✓ LET ME IN, elmax

THREE: FREAK

CHALTER THREE
( freak! )

-

ON THE CAR RIDE TO SCHOOL, MAX TOLD HER MOTHER ABOUT THE FOUR BOYS FROM LUNCH. her mother smiles in response, because max, for once, is smiling. she's been doing that a lot lately, even when she was cleaning the cut on her knee. max had a smile and it's all because people are finally treating her how she deserves: with love.

"see, i told you that you would like them, max. believe it or not, you're likable." her mother smiles to her and stops the car so she can get out. "i love you, baby!" she calls as max open the door and steps out, then waves.

"love you too, mom!" with that, max heads into the school building.

   her first four classes pass as normal. before lunch, she takes two english periods, science, and history. max was assigned homework in english, but all she has to do is read a short story and answer questions. finally, it was lunch, and the boys came back.

   "hi." max quietly said with a smile. she sets down her pencil and closes the packet. dustin has english after lunch, so max told him about the homework and explained what it is about. "all you gotta do is read the black cat and answer some questions about it. it's a good story, too, so i think you'll like it."

   she really is warming up to these four.

   lunch passes and max is nearly done with her homework (the boys distracted her quite a bit with the conversation), so max heads to math. she never did like math, but that could be because everybody in that class hates her except the teacher, and the teacher isn't even too fond of her either.

the girls and boys snicker when she gets something wrong, so she never raises her hand. the issue, however, is that nobody raises their hand. so, the teacher has to choose somebody to answer the question, and guess who she likes to pick? max. nobody likes max here (well, nobody except for the four boys).

the two periods go by relatively slow, but eventually, the bell rings. she heads off to art, where they watch some film about skyscrapers and fill in a paper, and finally, choir. nothing very eventful happens throughout choir; they play some acting game that max doesn't care for. will, who's also in choir apparently, comes over to her when they are told they can sit near their friends. they quietly discuss and giggle at the purposefully terrible jobs of the kids in the front of the choir room.

the bell rings, and will and max head out together. he goes to her locker with her, where she grabs her bag and coat, and follows him out. the halls are nearly empty, with only her, will, and a few girls behind them: greta, betty, and heather. greta's been suspended for fighting a few girls, and she's even made one go to the hospital (nothing major, just a broken nose). betty's a little wimp who does everything greta says, and heather is just there to look pretty. she's all talk.

max and will are talking about some nonsense that makes them smile, when max feels a hard tug at her hair. she turns around to confront who it was — probably greta — and will turns around in curiosity. however, it's betty who is standing in front of her, with the other two behind her laughing, and she looks down to what betty is holding, and her eyes go wide. she's got a knife.

"get outta here, fag." she says between bubble gum chomps to will. he looks behind him and notices the light of the gym is still on, despite the fact that there is no basketball practice today.

"i'm gonna get coach clarke!" he says, clearly panicked.

"please do!" max replies, busy trying to free her wrist from betty's grasp. "betty, i swear, i will-"

SLASH!

max faintly hears the gym doors open, so at least will's hurrying. her cheek burns as she feels a bit of blood trickle down.

"you bastard! let me go!" max yells. behind them, they here two steps of footsteps. perhaps it's will and coach clarke.

"betty, it's coach. let's blast!" heather says, running the opposite way.

"yea, no sh-" greta grabs betty's arm and runs with her, out of the doors behind them. "see ya, freak!" max takes a deep breath, despite the terrible pain from her cheek. she covers her cut with her grey sleeve without thinking and turns around. the two walks towards her, confused.

"max, you okay?" she removed her hand from her face, closes her eyes, and hears two gasps. she opens her eyes slowly, afraid of what's to come. believe it of not, she doesn't want to get the three in trouble. because then they would just come back and make it worse. if not at school, at home. if not at home, at the park.

"i think the nurse is still here. she can clean and patch that up real quick." coach clarke says. max nods, almost in tears. "alright, come with me."

"i'll see you tomorrow?" will whispers. max sends him a smile (well, an attempted smile), and nods.

max sits outside of her apartment on the climbing set once more. she doesn't know if jane will show up, but she just needs a break from her mother asking questions. she appreciates that her mother is worried, but she just would rather be outside. her brother didn't seem to notice, but he was busy talking to someone on the phone who he tried to convince their mother that it's not his girlfriend.

   max notices jane out of the corner of her eye and feels a small smile creep onto her face. it's been one hell of a day, but somehow this girl she barely knows can cheer her up like that. "hello." jane says, now standing next to max. wow, she's fast. "your face-"

"yeah, yeah. i just got into a, uh, little scuffle with some girls at school." jane sits down next to max and shakes her head. "ugh, fine. but don't tell anybody what i'm about to tell you. not a soul."

she sticks out her pinky and looks at jane, who hesitates, but links her finger to max's. she takes a deep breath. "these three girls pulled a knife on me after school and cut my cheek. this boy named will went to go get the gym teacher, otherwise i don't know what would have happened. i mean, i doubt they'd be capable of murder or something of the sort, but they sure as hell wanted me hurt."

jane wraps her arms around max and sets her head on her shoulders. "i'm sorry."

( author's note! )

this kinda sucks but whatever it's not too bad