What Happens in High School

Ray’s POV

“What was that about?” Gerard asked as the door closed after Max left the music store. I didn’t want to tell Gerard and get him involved when it wasn’t necessary, but at the same time I didn’t want to lie to him. I was afraid it would come up eventually. Max wanted to tell Bob about the kiss, but I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t want him to hate me or leave the band, or worse, hold it against Max. I didn’t want to cause any problems, but in retrospect, maybe clearing everything up wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

“Oh, you know Max. Just worried.” I tried to get off the topic, but Gerard just kept pushing.

“Yeah, I got that. Worried about what?” Fuck, Gerard. Couldn’t you just drop it?

“If I tell you, and you repeat a word of it to anyone, you do understand that I would have to kick your ass, right? No questions asked, no holding back.” Gerard nodded in reply. I guess out of all of my friends, I trusted Gerard the most; well, aside from Max.

“Okay, so remember how I told you I was over Max?” Gerard nodded.

“Well, she came over on Christmas Eve like every year, and I may or may not have gotten…drunk., I continued.

“Go on,” Gerard replied impersonally, probably expecting what I was about to say but still wanting to hear it come from me.

“Dude, I kissed Max.” Gerard’s face dropped as I said this. He was disappointed, I could tell. Hell, I was disappointed. “I didn’t plan on it, I was wasted, it just happened!” I tried to defend myself as Gerard began to shake his head. He knew I liked Max in the past but I also told him I’d gotten over it, at least, I thought I had.

Gerard looked up at me and said, “Do you still like her?”

I sighed and thought of what to say. I had told myself a thousand times that I didn’t like Max anymore, but I’d also found myself daydreaming of her or thinking about her twice as much. I had liked Max since the day I met her and I wasn’t really positive that I could truthfully say I’d really ever gotten over her. She’d had a few boyfriends in the past and in all honesty, it bothered the crap out of me sometimes that none of them were ever me. But once Bob came to town, I could see the way Max looked at him. I knew she was hooked on him the moment she laid eyes on him and I also knew he felt the exact same way.

Leading up to Bob’s arrival I had tried to shake my feelings for Max; at that point I figured that Max just didn’t feel the same way and I had to learn to accept it. I told myself over and over again to give it up, that it would never work. I just couldn’t listen though, I still liked Max and it wasn’t likely to change. I pushed so hard for Max and Bob to work out because I knew they really liked each other and I thought that if Max was unavailable I’d lose interest. Boy, was I wrong.

“Yeah, I do. I can’t help it. Come on, man you know Max; can you blame me?”

Gerard considered this a moment then replied, “That’s rough man, must suck seeing her with Bob.” He wasn’t making me feel any better. “She didn’t like…freak out though? I mean you guys seem fine around each other now, so I guess you two aren’t the problem?”

“No, we’re fine, it’s just…Max wants to tell Bob; I don’t think it’s a good idea.” I knew that telling Bob would only cause problems. As cool as Bob was there was no way in hell he’d just be okay with the fact that I made a move on Max while she and him were already together. But I also knew that if Bob did find out somehow, and it didn’t come from me or Max, it’d only be worse for everyone. “Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s only fair for him to know but I just don’t want to ruin anything. I don’t want him to quit the band or hate me or…break up with Max.”

Gerard nodded his head understandingly. “I know what you mean, but Ray, the only way you’ll know is if you guys tell him. Seriously, what’s the worst that can happen? He loves the band, he loves Max, and we’ve all become pretty good friends. I think you should give him more credit, he’s not stupid; if you tell him you were drunk and didn’t mean to, I’m sure he’ll understand, you just got to man up and do it.”

I considered what Gerard had said as he turned and walked to the back room. He was completely right. I was underestimating Bob. Sure, we’d only known each other for a few months but we were all pretty much as close as friends get. I could tell he really cared for Max and doubted he’d do anything to ruin it, especially over something as stupid as a kiss. He loved being in the band and we really liked having him as our drummer. But still, I couldn’t help but think, if it was just a stupid kiss, why is it such a big deal?
…

After work I walked to Max’s house instead of my own. I decided that if Bob was going to know, then we’d have to tell him together. We had to talk about it first though; we wouldn’t be able to clear things with Bob if things weren’t clear between Max and me first. I hadn’t really ever given her a proper, sober, explanation for my behavior on Christmas Eve. To be honest, I wasn’t completely hammered; I know what I did, and I felt horrible about it.

I walked up Max’s front pathway and up the porch steps. I took in a breath of cold January air before slowly lifting my hand to knock on the door. I gently tapped on the door and waited for Max. She came out looking a little surprised to see me, but at the same time I knew she’d been expecting me to come around eventually.

“We need to talk.” The cheesiest, most Hollywood movie line one could possible incorporate into a real life situation slipped out of my mouth before Max even had the chance to think. She nodded her head and stepped aside letting me in. I took off my coat and hung it by the door before turning back to see Max. I knew the look she had on her face. I hated that look.

“Max?” I had seen it a dozen times. The expression that says, Ray, I’m sorry. The last time I’d seen that look…was the last time Max had cut herself. That was pretty much the only reason I ever got that look from her.

“Max, you didn’t.” A single tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek before she looked away. No, she couldn’t have, right?

“Max. Why didn’t you come to me first? I thought you said you’d thrown all your blades away, what happened?” I walked over to Max and put my hands on her shoulders. Normally I would have hugged her but things were still a little sketchy between us. She started to shake her head as she caught her breathing.

“I didn’t, but it’s all I’ve been thinking about today,” she stuttered out between breaths. “I wanted them so badly. I snapped my rubber band until it broke, but I still wanted them. I didn’t know if you’d want to talk about this with everything else going on, so I just tried to get over it on my own. I’m really sorry. I just keep letting people down.”

You have no idea how much I wanted to just take her face in my hands and kiss her right then and there. I wanted to make all of her pain go away, I wanted to be her escape. But I wasn’t an idiot; that’s what had gotten us in this mess in the first place. It’s what made Max consider cutting again. I hated myself for that.

Although things were still kind of timid between us I was still her best friend and I had to be there for her. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, hesitantly at first but pulling her in tighter as I felt her arms come around my waist. She cried into my shoulder for a moment and I just let her. I couldn’t believe the mess I’d made. Max was so upset and it was all my fault. I couldn’t have just kept my drunken teenage hormones in check in the first place.

She pulled away after a minute and wiped her eyes and let out a fake laugh. “I’m sorry, I know you didn’t come over to talk about me.”

“Actually, I did.” Max looked up from drying her eyes and gave me a questioning look. “Max, you have to have figured it out by now. I…I like you, a lot. I have since the day I met you. You’re just wonderful and beautiful and I love being your best friend, but it hurt so bad to see you every day and know that you’d never be mine.” I paused for a moment to let Max take in the information before continuing.

“When I’d see you with your boyfriends, it would hurt no doubt, but I knew you were happy so I never said anything. Then when Bob came along, I knew he was different. I know you love him, I do. I want you guys to be happy and I mean that. I just…you’re hard to get over, Max. You don’t realize it, but you’re amazing and perfect in every way, and I know you’ll fight me on that until the day we die but it’s true. Bob sees it too. You guys are perfect for each other, and I love that he makes you so happy, and honestly I would never want to ruin your happiness. So as for Christmas, I really am so sorry. It wasn’t the booze that sent me over, it was you. I haven’t gotten over you Max and in truth I don’t know when I will, but I don’t want you to worry about me, I want you to worry about you and Bob. I want to help you clear things up with him, clear things up with yourself. I know you’ve felt awful about this and I’m such an ass for not listening to you sooner.” I ended my rant almost out of breath. I just laid a lot of information on Max and I didn’t really know how she’d react to it. It was a lot to take in, especially all at once like this. But eventually she composed herself and replied.

“Well first I should thank you for being so honest. I didn’t know you felt all that. And I’m sorry I hadn’t realized sooner. I was just oblivious I guess. I’m sorry I can’t say that I ever felt the same way towards you before, and I’m sorry I made things so hard over our friendship. But I do agree with you, I love being your best friend and I love having you as mine. I don’t want to lose you. But I also don’t want to lose Bob. He’s one of the best things that ever happened to me and I don’t know what I’d do without him. I forgive you for the kiss and I get why you’d be hesitant to tell Bob everything, hell, so was I. But now’s the time where we need to grow up and face our problem like adults. I’d really like to tell Bob, but I can’t do it without you.” She stopped and looked at me waiting for an answer.

“Yeah, you’re right. And of course, I’ll be right there with you to tell Bob, and if he should be mad at anyone, it should be me. But I just need to know one thing first.” I tried my best to fake a really serious face.

“What’s that?” Max asked tentatively.

“We’re still best friends ‘till the end right?” Max smiled as I asked this and wrapped her arms back around me.

“Of course you loser. I’m not going to shut you out because you couldn’t control your hormones. Plus, I don’t know if I’d be able to survive half the shit I go through without you. You just have to promise me one thing.”

“And that is?”

“Get over me. Please. It’s not healthy, and this guilt thing isn’t that much fun. I hate to be the one to break your heart, but I’m not interested.” She gave me a sly smile as she said this. She was right though, I needed to get over Max. I’d had all my chances and now I needed to grow up. It would take time but I was willing to try. Max was way too important to me and I wasn’t going to ruin the best friendship I’d ever had.

“Yeah you’re right,” I replied. “You’re not my type anyway.” I teased before pulling her in for another hug. This time it was different. I was genuinely happier to have Max as a friend than I would have been with her as my girlfriend. I was happier knowing that nothing would change between us and we’d always be there for each other no matter what happened. Why ruin a good thing? And this, me and Max, was the best thing of all.

“Alright, all joking aside, let’s talk about Bob. What are we going to say?” she asked as she stepped away from me and went to sit on the couch. I walked over and sat a comfortable distance away from her.

“Well first off, I think we should tell him that I, you know. And by ‘we’ I mean me. Then I need to apologize to him, I don’t think kissing your friend’s girlfriend is in the guy code, so. But then you need to apologize too.”

“For what?”

“Not telling him sooner. You’re the girlfriend so he’d expect it from you. Just say you’re sorry for keeping it from him. He’ll understand.” Max’s face washed over with a look of panic and fear. “Max, are you okay?” She looked up to me before responding.

“Well there’s one thing,” she began. “I don’t know exactly how understanding he’ll be. I, we, kind of…before I told him.” I was a little lost. They…

“You…what? Max, it can’t be that bad. So what if you didn’t tell him beforehand. What could you guys have…oh wait? Did you?” I didn’t want to just ask, what if I was wrong.

“If you mean…” she gave me a look, like that was supposed to clear things up. “Then, yeah. Kind of.” I was pretty sure I knew what she was talking about but I still could have been wrong.

“You kind of what? Help me out here.”

“We had sex, Ray. Okay. The day Bob came back from Chicago. I didn’t plan on it, and I’m sure neither did he.” So I was right. Max was no longer a pure flower. It was weird to know she was no longer a virgin and even weirder to think of how it happened. Ew. “I hope you don’t, like, think I’m a slut now or anything. It was just the one time.”

“It’s okay, you don’t need to defend yourself. I don’t think you’re a slut. It’s not like it was some random guy. I know you really like Bob and hey we’re all bound to lose it eventually. Don’t worry about it. And no, before you ask, because I know you will, I won’t say a word to the guys. Swear on my life.” Max smiled and thanked me. This was a big thing to tell someone, I wasn’t going to go around telling people about it, especially it being Max’s secret. Well, Bob and Max’s.

“Alright I’ll say sorry to Bob. I should have told him sooner but at least now he’ll know. I just wish, you know, it hadn’t happened until he knew about Christmas, but like I said it’s not like we planned to do it.”

“Okay, Max. Maybe it’s better to just not bring it up, like ever again. I don’t want to start getting any visuals or anything.”

Max hit me and smiled then replied, “Okay, yeah, it is kind of weird. Sorry.” I was glad that things were finally cleared up with me and Max. The kiss hadn’t been such a big deal after all, our stupid teenaged minds just blew it out of proportion. I was glad that I’d finally told Max everything I’d ever wanted to say to her. Sure, the feelings were likely to never be returned but it was about time I finally got over her any way. As for her and Bob I could only hope for the best. Fingers crossed.

Notes

HEY!! Haha so Ray's and Max's conversation was taken from a REAL conversation that I had with one of my best guy friends after he asked me out. I felt bad saying no, but like Max, it was for the better.

Sorry the chapter is a little short, and possibly even rushed, and I'm ALSO SUPER DUPER SORRY to say that this is the SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER! Next week's will be the last. I'll still update Completely (Un)expected (especially since I'll have more time to write, and besides that, I have a new original story on Wattpad! (Link at the bottom)

Anyway, enjoy your summer, keep on reading, comment, send me messages, and I'll see you again for the FINALE next week!!!! ^.^ :D ;)