max baker.

Thanks to the weed's effects, Gus was starting to feel a sense of calm wash over him, dulling the insurmountable guilt he'd been plagued with ever since he'd woken up that morning. It was Valentine's Day, and he had a perfect girlfriend, a woman he loved more than he'd ever loved anything. But despite his best efforts, he just couldn't muster the care or attention she really deserved. In fact, he'd forgotten about the day entirely, and was quick to follow Hazel's lead, agreeing to everything she'd suggested in order to quash some of that guilt, including attending tonight's party. But after a day of forced smiles and social interaction, Augustus was exhausted, and just wanted to crawl under the covers and disappear. But since he couldn't think of a valid enough excuse to leave, risk disappointing her, smoking in the bathrooms was the next best thing.

"Okay, ouch," Max reacted, her nose crinkling as she pulled a face at her twin's biting comments. Luckily, she'd grown used to them by now, the sarcasm rolling right off her. They'd said far worse during times where they were genuinely irritated with one another, anyway. "You're the one who's intellectually challenged if you think this is a good place to smoke. Miss Oswald is like — ten steps away, and you're probably inhaling more jockstrap sweat than anything else. Gross." She groaned, settling further into him, allowing the thrum of music to drown into the background, if only for a moment. In her excitement, she'd gotten too overstimulated. "Who even gave it to you? The weed. When did you start smoking?" Knowing it'd trigger a bad mood if she started questioning Gus too much, Max influenced the curiosity in her tone, opposed to the concern. Hopefully, this was merely a party experiment, and not a bad habit he'd picked up. She couldn't imagine it'd be good for his health.

“Hey,” Eva started, suddenly remembering something she'd seen before class that day, mug of tea clutched in hand. "Did anyone else see that guy Addie got with at my party today? I think he was talking to her by the lockers. Has anyone else met him before?” The girls were currently draped across Eva’s bed, only an hour in to their first ever group sleepover. Adeline, however, was suspiciously late, which had reminded Eva of the topic in the first place. But it didn't really matter to her what they talked about, feeling enthusiastic regardless now that she actually had friends to gossip with. "He seems cute?"

Max was thrilled to have been invited to her first ever sleepover, and had to remind herself several times during the day prior to tone herself down. Their friendship was still relatively new, and she ran the risk of scaring the girls off with her excitement. But when Eva's question came out, the promise of gossip sprung upon them, Max couldn't help herself from speaking out first, practically bouncing off the bed they shared. "Oh, you mean William?" Her face was all expression, eyebrows wiggling, knowing that most of the girls in their year found him attractive. "Can't say I've had the pleasure. Every time I ask Ade about him she goes mute, as if he's sucked the tongue right out of her mouth." Max giggled, hoping their tardy friend would spill the details later on. "Do you think that's why she's late? Because she's having a slice of William pie? Ooo la la. "

“Uh – hei! Are you here for the party?” Eva hadn’t even turned any music on yet, but she was hoping her place would fill up fast once she had.

“Well, duh. This is all anyone’s going to be talking about at school next week, and I am not risking having FOMO. Also, I don’t know anyone. So what better way than to make friends than having a par-tay, right? You get it. That’s why you’re hosting. I’m Max.” With a friendly smile, Maxine surpassed the doorframe, making her way inside. “Okay, this place looks great. Very cutesy, very demure. But we need to get the music on like… yesterday. You know, to loosen everyone up. I’m thinking Little Mix, but that’s just personal preference, you can choose whatever, obviously. Just a suggestion.”