Chapter 28 - "I don't hate you."

Courtney didn't say anything as she pulled out of the school parking lot and turned onto the main road. She didn't even glance over at Max in the passenger seat. From the corner of her eye, she noticed as Max inspected the interior of the car.

Won't find much, Angry Biker Girl beside a clean interior and air freshener. When Max seemed to come to this same conclusion, she sat back and looked out the window.

Max's indifference only lasted a second since the inspection finished, she seemed to now hear what music was playing through the speakers. Still, Courtney didn't look at her but waited. Go ahead, tell me what judgment you have about my music.

Max developing sudden physic abilities decided to give Courtney what she'd asked for. "Ari Raider. Are you serious? You like this music?"

Again Courtney didn't even glance at Max. "I have a question for you. Would you agree that the essence of what music is about is to make the listener feel something?"

Finally, Courtney looked over at Max. Max shifted but nodded.

"Sure."

"So then, even if a song is only meaningless lyrics and heavy production but makes someone happy, hasn't that song accomplished the goal of music?"

Max didn't answer and Courtney almost smiled at her sudden discomfort.

"With that logic, it doesn't make sense for anyone to judge someone on what music they enjoy. Wouldn't you think so?"

When Courtney glanced over, Max turned her head away. Ah, classic counterargument tactic. This girl will do great things.

The song changed to a Seven Ships song and Courtney caught Max swinging her head around to stare at the speakers and then at Courtney but not saying anything.

I see, you want to judge me negatively for my pop music but don't know how to judge me positively for my 'deep, meaningful' music. Courtney grinned at Max, daring her to say something. Max didn't.

"Where are we going?" Max finally asked.

"Someplace where it's easy to bury a body," Courtney said, nonchalantly.

When Max continued to stare at her, Courtney threw in a wicked smile for good measure. Max didn't buy it and only shook her head. Ah, so you don't believe I am purely evil, that is mildly reassuring.

The rest of the journey passed in silence undercut by Courtney's music and Max's silent judgment of each song. Which Courtney took absolute amusement in, since some songs Max clearly knew and listened to herself. What did you know, they did have something in common.

Courtney parked the car right outside an ice cream shop and pushed open her door. Max was less excited about the destination, which Courtney didn't understand. Free ice cream, wasn't that happiness? Ice cream was happiness and Mexican food was world peace. Ha! Courtney had solved the world's biggest problems and people made fun of blondes! The audacity.

Smiling at her own bizarre thoughts, Courtney collected her crutches and headed for the door, not even bothering to see if Max followed. When she heard the door shut, she locked the car, leaving Max no excuse for retreat.

"Why here?" Max asked as they stepped into the chilly interior.

"Ice cream."

Max eyed her and Courtney gestured to the array of flavors as well as candy toppings.

"It's on me," Courtney said.

Max crossed her arms. "I'm fine."

"Okay." Courtney smiled at the worker behind the counter. "One scoop of coffee ice cream with Oreos crushed into it and split into two cups."

The worker nodded and dug out a scoop of the golden-brown ice cream.

"I said I didn't want any," Max said.

"Okay. Maybe I just like to eat my ice cream in two parts."

When the worker set the two cups on the counter, Courtney paid and looked to Max. Max looked back without doing anything.

"Are you going to make a crippled girl attempt to carry those two cups while using crutches?" Courtney asked.

Sighing, Max unfolded her arms and picked up the two cups. Courtney led Max outside to a small iron table just beyond the door and still shadowed by the building's overhang. Courtney settled in her chair and took one of the cups of ice cream. The other sat on the table looking lonely. Which ice cream should never look lonely, it was the saddest sight there could be.

"Your ice cream will melt," Courtney said.

After a second, Max took it and scooped out a small spoonful. Small victory. With something to do with their hands and a view of a park across from the parking lot to keep their attention, Courtney decided to start the interrogation.

There was no other word for what she had planned. She was going to find out what was at the core of Max's hatred of her and she was going to use business negotiation tactics to get it. She figured this was a far less mean plan than exploding on Max and telling her where she could shove her cliche judgments of Courtney. Spoiler alert it wouldn't have been anywhere comfortable.

And it was time. Micah cared for Max and Courtney wanted Micah to stay in her life. That meant she would have to make peace with Max in some way. Getting to the truth of Max's dislike of Courtney could be the way.

So mirroring and labeling it would be.

"So tell me why you hate me," Courtney said.

Max shot her a look but then looked away. "I don't hate you."

"You hate cheerleaders then?"

At that, Max dug her spoon into her ice cream. "I don't hate cheerleaders."

"You don't hate cheerleaders?"

"No."

"No?"

Courtney perfectly inflected her voice, questioning but not pushing. It was balance between curious and casual.

"Okay, I do hate cheerleaders. You're all so condescending to everyone who isn't part of your squad. Like there's something so wrong because I didn't make the team."

Ah, getting somewhere.

"You didn't make the team?" Courtney asked.

Max turned her head to her, startled and embarrassed. She let out a derisive snort but Courtney figured that was only to save face.

"No," she said with attitude.

Courtney said nothing, letting the silence drag more words out of Max. The silence was efficient and did so rather quickly.

"Back in my old school, Brie and I..."

"Brie?"

Max stared fixedly out on the parking lot. It was the type of stare Courtney knew well. Too many memories rushing by to even see that cars are just not that fascinating.

"She used to be my best friend," Max said with enough of an edge to her voice that Courtney could see how the blade stuck out of her heart.

"Used to be?" Courtney asked, softening her tone even more.

Still glaring, because at this point the stare had morphed into a glare, Max shook her head like trying rid herself of the past. Doesn't work like that, girl. I know from personal experience. We aren't etch-a-sketches. Though who even uses those anymore. Not the time, Cory, focus.

"Last year..." Max started.

Again Courtney put silence to work. Come on, Max I can literally see how much you want to talk about this.

"Last year we decided that we were going to try out for the cheer team."

A pause. A pause that Courtney hadn't known could weigh so much. Max blinked, dug her spoon into her ice cream again, and tensed her jaw.

"She got on the team. I didn't."

Ah, the mystery slowly starts to unfold. Watson, I believe we have something.

"You sound disappointed," Courtney said, reflecting Max's emotion back at her.

"No. I'm not disappointed." Max looked at Courtney like she was ridiculous.

Only sometimes, Max and that's when I'm around my family. But sure, feel that way.

"I didn't want to be a cheerleader anyway," Max said.

Sure, yup, I totally believe that.

"You didn't want to be a cheerleader?" Courtney said, continuing to use her soft interested voice.

Max stabbed her ice cream again, which was a little violent to the harmless ice cream. "No. I watched how it changed Brie."

Ohh, where's my pop corn? This is getting good.

"It changed Brie?"

Shaking her head, Max glared out at nothing. "It wasn't all at once. But a little bit at a time."

"That must have been hard," Courtney said.

Though Max carelessly shrugged off Courtney comment, Courtney noticed how she pressed her lips together.

"We would still hang out, but she'd have to cancel because of practice. I tried to hang out with her and the squad, but I wasn't one of them."

"You must have felt hurt."

This time Max didn't try to brush away the statement, instead she stared down at her melting ice cream, her tough mask cracking in places. Not so much the hardened rebel it seems.

"Yeah," Max said. "She'd been my best friend since freshman year. Once on the team though..."

Max stopped and Courtney cocked her head little catching Max's eye.

"Once on the team?" she said.

"Once on the team... She slowly stopped returning my calls or messages." Max let out a mocking chuckle. "Once when I approached her during lunch, she told me that it was the squad's table and that maybe I should have somewhere else to sit."

Oh hey no! She said that? Sounds like a real winner of a best friend. A girl finds power and abuses it.

Ah, no wonder Max reacted to me first thing. Attack first before you get hurt.

"She even knew I liked one of the football players," Max continued. "James. When she saw me talking to him told me afterward that maybe I shouldn't set my goals so high."

And that's why Max got angry at Courtney for wanting to warn her about Blake. Another mystery solved.

"She won junior prom queen," Max said. "I was near her at the dance when she said... She said she should have tried out for the cheer squad back in freshman year."

Wow, now I have the strongest urge to find this girl and take her down a notch.

Max stood abruptly and threw her ice cream into the trash can, her mask reinstated, no cracks in sight. Ah, our bonding moment has come to an end, I see. Fair enough.

"I have to get home," Max said.

Without a word, Courtney tossed away her ice cream cup and they climbed into her car. Neither of them spoke all the way back to the school. What was there to say? Courtney understood it all. Life not viewed through the scope of Teen Fiction, merely through the lens of hurt and betrayal. It didn't fix what Max had done but at least Courtney understood.

Courtney stopped the car right behind Max's motorcycle and Max got out. Courtney rolled down the window as Max grabbed her helmet.

"Max," she said.

Max stilled but didn't look at her, as if she didn't have the courage to do it. Courtney understood, vulnerability wasn't easy. Especially with someone with who you've previously been mean to.

"I never deserved how you treated me," Courtney said. "But you should know that you didn't deserve how Brie treated you. I'm sorry for that. You deserved a better friend."

Max lowered her head but said nothing and Courtney drove away.

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Dash it all!

*Kicks something, not even something specific but just kicks something in a general sense since my senses are all mixed up*

WhaT THe FliP WaS ThAt!! I wanted all out brawl! I wanted devastating punches! Rib cracking kicks! I wanted a fight to the death! Not Cory being a good listener! GAHHHH!!!

Okay, so a full on fist fight isn't in Cory's nature... And would be a little out of character, but come on! Max is the worst! I wanted pay back, not understanding and a bigger picture of who Max is as a person! Bleh! I planned to loath her with a fiery passion to rival the sun for the rest of my life!

Thoughts, tell me your thoughts are as tumultuous as mine. 🗯💭💬

*Takes a breath (a very deep and calming one) and takes out clip board* Alright, it's time to see where we're at.

Still dislike Max and don't care that she was hurt.

Understand Max and why she reacted how she did.

Can see how Max will grow as a person.

Me: I do not care! So what if she was hurt and betrayed by the one person she was closest with! Tough tater tots! That's no excuse for being a butt! Also where the frick is Micah!

Joy! If you don't bring him back I swear we won't just have words but you'll get that all out brawl you asked for! And you will not walk away from it!

(I feel like I'm gone to a weird split personality place and I don't think it's good for me mentally, I'm already crazy this is just a step off a higher cliff. A step I really think I should rethink. I should go before I trip and fall)

Bumoto, Magkomento, Sundin (Filipino)

Here's a meme so we can all disregard my mental dilemma.