freak show ➳ set it off one shots

bullying // maxx

/TRIGGER WARNING/

you are walking to your class when you see your boyfriend push a boy against a locker. as you got closer you see that the boy was maxx danziger. the openly pansexual boy that's your lab partner. "you're a fucking *f slur*," your boyfriend says at maxx. this was your breaking point.

"get the fuck off of him," you yell at your boyfriend.

"why are you sticking up for this fag?" your boyfriend laughs at you.

"austin, for the last time let go of him," you say to austin. austin lets go of maxx and maxx falls to the ground.

"and just so you know, we're through," you smile sweetly at your now ex boyfriend. you rush over to maxx and help him pick up his stuff that he must've dropped when he was shoved against the locker.

while maxx was pushing up his glasses you noticed a few thin pinkish-red lines on his wrist. "are you okay?" you ask, "and i want complete honesty."

"do you mean because of this or overall?" maxx asks you, "because this was practically nothing."

"maxx, could i see your arms?" you ask the boy gently. he hesitantly nods and you grab his arm. when you start rolling up the sleeves of his sweater he flinches. your suspicions were confirmed when you saw his arms littered with scars. some were obviously fresh and some were old just like the ones that littered your thighs. the scars were from seventh grade. that year was full of bullying. it got to the point where you attempted suicide. thankfully, your life was not ended.

that was when you were first diagnosed with depression. you were started on medication and went to therapy. you still go to this day, but now it's more to help get your feelings straight and less for your depression.

"maxx, you can't do this to yourself any more," you softly say to the boy that had begun to cry. "self harm may temporarily make the pain go away but it will never be worth it in the long run," you start, " i know because i went through it."

maxx was still crying, "i don't feel like it can ever get better though, y/n" maxx takes his arms back and wipes his tears with his sleeves, "i get bullied on the daily because of y sexuality, my parents are shitty, and we are in a terrible financial situation, i can't escape this."

"try music," you tell him, "music was my only escape when i was fighting self harm."

"i do have a drum set in my basement," maxx says, " but i gave up drumming once i stopped my lessons because they costed too much." he finished his statement with a sob.

"don't give up on drums," you say, "use them again, take all your sadness and turn it into aggression and release it by playing drums. i used piano and songwriting as an escape, you can use drums." you write down your number on a piece of paper, "text me sometime, and remember you're way too pretty to hurt yourself like that."

later that day you receive a text from a random number.

hey it's maxx

for the next week you and maxx would text and talk a lot at school. during that time you became much closer and developed a friendship. when either of you felt down you'd turn to each other.

hey maxx, i talked to my therapist and asked if  i could bring you so you could talk to her as well and have her as another outlet you could have to help you get through this, and she was cool with it. i have a sesiion with her later today and i was wondering if you wanted to come. i could pick you up and take you there.

hey y/n, sure i'll come

maxx started to come to your therapy sessions every week and soon he reached two months clean of self harm. though he was still dealing with bullying at school, he did take your advice and use music as an escape. he and his friends started a band called set it off.

today was set it off's first live performance. you were proud of how far the boys, that had quickly became friends with you, had come in just a few months. you were bobbing your head as the boys played their last song of the night. "thank you everyone!" cody said into the microphone, putting it back on the stand. the boys walked off the stage and high-fived each other.

you walked over to them, "that was amazing!" you hugged them all. after a bit more time just hanging out at the small bar, that surprisingly let a bunch of minors perform, they all said their goodbyes. you and maxx had driven there together so before you got in the car maxx grabbed your hand and stopped you.

"y/n, these past few months being friends with you have been amazing, but i like you as more than a friend. would you be my girlfriend?" maxx asked you holding both of your hands.

"of course i'll be your girlfriend," you say to the blonde boy with glasses that you had been slowly falling for.

"wait, are you serious?" maxx asked surprised. you leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips.

"does that answer your question?" you smirk at your new boyfriend.