The Tubular Moments // Lucas and Max (Lumax)

A Tubular Comfort

Neglect
VERB [with object] Not pay proper attention to; disregard.

Max stared at the page of the dictionary. The page slowly disappearing behind the blur of sneaky tears that threatened to escape her eyes.

C'mon Max. You wouldn't have flipped through the pages to find that word, if you thought it wasn't the slightest bit true. -No. It's false-

You knew it -No. No, I didn't. It's false- Stop denying it -No. It just... it just isn't- Open your eyes! -They're open- You can see it every time you go home -No!

"Max?" Will whispered. It was a study session, Max and Will were the only ones from the party who were placed in the same class room.

Max hastily wiped her eyes, forced a smile and met Will's worried gaze. "I'm ok."

No, you're not. -Yes I am.- Bull -Shut up!

"Uh... yeah. Yeah, sorry. Of course you are" Will gave her a genuine smile. "You're our tough Max."

Tough. Max's breath hitched.

Shit -Be. Tough- You can't keep hiding behind that persona -Be. Tough.

Her breathing was growing unsteady, as her heart beat faster.

Max! -Be. Tough- Breathe! -Be. Tough- Breathe, Max! -Be... tough- Shit Max! Breathe! You need to breathe! -Be... be... tough- Max! C'mon! -I CAN'T DO THIS!

She ran out the door, disregarding the looks she was receiving. It was getting harder to gasp the air into her lungs. But she had to get away. She had to. When she had reached at least two corridors away from the classroom, she slumped her back against the wall and slid down, burying her face to her hands and her knees to her chest. As if... well, as if it would protect her from her own thoughts trapped in her head.

In fact, that's what Max felt: Trapped. She couldn't control her hyperventilating. She couldn't control what was going through her head. It felt like the world was closing in on her, and she couldn't stop it. As her hyperventilation continued, she became more and more light headed.

Max! -Max! Please!

"I CAN'T STOP!" She yelled at herself.

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"Uh... yeah. Yeah, sorry. Of course you are" Will gave her a genuine smile. "You're our tough Max."

Will watched as her expression froze, a distant look in her eyes. He knew she wasn't really in the room, she was caught in her mind. Her shoulders rose as she sucked a gasp of air in, but her shoulders didn't fall again. Her breath didn't release. He was getting worried, as he knew that sequence of events too well, from his time with the Mind Flayer. Before he could say anything, she ran out of the room.

His gaze fell across her dictionary and read what was on the page.

Crap.

He rose from his seat and ran out the door.

He wasn't going after her. No. That wouldn't be the right thing to do. He knew, that she needed one person. One person only. And he needed to get him to her, quickly.

He reached the correct classroom and walked to Mr Ambrose.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was in Mrs Wenson's study group, she asked me if I could get Lucas Sinclair. She wants to discuss his history grade."