Max gently turned the throttle and we rolled out the school gates. He waved goodbye to the security guard, and all the girls were trailing us with envious eyes as we rode away.

We drove along the winding country roads for a short distance, and then he pulled over.

"This is where I live," he said, pointing at a cottage. "You can come over anytime."