Oscar (bxb)

9.

Maxie had survived on takeaway food, meal deals from the campus store and cafe snacks but what he'd failed to remember to do was buy groceries. When he lived on campus, he hadn't had to do so as he ate for free at the dining hall every night but now he lived in a student house, he had to sort himself out.

How he'd managed almost two weeks on biscuits and toast was beyond even him.

Okay, he told himself, find the vegetables. What could he make with vegetables... Did people just buy lone vegetables?

Despite this new independent attitude of his, he was starting to realize he had no clue how to actually take care of himself.

Frozen food. He would buy frozen food. Fifteen minute meals. Done.

He began filling up his basket with frozen snacks. He didn't realize how many things you could turn a potato into but he was excited to try every single one. After all, potatoes were healthy, right?

Once was nothing. Twice was a coincidence. Three times was a joke but four, five and six were proof that the universe was playing some cruel and twisted game.

When he closed the cooler fridge door, he found Oscar pulling out a six pack of beers out of another fridge.

They assessed each other.

"Hello," he attempted cheerily. The attempt was all that mattered.

"Hi."

"Looks like one filling dinner you got yourself there," Maxie said, nodding towards the beer, stepping forward towards him.

"You were sick outside a club the first night I met you. Can you really afford to judge?"

Maxie tried to find the humor in that but the joke fell flat. If it was a joke at all.

Oscar rolled his eyes slightly, shaking his head. He turned to go.

"Wait," Maxie said, turning to him again.

Oscar came to a halt in his tracks and turned. The look he sent Maxie's way was impatient.

"Are we okay or..?"

"There isn't a we. I don't know you."

Definitely not, then.

"Do you have a problem with me or something?"

Oscar scoffed. "Other than the fact that you don't mind your own business?"

Maxie's face scrunched with confusion and hurt. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you know that you're around every corner. Its like you're following me around or something."

"I don't mean it that way," Maxie explained, honestly. "I'm genuinely not trying to do anything like that."

"Its weird. Its like you're obsessed with me, trying to force yourself onto my own shit."

Concern crossed his face. "Is this about the other night?"

"You see what you're doing? You're trying cause this shit that doesn't exist. You need to fucking back off."

Maxie was not an angry person. When he was told off he normally took every bit of what was being said. He usually felt like if the other person had a reason to feel the way they did, they were probably right. But no. Not this.

"Are you hearing yourself? Do you realize how self absorbed you sound?"

"Do you realize how weird you seem? You're too much." His voice rose somewhat and he caught himself with a deep breath.

Maxie's body stiffened, tense and fueled. He was struggling to contain it all.

"Listen, you need to stop taking whatever is going on out on me."

Oscar smirked. "Do you think you're some kind of psychologist? Trying to get me talk to you or whatever."

"No, I'm a human with empathy who can call bullshit when he's being unfairly treated."

"Do you have some sort of crush on me, is that it?"

Wow.

"What did you just say?" Maxie was almost too loud. He'd attracted the eye of another customer who glanced over hesitantly and wandered off.

"You've been acting like this since I walked you home. I was nice to you because I felt sorry for you. Okay?"

You know what, he wasn't about to get angry. This boy was one delusional, self-centered asshole and reacting to him would only give fuel to the fire he was starting to light.

Maxie walked past Oscar and went to the self-check out service.

He knew that whatever that boy had said to him, none of it was true, but it stung nevertheless. He couldn't help but find himself in the mindset of thinking, what if I did do something wrong? Even in all his certainty, he still tried to find where he went wrong. He couldn't do this again.

He couldn't even find a way to see it from Oscar's point of few. No matter how weird these coincidences were, there was no justification for acting that way. He wasn't going to hate himself for that prick.

Easier said than done.

He found himself trying to distract himself from the bubbling anxiety inside of him with blocking out all thoughts at all.

No feelings was better than bad feelings, after all.

He kept them all bottled up until he got in. He headed straight for his room. He'd dumped the shopping bags down and slammed his door just a bit too hard.

He sighed and sat on his bed.

"Max? Are you okay?"

Chloe.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't mean to slam the door, it was an accident." An accident caused by far too intense emotions and underestimating his own strength when angry. Still, an accident.

Chloe opened the door and popped her head through before coming in properly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, you know you don't have to worry about me," Maxie told her.

Something strange flickered across Chloe's expression. "I mean... Max, you packed up your life and moved University on a whim and ran away from everything. You're not exactly at your best right now."

He looked up at her. "I did that because I wanted a change."

"We both know that's not true, Max." Chloe crossed her arms. She was acting like the mother she was raised with.

"Excuse me but I moved here because I felt I'd be happier somewhere else. I didn't move here because I needed you to look after me or baby me. You had a room, I took it. I don't need anything else from you."

Maxie knew he was sending the remnants of his feelings towards Oscar her way but they rolled off the tongue so easily that he knew he meant them.

"You know what, I'm starting to realize why you were left with no one." This was all Chloe said before she leaved.

Maxie didn't argue back that time. The knock was hard but he deserved that one.