Number Four

Max

Headphones on, music blasting in her ears, Max pulled the door to the councillors office closed behind her and headed down the school hall.

She was interrupted by an airy voice underneath the singing. "–axine Mayfield?"

Miss Quatre was standing on the stairs down into the hallway. Max removed her headphones, pulling them down around her neck; the music still faintly able to be heard issuing from the earpieces. "It's Max."

"Ah, my apologies. Max." She smiled a warm smile despite Max's obviously dark mood. "I think you're in one of my classes?" As she spoke, Miss Quatre came down the steps towards Max. She tilted her head inquisitively at her. "Are you alright? I'm getting a very upset vibe."

Max immediately bristled at that, the drawbridge pulling up. "I'm fine."

Miss Quatre nodded, eyes blinking slowly as she smiled still- there was something absorbing about the grey of her irises, almost hypnotic, intense. "I know. I'm not going to make you tell me; your thoughts are your own." She then reached out and placed a gentle hand on Max's shoulder; despite herself, Max leaned into the touch. "I just want you to know you're doing marvelous, okay? You are marvelous."

Then Max felt something strange- although it wasn't strange at the time, but on retrospect later- it wasn't that these feelings were not her own, or that she was no longer feeling bad; but rather, it was like a warm, comforting blanket had been lain over her tumultuous emotions, instilling for a moment over the surface a relieving sense of calm.

Miss Quatre quirked a smile. "Better?"

The tension visibly leaving her shoulders, Max nodded, smiling in return. She liked this strange woman- she was nice.

"Good." Miss Quatre said, withdrawing her hand. "Now go, you don't want to miss your bus. Go home, drink some... tea, or whatever you like, eat some cake, go talk to your friends. I hope to see you in class sometime soon, okay?"

"Okay." With a final nod of agreement, Max hurried away down the hall.

Miss Quatre turned, heading in the other direction. As she did, she pulled a tissue from her pocket, and raising it to her face, used it to dab at a bead of red bubbling up in the corner of her eye.