For Rylie

Chapter 18

A/N: Hello lovely readers! So you know how I said I am ridiculously busy for the next few days? Well, it's true. I am. But I had a FANTASTIC idea for this chapter at netball training and I ran home and came straight to the drawing board. Well, writing board. But you get it! It will probably be kind of short and will be filled with mistakes because I'm exhausted but I hope you enjoy this one and thanks for actually reading and voting and all. It means a lot. :)

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"You seem really distracted," August commented for the millionth time since lunch began two minutes ago. 

Of course I was distracted but I couldn't tell him why. I was going to have dinner with my mother tonight and I was thinking of every little thing she had done when I was younger, and every little thing I could do to get her back.

So far, I had planned for Max to pick me up on his motorcycle and obviously ride without helmets to the dinner place. 

But then I remembered it was a fancy place - of course - so we would have to take a car and I would have to wear a dress. 

Ugh. 

"No, I'm fine," I flashed my best fake smile and he bought it. 

Ahh so naive. 

We strolled into the cafeteria and took our usual seats, just like every other day. I was still thinking of how to get my mother back when I heard a familiar voice. 

Uh oh. 

"Hey guys!" Brooklyn squealed, standing at the head of our table with a fake smile carefully written across her lips.

She was wearing damn high heels and skimpy clothing, yet again. 

Everyone muttered their greetings hesitantly. 

"So, can I sit down?" She asked, looking at Max with an expectant expression on her face, 

Max looked down at the table and shrugged, moving over so that he was nearly opposite me. 

"What's happening? I feel like I haven't seen you guys in forever!"

Aaaand I was already sick of her loud, fake, obnoxious persona. 

"Oh you know, the usual," Leah uttered, rolling her eyes. 

"The usual being you all sitting here and talking while every single girl in the cafeteria gawks at Max all through lunch?" She asked as innocently as she could, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder in a typically bitchy move. 

It reminded me of the part in Just Go With It where Maggie says 'Did you see gossip girl last night? It was so good," while flicking her hair from side to side, imitating a type of girl like Brooklyn.

"Yeah, right," Max scoffed, fiddling with the zip on his hoodie. 

Come to think of it, Max looked really distracted too. 

"Oh please, everyone is in love with you!" Brooklyn nudged his arm and I had to hold in my laugh when he slid away from her. 

Max shook his head in denial, looking more and more like the real Max, the one without the mask. 

"As if you don't know everyone is in love with you," I scoffed, ignoring Brook completely and focussing on the boy who was now in front of me. 

His eyebrow quirked up and he looked at me with a kind of half smirk.

Brooklyn jumped in before Max could say anything. "You say that as if it's a bad thing."

"It is!" I agreed, refraining from rolling my eyes.