Collision Course

Chapter 19: Stunned Silence

A/N: Ok Max's is on the left and Lily's is on the right just in case you want to know exactly what they look like when you reach that part. Thank you to all of you new readers and followers, you guys are the best!!! Plus you'll understand this picture later in the chapter.

The thunderous pounding against the front door came later than I had anticipated. It echoed throughout the empty house and drifted into the open door of my room, pulling me from the comfort of silence. Although I was granted an extra hour of quiet, extended by my mother's absence, it still irked me that I was being interrupted. So I immersed myself back into the world of fictional characters, letting my eyes skim the paper greedily taking in the pleasure of imagination.

The smell of clean paper with dots of ink made my head spin, the only focus in this world of twisting shapes were the words printed along crisp white canvas. It was amazing the way an author could twist an adjective and a noun into a metaphor that had more meaning that what was written. How people thought of different scenarios for one single phrase and got a paragraph of character description from a couple of letters. A single word with a negative connotation could lead to the solution of an intense plot twist.

My eyes skimmed the next paragraph, taking in the sentences sculpted by the author and transforming them into predictions and questions. It amazed me how easily I could get lost in the world of made up images and events, visually picturing myself standing beside the main character as if it were me and not them. I could almost see the muscular asian and his brunette best friend trying their best to survive while fighting for their other suicidal friend. They-

Another series of harsh, more rapid, bangs reached my ears and had me setting down the book in front of me. Instead of stopping and finally accepting the message that there was no way I was abandoning my spot on my bed, the pounds continued. As much as the noise gave me irritation, the reason behind it would torture me more than anything I could think of. Each passing bang had my annoyance growing steadily until it finally spilled over the edges.

The book resting peacefully in my lap flew off and hit the ground with a small thump, opening the pages and pointing the spine in the air. Hurriedly, I grabbed the paperback and tossed it in my previous spot before jogging out of my room and down the stairs. My feet slipped on the hardwood floor leading towards the door, almost sending me crashing into the brown wood. Luckily, I braced my hands against the cool board giving off a soft thump that ceased the endless knocks.

A shadow moved towards the windows on adjoining sides of the door, waiting for me to open the door and seal the curse that it wanted to set upon me. Wanting to delay the inevitable for as long as possible I pretended to gaze out of the detailed glass, put up so that no one could see inside. "Is there someone out there?" I yelled through the door, loud enough so that the pest could hear the annoyance and clear distaste in my voice.

"Knock it off, jerk, you know who it is. Let me in now or so help me I will break this door down and tell your mother it was you," They shouted back and the shadow crossed their arms over a large bundle. Whatever the object or, lord help me, objects were in the bag, I was not enthused about having in my house. I just wished that they were not what I thought they were, although that would be a wish gone to waste.