VAPOR

CHAPTER 28 - Maxine's new 'BAR'

Aaron and I were running down Westmanstreet as fast as our feet could care us which made me wish that I had trained my stamina while I'd got the chance. Now I was breathing heavily and I was sure that my heart would break out of my ribcage any minute.

We had been naive enough to think that we could catch the flight today, instead of yesterday night when we were supposed to and hadn't found out until this morning that the only flight leaving today was at 10:30 PM...which was just thirty minutes before Maxine's club opening.

Now we were terribly late and that was why we were in such a hurry, Aaron had promised her that he would be there in time. And something told me that Maxine had gotten a lot angrier about the fact that he took me to Ireland instead of her than he said, according to Aaron she had flicked her hair off of her shoulder and said that she didn't mind. But I knew she did.

A neon sign made me see black dots but when I finally saw what was written on it I sighed in relief. 'THE BAR' was written neatly in a cursive handwriting. Aaron pulled the door open and rushed inside, I quickly followed but felt a little awkward doing so. If I was right and Maxine actually had gotten mad about the fact that Aaron took me with to Ireland instead of her, she wouldn't be happy that he took me with now too.

The club was completely dead and only a lonely girl was standing by the bar, cleaning glasses by hand. Her black wavy hair was in a perfectly made bun and the apron she was wearing was light pink.

"Max!" Aaron quickly approached Maxine but she continued making the dishes as if she hadn't heard him. She put one of the glasses down on the desk before grabbing another one. "I'm sorry that I'm late, I totally messed up, I know. But I'm so, so sorry and it won't ever happen again." He spoke quickly and leaned over the desk as he tried to get eye contact with his best friend, but she silently continued to clean the glasses for the next couple of minutes before she decided that it was time for her to speak.

"Leave," Maxine's voice was cool as ice and when her eyes locked with Aaron's her usually full lips were thin as a line. He opened his mouth to speak but didn't have time to say anything. "I said leave Aaron! It's not the first time you run late but this night was so special to me and you knew that. I've been working my ass off for the last five years just so my parents would help me financially and when the time finally comes and I open my own bar, you're not even here to celebrate with me! Instead you're across the ocean with your new toy." My heart had been beating quickly seconds before but I was sure that it now had stopped beating. Maxine had made it clear that she didn't like me before but calling me his toy was far over the line. Aaron couldn't help that only one flight had been available today and I wasn't going to judge him for wanting to stay another night with his family, neither should she.

"I was with my family Max! I hadn't met any of them so excuse me for wanting to get to know them." Aaron said calmly, yet his voice was cool.

"You've had so many chances to meet them, Brandon has been to Ireland to meet them plenty of times but you have always denied his offer to come with. But now when this bimbo enters your life you suddenly find it so important to fly over there, the week before my bar opening, just because she hasn't met her mother for so long? Do you even hear yourself? This is not you Aaron!" She shouted. Maxine's cheeks where read with furry and her fingers clasped around the glass tightly.

"This is not Lea's fault, so stop blaming her. I'm changing because I've come to realize that I don't want to be the person I was before! I don't want to be the spoiled brat that lives for nothing, that's not me anymore. So you are wrong, this is me." He mumbled. "Let's go Lea." Aaron walked over to me and let my hand slip into his. I could hear his unsteady breathing and even though he had acted calm I knew that he was furious.