Oranges

Chapter Nine: Admitting

Maxx's POV

I hear a light tap on the bathroom door. I took that as a sign. Even fate thinks that I've done enough wallowing for today. I climb out of the tub and peer into the mirror. My face was damp and sullen, my eyes small and red. I looked like a knockoff, depressed version of a boy-scout. I looked dreadful, yet I still unlock the door.

"Maxx!" Lois exclaims. She gazes, looking me up and down.

"Are you okay?" She shuts the door, re-locking us both inside. Why is it when people ask if you're okay it makes you want to cry more?

I choke, my tears flow after I had done all that work to stop them. Her arms tighten around me and for a moment it felt like I was with my mother again.

The strawberry locks flowing into tiny ringlets trailing down to the maroon trim decking her form fitting dress. Her sunny wild locks were like Mom.

She releases and stares at me directly in my eyes.

"Who did this?" She asks softly, looking down she notices my pants were barley on my hips. I let out a muffled noise of discomfort reaching down to fix them. My long sleeve shirt was in my way so I shakily roll them up.

"I'm so sorry, I don't want to worry or bother you. It was my own fault. I could've done something about it, but I didn't. I made a bad judgment call, I tried to act like someone who didn't care. The truth is it's actually really hard not to care." I laugh, still sniffling and blubbering.

She reaches down tearing a piece of toilet paper from the roll handing it to me. I take it, dabbing the tears from eyes and the ungodly amount of snot from my nose. Almost comically the girl hops over into my mourning zone, the bathtub. Lois sits down looking expectantly at me and then the open spot beside her. I let out a ragged sigh and comply, joining her.

There was short but somewhat comfortable silence. I swallowed then I spoke.

"I'm sorry-" she cuts me off. She looked hurt, almost upset.

"Maxx, stop apologizing when you've done nothing wrong. Everyone makes shitty judgement calls, me included. You can comeback from this. You have no idea how many awful mistakes I've made and I'm only fifteen. My newest mistake was coming to this party, yours too. You do not need the chaos right now." She nudges me with her knee.

"I'm-" I stop myself from another pathetic apology.

"You're right. When Eva asked if I was certain I wanted to come I should've said no. When she mentioned that this wasn't like me I should've listened and left, when Danny insulted me and everyone else I should've stood up to him, and when Corbin wanted use me for his own benefit I should've said no." I feel the heat pumping back into my face. "I'm not enough for someone...I'm a pushover with no future."

"Life's full of should'ves and could'ves. But you can evolve, it's called character development. Everyone is so hard on themselves these days that we forgot our humanity." She places her head on the top of her knees. "You're only seventeen, don't fall into despair yet. First of all, that guy is trash, you can do so much better. Also, don't let people gain your sympathy and trust so easily. Make them work for it because you're absolutely worth it. Eva told me you can't afford to go to your college of choice?" She adds with a questioning glance.

"Sad, but true." I mutter looking down, further into the pits of hell.

"Try getting a job, saving up, enter some contests! There's an art contest that's going on up in Nova city! I can message you the info." She speaks brightly, hope manages to break into my soul.