bitchin'

Chapter 46

"Can you remove your headphones, please?" Ms. Kelley asks Max in the counselor's office.

"Sorry," she apologizes.

"A C in English and a C-minus in Spanish?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that's not normal for you," she points out.

"If you say so," Max agrees, trying to keep the check-in short and simple.

"How's your mom holding up?" Ms. Kelley asks, changing the subject.

"She's fine," she lies, "I mean, she hates our new place, which is, like... Yeah, it's terrible, but... she's fine."

"Is she still drinking?"

"Like, yeah, a little, but... Well, she's working two jobs. So, it's not easy," the redhead explains.

"It must not be easy for you either, with your stepdad gone," she suggests, trying to get Max to open up more

"It's kind of better, honestly."

"Better how?" she asks.

"He was an asshole. So, there's less assholery," she answers.

"And your friend Lindsay is still staying with you?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sleeping better?"

"Yeah, fine," Max lies.

"No more headaches?"

Max shakes her head 'no'.

"Nightmares?"

"Nope," she lies again.

"Max?" Ms. Kelley says, "What you've been through, what you're still going through, it's a lot for anyone. And it's okay to not be okay. But I can only help you if you're truthful, if you open up to me."

"Yeah, I... I know. I'm... I'm being open," she says, lying to herself this time as well as Ms. Kelley. Even she can hear the lie in Max's voice this time, turning her head to the side, "I'm being open."

She leaves the counselor's office and goes into the girl's bathroom. She goes to one of the sinks and closes her eyes for a moment. Then, staring at herself in the mirror, she sighs. She takes her backpack off to find her bottle of Tylenol. She opens it and takes some for the headache she has at the moment.

As she puts the bottle back into her bag, she hears coughing from one of the stalls. She turns to see a set of feet on the floor, someone's kneeling in front of the toilet. That someone coughs again, throwing up into the toilet.

"Hey, are you all right?" Max calls to the girl.

"Yeah——Yes, I'm... I'm fine," Chrissy Cunningham's voice answers. Her voice is shaky and Max knows she probably is lying.

"Okay, um... You're sure?"

"Please, just go away," she responds. Max listens and leaves the bathroom, leaving Chrissy all alone. She walks to the end of the hall, seeing Lindsay.

"Hey," she says. Lindsay turns and a smile immediately appears.

"Hey, how was Ms. Kelley?" the brunette asks, making Max's small smile fade.

"Fine," she answers, "ready?"

"Uh.. yeah," Lindsay answers. Max holds the door open for her girlfriend as she hobbles through.

"Lindsay! Max!" Dustin calls as the doors shut behind them. The two turn as the curly-haired boy bursts through the doors, "Quick question: would either of you like to fill in for Lucas at Hellfire tonight?"