Max and Hailey: A second chance

Fresh Start

Max P.O.V

I could not believe that this girl would be so dumb enough to wander alone in the woods. Does she not understand just how dangerous the world is let alone, the woods where anything could happen. I knew that the town we were going to was small and isolated, but I couldn't believe that these people would be so sheltered. I could have easily overpowered her when I had her on the ground, I could have done whatever I wanted if I was anything like my father, but I'm not. Did I attack her? Yes, but only to protect mother. I let her get out and stand up after I deemed her harmless. These people need a serious wake-up call about this world we live in. If only they knew of the crazy people out here like the cult of a family that mother and I escaped from. I felt a little bad for causing harm to the girl, I didn't mean for her to get hurt, but I am glad mother was able to fix her up until she could see a doctor. I let mother walk in between the girl and me so that I could keep a lookout just in case someone had followed us. Even though we were practically there to where I know we would be safe, I still was on edge. All that mattered was that mother would be safe, I don't care what happens to me, but I refuse to let my mother go back to that hell hole of a home. No matter how hard father tried to convince me that it was God's will, I never believed him, I always knew it was wrong. Mother deserves so much more, and I am going to make sure that she gets it. We eventually caught up with the group the girl was talking about before. Everyone stared at me and mother and quickly pulled the girl away from us. The adults gave us glares and the rest looked frightened. I was about to say something, but the girl beat me to it.

"Everyone relax, I am fine. It's just a scrape. This is Brittany and her son Max, they had gotten lost in the woods and needed help to get back on the trail." She said calmly and even shot us a smile. A man came busting through the group of adults and stormed up to the girl completely agitated.

"Hailey what is wrong with you?!" the man said annoyed. "you can't just go walking off by yourself! I was worried sick about you when we realized you weren't still with us. One of your teachers called the school saying you were missing so now-" he was soon cut off by the girl, Hailey.

"They called mom?" Hailey asked shocked.

"yeah, and now I am never going to hear the end of it when we get home." He replied shaking his head.

"Alex why did you let them call her!" she yelled and hit his arm. "Ugh, you are so annoying. I only asked you to chaperone so I could actually have fun on this hike and now mom is never going to let me out of her sight and dad will just place me on curfew."

"Hey, no need to hit me!" Alex yelled back covering the spot where she hit him with his hand. "I didn't let anyone call her; I was busy looking for your dumb ass."

"Watch your language, Mr. Michaelson." Said one of the adults.

"Sorry..." Alex said annoyed and sunk his head then looked over in our direction. I immediately pulled mother closer to me. "relax man, I'm not going to do anything to you or your mom, sister, whoever she is. I have enough to deal with at the moment. We aren't far from the end of the trail so just stay in the back of the group. The parents will be waiting there to pick up their kids." He said to us.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Michaelson." Mother replied and pulled me along with her to the end of the group. She kept looking back towards Alex as we walked.

"Why do you keep looking at him like that mother?" I asked her. "is something wrong?"

"nothing is wrong. He just looks like someone I used to know." Mother answered. "Soon we will be free, Max. You will be able to live a normal life as a teenager." She said to me and I shook my head.

"I am 17 already, there isn't much left to do. I just need a few elective courses and then I will have my diploma and most likely just get a job to pay bills. You on the other hand have a lot to make up for." I told her and hung my head. I wouldn't even be alive if she would have had the chance to live a normal life.

"shush. You have just as much to make up for as I do. You are my proudest achievement and I wouldn't change having you. I may wish I could have taken you away from there as a baby, but I have never regretted having you for one second." Mother said. "Now when you meet your uncle you need to be nice." She reminded me.

"If he is nice to me then I will be nice to him, but if he even tries to compare me to father then I will not be nice," I said firmly as we followed behind the group as we were instructed. I could see signs of an open road and knew that we were getting close.

"You look nothing like that evil man. You are lucky to get all your genes from my side of the family. You look just like your great grandfather. If only he were still alive today to meet you." Mother said sadly and I gave her a comforting hug. I know she is really nervous to see her family again after not seeing them for 18 years and I didn't blame her. I just hope that she will receive a warm welcome. I already have a side plan if they can't stand having me around because I am not going to be the reason that mother has to leave home again. The closer we got to the end of the trail I kept a laser focus on our surroundings. Nothing was going to ruin this moment. As soon as we made our first step out to the trail parking lot I grabbed mother's hand and followed her lead to our fresh start.