The Love Game

Chapter 3: New Friends

"Max. Max. Maax! Max?"

"What, Maven!?" I shut my locker lightning fast and looked over to him. He had been bugging me at my locker the whole time I was getting ready for classes. Maven smirked at my transparent annoyance.

"Oh, well, what time is it?" he asked, leaning against my closed locker. I pulled out my phone. I turned it off. I pulled it out again because I had not looked at the time.

"It's a quarter until seven. Why does it matter to you? You have a watch!" I yelled, pointing at him. I jabbed my finger in his chest. He raised his hands defensively.

"Well, I, er, can't read clocks! Yep. Never been able to. Also, what's with that whole 'a quarter till' thing? Just say what time it is. I don't know what that means, Max. You're making things soo confusing!" Maven complained like a little mosquito in my ear. I groaned, shaking my head. I opened my locker again but Maven closed it. I looked over at him, narrowing my eyes.

"Oookay, what's your favorite color then, Maxie? Huh? What is it? You know, you've never told me. It's probably something like black. You seem so goth these days. So grim, so dim... Stop looking so annoyed. I'm the best guy at school. You're lucky I'm even here, you know."

I sighed in defeat. "Pink. It's ... pink."

Just as Maven was about to ask me another question, the bell rung. I sighed in relief, happy beyond belief. "GoodBYE, Maven. I will see you later."

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During class, I noticed that Elliot wasn't present. Ms. Goretz was going off again on how Sarycoza will never fall ever. I snorted. My old teacher, Ms. Lyngrouv, had said the same about Meridia, and look what happened! Orcs attacked. I clenched my fists under the table. I angrily began reading from the textbook, wishing Elliot was here so I could rant to him.

-----

In my next class, psychology-mathematics-enneagram arts, I noticed there was a new student. Jacob! I thought. My heart pattered a little. The only empty seat was by him. Nervously, I seated myself by him. I smoothed out my skirt and got out my pink notebook and pen. I felt like Elle Woods when she went to Harvard.

I looked over at Jacob, sneaking a glance. He was looking at me, too! I felt my face heat up, and I looked away. I heard a low snicker. It was coming from Jacob! I bounced my leg, playing with a loose string on my skirt. "Jacob," he said. "My name is Jacob."

"Er, w... Well I already knew that-- Um! Forget that, I, uh," I began sweating. He gave me a funny look. I frowned, looking back at him. "Max, I'm, um, Max."

What I hadn't noticed was that another guy was sitting by Jacob. He was wearing rather classy clothes, and his hair swooped. "Jacob, is this your friend? Well, they are a cutie. I am Dustin."

I blushed, caught off guard. Cutie? He'd called me cute. I couldn't tell if he liked me or if this was some guy thing. "I, er, um... M... Max." I stuttered, turning to my notepad. Jacob and Dustin muttered to each other. I felt my cheeks burn as class started and I began taking notes.

-----

I sat down by Sebastion at lunch. "You said Jacob's a bully, but he was pretty nice to me during psychology-mathematics-enneagram arts. Are you lying about him?" I asked.

"Whh-- What! Heh, hhh, huh, heh, er, what? No! He, Max, he... Um... Did you say he was being pretty nice to you?" he squeaked. I blinked. Was he panicking? About what, though? I internally shrugged.

I nodded, eating my sandwich dad had made me. I think Sophie spat in it because I tasted the weird metallic taste of blood. She only spits blood due to a tooth condition dad does not want to give her treatment for. He calls her a wimp every time she wants to go to the emergency room.

She is a wimp. "Yes," I said. "He was being rather polite. And his friend, Dustin--" Sebastion blinked.

"Dustin!?" he whispered. "You t.. thhalked...tahhlked... To him? I, er..." he quickly snapped his attitude. "Howcouldyou?" he said in one breath. He looked at me with pure sadness. "You know that they, they, they bully me!"

I frowned, looking at Sebastion. "Um... I'm allowed to have friends, you know. I get that they bully you, but, um.. Maybe I can help you be their friend."

"Really?!" he gasped. Sebastion then cleared his throat. "How could you make that offer! You know I, I hate them. They've been rude to me every day. Calling me names..." he continued muttering to himself about them being rude as I walked away.

a/n did u like chapter it is boring i know but had to do Ecxpositn