Buzzkill (A Lesbian Story)

30: I Love Penguins

  All I could hear were gunshots as Trish and I ran out of the hotel. It was dark as hell outside and all I could see was a group of people over by the main part of the barrier. There were Humvees and I could see Steve with a rifle, aiming over a car. A streetlamp out in the street exploded and everyone halted fire. I stopped and looked out at the group of people. Max wasn't there. Why wasn't she there?

  I ran towards Steve and stopped at his side, "What the hell is going on?"

  "Just Max being Max." He looked exhausted like it had been a long day or maybe because Max is being her reckless self. Probably a combination of the two. That wouldn't surprise me.

  I also let out a breath that I wasn't aware I was holding. Max was still alive. She was doing something stupid, but she was alive. She will make it out of whatever she's doing. She had to.

  Opening my mouth to ask him where she was and what exactly she was doing, a yell pierced the air and a single gun shot followed. That yell was Max. I knew it was. My feet were cemented into the ground and I felt like I couldn't run to where the scream was, even if I wanted to. My heart was in my stomach as my mind thought about the worst things that could happen. She could be gone. Or turned. Or dying. And here I am, not doing anything.

  Steve shook my shoulders, bringing me out of whatever trance I was in. "Ash. Ash! Look!"

  Out from behind a Jeep, came Max and Thor. They got to the barrier and easily hopped over to the inside. Thor patted Max on the shoulder and she nodded, holding a hand to her hurt shoulder.

 My feet started to move and I ran towards her, "Max!"

  She looked at me and quickened her pace until we finally met. My arms went around her neck as hers went around me waist. Picking me up slightly, she pulled me close to her in an embrace. My feet touched the ground again and I felt her lips press against my cheek.

  "Howdy, Ash." She whispered to me with a grin.

  I smiled back at her, "Hey Max. Glad to see you didn't die from an idiotic heroic act."

  That made her roll her eyes at me, "Oh please. I'm indestructible!"

  "She says with a shit shoulder." Thor said as he stood by Max's side. "Go get that looked at by your mom. We can have a drinking contest later."

  So she's not going to stay up all night with Thor. Good. I don't think I could let her go after this nerve racking day. Especially if she hurt her shoulder again. My eyes went to Max's shoulder and I pulled her jacket away from her and moved her hoodie to see her shirt. There was blood staining the shirt. A lot of blood.

  I looked at her in a glare. "Seriously, Max?"

  She looked at me with exhaustion as she threw her hands up, careful not to move her shoulder, "I don't know what you expect from me. I am a walking catastrophe ready to happen. Put a caution sign or something on me!"

  That I had to agree with. "Let's get you some actual doctor help, babe."

  One of Max's eyebrows arched up and was lost behind her messy hair. A corner of her mouth turned up into one of her famous smirks that drove me crazy and still will. "Babe?"

  I felt my cheeks get hot. It didn't occur to me what I had said. "Um. Yes. Anyways, let's go. I'll come with you." I pulled her good arm with me as we made our way back towards where everyone was. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Max was still smirking like her usual self, driving me crazy.

  Steve was walking towards us, something weird looking in his hand. As he got closer, he put it behind his back, making me raise an eyebrow. Something was going on. "Nice move, Max. I'm guessing the guy didn't make it?"