A Little Good Influence | Max Thunderman x Reader

Chapter 36

Maybe TRIGGER Warning for people with anxiety and/or depression. Mental Health Disorder themes.

Finally returning to school felt like a homecoming to be honest. Anxiety and a little excitement bubled up in your chest and weighed you down a block away from school. This was where you would usually stop and then chicken out before going back home and crawling underneath your sheets, claiming something about a stomach ache to your warden.

Your trembling hands clutched your textbooks to your chest and your mouth was concerningly dry. You gulped down air shakily as you tried to steady your breathing before ducking into a dark alleyway and crouching in the dark, burying your face between your knees and trying to catch your breath.

You were nearly gasping for air as you heard students pass by you, chatting happily, unknowing that you were hyperventilating just a few feet from them. It was about fifteen minutes before you were able to calm yourself down before picking yourself up off the floor.

It became clear that you had already missed the first bell when you arrived to school  as the outside of the campus was completely deserted, you walked quickly to your class hoping that you could slip in before the teacher arrived so there wouldn't be too much attention on you.

The thought of skipping school and trying again tomorrow briefly passed through your mind. You could slip into your class without getting noticed and could avoid getting a late pass for being tarty.

Biting your lip, you paused in your tracks, wondering if you should just hide in the washroom or library until first period was up and then just joining after second period.

You glanced at the ladies restroom but found your feet rooted to the floor. 

'Should I just go home? I wasn't here for so many days, one more wouldn't hurt. No one even saw me today, no one would know that I went home.'

You were unfortunately wrenched from your thoughts when someone came crashing into you, knocking you off your feet hard and a groan escaped you as you landed on the ground.

"I'm so sorry I wasn—(Y/N)?"

You glanced up in surprise, feeling dread when you saw a familiar face. Oyster smiled down at you, holding a hand out for you to take.

You grabbed it gingerly and yelped when he hauled you back to your feet.

"I haven't seen you in ages, we've all been really worried. Are you feeling better now? Are you finally coming back to school? Why were you just standing there?"

Feeling flustered, you couldn't do more than blink at him before managing to squeak out a "...Yes?"

He grinned warmly at you and you felt your cheeks heat up in embarrassment, before looking away and hiding your face by pretending to cough.

"So how come you're so late? I thought the great (Y/N) is never late for school." He asked, casually changing the topic and burying his hands in his pockets.

"Um..I was...um...late." Was what you managed to muster before biting the inside of your cheek awkwardly.

He nodded, chuckling at your slightly clueless state, "Gotcha. Although, aren't you gonna get to class? Seems like your just begging to get detention standing around like this. What? Did you miss school so much that you wanted to spend some extra time with it?"

Blushing, you looked back to your feet, tugging your backpack strap awkwardly, "I..um..thought that I could go home and....um be on time...tomorrow.."

You didn't see how Oyster frowned at you. He saw how worried Phoebe, Max and his girlfriend, Cherry were getting over the fact that you weren't showing up to school and he wanted you to face them today.