it could be worse ~ lumax

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Max's home life hasn't been "normal" since she was seven years old. Although she doesn't remember much, it was one of the worst years of her life. To start it off, her parents got divorced. Which she saw coming. Her mom had been sleeping on the couch for a few months claiming her dad's snoring was too loud. Max didn't mind having to switch between the two houses. In fact, she liked being able to decorate two bedrooms. Now it was crazy to her that her parents were ever married. They were total opposites.

Next was her grandma's death. Apparently, she's had brain cancer for a few years; the Mayfield's just kept it a secret for a while. It hurt Max having to see her grandma in a hospital bed. All her hair had fallen out, and she could barely form sentences. Max was scared of seeing her grandma. She didn't look the same or act the same causing the young redhead to be frightened. Now that she was older, Max felt guilty. Her grandmother, Gloria, wanted to see her only granddaughter before her death, and Max didn't want to see her because she was scared of her looks. What kind of granddaughter does that? 

Lastly, Max's bunny died. That may not seem like a big deal but to Max, it was the world. She had gotten it for Christmas a few years back and named him Snowball due to his pure white coat. That bunny had been one of Max's best friends, and now he was gone too. Technically, it was her mom's fault. The cage stunk up the basement, so it was moved outside, under their deck. Susan had looked it up, and bunnies could withstand the cold. The only thing she didn't think about was the water freezing. That's how Max assumed he died; there was no other explanation. The seven-year-old girl was the one to find the lifeless bunny in the cage.

Those three events happened within a few months of each other. Max thought nothing would be worse than that year. Oh boy, she was wrong.

A little snooping gave Max intel into her dad's love life. He was dating a woman named Heather. Max didn't mind her dad dating; she didn't like that he didn't tell her, in fact, he denied it until Max admitted to reading his texts. Fast forward to a few years later, Max was moving out of her childhood home. They would live in a new house with Heather and her two kids. If Max was being honest, she was looking forward to it. That was until Max saw their true colors.

Heather's children, Betty and Nathan, were older than Max. They were also extremely disrespectful. If Max were to swear at her parents, she wouldn't see the light of day. It was inconceivable to think that slamming doors and screaming swear words was normal to Betty and Nathan. Heather wouldn't even say anything. She let them call her a bitch and slam doors in her face.

The house was large but felt incredibly empty. Betty and Nathan ignored Max, and she would do the same. Even if they were in the same room, not even a "hi" would be spoken. Max didn't mind it though. What bugged her the most was Heather. Somehow this forty-year-old woman dared to insult Max's mother. Heather would talk shit about Susan to all her friends while Max was standing right there. Of course, she defended her mother, but all she got in return was her father yelling at her. Max did not understand him. He would've done the same thing if people talked badly about his mother. At one point, he had to of loved Susan. If he didn't, it was shitty to bring a child into an unloving marriage.

Max had an escape, and it was her mother's house. She looked forward to the days she was with her mom and dreaded the ones with her dad. Max knew people had it worse than her, so she didn't dare to complain.

Susan had also been dating around. No one stuck out to Max until a guy named Matt. He was different. Matt had three kids, all younger than Max. He had partial custody and would see the kids on the weekends. However, the kids lived with their mother.

They bonded over music. He would send her a bunch of songs to check out during the day. One night when Susan was sleeping, the two snuck out to toilet paper a house. They wore all black and had masks covering their faces so they wouldn't get caught. It was a core memory in Max's mind.

Her mom later told her that he was an alcoholic. He went to a rehabilitation center to get better. When he came back, rehab seemed to work, until he relapsed. It didn't change his relationship with Max or her mom. In fact, they decided to move in together. Max was wary about this. They would be moving into Matt's house, which was twenty-five minutes from her dad, her friends, and school. The house was a lot smaller, and she didn't know anyone in the neighborhood. Max considered that was a good thing and knew that it could be worse.

This was more of an introduction chapter. The next one will get into more of the plot. I know it was a lot of information, sorry. I hope you guys like the story so far! I love reading comments so feel free to leave some!!