Will unlocks the door and we enter the house. I go upstairs into my room, throw my bag away and sit on my bed.

Max and I are "fighting" and she has every right to be mad at me, but does she really have to be with Angela? Why. Just why.

But maybe it's my fault; I didn't told Max, that Angela bullies me. And Angela didn't come up to me, when I was with Max somehow.

I told Max many of my issues, what if she tells Angela about them? Angela is going to use them to hurt and bully me even more. And I'm not even allowed to use my power to end her. I didn't tell or show Max any of my powers.

My eyes fill with tears and I wrap my arms around my legs and lay on the bed.

The next few days pass mostly the same. Angela always comes up to Max and won't distance from her. Max is really annoyed, but Angela follows her everywhere. It's now Friday morning, the last day before summer break.

This morning I wake up from the sunshine, not my clock. It shines directly into my face, so I open my eyes and yawn. First thought is Eleven. I really can't stand any more distance from her. My crush on her isn't gone, like I hoped. Instead I have to hang with this shit head, called Angela. I think she wants information about El and is trying to convince me, to hate her. No chance I'll tell her something private about Eleven. Fuck Angela, back to El. I should speak to her, but... she seems so mad at me. I don't want to piss her even more off.

I sigh, get up and make myself ready for school.

I wear a rainbow-striped t-shirt, tuck it inside of yellow shorts and on top of the t-shirt I pull my comfortable lilac armless hoodie on. Matching to my shorts I put on my yellow watch and I turn my hair into a ponytail and tie it with a green scrunchie.

To top off my really colorful look, I pull on my red Converse. (For better imagination, I look like this: )

I grab my backpack and go downstairs. Mom is standing in the kitchen, making breakfast. "Morning darling, do you want a toast?", she asks. I'm not hungry and Billie is going to kill me if I left crumbs in his car anyway. "I'm good", I reply.

"Maxine is everything alright? You haven't eaten breakfast since Monday.", she worries. "It's fine mom. I.. eat in school. Just not hungry.", I answer.

"You sure?", she yells, as I close the front door of our house and walk over to the car. I open the door and sit on the passenger seat. "Took ya long enough", Billy says, as "greeting". "Fuck off", I mumble, rolling my eyes. I look out the window, trying not to fight with him again. Suddenly there's an intensive burn on my arm. I can barely hold in a yelp. I look at my arm and there's a dark red spot on it, with some tiny black crumbles. Ashes?!

I realize, that Billy just stub his cigarette out on my bare arm. I look horrified at Billy, but don't say anything, knowing he would do something even worse, if I'd. He just grins and presses the gas pedal.

I slam once again the door of his stupid car and storm up to the school entrance.

I also slam my locker when I finally get all my books and walk upstairs, to my maths class.

In class I sit in the backround, last row. Instead of listening to Mrs Sterner, I study my new burn mark on my arm, which started to bleed meanwhile. Great. Fuck Billy.

Maths passes only slowly, but finally I'm sitting on a free bench again, hoping Angela wouldn't notice me.

"Hello Maxine", Angela giggles, not much longer, behind me. "Hi Angie", I say pained. Her look changes to annoyed. "Okay Angela I better go. Before you settle here with me" I say, standing up. "Awh.. stay with us. We're friends now, aren't we?", she says, giggling. Her friends giggle with her. Disgusting. "We're definitely not friends", I mumble. I look around and no table is free, same for the meadow, plus the party is sitting there. I guess have to stay here. Grrrreat. I look down to Angela and her annoying friends and I get a headache. Angela takes my hand and pulls me on the bench. I have to spend another break with Angie. Ugh. She already babbles and giggles along. I sigh.

Finally the school bell rings. Great, it's summer break now... without El. Or any friends.

I pack my things together and quickly walk to my locker, to put everything away for the break.

I open the doors and go outside. There's a whole crowd of people. Huh? I make my way through it and I see what's going on.

Anger swells in me, like never before.

Eleven is laying on the floor, crying, her cheek is bleeding a bit, while all her things lay around the floor. Angela is standing in front of El, her stupid ass gang behind her and Angela's making fun and laughing at the sobbing Eleven. It's so disturbing to look at. "Look at you, little snitch. Come on, you look so dirty. Give me some water, Brandon.", Angela says. 'Brandon' gives her a water and Angela just empties the whole bottle on Eleven. Everyone starts laughing.

I can't control my anger any longer.

I walk up to Angela.

"Hey Angie", I say fakingly nice. "Oh uhm hi Maxine?", she giggles. "Fucker", I whisper. She looks confused at me, but not any longer.

I punch her in her gross, fake face.

It hits her so hard, that she stumbles and falls onto the ground. I go up to her and kneel down.

"If you touch or make fun of her again, I will kill you.", I whisper into her ear. The blood on her nose starts to run down her face and she starts to cry like a baby. Her gang looks disturbed at me, the girls kneel down to Angela, the boys just stare at me. "What is it, losers? She deserved it.", I tell them. "You little bitch-", Brandon tries and raises his hand, but I grab his wrist before he could slap me. "Nuh-uh. Not with me, pathetic boy", I say and let go of his wrist. He puts his arm down and his face changed to fear.

What. A. Douche.

"Come on let's piss off .. help Ange", he mumbles to his gang. With that they just get up and go away quickly.

"AND YOU ALL FUCK OFF ALREADY", I yell at the crowd. They all look like I'm an alien. "DO Y'ALL NEED A BLOODY NOSE TOO?", I yell again and that's finally working; they piss off.

I run to El and kneel down beside her. "You okay?", I ask quietly. She looks up to me, her eyes filled with tears, but she slowly nods. I pull off my armless hoodie and give it to her. "Come on, pull it on.", I say. After giving me a thankful look, she does what I say. I crawl in front of her.

After she puts on the armless hoodie, she starts to look at me with wide eyes, tears running down her cheeks. I wipe them and the little blood stain with my thumb away and smile weakly at her.

Her cheeks turn into a slight pink color and I smile again. I stroke El's wet hair behind her ears and pull on the hood, so that she isn't really cold anymore. Now her cheeks get flaming red.

I was still a bit controlled from my anger, so I realize what I really just did and blush too.

"Why.. why are you so nice to me?", she asks quietly.

Because I love you.

A long while there's just silence.

"Because I care for you Eleven.", I say. (Can't believe I just said that. That's literally so cheesy.)

Eleven stares at me, her eyes filling with tears again.

"OH MY GOD EL", someone yells. It's Will, storming out of the building; the rest of the party behind him. They start to collect El's things, while Will comes to us.

"I'm okay Will", El smiles softly. "Thanks to Max", she adds. I can't hold back a smile on my face, but it quickly fades. Isn't Billy waiting for me? FUCK HE'S GOING TO BE SO MAD!!

"Max? Are you okay?", Lucas asks. "Uh yeah sure... uhm I really got to go sorry", I say quickly, getting a concerned look from El. I get up and run away from the party, to the parking lot.

There is standing, beside his car, in all glory, Billy. He doesn't look so pleased when he sees me. "Where have you been, Mayfield?", he asks, as I stand in front of him.

"Helping a friend out", I answer quietly. "Well nice I don't CARE IF YOU'RE NOT HERE AT 4", he yells and pushes me on the passenger seat.