Max Thunderman

Bᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇsᴘᴏɴᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀx, ᴄʜʟᴏᴇ ɢʀᴀʙʙᴇᴅ ᴀʜᴏʟᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʜᴀɴᴅs ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ᴀɴ ɪɴsᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴇʟᴇᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ғᴇʀʀɪs ᴡʜᴇᴇʟ ᴘᴏᴅ.

"ᴄʜʟᴏᴇ! ᴡᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴄᴜᴛ ɪɴɴᴏᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴄɪᴠɪʟɪᴀɴs ɪɴ ʟɪɴᴇ!"

Tʜᴜɴᴅᴇʀʙᴀʙʏ ᴏɴʟʏ sᴍɪʟᴇᴅ ɪɴɴᴏᴄᴇɴᴛʟʏ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴀɴɴᴏᴜɴᴄɪɴɢ sʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ʀɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪᴅᴇs ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ. Hᴇʀ ᴘᴏᴏғ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀs ᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀsᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴏɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪᴅᴇs ǫᴜɪᴄᴋᴇʀ.

Aɴ ᴀɴɴᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴜɴᴅᴇʀɢɪʀʟ ᴡᴀs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢɪʀʟ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ. Bᴜᴛ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴏᴡ sʜᴇ sᴀɴᴋ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀ sᴇᴀᴛ, ʟᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ ɢᴀᴢᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ. Hᴇɪɢʜᴛs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴛʜɪɴɢ.

" — ᴡᴇʟʟ, ᴀᴛʟᴇᴀsᴛ ᴄʜʟᴏᴇs ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴠᴀʟᴇɴᴛɪɴᴇs ᴅᴀʏ."

phoebe's shrill pitch rings in his ears and max quirks an eyebrow at her exclamation. leave it to her to worry about the morality of cutting a few people in line. he'd done the same thing with a lazy wave of his hand and a few clever tricks of freeze breath last week when they'd been standing in line for coffee but he keeps his mouth shut, watching as chloe bolts, a crack of static singeing the air. he'd have been proud of her little stunt if it didn't mean he'd be left alone with phoebe. she was sulking, pressed against the back of the gondola, her fingers digging into one of the railings. he has half the mind to tell her to look down, watch her pupils dilate and her cheeks flare but he slouches down across from her instead.

he didn't mind heights exactly, just the loss of control. he preferred being in charge of whatever was hurling him across the sky. he can feel phoebe's eyes on him, see the downward tilt of her lips. the implication of her own ruined plans irk him. he's sure she'd love to be anywhere but here--with him. he drags his gaze away from the bland view of the park. "you had anything better to do?" max taunts. "come on, chloe's off our hands. we can do whatever we want, have some fun." his grin is sudden, wry, the glint of a challenge clear in his eyes.