𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲 [elmax story]

Chapter 15: News

  It was five o'clock in the morning. Max woke up as her phone was ringing, which woke Jayden too. The redhead confusedly caught the phone, looking at the screen. Her mother was calling her. Max opened it immediately:
  "Mom, what's up?"

"Sorry honey, I woke you up."

  "It's fine. Are you okay? Is something wrong?" - the redhead asked worriedly.

  "I called you to give you some news."

  "...What's wrong? Are you okay, you're worrying me."

  "No no, I'm fine. But... Billy..."

  "What's wrong with him?"

  "He was... found dead. He had a... a car crash."

Max felt a sharp feeling hitting her heart. Her eyes widened, filling with tears. Her hands were shaking and her words were missing. She couldn't process what she really heard.

  "Max, honey, are you there?"

  "I-I... What?"

  "I know you're shocked. I'm so sorry to give these news in this time, but I booked you a ticket to come for his funeral. It's today."

  "O-okay. When's the flight?"

  "Seven AM. After you come, get a taxi, okay?"

  "S-sure."
And Max hung up. She was in total shock. She wasn't believing it. Billy did really ruin her life, bullying her, but he wasn't hisself. He was hurt, he was in pain. And sometimes, Max really liked him. He wasn't a bad guy. Her tears started to fall down, wetting her freckled cheeks. Jayden stood from her bed and sat on her friend's one.
  "Max, what's wrong?" - she caught her arms.
  "B-billy... h-he's d-dead."
  "What, what? How?"
  "Car crash."
  "Damn, I'm so sorry." - the blond girl pouted sadly and pulled her friend into a hug.
Max hugged her back and started crying quietly on her shoulder, wetting her sweater. They stayed like that for some seconds after Max decided to break the hug.
  "I'm leaving in seven." - Max said as she pulled back.
  "Okay, we're coming with you to the airport."
  "Thanks."
Jayden took her phone, called Nate and told him about the situation. The boy came quickly to the girls room, sitting beside Max, giving her a hug too.

***

  Max went to the airport with her best friends. She gave them a goodbye hug and left, walking inside a gate, reaching to Check-in. As she was ready, the redhead walked inside the plane with only her black bag on her shoulder.

  After three hours flight, she arrived in Hawkins. Max got on board and walked inside the airport, going through another gate and than at the Exit door, reaching the taxies where was standing in a row, beside the streets' ledge. She got inside one of them and told the driver the way.

  After some long, too long minutes, Max was there. She entered her house, finding her parents getting ready. Max immediately walked at her mother and hugged her tightly, letting her tears roll down.
  "How was your flight?"
  "Good." - the redhead sniffed.
Max pulled back and faced Neil. He wasn't having a sad look, he looked more than serious, cold, not showing any emotion.
  "I'm sorry."
  "Life." - the blond man said in a lowed voice, shrugging his shoulders.

The three of them walked to the car, driving to the church. There were only them and some of Billy's friends. The priest performed all the prayers and then made the way to the cemetery.

After burial, the family went back home, without having a meal for Billy's death. There weren't people to invite, they were living far or else, not wanting to be part of it. Max was staying five more days, as the ticket was booked. She walked inside Billy's old room. She was really missing him. Max opened his closet, finding some old T-shirts of him. Under them was a box, woody box. Max bent down and grabbed it, placing it on Billy's bed. It had a lock. The redhead stood up and searched on his shelfs, finding the key. She opened the lock and the box too. There were some old photographies of Billy when he was young and his mother, or when he was doing surf, back to California. Max took them all, looking at them one by one. He looked so happy. Max wished he could be happy again, now that he joined his mother up there. The redhead couldn't hold her tears and closed the box, putting it inside the closet again.

She walked out of his room and entered hers, laying on her bed. Max blocked her all her social apps. She wasn't in the mood for anything. Everything seemed overwhelming.