Stay (A Mithzan Fanfiction)

Chapter 11

Riley's POV

After the small hike up the mountain and the deliciously plain turkey sandwich, we all hike back down the trail. I talked to Alesa a lot more, and we actually had a lot more in common than I thought. The return of the butt butt knights happened about 2-3 times, Apple made an appearance, and finally Tony Pepperoni and Earl the four-star chef. Granted, I was the one who set all of them off. Sure, it was annoying, but hey, let me fangirl.

When we reached the bottom of the mountain trail, I walked over to Max's car and leaned against the door, pulling out my phone. Max was off chasing Ross for who knows what, and he was the one with the keys. Red walked over and leaned on the other door in front of me. He stared at me, and I smirked looking up from my phone. "How may I help you?" I asked, and lowered my phone from my face. "I was wondering if you wanted to catch a movie with me later?" He asked, and I nodded. "Sure. That actually sounds really nice!" I said, and I could've sworn I saw some sort of relief flash across his face. Maybe I'm just crazy. I don't exactly know. "Great. Ill pick you up at five then and we can get dinner afterwards." He said and I nodded, smiling like an idiot. Was this a date? Or a friendly gesture. Sure, he's cute and is a really nice guy but would I want to date him? Does he even really like me? All of these questions flashed through my mind and I didn't even notice Ross and Max come up.

"Hey. Space Cadet. What was that all about?" Max asked as I climbed into the seat next to him. "What?" I asked, and Ross giggled from the back seat. "I don't know? Maybe Red walking up to talk to you then fist pumping the air shortly after? Does that ring a bell?" He asked with a hint of humor in his voice and a small smirk playing on his lips. "Oh that! He just asked my if I wanted to go to a movie with him later." I said, and I could feel the same small smile rise to my lips, but quickly faded when Max stiffened up. "Oh? What time?" He asked trying to hide the sound of his quickly changing demeanor. "5." I said and quickly shut up before anything else got worse.

The ride home was long and awkward. Max didn't really say another word to me. Ross just hummed to the radio quietly to himself in the back, and I just sat fidgeting with my fingers and wiggling my toes. 'Get a grip! You don't even know if you like him yet! chill out.' My mind was racing, and I couldn't really focus on one thing at a time. I tried focusing on tonight. To stressful. I tried thinking of yesterday. Too long. I tried looking at the tress and focusing on them as they passed by the window. Too boring. Nothing was working, and I was afraid that I was working myself up into another panic attack. My leg started bouncing up and down frantically, and that's when I knew it was bound to happen. 'Just breath.' I told myself over and over again. My heart was racing, but I managed to make it not so noticeable. I sat quietly facing the window but on the inside I was dying to let it be released. My eyes searched frantically for anything that would be even remotely familiar. I wanted to ask Max but I was afraid that if I even opened my mouth it would all escape.

"You okay?" Max finally asked after what seemed to be an eternity. I nodded my head yes, but it was pretty obvious that I wasn't. "What's wrong?" Max asked with worry laced in his voice. He darted his eyes between mine and the road continuously. I opened my mouth to speak, and it all happened so quick. My breath got hitched in my throat and that caused me to breathe faster than I already was. Max eventually pulled to the side, and Ross was starting to look worried. Max opened his side of the door and jogged over to mine. He opened my door and knelt down in front of my taking my wildly shaking hands in his. "Focus on me, okay? Just focus on me and your breathing." He said and I nodded my head.

After a while it finally subdued, and my breathing slowed back to its normal pace. Max stayed knelt in front of me though for a few minutes longer and Ross was still looking panicked in the back. Ross. I remembered he didn't know I got them and I turned around in my seat. "It's fine Ross. I..... just had a...... panic attack." I said slowly and unsure. He nodded his head, and leaned back in his seat letting a breath out. I turned back to Max and he was looking at me expectantly. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked, and I shrugged. "It's okay." He said and stood up, walking back around to his side and back to the house once again. Maybe I'm just crazy and I have no idea what I'm talking about, but he has been the only one who has pulled me from a panic attack that quick. I felt something towards him, but I wasn't sure what. I guess I would just have to wait and see.

When we finally got back to Max's apartment, Ross and Max both passed by me beating me to the door. I trudged my feet, and looked up to see a very familiar face across the street. All to familiar. I dropped my bag down on the ground, and jogged across. When I reached half way across the street he finally saw me coming. His face lit up in recognition. He dropped his shopping bags in his hands and met me half way. "Oh my god, Aaron!" I said as he pulled me into an embrace. "Riley." He said and I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. Soon Max and Ross joined me across the street and Aaron and I were both still embraced. "Riley?" Max asked me breaking the silence, and I finally pulled away. "Oh! Sorry! Aaron, this is Max and Ross." I said motioning my hand between the two of them. "Max and Ross, this is my.... brother." I said and I gulped down the tears that were threatening to fall. Max shook his hand, and Ross followed soon after, but he kept one arm around my shoulders the whole time. "Hey can you talk for a bit? I just need to get ready for later tonight." I said and he nodded, picking up his shopping bags.

Max opened the apartment door, and all four of us walked inside. Even though it has been a total of five minutes, Max and Aaron were already friends. Apparently they had a lot in common.

"So Riley. Tell me about Aaron." Max said handing Aaron a bottle of water. "Well, Aaron is one of my four brothers. Oldest actually." I said and Max's eyes went wide. "You mean you had four brothers and no sisters!" Ross asked and I nodded with a small laugh. "And how are you alive right now?" He asked and this time Aaron laughed. "We just toughened her up a bit. Nothing big." He said and took a swig from his water bottle. "I'll say." Max said. "So how old are your brothers then?" I smiled. "Well actually I'm 19 right now. But my birthday is next month. Aaron is 24 right now. My second oldest brother, Dylan, is 22. Then my youngest brothers are actually twins. Nick and Justin are both 21." I said, and he nodded.

After a while of talking between all four of us I finally asked, "So, have you seen any of the others?" I asked, and swallowed a lump in my throat. "Yeah! Well, some." He said and my eyes lit up. "Really! Who?" I asked, and he shrugged. "Well I know Nick and Justin live in Seattle. I haven't seen Dylan though..." He trailed of and I noticed that my face drifted down to the floor and stayed glued to a piece of wood in the ground. "I'm sorry." He said with a look of sorrow in his eyes. I shrugged it off, and turned my attention back to Max and Ross who was silent at the moment. "I better be getting ready anyway." I said standing up. Aaron stood up and strolled over to the door. Max was close behind him and they talked for a few more minutes. I walked into Max's room, and pulled out some nicer clothes to wear on the maybe-date-maybe-not-date.

I walked back from Max's room wearing a nice floral shirt and dark blue skinny jeans. I braided my hair into double braids and put on my favorite necklace. It was an infinity sign with and anchor in it. The anchor was made out of small diamonds, and this was actually the necklace I got from my grandmother last year from graduation. I walked down the hallway but stopped behind the wall when I heard Max and Ross in a deep conversation.

"Just tell her you like her already. If you don't, you know Red will definitely take her." That was Ross speaking. So that meant that Max... "You know I'm not going to do that. I don't know if I even should. I don't want another Brook. And besides, if Red wants her, he has every right to try and win her over. I'm not going to stop him." Max said, and I walked out from the hallway. They both froze in place, and I looked at them with suspicion, pretending I didn't just hear what they were talking about. "Umm? Am I intruding?" I asked them, and picked up my phone from the small coffee table I put it on. "No. Not at all." Max said and they both relaxed a bit more. I heard a horn from outside the apartment. "Well I'll be back later." I said and grabbed a small white purse. "Oh! And Max." I said and he looked up at me expectantly. "I'm not breaking that promise I made to you last night." I said then strolled out the door to a waiting Red in a black car.