❛ GHOSTIN' ❜ - 𝖼𝗆𝖻 ✓

042; she's a fucked up kid

third person.

the next day max and astrid soon arrived back home and pulled into their driveway with the guy fully prepared to go straight to their bed and take a small nap.

they walked into a silent and empty house, unsure if mollie was even home despite the small mess of her art supplies she had left on the kitchen island, instantly making the boy sigh.

"at least she kept herself busy with that instead of alcohol," astrid told him, closing the door behind her as she walked over to the kitchen, watching him walk to their living room.

max walked into the room to the tv still turned on, netflix's 'are you still watching' screen while he placed down his bags, eventually glancing towards the table in the centre of the room where a few polaroids caught his eye.

his eyebrows furrowed and a frown on his face, he walked over to the table and turned the three polaroids around to face him, shaking his head in disbelief and turning his head towards the opened silver wrapper thrown on the floor beside it.

"did you see corbyn's car outside?" max spoke up, the polaroids in his hand as he made his way towards the stairs, "because nic sure as hell didn't stay over if there's a condom wrapper here."

"max," astrid watched him, the boy stopping just as one foot hit the first step before he looked towards her, "what are you doing?"

"going to see if corbyn's here."

"who cares," she shrugged, "if it was him instead of nic then at least she had someone here."

"but i told her i didn't want him staying over." he argued, walking over to the kitchen island as she glanced to the polaroids, "and these polaroids are disgusting i don't know why she thought it was a good idea to do things like this."

"what's on them?"

"one is them kissing and then the other two are.. shit i don't want to see." max shrugged, holding them face down as astrid let out a sigh, taking them from his hands, "she said she was going to have nicole stay over."

"she probably said that so you wouldn't lecture her." astrid replied as he shook his head and rolled his eyes, "why don't you wait until she comes downstairs to speak to her?"

"she doesn't listen to me." max threw his arms up in frustration, "corbyn's just a bad influence, i don't know why i ever thought i could trust him with my sister."

astrid went quiet as she glared at him, raising her eyebrows and sighing before grabbing her phone and car keys while heading towards the front door, "i'm going to go get iris."

"i thought we were going together." max turned to look at her, being ignored while she opened the front door, "astrid?"

"what is your issue with corbyn?" astrid turned herself towards him, "you two used to get along so well."

"he's bad for-"

"you said before you don't trust anyone else more than him with your sister," astrid argued, "you can see he makes her happy, what's your issue?"

"unsafe sex." he shrugged, "like a few weeks ago."

"and they took care of it the next day, she came to you for help." astrid said, "they're not kids max, i'm sure they know what they're doing."

"are you on my side or their side?"

"her side," she raised her eyebrows as she closed the front door again, "you need to let what she does go and focus on yourself and let yourself heal."

"i'm fine." max shrugged, "she crashed her car on purpose she needs much more support than me."

"then give her support and don't lecture her on stupid shit like polaroids." the girl argued as she gestured towards the three of them left on the counter, "you need to relax."

"i don't need to relax." he argued.

"you're not functioning properly." astrid told him, "i don't know where the actual max has gone, it's weird and i don't like it."

"i'm fine." he frowned.

"have you noticed i've changed the lock on the medicine cabinet?" astrid asked him, watching him slowly shake his head, "i don't trust you or her with pills anymore."

"i won't do anything."

"i've seen you sat down here in the middle of the night by yourself," she shook her head and frowned as his arms fell to his side while he glanced to the floor, "you need to put all your worries to the side about her and talk to her again, she's not a kid."

"i know that." he rolled his eyes.

"then stop treating her like one."

"she doesn't know how to look after herself." max raised his voice slightly as his wife gave him a blank stare, "she gets into all these situations and i have to come help her get out of them."

"because you took on that role when you decided to become her carer," astrid argued back, "you're technically her parent, you're suppose to help her when she needs it."

"i'm not her parent." max held his hands up, "i'm her brother."

"brother or parent you still took care of her for so many years," astrid nodded, "you're the reason she is who she is today."

"she's a fucked up kid who has no idea what she's doing with herself, she's been like that for years," max told her as her mouth dropped open slightly, "that's how i raised her?"

with astrid staring at him in disbelief of what he had just told her, the couple was distracted by a small sniffle coming from the stairs, making their heads both turn to mollie sat on one of the top steps staring at her brother.

and as she wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her boyfriend's hoodie, she stood back up and walked back off to her room while astrid turned back to max.

"give yourself time to grieve and actually focus on yourself max," astrid spoke up, "you're not okay and it's effecting everyone around you."

"astrid," he frowned, "i'm okay i don't-"

"no, you're too stressed and you're forgetting things and you're overly paranoid about everything you do," astrid explained, "you'd never say half the shit that has come out of your mouth recently."

"yes i would."

"no you're like the biggest sweetheart i know." she shook her head, "you're full of love and i miss that."

"i'm just tired." he mumbled.

"let's go get iris," she nodded her head towards the door, "give mollie a chance to be alone, we can talk in the car."

"i'm sorry," he admitted, placing the polaroids back onto the counter as he walked over to where she stood, following the girl out of the front door, "i'm really sorry i didn't mean to hurt you it just slipped out i wasn't even thinking right i-"

"i think your apology needs to go to her," astrid said, closing the door as they headed to the car, "save your apologies for mollie and corbyn."

"but i upset you."

"but i know that you're not okay and you're snapping, she doesn't know that." astrid replied, "she probably thinks you're okay because you act all strong around her."

"if i'm not okay she gets worried and then neither of us are taking care of ourselves." max shrugged, "if rather she is okay than me."

"i'm going to make sure you take care of yourself, i don't like seeing you so stressed out." astrid frowned, "let's start with that okay?"

"okay." he nodded with a frown, letting out a sigh before the two of them got into the car.

♡

a/n

ouchie an argument :(((

next chapter we shall have a different focus i like didn't even realise the last three chapters have been max and astrid

collie or the friend group next chapter? take ur pick bffs