* — 𝙼𝙰𝙳 𝙼𝙰𝚇.

he´s doing nothing. luxuriates in it, sprawled out over his sheets just idly listening to his speakers blaring the scorpions, his hands mimicking the motions of banging on the drums. revels in the way no one is going to barge in and tell him to turn his shit off because you´re bothering susan - you know she doesn´t like the incessant screaming. i don´t like it. when will you ever learn–-

billy bangs out another solo because both of them are gone for the day and he gets to do whatever the hell he wants. the only other person to bother him is maxine and he couldn´t care less about what annoys her or not. the cassette runs out whirring on the last piece of empty tape and he swings his legs off the bed to turn it over when she just apparates in his room like he summoned her by just thinking about her or whatever. ❝ jesus shit bird! ever heard of knocking? ❞

his mood is soured, his lips pull down into a frown and he´s about to tell her to fuck off ; that he´s not going to go out of his way to play babysitter for her today not when the house is empty and his - and less than a few weeks ago he probably would have done so. but things aren´t the same as a few weeks ago now, are they? he thinks of needles, of nailed bats and ceasefires - thinks of the slob probably waiting for them in the kitchen fridge and decides it´s not worth it. the fight leaves him with a click of his tongue and a roll of his eyes before he reaches over to grab the neck of his denim jacket. ❝ fine, but leave the fucking money. i´m not in the mood of being accused of stealing from your mother. ❞

pale  fingers  wrap  around  the  doorframe  of  BILLY’S  ROOM.  heart  beat  picking  up  speed  and  max  doesn’t  know  why,  he  doesn’t  SEEM  to  be  doing  anything  important  but  still.  she’s  scared  to  ask  but  kinda  being  forced  to  because  she  has  no  other  choice,  not  like  she  can  bike  all  the  way  to  town.  god,  she  hated  even  going  anywhere  with  him.  she  has  to  just  pray  every  time  she  gets  in  billy’s  blue  death  trap  that  she’ll  make  it  out  alive  because  he  drives  like  a  maniac.  but  that’s  to  say  if  he’s  even  going  to  agree  with  her  idea,  knowing  how  weird  he  is  he  could  slam  the  door  in  her  face?  which  is  why  she  goes  ahead  and  makes  herself  present.  stepping  in  so  no  doors  can  get  thrown  in  her  face.  trying  to  make  herself  appear  assertive  is  like  a  kitten  trying  to  appear  like  a  lion  in  the  face  of  an  even  bigger  lion,  it  just  doesn’t  work.  “i  was  wondering...”  mellow  voice  starts,  waiting  to  get  her  next  ounce  of  courage.  blue  eyes  quickly  flickering  from  the  floor  because  she  feels  like  an  idiot  not  looking  at  him  while  she  talks.  “if  we  could  go  grab  food.  our  own  food.  not  my  mom’s  burnt  left  over  soggy  pork  chops  for  the  second  time  this  week...”  max  mumbles,  emphasis  with  a  roll  of  her  eyes  on  the  way  she  wants  to  gag  even  having  to  think  about  stomaching  terrible  food  once  again.  really,  she  should  be  able  to  report  child  abuse  on  her  mom  leaving  burnt  soggy  pork  chops  in  the  fridge  paired  with  some  good  ole  disgusting  peas  in  a  yellow  tupperware  bowl  alone.  “i  know  where  she  hides  some  money.”

@rattgrove​​  sent:  “What were you thinking, running off like that?!”

from:   meme  tag  /  always  accepting.

               cheeks  hot  against  the  cold  weather,  her  adrenaline  has  spiked  ever  since  he  ended  up  finding  her.   at  first  she  was  wedged  between  the  dumpsters  outside  of  the  closed  arcade  to  shield  herself  from  the  wind,  until  a  stupid  pop  can  rolled  out  from  underneath  it  and  then  her  hiding  spot  got  completely  blown.  she  doesn’t  know  his  mood  right  now,  which  is  why  max  ended  up  climbing  up  on  top  of  the  giant  dumpsters  as  fast  as  she  could.  it  had  to  been  the  adrenaline  that  got  herself  up  here,  because  how  else  could  she  scramble  like  a  wild  animal  trying  to  protect  itself  up  on  something  so  high.  

@rattgrove​  sent:  “Who do I need to punch?”

from:   meme  tag  /  always  accepting

he  was  right.  she  hates  to  admit  it,  but  he  was  completely  right  about  lucas  and  most  of  those  boys.  it’s  been  going  on  forever,  she  just  didn’t  want  to  admit  that  either.  how  lucas  easily  becomes  so  smitten  with  other  girls  or  makes  her  feel  ugly  about  herself  in  even  more  ways.  the  only  time  he’s  ever  seemed  so  into  her  was  forever  ago  at  the  snowball,  when  she  was  girly  and  glittery.  max  doesn’t  want  to  doll  up  and  wear  dresses  or  wear  makeup  like  those  other  girls,  she  likes  her  skateboards  and  converses  and  simple  t-shirts.  but  it’s  apparent  lucas  wants  the  girly  type  and  doesn’t  accept  her  for  who  she  is.   that’s  why  today,  something  just  set  her  off  for  the  last  time.  that  blonde  girl  who  hates  max  anyway,  came  over  to  say  hi  to  lucas  and  of  course  the  anger  boiled  up  in  her  for  the  last  time.  she  confronted  lucas  then  the  snot  faced  blonde  decided  to  butt  in,  saying  lucas  ‘deserved  better’  then  when  he  said  nothing,  absolutely  nothing,  no  defense,  no  anything--  max  stormed  off.  

until  the  blonde  girl  came  at  her,  pulling  her  by  the  hair  and  sucker  punched  her  in  the  nose.  then  max  swung  her  fists  for  the  first  time  at  another  person,  she  hit  her  right  in  the  jaw  and  then  the  nose  for  payback.  the  second  she  started  to  run  the  redhead  chased  after  her  all  the  way  across  the  school  yard  and  into  the  woods  not  far  from  the  parking  lot.  eventually  she  darted  in  another  direction  and  then  a  branch  knocked  her  on  to  her  back  when  she  ran  smack  into  it,  arm  scraped  on  some  rocks  underneath  her  back  and  the  next  thing  she  knows  billy’s  there.  ocean  eyes  blink  with  tears  as  she  finally  looks  up,  seeing  the  sky  first  then  gaze  flickering  to  the  voice... because  who  is  here  now?  

not  lucas,  not  any  of  her  so  called  friends,  only  billy.  as  annoying  as  he  is,  it’s  ironic  that  he’s  always  the  one  there.  even  if  he  doesn’t  even  mean  to  be.  ❝  no  one.  ❞  she  hisses,  pressing  the  heel  of  her  palm  deeper  into  her  throbbing  cheek  bone  and  nose  to  apply  pressure.  even  if  lucas  is  a  jerk,  she  doesn’t  want  him  to  be  killed.  ❝  no  one  because  i  took  care  of  it  already.  ❞  even  though  it  looks  the  other  way  with  bleeding  knuckles,  scraped  arm  and  blood  pouring  from  her  nose  while  still  lying  on  the  ground,  it’s  definitely  not  how  it  ended  anyway. 

       “ jesus, max, cut the attitude. “ billy honestly doesn’t care whether she picks up on anything he says or not, but if neil catches her cursing like a goddamn sailor he’s probably going to blame it on him, anyway. and that’s something billy would much prefer to avoid. it’s bad enough that he’d gotten roped into this, he doesn’t need more shit thrown his way. “ because i fuckin’ said so. “ he almost laughs at the quick dismissal, at her trying to play it cool, as if he hadn’t just cut her fun short like that. it’s more than he would do on his best day, so the little shit better appreciate it, either way no matter how close to the park they were. “ me? y’sure you wanna be seen being carried over there like that, when you could just, i don’t know – fuckin’ skate? “ he turns the ordeal around and onto her, trying to ignore the fact that this is absolutely all about reputation at this point, espexially with how shoulders tense by the time the car drives past. great. he knows all of those kids and knowing how quickly rumors spread across school, he’s bound to walk into some shit – it’s no wonder his semi-decent mood is dwindling as he crouches down some. “ okay, OFF, jesus – “

      it’s just his luck that there’s some fucking kid approaching them next, obviously there for her, not for him, but it still makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up at the obnoxious smile he has on. “ max – “ he really shouldn’t, it’s her goddamn birthday – let kids have fun, no matter how much this kid’s face pisses him off, but it’s basically ingrained into him at this point. “ who’s the fuck’s this? “

 ❝  i  don’t  care.  i  don’t  give  a  shit  about  what  people  think  unlike  you.  ❞  she  just  wants  to  retort  that  AND  with  the  attitude  on  purpose  because  his  mood  is  rubbing  off  on  hers  which  is  exactly  what  always  causes  their  rare  good  moments  to  erupt  back  into  a  volcano.  one  acts  like  a  hot  head,  then  the  other  does  too  when  there  needs  to  be  at  least  one  person  in  the  party  who  doesn’t  want  to  argue  back  to  keep  the  peace.  they’re  too  alike  in  that  way.   ❝  because  i  said  so.  ❞  mocking  him  underneath  her  breath,  jaw  clenching  in  the  way  temples  are  throbbing  with  irritation.

going  frozen  in  place,  wanting  the  ground  to  open  up  and  swallow  her  whole  the  second  he’s  questioning  who  it  is.  now  is  a  good  time  when  she  wishes  her  friends  could  all  just  be  girls.  brows  crease,  looking  over  her  shoulder  towards  the  pest  of  a  boy,  ❝  just  some  kid  from  down  the  street?  we  play  basketball  sometimes.  what  about  it? ❞  she  hates  the  way  it  comes  out  so  rushed,  like  she’s  looking  for  quick  answers  when  it’s  actually  the  truth.  but  she  knows  that  isn’t  the  way  his  brain  works,  now  it  does  seem  like  she’s  hiding  something  and  she  could  kick  herself  for  it.  

❝  or  maybe  more  than  that. ❞  the  dorky  faced  boy  butts  in  and  smiles  in  amusement,  oblivious  how  he  just  made  this  a  hundred  times  worse.  max  doesn’t  think  she’s  ever  CRINGED  as  hard  as  she  does  just  then,  she  can’t  even  fathom  how  extremely  stupid  this  one  boy  can  be?  how  can  he  not  SEE  or  already  know  billy’s  a  crazy  person  just  by  looking  at  him.   ❝  come  on,  max.  pleeease.  i’ve  asked  you  five  times  already  if  you  want  to  be  my  girlfrie-- ❞   he  thinks  it’s  a  funny  time  to  be  teasing  her  and  she’s  covering  his  mouth  with  her  hand  before  he  can  finish  that  stupid  word  which  has  his  eyes  going  wide  in  shock.  

       billy doesn’t feel the need to elaborate, rolling his eyes at the attitude he’s met with. there’s a lot of things kids might consider fun that he doesn’t, but that’s got nothing to do with the things in question and more to do with how he’d been raised, anyway. but it’s max’s birthday, so he’ll shove those thoughts aside and not act like a complete asshole for a little while longer, because she’s really starting to push it. “ don’t make me drop you, dipshit. “ because he will. he’s not above dropping her ass onto the grass and leaving here right there if she keeps this up and that’s whether susan’s watching or not. which is fucking weird to begin with, so billy tries his damndest to keep his gaze elsewhere, pretend like he hadn’t just caught her staring at them like a deer in the headlights. “ good, let’s go. “ hopes he can avoid her bringing it up over dinner, which is why he picks up the pace the moment the skateboard is in the redhead’s hands, needing to get out of there and fast. this whole ordeal is fucking embarrassing enought in itself, without anyone watching and it would have been well and done with, if the park weren’t quite so crowded the closer they got to it, making the blond lessen his pace. “ okay –  that’s enough. “ he stops far enough for anyone to catch sight of them, well and done with it, mostly because he’s got a reputation to keep and doesn’t need to be seen giving piggybacks to little shits. “ you got legs, now get off. “

❝  you  drop  me  and  we’ll  be  TWO  dipshits,  i’ll  take  you  down  with  me.  ❞  that’s  spewed  matter  of  fact,  mimicking  his  curse  words  because  he’s  teaching  her  all  she  needs  to  know  to  say  the  best  of  curse  words  and  she  wants  to  remember  them  to  call  the  morons  at  school  them  when  she  needs  good  comebacks.  ❝  what?  WHY?  ❞  irritated  he’s  stopping  so  soon,  then  she  realizes  she  sounds  outraged  that  the  fun’s  over  and  changes  her  tone.  ❝  i  mean.  whatever.  this  is  still  a  rip  off,  though.  when  the  park  is  still  WAY  down  there.  ❞  rolling  blue  eyes,  max  scoffs  because  she  doesn’t  get  it  until  OF  COURSE  she  does.   ❝ i  don’t  know  what  you’re  so  scared  of.  ❞  who  cares  what  people  think.  she’s  about  to  climb  off  when  a  group  of  older  kids  go  by  in  a  car,  staring  at  them  and  max  gets  distracted  in  staring  right  back.  but  only  because  they  recognize  billy  right  away  and  didn’t  know  he  had  a  sister,  mesmerized  by  the  fact  he’s  not  being  a  hot  head  THEY  know  him  as  either.  ❝ maybe  if  you  crouch  down,  i  will. ❞  strawberry  haired  girl  grumbles,  hand  placing  on  top  of  his  head.   finally,  she  lets  go. 

       “ making me carry you to some park down the street ain’t fun. “ eyes roll at her statement, but he’s said he’ll do it so now he has to commit – even if it depends on how quickly max actually climbs up, because there’s only so much patience he has for these kinds of things. she does it quickly, however, just so the freaking expensive comic isn’t left out on the grass, before she’s moving to climb up onto his back and he can’t help the scoff that leaves his lips at the fact that he legitimately needs to crouch down a bit, just so she can reach. really hopes no one’s looking because he’s taking this shit to his grave. “ woooow, shitbird – you’re heavy – “ she’s not really – at all, actually, but he wouldn’t be himself if he wouldn’t bitch about this throughout the entire piggyback ride. “ and watch the hair – “ he doesn’t need her pulling on any of that, head tilting toward the front porch – billy vaguelly spots susan by the window if he tries hard enough, but he ignores that in lieu of heaving a sigh as he moves to pick up the damned skateboard on top of everything else. “ anything else? otherwise we’re outta here. “

       “ — but? but what, maxine?? “ he settles on using her full name just to get a rise out of her. because why talk things out like any other siblings would, when they can argue and argue and then storm off, not really solving anything in the process. she always does this – even when there is something that bothers her and he can see it. can see how tense she gets sometimes, even after hanging out with those dipshits she calls friends, but maybe it’s for the best that she doesn’t spill everything. because maybe, billy might just go beat the crap out of them if they so much as think about hurting her and that’s something neither of them need right now. “ that’s right. “ nothing it is. nothing solves the immediate anger that wants to bubble through – the anger that wants to push and push until she gives way, but nothing – nothing keeps them right where they are. in that dysfuntcional middle part which has worked out so wonderfully up until now. 

      it keeps her silent for a good solid few moments and the blond relishes in it as he debates whether or not he should head out or not – get himself away from all this bullshit, because max seems adamant on furthering this argument and ignoring everything he says, anyway when she peeps up again. “ don’t. just – fucking stay away from him. “ it’s never been like that. sure he’s taken the brunt of it for whenever she had snuck out, but neil’s just an asshole and he will find a reason, whether the redhead’s related to it or not. he lights up a cigarette, taking a long drag, trying to focus on that to ease some of the pent up energy that had accumulated, because he’s way too fucking riled up, before he’s turning. “ and get out of my room, what the hell. “ far as he’s concerned, whatever this was, is done.

     “ you’re not stuck, you’re just being a shitstain – “ if billy knew any better – no, actually, that’s not it, she’s actively ABUSING the fact that he’s being nice on her goddamn birthday is what this is. but it’s not unlike max, which is why it’s pissing him off so much, he figures, half debating on prying her gremlin hands off of himself or essentially, giving and getting this over with. both equally terrible options, because she’ll have plenty to say in return, but he’s also really not into ruining her birthday solely because she’s being more of a shit than usual. he should have. he really should have. instead he’s rolling his eyes, exhaling a long sigh, because he’s absolutely done with this already. “ man if you think piggyback rides are fun, then i – really don’t know what to tell you. but fine, FINE, get on, come on. “ before anyone has a chance to see them like this.

     “ so STOP clinging to me like that, shitbird. “ if she’s got time to complain about how stinky he is – which he isn’t, thank you very much, she can also pull away and leave him be if it bothers her so much. but it’s clear she’s said that just to add to the hilarity of it all, without any intention of letting go, considering how much of a goddamn blast she’s having. 

    just this day – he can get through this one day and then go right back to where they stood when it’s not her birthday anymore. seems like luck is on his side though, when she finally gives up, which lasts for about a good solid second, before she’s back, staying put and throwing out more bullshit as if she hadn’t gotten plenty already. he’s being more nice than usual, what else does she want? “ a piggyback ride. “ billy repeats, incredulous, because what the actual fuck? not that the park is far, but he won’t be caught dead giving anyone piggyback rides, no matter what. “ what are you, five? you could just WALK there. “ he drives her around on a daily basis, anyway.