The Bus Stop

17: Secrets

  A/N: Song attached to this chapter is, Skinny Love by Birdy.

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  Due to the current situation happening in a matter of only two minutes, I was unable to tell whether my hurt was directed at Piper and Max being together, or the fact that he didn't tell me about his relationship. 

  Honestly, I had no right to be upset, for all I know this could be something spontaneous and new.  Perhaps Max had been meaning to tell me and just got so caught up with exams and college applications that it had completely slipped his mind.  I get that and I can understand that but it doesn't add up.

  Josh was so persistent that I just went home after school and his desperation made me now think that perhaps he knew and maybe he was preventing me from finding out.  Maybe Max told him to keep me away, so he could spend his time alone with Piper.  Regardless to the reason, it still hurt. After all, he was the one who taught me that suffering was suffering and the reasons behind it were irrelevant, for someone was hurting no matter how extreme.

  Deciding to confront the matter at hand, I began hastily sauntering down the stairs, reaching the ground floor and walking through the front door.  Max was still kissing Piper as I made my way over to Luke's car but he pulled away when he heard my resounding footsteps.

  I glanced aside briefly as Josh, who was looking at me with a careful expression as if I was a ticking time bomb on the verge of exploding.  If sibling telepathy was a thing between him and I, I would of told him to calm down.  I wasn't going to let my hurt and anger get the best of me, for all Max knew was that he was my best friend and nothing more.

"I didn't know you two where together," I simply stated, gesturing my hands towards the two.

  Max offered me a sheepish grin, "surprise?"

  It was one thing to assume something and it was a whole new thing entirely to know something for absolute certain.  I didn't want to be jealous.  It was a privilege in itself to be apart of Max Elliot's life, but sometimes I longed for more than that.  I wanted to feel his lips against mine, I wanted to hear him tell me that he loved me, I wanted to go on surprise dates and I wanted to be with him.  And now I'll never get that chance, because Piper has him and I'm too much of a coward to tell Max how I feel before we go off to college.

  I took a step closer to him. "Max." It came out more like a mumble than an exclamation though.

Piper sent me a knowing smile. "Don't worry, Clara," she said pleasantly, "I have no intentions of stealing your friend away from you."

"What?" I asked. "I'm not at all worried that you would do that."

"Well good," Piper said. She looked up at Max and gave him a sweet smile and it would of been pleasant if it wasn't for the recognition it held. It was the same numb, loveless smile that my mother gave me on a weekly basis. It only fuelled the growing anger inside of me, causing me to instinctively glare at her. Piper didn't even like Max and it was obvious that she was just clinging onto him for some of her own beneficial reasons.

"Yeah, uh, Clara," Max started as he scratched the back of his neck, "you're okay with me going out with Piper, yeah?"

  "Why wouldn't I be?"  I snapped.  Realizing I was being unfair, I took a deep breath and smiled.  "I like you, Piper.  You're smart and pretty and as long as you'll treat Max right, I don't have a problem in the slightest."