𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠|𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬

𝟎𝟏𝟒-𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐤

THE FRONT DOOR CREEKS OPEN revealing the three exhausted kids. Max flicked the light on slowly. No one was home. "Mom? Dad?" Max yelled. Dani squeezed through the two teens, somehow getting in the front.
"We got a new cat! Mom?" Dani walked forward, running upstairs to presumably give Binx a house tour. Max gazed at Tatum till she looked back at him with a smile of relief.
"Well, I guess they're still partying. Come on in." Max grinned, shutting the door gently behind her and locking it. No one was getting in or out until the end of night. Of course they all knew the remains of the Sanderson Sisters would be a pile of ashes by now , they would most likely be on edge or slightly scarred about anything witchy or maybe candles...virgins too?
Max quickly snatched the Swiss Army knife his father had laying around on the table. It was the only trace he had seen of his father let alone his parents for awhile. Tatum slowly walked around the house, examining everything. She had loved always this house when she was younger. Tatum tried to get them to buy the house for years. Unfortunately, Hollywood beat her to it.

_____

Dani was now safe and sound in Max's bed with Binx. While Dani was in the other room with Binx, Max and Tatum were cleaning their wounds and getting dirt off their face from their previous battle. The door was creeped open from the bathroom so they had a view of the younger girl. "You think Allison is worried about you?" Max asked, dabbing the wet cloth onto her scraped leg from the crypt. Tatum thought about Allison with Peter and James. Allison had the biggest crush on Dan. So did Peter. She couldn't wait to hear that story
     "Nope. Definitely not. She got her way."
The water ran as Max placed the wash cloth underneath it. He then brung the wash cloth to her face, cleaning off the cuts and dirt from her face. The warm water hit the perfect spot on Tatum's pale face, making her body relax and become less tense. She closed her eyes while she exhaled, embracing Max's touch. The cloth grazed the small pink cut on her face, causing her to flinch slightly, opening her eyes and backing up. Max looked up at her eyes which were now relaxing from the small sting. "Sorry." Max looked worriedly. Tatum sighed, taking the wash cloth from Max's warm bony hands. "Don't worry Dennison I'm fine. You on the other hand..." Max laughed, looking at himself in the mirror.
"God, I am a wreck." He laughed once more.
"No need to fear, Tatum is here." She said, taking the Dennisons face and gently but surely bringing his face to align with hers. She continued to hold his face while she cleaned it, trying her hardest not to shrivel up and turn pink. And in five minutes tops, Max was all cleaned up. She even fixed his mop hair.
"Oh, I look stunning." Max overacted, slicking his hair back and making stupid faces in the mirror.
"You're a dork, Max Dennison."
"And you're beautiful, Tatum Stauder." Silence. The girl sat there completely flustered. The two broke their eye contact to peek over from the bathroom and into Max's room to see Dani fast asleep in Max's bed.
     "Y'know, that cop was right. You would look way hotter with the word virgin tattooed on your forehead." Max grinned.
     "Oh yeah?" Max sat up, slapping the wet towel down. "We'll see." Max reaches his hand out. Tatum sighs, taking his hand as he lead her to her room. On the way, Max snatched a huge comfy blanket and laid on the big step that lead to the top of the house. The teens took a seat while Max set up the blanket. The Dennison took a seat next to the girl who had smiled when he sat close. "Tonight feels like a dream." Max grinned, leaning back onto the wall. Tatum looked down, she slowly smiled and looked back up at the boy.
"Y'know what feels like a dream?" Max's ears had suddenly grew, he laid back, spreading out his legs trying to look cool.
"Yeah?"
"Defending a bunch of witches with the loser virgin who lit the black flame candle." Max whipped his head around in utter shock. He let out a airy laugh which turned into a full laugh.
"Wow, Tatum! Harsh! Real harsh!" Max smiled hearing the laugh of the blonde. The laughter died down slowly. The mood had shifted. And without conversation, they knew what to do. Tatum and Max cuddled up to each other. She laid in between the space in Max's legs. Max then wrapped his arm around her waist comfortably.
Maybe warming up to the Dennison dork wasn't so bad after all.