A life less ordinary ||~~Elax/Elmax~~||

The lie

A/N 3rd update of the day, as usual please ensure you read the previous 2 chapters in order. Many thanks xx

"El, can...can you meet me early at school?" Max said over the phone, trying to control her voice.

"Ok" she replied, "Max?"

"Yes?"

"Is everything ok?"

Max closed her eyes and cursed El for caring so much. "Yeah, fine" she lied.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~*

El approached the school car park on foot, she had a strange feeling in her stomach and hadn't wanted to risk biking in case she was coming down with something. Seeing Max sitting on a low wall by the bike racks, her feet moving her skateboard back and forth while she waited, El smiled. "Hey" she said happily, "sorry I'm a bit late."

"No...no, that's fine..." Max mumbled in reply, not looking up at her.

El stood there just looking at her, not knowing what to do. The silence between them was awkward, it had rarely been that way before, even when they first met. "Have I done something wrong?" El finally blurted out, her voice cracking slightly.

El couldn't see, but Max scrunched her eyes closed, desperate to suppress the tears threatening to fall and ruin her plan. Taking a deep breath, mustering all the courage she could, she stood and faced her, "El" she started strongly, "I'm really sorry, b...but I think we should just be fr...friends" she just about managed to get the words out without breaking down.

Most people would have seen through Max's lie, the mask she desperately wore was practically transparent, but El was blinded by Max's words. "...what about everything you said, everything you told me..." El questioned, the surge of emotions she felt was confusing and overwhelming.

"I'm sorry, I think it's for the best" Max said. As she spoke she could see the effect of each and every word on El and her heart broke, but she knew she had to keep Billy away from everyone, her especially. Promise you'll tell me if anything bad happens... the words kept ringing in her head, I'm sorry, I love you El.

Max watched as El slowly backed away, shaking her head slightly in disbelief, eyes flitting left and right. She watched as El turned and started walking away, watched as the slight girl stumbled and righted herself immediately, watched as she sped up and started running. It was all she could do to resist the urge to follow her, to pull her into her arms and tell her it was all a mistake, that she didn't mean it, but this was the only way to keep her safe, away from Billy.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~*

"Hey Max?" said Mike loudly to get her attention across the lunch table.

She broke from the staring contest she was apparently having with her lunch and looked up at him, nodding slightly to indicate that she'd heard.

"Have you seen El?" he asked, "she left home early this morning but I can't find her anywhere."

She held his gaze. Since El had left she felt numb, like all her emotions had been dulled, "I haven't seen her" she lied, and she looked down again at her food. Her appetite had disappeared along with her emotions so she stood up and left without another word. The guys couldn't help but notice and looked at each other questioningly.

She avoided them for the rest of the day, luckily they only had handful of classes together so it wasn't hard, but she did miss seeing El who was in most of her classes. She was worried about her, regardless of what she told El she couldn't deny her feelings to herself, this was going to be pure torture. Closing her eyes, she let her forehead hit the table, how am I going to see her every day and get through this...