Strange Happenings

27

El's POV

Smiles and warmth and the smell of chocolate chip cookies in the air. Max was just a ball of sunshine, fierce and bright. Hanging out with her always made me happy. 

Tonight was no different. Just me and her dancing around her house while her parents seemed to always be absent doing who knows what. We had decided to make cookies, Max had claimed she had cravings. I didn't protest.

Max was singing, it was both good and bad. She had a spatula as a microphones and kept jumping and wiping her fiery hair around. I couldn't but gleefully watch and giggle. She looked up and saw me staring and suddenly the spatula was in my hand.

"Take it away El!" 

I didn't know the song, so I just made up lyrics and tried my best to guess the correct notes. Pretty soon we were both just giggling messed on her kitchen floor.

"I can't believe you've never heard ABBA," Max said in disbelief.

I shrugged. I hadn't heard a lot of songs. Max knew that, I think she just liked to tease me though. She always laughed when I pouted at her words.

But I didn't feel her eyes on me, instead she was lying back on her bed, eyes closed and the melody humming in her throat. Peaceful. Serene. Beautiful. I wished for her looks as I stared and admired her.

Suddenly her eyes were open and she was smirking at me. "Everything okay?"

I nodded, for some reason words seemed far away. Maybe I was stressed, I just needed to relax. So I laid down next to her and soon her arm was around me and we were lying comfortably between around each other. 

"Things good with Mike?" I liked to listen to her voice, but the mention of his name sent my heart to race. 

I took my time answering and Max respected that. It took a bit to form the words and shape them with my tongue. Or maybe it was just hard to get enough courage to tell someone else the truth.

"No."

Max instantly sat up, "did he hurt you? What happened? Did he force you to do anything?" She seemed so panicked and scared, but concerned. It seemed that even though she asked if things were okay, she thought the only answer to the question would be yes. And instantly she thought the worst of Mike, who had really done nothing wrong.

So I shook my head. "Mike is a friend, a loyal one, and that's all I think he will be for me from now on. A friend."

I didn't have to hear her say she was confused to understand that she was. The scrunched eyebrows and wide eyes ere enough.

"I've realized that we only dated because it just seemed to make sense. And I stayed with him cause it was safe and sturdy while everything else went to shit, but I can't hide behind a security blanket anymore."

I waited for a response and looked anxiously at Max. Her face slowly shifted from confused to a smile. Then she was laughing, loudly, brightly.

"I can't believe," she giggled, "that you just compared Mike fucking Wheeler to a security blanket!"

I laughed too, creating a melody between our two voices.

"There's nothing safe about him, and definitely nothing sturdy!" She snorted, "Have you seem his arms?? Twigs. I bet if the wind got up to 50 mph it would blow him away!"

I could hardly breathe I was laughing so hard.

"You're right," I admitted, "I guess my type is more of the wild and crazy ones."

"Crazy like how?"

I shrugged, "crazy like you." I laughed but Max didn't join.

Her cheeks had colored and she brushed a strand of red hair from her face. My heart started to pound loudly but I wasn't sure why. I was just sure that Max had enticing eyes that I couldn't peel away from. 

Was I leaning in? 

Was she?

What were we doing??

I cleared my throat and stood suddenly, "I need to use the bathroom." My voice was all igh and squeaky and I ran from Max's room before she could respond.

What was wrong with me?

Max was my friend, my good, kind, funny, amazing friend. Max was a girl.

So why had I so badly wanted to kiss her??

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Hope this helps.

The gayness can stop the spread.