Mutual Hatred (ONC Entry) | Max x Reader

Wattys Entry?

Absently skimming through Wattpad on his phone, Max trudged along the sidewalk on his way to school. This resulted in him being practically oblivious to the world, a fact no less made true by the earbuds blaring music and blocking out most sound.

He stopped scrolling for a moment and squinted at the screen. Was that... a Wattys tag? Curiosity piqued, the teen clicked on the cover. It looked like a fanfic of some sort.

"You have got to be kidding me," Max muttered incredulously, "Seriously? This was entered in the Wattys?" He snorted, "Fat chance, Mr. 1.1K reads."

A distant screech made him start, the sound somehow loud enough to penetrate through his music.

"I HAVE 1.16K READS?!! OH MY IRENE WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!"

He rolled his eyes at whatever weirdo was so awake at that ungodly hour of the morning. Anyone who hadn't already been drained of life from the prospect of class wasn't human in his book. (Aliens unite!)

"That author is going to get crushed."

"GAH- The HELL Nikki!" Max jumped for a second time that morning as Nikki made her presence known. Yanking out his earbuds, he was suddenly aware of Neil as well, who seemed to be struggling to catch up.

Nikki let out a laugh at Max's furious expression. "What? Not my fault you're blind and deaf!"

"Helen Keller," puffed Neil, as he pulled up alongside them "Y- you're like... Hellen Keller."

"Who?" The teal ball of energy gave him a strange look.

Neil put his hands on his knees in an attempt to breathe, shaking his head. "Just forget it. So what's this about an author?" He glanced up curiously.

"This one person on Wattpad is an idiot, that's what," Max stated dryly. He started to put away his earbuds, as social interaction seemed inevitable at this point.

"I'm going to need more than that, you think everyone is an idiot... well, actually, they're usually more colorful versions of the word idiot."

"Look!" Nikki snatched away Max's phone and tossed it to Neil, earning the aforementioned 'colorful' versioned words from Max.

Neil read the screen with a raised eyebrow, before handing it back to its annoyed owner. "Yeah... I agree with Max. That author is doomed."

"Thank-"

"Just one question."

"Is there ever just one?" Max grumbled.

"Why are you reading fanfiction? Shipping fanfiction?"

Nikki snickered, and Max shot a glare to shut her up.

"I honestly don't know. It's in my recommended... and no, I didn't read anything similar that would cause it to pop up."

"Sure you didn't..." Another glare earned.

"Maybe it's a recommendation because of someone you followed?" Neil suggested. He was intrigued now by the mystery. "Try checking your following list."

Max let out a sigh of resignation and complied, scrolling through the list.

Wait.

What. Was.That.

Following: MusicalsFoLIFE @prestonthegod

Max knew that he definitely never followed that account. He took in the sight in stony silence, briefly pausing to show Nikki and Neil what he discovered before storming off to school. He had just a vague idea of who was to blame.

*****

"PRESTON!!!"

With a startled screech, the musical nerd toppled off the stage from where he was holding a dramatic pose. Practice held no room for sleep, he'd been at the school theater since 4:00 am. Locked doors, alarms, cameras? Pffft. Not an issue when you're determined for performance.

Preston brushed himself off and was about to give a scathing musical referential insult, but any and all words died in his throat when he saw who had caused his name to echo off the walls. Marvelous acoustics, by the way.

"M-max!" he stammered out, "Greetings! I'm telling you, theatre is just for you. Your speech volume was marvelous..." he trailed off with an awkward laugh, cowering at Max's expression.

"Why. The hell. Am I. Following YOU on Wattpad?!" Max forced out through clenched teeth.

Preston's demeanor changed from one of fear to one of desperation.

"I NEEDED THE FOLLOWERS!"

A/N

I mean, wouldn't you sneak onto a rage-prone guy's phone to follow yourself on his Wattpad account to get more followers? 'Cause isn't that the logical thing to do? Yeah... no.

In case you were too lost in my beautiful storytelling to notice because that could totally happen, I entered my book in the Wattys!

Yay.

Some characters clearly don't have faith in my winning, and I can't say I disagree. In fact, I fully agree.

I just felt like writing this little one-shot as a fun way to tell you guys the news, as well as the 1.16K READS, SCREE. This was supposed to take place after the story's summer, with the little mind-wipe from your's truly still installed. Totally random, but then again, what isn't with this book.

So... fingers crossed with no hope whatsoever that I might win. 🤞

Geros Ilas!