Max jogged through the empty hallway, his bag slung over one shoulder. His heart was racing, and he didn’t even know why. He just knew he couldn’t let it end like that.
“Jaxon!” he called out, spotting him near the school’s double doors.
Jaxon didn’t stop. He kept walking, his head down, his pace quick and determined.
“Jaxon, wait!” Max said again, louder this time. He reached out, grabbing Jaxon’s arm.
Jaxon whipped around, his eyes blazing. “What the hell do you want, Max?”
Max froze for a second, caught off guard by the fire in Jaxon’s voice. He had never seen him like this before.
“I—I wanted to explain,” Max stammered.
“Explain?” Jaxon yanked his arm free, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “What is there to explain, huh? You told the entire school that I’m obsessed with you! You turned me into a freaking joke!”
Max’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Max said finally, his voice quieter. “I didn’t think people would—”
“You didn’t think,” Jaxon snapped, cutting him off. “That’s the problem, Max. You don’t think about anyone but yourself. You didn’t care how this would affect me. You just wanted to laugh about it with your friends, right? Make yourself feel better about...”
He trailed off, his breath shaky, and looked away.
“About what?” Max asked, stepping closer.
Jaxon’s jaw clenched, and for a second, Max thought he wasn’t going to answer. But then Jaxon turned back, his voice quieter but still sharp. “About whatever weird thing you have going on with me. You don’t know what you want, so you screw with my life instead.”
The words hit Max like a punch to the gut.
“That’s not true,” Max said quickly.
“Isn’t it?” Jaxon shot back, his eyes restraining.
Max felt his throat tense. He didn’t have an answer. He didn’t even fully understand what he was feeling, but he knew one thing: seeing Jaxon like this. Hurt, angry, and walking away from him made his chest ache in a way he couldn’t ignore.
“Look,” Max said, his voice breaking. “I know I messed up, okay? I said something stupid, and I hurt you. I didn’t mean to, but I did. I... I’m sorry.”
Jaxon stared at him for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
“Sorry doesn’t fix this,” he said finally, his voice cold. He turned and walked out the doors, leaving Max standing there, feeling like the ground had just been ripped out from under him.
The Spiral
Max didn’t go back to the cafeteria. He didn’t go to class either. He wandered the hallways for what felt like hours, replaying everything in his head. Jaxon’s words kept looping in his mind, hitting him harder each time.
“You don’t know what you want...”
Was that true? Max didn’t think it was, but now, he wasn’t so sure.
He ended up outside, sitting on the steps near the football field. The air was cold, but he didn’t care. He just needed to be alone.
Except he wasn’t.
“Yo, Max,” Tyler’s voice broke through his thoughts.
Max looked up to see Tyler jogging over, his face twisted in concern. “What the hell was that back there?”
“Nothing,” Max muttered, looking away.
“Dude, the whole school’s talking about it,” Tyler said, sitting down next to him. “You and Jaxon. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Max repeated sharper this time.
Tyler raised an eyebrow. “Come on, man. You’re not yourself lately. First the weird apology thing, now this... What’s going on with you and him?”
Max hesitated, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn’t know how to explain it, not to Tyler, not to anyone.
“It’s... complicated,” Max said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Complicated how?” Tyler pressed.
Max shook his head, standing up abruptly. “I don’t know, okay? Just... drop it.”
Tyler frowned but didn’t push further. Max walked off, his thoughts spinning. He didn’t know what he wanted. All he knew was that every time he saw Jaxon, his chest tightened, and every time he hurt him, it felt like he was ripping a piece of himself apart.
ns 15.158.61.6da2
