analogthis | open rp/inbox

[Logical and reasonable, huh? Max would probably say he's more skeptical and cynical than logical or reasonable, but nobody's asking her.

Well, she had sort of wanted to take it easy for a while, to not push it and hopefully save the power for when she needed it most... But just like when she's with Chloe, she has a hard time saying no to Nathan asking her to do something. Because there's the feeling of wanting to show off for him a little and impress him. To hear him praise her for it. That's so stupid, but...]

Maybe? You want me to use it to predict your future? Read your mind? Guess what's in your pockets? There are a few things I know I can do because I've done them before. I also helped Chloe aim at beer bottles but we're not exactly in the junkyard right now...

( it really does feel like he's being haunted at times.

nathan can't away from it; the horrors of his crimes follow him. granted, he could stand to try a little harder to outrun it all. he could talk to people outside this town, not the person more determined than anyone to insert herself in the middle of his nightmare. max, what a stupid bitch... or is she. between talk of chloe's ruined life and the junkyard, [the graveyard, the place where he pour shovelfuls of dirt atop amber's crumbled corpse in the dead of night], he's starting to think this is intentional.

max knows something. she knows more than she lets on. she's playing him. god, it's so obvious that she's playing him. he's so stupid for not seeing it sooner.

virginity is a crazy ploy, but it worked. it got him here. now she's dropping hints, waiting for him to come apart and spill his guts.

or... or he's being crazy, and that punk gutter trash just likes hanging out in junkyards. meters away from amber's body— )

—Gimme a minute.

( roughly, impatiently, he excuses himself. when he bumps into someone on the way to the shitter, he tells them to fuck off, like they're the one in the wrong. )

[Well. That was weird. He'd said it was cool if she talked about Chloe, but maybe he hadn't really meant it? Maybe it was stupid of her to have brought her up again when they'd just been switching topics.

She might have thought he was suddenly sick if it weren't for the way he bristled and snapped at the random lady leaving the unisex bathroom. That pointed to a sudden change in mood instead, didn't it?

There is the option of rewinding. Changing her words. Seeing if maybe he doesn't leave if she drops the part about Chloe entirely. But she'd just had that whole conversation with him about how he should get to decide on these things if they're affecting him.

Then there's the option of following him. But that could make him mad... Or it could mean being way too close to where he's being sick if it turns out he is sick.

She frets for a minute, then gets up out of the booth to follow him, leaving her bag behind...

Just as Warren and Brooke walk through the door, laughing... But that abruptly stops when Warren sees her.

Pleasant surprise is his first expression, then confusion.]

"Max? What are you doing here? Is this... were you trying to surprise me?"

[Trying to surprise him? What? She didn't even know he'd be here!]

No... I... I had plans with someone before I texted you but they hadn't gotten back to me... But then suddenly they did get back to me. And it's... It's something I needed to talk to you about in person, face-to-face, so I came up with a lame excuse until I had a chance to do that. I'm sorry, Warren...

[The confusion on his face quickly morphs into hurt, and Max feels like the shittiest person in the whole world. He looks like a kicked puppy. The very visible reminder of the black eye that Nathan gave him isn't helping her guilt either.]

"Oh... You couldn't have just... said that? Instead of lying to me?"

[Brooke behind him looks almost amused. Jesus, she knew the girl didn't like her and has a major crush on Warren, but it feels mean-spirited for her to be happy about this, when Warren is clearly hurt.

She is seriously considering rewinding and rushing to follow Nathan into the bathroom so she can just hide from Warren and Brooke when they come in.]

( nathan doesn't hear the new complication to their evening. he's too busy trying to pull himself together, glaring at himself in the mirror. what the fuck is with him? he can't tell, and it's pissing him off. he's nervous. he knows he's nervous. max makes him nervous, and sometimes, it's a good feeling. sometimes it's this: anxiety and suspicious compounded by feelings of inadequacy and fear. what had his latest doctor told him? nothing useful if he can't remember it.

breathe, breathe.

he's about a third of the way through this thing called 'square breathing' when he notices that someone's scrawled on the walls. rachel amber burns in hell.

he fishes through his pockets for an easier way out, and fixes his mind with a bump from the back of his dorm key before he can talk himself out of it. that's what the problem was, clearly. he'd been too sober.

a splash of water on his face drives away the last cloud of doubt. it also cleans away the evidence, but he's still checking his nostrils in the mirror just in case. eventually, maybe, he'll let max know he's on the road to becoming a total junkie, but he's still got plenty of time for that. he can stop whenever he wants.

when he leaves, it's like walking into the standoff at the alamo. everything's so still, frozen in place. nathan can see the hurt, the guilt, and the sense of superiority on each respective face. )

Uh. Bad time?

( because this is feeling like a bad time to be walking into things. the sight of warren doesn't affect him. he's already won. he got the girl. warren can take that white-knight bullshit somewhere else.

it's only for max's sake that he doesn't immediately say as much. these are her friends. nathan's not going to cause a scene unless they cause one first.

probably. )

[Warren hears Nathan's voice and immediately stiffens, turning his head to watch the other boy come out of the bathroom.

Quickly, he looks back at Max, and the mixture of surprise and guilt on her face sort of tell everything. Or at least he thinks it does.]

"No... What? Why... But you two..."

[He turns to glance at Brooke like she can help him figure out the words he wants to say, but she looks gleeful. The hurt boils into anger and he shoves past her to the door, and out to the parking lot, headed for his car.]

Warren, wait--! [Too late, he's already in the parking lot. Max shoots a quick apologetic look to Nathan, even mouthing the words "Sorry, one second" before running after him, leaving her bag in the booth and slamming Brooke with her shoulder on the way out. Is it an accident? Maybe. Maybe also a little bit not, because she does find some guilty satisfaction in the hiss she lets out as Max escapes through the door.]

Warren, I was going to tell you, but there's a lot to this and I needed a plan before springing it on you!

[Halfway to his beat up 1970s car with the X-Files plate and he turns around to face her. There are tears in his eyes and that shocks her a little.]

"Stop! Just stop! I don't know why you think you have to explain anything to me anyway! It's not like... I mean, besides you lying to me, it's not like this changes anything!" [He drops his arms to his sides and looks away, brows furrowed.] "...Maybe the lying doesn't either. Maybe I've never really meant anything to you..."

Warren... [Her voice breaks, feeling tears well up herself. She moves closer to him. He initially takes a step back, but with her next few steps he stays put, allowing her to stand in his personal space so she can speak to him without her voice raised.] You know that's not true. You're my friend and I care about you. You were the first person at this school who made me feel like I wasn't just some weirdo stranger. You made me smile and laugh, remember? Everything had been feeling so cold and you were like this... bright ray of sun. You're funny and sweet, and you don't deserve being lied to. You deserved better than that. I'm sorry.

[Warren sniffs, turning away from the windows of the diner, afraid everyone in there is going to see him being just this pathetic. Max turns with him, and touches his arm. He heaves a breath.]

"It's just... He fucking attacked you, Max! He attacked me! Now I have to look at this stupid shiner in the mirror every day and feel salt in the wound too?" [He gestures at his face. He protected her. He protected her from scary ass Nathan Prescott, and now she's with him instead? Seriously?] "How is that fair? How is any of this fair?"

[His voice cracks and he moves to hurry the rest of the way to his car. Max catches up with him quickly, and they move to the other side to put the car in between them and the diner. Max hugs him.]

Hey... It's not. It's not fair to you. And I'm sorry about that. But you know I can't like... [She drops her voice, and gently takes his face to direct her words to him, quieter.] You know I can't control who I feel things towards, right? I do know how you feel about me-- [His gaze skips over hers immediately, looking toward his car and away from her face.] --and it was never my intention to make you think I reciprocated that. But I do like you, Warren. You're my friend, and I want you to keep being my friend... Did I ruin that for us?

[He takes a deep breath and takes a step away from her, causing her heart to leap to her throat in fear... But he stays there, and sighs, and wipes a little furiously at his eyes.] "No, I just... Fuck. I need time, okay? I still don't understand about..." [He gestures towards the diner widely with his arm, the frustration in the movement clear. Nathan.] "And if you want... you can tell me whatever you planned to tell me about that later, but just let me..." [Another huffed breath; annoyance, frustration, sadness still, all evident in the sound of his voice and his movements. But the slope of his shoulders also speaks of resignation. Some sort of acceptance.] "Just give me some time. I'll.. I'll text you later, Max. And just... be careful, okay? Please?"

[She smiles at him, gently touches his cheek before dropping her hand.] I will be. I am. And... I appreciate that you always stick up for me, probably more than you know, but you do realize I can take care of myself, right?

[He pauses with a frown, rubs the back of his neck... Sighs again, and finally gives a small smile.] "Yeah... Yeah, of course. You're... You're kind of a badass, Max Caulfield."

Damn straight.

[There's a laugh from them both, one more hug before she lets him go and hurries back into the diner, wiping at some of the tears from her own eyes. Jesus... Talk about drama...

Brooke leaves and hurries to Warren's car without a word or look to Max or Nathan. Which is fine with Max, frankly. Hopefully she can be some comfort to him or something, even if Max isn't entirely sure she has his best interest at heart.]

( while max has a heartwrenching conversation with warren, nathan's left to bide his time with brooke. he's barely spoken to her, couldn't point her out in a line-up, but now he's left standing awkwardly beside her as max and warren take off. through the window, he can see the two of them are talking. that seems good. he can't imagine that interjecting himself in their conversation would help matters, so staying in the dinner feels like the smarter option.

even if it's the weird one.

he returns to his seat, and brooke, torn, sits across from him. she's more concerned with watching the conversation through the window than she is actually talking to nathan, which works for him. he's got nothing to say to her.

so, naturally, he's thrown when she speaks up. )

"You know, I think it's a good thing that Max found someone of equal intellectual prowess and moral standing. Troubles arise when partners of differing temperments try to meet in the middle. But you and Max are clearly a match."

( nathan's still trying to decide if he's actively being insulted when the waitress returns, confused by the sudden girlfriend swap. brooke's the one to clarify. )

"Me? I'm not with this guy. Like I'd ever."

( okay, he's definitely being insulted. but it's not like the waitress cares who's dating who. what had max said she wanted to eat? burgers and fries? he orders two of those.

afterwards, he hisses: )

What the fuck is your problem?

"My problem is that Vortex Club kids think they can step on anyone at anytime. Science Club kids are people too, and yet... Max didn't think twice about using Warren and throwing him away. It sounds like the sort of move you would pull—"

Watch it, bitch. You don't know anything about me.

"Statistics say otherwise. Compounded, generational wealth often cause its benefactors to become... disaffected. God only knows what Max's excuse is."

( nathan is still getting to know max, but he feels fairly confident that she isn't that the type of person to "use" anyone. )

...Max didn't do anything. Besides, she isn't even in the Vortex Club. Get your facts straight.

"Like it matters. Regardless of that Boolean variable, the outcome was the same. Warren is hurt. Again. Is that all you two know how to do?"

Don't fuck with me. I mean it, girl. Shut up—

"Or what? You'll give me a black eye, too? Unlike Warren, I won't wear it as a badge of pride."

( he falls silent as max jogs the short way back to the diner, tears in her eyes. brooke stands. )

"That's my cue. Tell Max I said thanks for clearing herself out of my way. And... not to let herself be too contaminated by you. She has good potential energy. I'd to see it all go to waste."

( she leaves, goes to warren, and nathan can't think of a worst way for a date to go.

next time, they're having dinner on his yatch. )

...This is a fucking mess, Max.

( but on the bright side, here come their burgers? )

[At least this has the possibility to assuage some of Nathan's worry about her using him. Because clearly she's making a mess of her own life too. She's invested in this, enough to power through the hard conversations. She still has one more she has to have with Warren at a later date, but... Other than that... It's kind of a relief to get that out in the open.]

I know. It is. But... at least it's out there now. And thanks, for... letting me take care of that. I know it was kinda shitty to leave you hanging like that while we're on a date.

[She speaks as she slides back into the booth across from him with a soft sigh, pushing some of her hair out of her face. She doesn't immediately look at her food when it's placed in front of her. Her appetite's been all over the place today. Probably because of the stress.]

Are you doing okay?

You had that covered.

( so he didn't feel a need to butt in. the only time warren feels like a threat is when nathan's the one instigating it. the two of them having a conversation doesn't feel like something nathan needs to monitor for danger.

more out of a desire to do something with his hands, he takes a fry and eats it. )

I had a real great conversation with that girl while you were gone. Think she called us dumb, selfish, and out-of-touch all in one breath.

...Can't tell if she likes you or hates you.

( at least he's able to find the humor in it now. )

We gonna have to do this with everyone? All the time? It's like... it's like the whole world's fighting us.

[It's good he recognizes that Warren's not a threat, since she definitely wants to still be friends with him. And he's certainly never been a romantic threat, nor is he really a physical one so long as Nathan's not trying to hurt Max. He's taken a million humiliations from the jocks and popular kids and never fought back until it was Max being targeted. He's a good guy.

She laughs a little bit at what he says about Brooke, taking a sip of her tea.]

Yeah. That sounds like Brooke. Amazing how she can be completely unsubtle yet still an enigma. Not sure how she manages that. Kind of impressive, actually.

[In another universe where Warren hadn't immediately fallen in puppy love with Max upon their meeting, maybe she and Brooke could have been friends. She's still unsure if she's going to actually be good for Warren, but... It's also not really her business. At least she can be sure Brooke's not going to be able to break her bond with Warren completely. He's too loyal for that, and knows her better than Brooke does.

Ugh, enough of that, she can think and worry and stress about all of that later.

Her shoulders relax, despite Nathan's words about the world being against them. She gives him a small but genuine smile before taking one of her own fries.]

Nah. We've already got the world's tallest and most enthusiastic cheerleader in our corner. Dana thinks I'll be good for you, apparently.

( speaking of enigmas, nathan looks down at his burger like he isn't sure how to approach it. he's eaten burgers before, [he's not THAT out-of-touch], but he doesn't generally eat around other people, especially not something so chaotic. if he had rewind powers, he'd go back and order himself a steak. just as daunting, but easier to maneuver. )

Yeah? I think Vic'll come around, too.

( speaking of victoria, he checks his phone to see if her string of baffled babble over his new girlfriend has gotten any longer, and it has.

he squints down at the message for a second, then groans. )

Tonight's, like, this thing. A bonfire. It's off-campus. I totally fucking forgot about it... but we don't gotta go.

( after all, haven't they had enough excitement for one day? three coming outs and a hospital visitation? )

[Max has already started on her food. Completely cleanly. Probably because she knows her way around this place's burgers specifically. Also she's going about it slowly because she doesn't feel super hungry.

She waits until she's not chewing to speak.]

I know I can say no to things Nathan, it's fine. But do you want to go? And do you want me with you if you do? Because whether you want to or not does affect whether I want to or not.

[It could be fun? Huddling together in the cold by the fire, watching the people around them. But it could also be fun to just... Hole up with Nathan in one of their dorms and shut out the rest of the world for a while. They have had a really eventful day.]

And, we could always go and then just leave if either one of us gets sick of it.

( damn, she's eating like a pro. max is crazy for that. )

I don't know. They do shit all the time. I mean, all the time. Not like I'm missing anything by not going.

( be that as it may, there's also the potential for taking shots by the fire, showing off his girlfriend in her hot-ass dress, and sneaking off to makeout in the woods.

maybe max is right. they can just pull up for an hour or two, then ditch. )

Yeah? Then... yeah. We should go.

( and he bites into his burger without incident. fuck, it tastes so much better than diet smoothies, bland pudding, or whatever fad diet his mother insisted the whole family partake in. it's juicy, and crispy, and the tomato slices pop with flavor. fine, top-floor restaurants in north florida didn't have food this good. )

What the fuck...

[It's still wild to Max how often the VC gets themselves into shenanigans. Hardcore-level shenanigans too, not the silly parties Max very occasionally went to while she lived in Seattle.

She hopes Nathan knows it's unlikely that she'll want to go to every single one of those things. She's not really a party person... Despite having gotten high and drunk and losing her virginity over the past few weeks. Life is just hitting very fast and hard lately.

But she can do this. It might be fun. And... she kind of does want Nathan to kiss her in front of his friends just so they can see it's not some big dare or something Max is making him do or whatever. She no longer blames Nathan for what his earlier timeline self did, throwing her under the bus in front of Victoria like that, but the thought of it still hurts sometimes. Maybe she needs this a little for a bit of a self-confidence boost.]

Okay.

[She's about to ask him about buying the new pot for Lisa, if they have time to fit that in before the bonfire, when he suddenly has this euphoric experience from taking a bite of the burger, and her smile widens. She doesn't laugh, though she kind of wants to. But only because it's weirdly endearing.]

Good, huh? Where do you usually eat around here anyway?

( max is responsibly planning their evening, meanwhile nathan is having a moment from a rat movie. they are not the same. sorry, brooke. you can't paint max and nathan with the same brush. )

I eat whatever. Not like this, though.

( this is art!!!! please excuse him as he takes another bite. )

You know, you're lucky I'm not taking a photo of you right now, because I do kind of want to immortalize this moment forever.

[It's teasing and sappy but also very much the truth. His ~rat movie moment~ is adorable. She's gotta bring him back here more often.

God, what has he been eating, anyway?]

I thought rich gourmet food was supposed to taste better?

Max, you're cool and all, but I'd kill you if you took a photo of me holding a goddamn cheeseburger.

( a lamer phot couldn't exist. )

Gourmet shit tastes like... like spending $500 on lettuce grown on Japanese mountaintops. All they care about is aesthetics and bragging rights.

( he says in his $6,000 button-down. )

And my mom had thing. You know how it.

[A brief grin.] And that's why you'll notice I don't have my camera in my hands~

But geez, seriously? Why do I feel like rich people actually need lessons on how to better spend their money?

[...hopefully he doesn't take offense to that.]

What, like, a diet thing?

[Her mom isn't that way, but there are enough moms out there that are, unfortunately, so Max has had friends with them.]

Being rich makes you crazy.

( it's the only correlation he can think of as he takes in more of his burger. it's crazy that they just give these things out. they could charge hundreds. )

Yeah. A diet thing. Always wanted us to be thin, always putting us on the scale, didn't want us beside her in photos if we didn't look good. Calorie counting, amphetamines, all that stuff. Especially my sister.

( it's no surprise she fled halfway around the world to get away from it all.

he eats a fry. )

...But it's whatever.

[Jesus. He's always telling her these horror stories about his life with such an air of nonchalance that it's... off-putting. Not in a way that makes her uncomfortable to be around him or to listen to him, just in a way that pulls her heart strings, that makes her want to tell everyone how wrong they are about him. His life is shitty, actually. And god does it ever make her want to make him smile, and laugh, and enjoy things. She hopes at some point, maybe, she can help him feel loved. And worthy of that.

Gawd, she's such a sap. She's going to make herself tear up again. She quickly refocuses on her fries.]

Well... That just means I get to be the one to introduce you to some new experiences. Like delicious greasy spoon cheeseburgers.

[She leans in a little bit while Nathan is holding a fry, sticking out her own at an angle.]

And fry fights. Engarde, mister.

[Yes, like a sword fight. You heard her correctly.]

Greasy cheeseburgers are, like, a once in a lifetime thing. And here's my once. With you.

( his mother convulsing as they speak, he can feel it. she's only happy when he's thin, and he's happy when she's happy. this burger is going to tear his family apart.

the fry being thrust his way, as dorky as it is, gives him an excuse to set the burger down before he can fuck around and finish it. )

Max, come on. We're not kids. I'm not gonna fucking play swords with French fries.

( at least he looks amused. they've had a long day. jefferson is still waiting on the details of what max knows, and warren is probably out there sobbing somewhere. this 'battle' is the levity they need... he picks up a fry. )

Now what?

[Yeah, don't remind her about Warren, she's still gonna feel shitty about that later.]

I don't know. The last time I actually had a fry fight I was ten.

[She admits it with a laugh, but knocks her french fry into Nathan's anyway.]

I think... whoever makes the other one drop or break their fry first gets to eat both fries. Sounds fair, right?

This is stupid.

( he looks as if he's going to drop his fry, dismissing this whole thing as childish bullshit, but then he goes in for a strike and whacks her hand. he tries to, at least. there's a chance that max's experience have made her a dexterous goddess or something. )

Heh... We still getting your pot after this? Bet we could make it quick, if we wanna hit the party after.

( a trip to the pot plant store can't take but so long, he rations. )

[She does manage to pull her hand away in time but ends up dropping her fry anyway in surprise. So, you know, all yours Nathan is you're comfortable eating a french fry straight off the bare table?]

If you mean a pot for Lisa, yes. If you mean marijuana, no thanks. Been there, done that, and got the boyfriend to prove it.

[Good-natured joking only, of course. She leans back on the booth and finishes the rest of her tea.]

You almost ready, then?

( he contemplates, but takes a fry from her plate instead as compensation. )

Wild shit. I mean, it's sorta crazy how life goes. Like none of this ever would've happened if you'd just passed the joint to the next guy. We never would've... you know. Together.

( something, something, butterfly effect. nathan can trace most of his own life to similar major decisions. had he not stood up for jefferson as a stupid pre-teen, for example, there's a chance he wouldn't be doing his dirty work for him now.

he waves his hand in the air to get the waitress's attention, then asks for the check. the remainder of the burger is calling his name, but he knows he shouldn't. he's got food in the car. good, healthy, bland food. )

Yeah, babe. I'm ready. ( once they pay or whatever, he means. what's a normal tip look like? )

[You know what? Fair. He earned that fry.]

Yeah... [The sentence "Chloe thinks I threw us all into an alternate universe" is about to form when she remembers his freak out earlier. Right, maybe less Chloe talk.] That is a point in pot's favor.

[Speaking of Chloe, while Nathan handles the bill, Max gets out her phone to check on her friend's response to her informing her of her location.

chloe
seriously, on my own turf???
max I think that qualifies as cruel and unusual

NVM I've thought about it and I prefer the idea that you're somewhere I can easily meet you

max
honestly it was his suggestion and I was so relieved
I was half expecting to be dragged across town to a fancy reservation only type place
anyway we have to stop by the store to buy a new pot for my plant baby Nathan accidentally dropped
then I guess we're going to this bonfire party thing???

chloe
he dropped your baby.
max read that again for me.
wait where's the bonfire thing at?

max
he did but I drop things literally all the time
I'm not sure actually, I'll ask and get back to you
ttyl

She puts her phone back in her bag and stands up before pulling it on over her head.]

So where's the bonfire thing at, anyway?

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more drama? WHY NOT.

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