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2/24/17
"MAXINE?" I CALL out from the living room as I snuggle the soft blanket closer to my body.
"Yeah?" she questions as she walks out of her room from the corner. I peak my head over the couch to spot her running a comb through her day old auburn curls. Her hair still shiny and annoyingly perfect without even trying. Maxine's wearing the leggings and T-shirt she always wears to work before changing into the cheesy dinner outfit they make the waitresses wear.
"Oh," I breathe out. "You have work?" I ask a tad discouraged. Grayson is away with Cale for the weekend, and while Chase and I have spoken here and there, and even gotten coffee a few times we still aren't where we once were. That will take time. So I was hoping to hang out with Maxine tonight to take my thoughts off of things. Those things being how much I miss Grayson, how much I miss Chase and mine's old friendship, and the way my heart aches at the thought of how much I truly miss Clayton.
A sad smile lifts her lips. "Sorry," she apologizes earnestly. "I'm covering for a friend," she explains.
I slump back on the couch with a dramatic sigh of defeat. "Well maybe I could tag along," I suggest suddenly perking up at the idea. "I still haven't seen where you work," I tell her placing my crossed arms over the back of the worn couch then resting my chin on them.
Her body tenses slightly as she turns and heads for the kitchen to grab a glass of water. "Um...." she trails awkwardly before gulping down half of the glass in one go. "It's out in the middle of nowhere and the food isn't even that good plus my boss can be a complete ass," she says her words pouring out quickly. Almost like she's pulling at excuses. Needing them.
"Is everything okay?" I inquire a part of me realizing that she always gets a little twitchy when the subject of her job gets brought up. She's just a waitress at an old dinner, why's she so uptight about such a mundane job?
"Yeah," she drawls. "I'm just running late," she tells me as she heads towards her room and grabs her small duffel bag. "Got to go, see you later," she waves before practically running out our front door.
"Bye," I mutter to myself before tossing my body back on to the pillows on the couch. I love Maxine but she's always hiding parts of herself and it makes me sad that she still isn't comfortable enough to share fragments of herself with Grayson and me.
Even though Grayson wasn't the biggest fan of her when she first moved in, even she had to admit how amazing Maxine is not only as a person but a friend. She's beyond sweet and giving and goes above and beyond for the people she cares about. But there's this feeling that she's always holding something back. Pieces of her that don't yet create a full picture, because she pulls up a guard to block anyone from knowing the truth. Her truth, whatever it is.
A loud knock sounds on the door and my ears perk up hoping it's Maxine deciding she doesn't have to go to work anymore and we can hang out. Order Chinese food, eat cookie dough, and laugh at terribly cheesy rom-coms.
