ᴠʜs ᴏʀ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ.

it was a stomach shoved with butterflies and a nervous little twitch of her mouth as she attempted to smile and grit her teeth at the same time.     she didn’t know where to put her hands,     and she carefully placed them back down in her lap as she fluttered her face up at max.        warm  beer made the butterflies seem to rise  up,     higher  and  higher into her heart as she looked into his eyes.      ❛❛    it’s not——–  ❜❜      she  started,       but the pause came out of her mouth.      SHE  RUINED  IT  ALL       /    and it was the universe’s turn to flip her off.       

               dramatically,         with a roll to her eyes and a sigh to her mouth,     she fell backwards into the sad and looked up at the sky through the heavy crisscrossed trees.     SHE  LIKED  HIM——         that made everything worse.          folded hands over her stomach,       she shrugged her shoulders again as if it wasn’t a big deal as she admitted,         ❛❛       i’m not really used to saying  YES  to things…      usually it’s just like——- saying no until they stop.  ❜❜           her eyes glided over to his face,      moon-soaked cheeks bright with embarrassment red!     

max blinks,  almost stunned at her words.   why wouldn't anyone stop?   he doesn't understand      ———      his innocence to the world knowing no bounds, his back curved as he sits in the sand next to her.    his hands are resting beside him, his arms holding him up, as he folds his legs underneath him in a neat criss - cross.    ❛❛      you don't have to say yes, it's totally up to you.    like, people don't get that no means no, i guess, but you don't have to worry about that with me.    i'm not gonna be like some asshole that pressures you into shit.      ❜❜   max purses his lips, and he's not angry, he's just confused as to why anyone would try to take advantage of a girl      ———     why anyone would want to hurt, when feeling good is what it's all about.    he sits up straight, endless eyes looking out at the water.    it's an awkward pause, a silence that washes over him like cold water.    a shock to the system.    max finally glances back at her, his eyebrows knitting.    ❛❛      why don't we go back to the van and watch a movie or something?    or maybe take a walk?    it's nice, but it's hot is all.    the beach makes it worse.      ❜❜    he doesn't want to push her, he doesn't want her to feel like he's just another guy with his hand down her pants.    the idea makes him feel dirty; gritter than the sand beneath his body.   there's anger there now, however, between his cheek and tongue, but not at her, no.    at men, most men, especially the ones at this camp that think they can hurt, that think they can get off by making fools of the women.

𝐒𝐇𝐄   𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓   𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏   𝐁𝐔𝐓   𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋   𝐇𝐄𝐑   𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒   𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐘,      ❛      hey,  it’s  not  lacking.      i’m  just  surprised  you  listen  to  pop  like  that.      ❜      in  her  defense,   she  hasn’t  spent  much  time  getting  to  know  her  fellow  counselors  anyways.      ❛      well  when  you’re  finished  with  that,  meet  me  outside  mess  hall.      i  have  to  go  get  changed.      ❜

max smirks,  wringing the mop out and giving tiffany a nod with his chin.    ❛❛      what's surprising?    pop is like, the backbone of music.    without pop, we wouldn't have rock, or anything else, man,      ❜❜    he teases, brow quirked, as he plops the mop back into the bucket.    all clean.    ❛❛      i'll meet you out there in five.    lemme just dump this stuff and we'll be good to go,     ❜❜    he smiles, raising his hand for a high - five.

max is dancing with elena,  their bodies swaying slowly to the smiths      ———     take me out tonight      ———    max's hand at elena's waist.   there's enough room between them to fit an extra person, but as max closes that space, dark eyes looking down into elena's honey - brown irises, he licks his lips absently.    and if a double - decker bus crashes into us.    she's beautiful, with her cherry - stained lips, the pink in her cheeks, the way her hair flitters in the breeze.    max can't help himself, and as he leans forward to kiss her, he doesn't think.   he gives her a peck, timid at first, before he deepens the kiss a bit, their breath both smelling of cherry coke.   max leans back, smiling softly to himself.    there is a light and it never goes out.    ❛❛      i'm sorry,      ❜❜    he mutters.    ❛❛      you just look, like, really pretty tonight, elena.     ❜❜

max leans into the kiss,  his sleepy head near hers, their bodies wrapped up in a second - hand sleeping bag. max wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her closer, his hand at the small of her back. ❛❛ don't leave, ❜❜ he whispers, his voice cracked and raw from sleep. ❛❛ every time i wake up, you're gone, ❜❜ he murmurs, then falls back to sleep, his lean body pressed to hers, his hand going limp against her spine.