max mayfield.

It didn't take long for Max to come to the conclusion that this girl was cool, someone more on her wavelength. It actually made her smile, her cheeks flushing with pride as her high score was congratulated. The boys had been too jealous to appreciate it, and Billy had mocked her, deeming it a waste of time. "Thanks. I play a few of them, but Space Invaders is my favourite. Those aliens hate to see me coming."

Having suspected someone young, Matt tilted his head at her confirmation, wondering what she was doing out there alone. If he focused in, drew himself out of the meditative state he’d been trying to get into, perhaps he could work it out. Smiling at her question, Matt turned toward her, starting to listen to her heart rate. 

"Nothing that you can prove," Max quipped, having to suppress the corners of her mouth from turning up. Although, if she really thought about it, the only rules she'd ever broken were Billy's. Her mother didn't care enough to set any, and she'd never committed anything illegal if you discounted the time she stole a pen. Perhaps that would change now she'd befriended Carl, as the Gallagher's always seemed to be running from trouble, but for now she had a clean record.

Alexandrian school detention wasn’t nearly as bad as being thrown in the Hole, but Ellie was still angry regardless. She was angry at the dumbass kid who’d nearly exposed her scars to the whole school, the one who she’d punched square in the face and landed her here. She was angry at Joel for sending her to school in the first place, angry at the concerned looks Tommy and Poe had given her when they’d found out she'd gotten into a fight, angry at the teacher currently minding detention, angry at herself for ending up in this situation at all. But sitting just below the surface of that anger was anxiety, agitation, disappointment. Ever since Tommy had suggested she attend school like Sam, she’d begged not to go, dreading being away from Joel, desperate to avoid authority and people her own age. Worse still, they were all strangers, and Ellie didn’t trust a single one of them. She only ever felt safe around the few people she’d come to rely on, ones who were now almost family. Not that she’d ever dared to say the word aloud before, not wanting to tempt fate. She knew better than most that everything could change in a second. Begging had worked for a few weeks, Ellie a master at pushing Joel’s buttons. But after a round-table discussion, her remaining guardians had ultimately decided school was inevitable, and surely she’d love learning? Ellie rolled her eyes at the memory, glancing around the quiet classroom.

Max didn’t know how she felt about returning to school. There were some aspects she enjoyed, like spending time with her friends, the free lunches, and the few certain subjects that didn’t want to make her fall asleep. The survival classes were cool, too, even if she’d already learned the basics simply growing up the way she had. More than anything, she valued the time away from Billy. He couldn’t hover over her here, watch her every move, control her. So when the detention came, a result of her failure to complete homework and the mouthful she’d given because of it, Max didn’t see it as an issue. It only gave her more time to read in peace. Sure, she was supposed to be writing out her essay, but the teachers weren’t strict enough to monitor every second of the hour.