[Forest] Trying to hide

[Carolanne Roberts]

Run Laney, just Run! she told herself as she sprinted across the grounds towards the Forbidden Forest. She needed to run away from a while, get herself together. All the things going through her head were enough to kill someone.

Laney didn't stop running or even slow doing until the shadows casted by the trees had swallowed her. Leaning over, she placed her hands on her knees and attempted to catch her breath. With a sigh, she wiped her tear streaked face with the sleeve of her shirt.

Laney's breaths came heavy and raspy as she continued to get over the sprint. She hadn't run like that since the time Ash and Laney tried to 'runaway' from their disaterious home while Daniel chased them.

She leaned against a nearby tree and closed her eyes as she let her body fall slowly to the ground in a sitting position. Pulling a picture out of her pocket, she stared at it. "Why can't I get over you," she said to the face in Gryffindor robes. She figured starting a relationship would make the feelings die, sadly, it only made it grow. Hearing footsteps approach, or what she thought were footsteps, she shoved the photo of her, Ashton and Maxi back into her pocket. She tried her best to keep her breathing steady and quiet but failed as it still came out a bit raspy.

[Max Hennerdale]

Doing his usual routine of go by the lake and hope nobody bothers you, Maxi sat under one of the trees, listening to the water shifting and the breeze rustling through the tops of the tree he was sat under. It was more relaxing here than any other place in the castle or outside and it gave him some time to think. A couple of days had passed since the night of the boozeup, and yet a lot of it kept on replaying in his mind. Especially the kiss with Girty, it had confused him more than he let on to other people, bless, the blonde headed gryffindor was definatly in a place of confusion right about now.

Max tilted his head towards the forest in time to see someone dissapear into it. Though he couldnt quite see who, he had a feeling he should follow, if nothing else, to try and keep whoever it was safe from the monsters that dwell in there. Max had been in there plenty of times and pretty much knew the place by now, though still, he avoided it if he could.

Sighing, he pushed himself up and dusted his robes down, running a hand through his hair he looked down at his feet, "Up for a walk?" He asked them, though soon enough he was walking, "Course you are." Maxi stepped through the first lining of trees, pushing branches out of his face as he made his way through the forest. It would be so much easier to find someone if he knew who he was looking for.

Stepping out of a dense set of trees, Maxi's eyes landed on Laney. She stuffed something back into her pocket as she turned around, something she didnt want anyone to see clearly, though Max could be dense he knew something was up, Laneys tear stained face said as much. "Laney?" He asked in a soft voice as he moved towards the Ravenclaw, "Are you alright?"

[Carolanne Roberts]

Just when she thought it was nothing, Maxi appeared. She shook blinked to make sure she wasn't imagining him. "Speak of the devil and he shall come," she muttered to herself hopefully inaudible. With a sigh she stared up at him, "Hi.... Maxi," she said with a faint smile.

Carolanne nodded, "Yeah I'm fine," she said before rethinking her answer, "Actually, I'm not. Obviously I'm not," she said wiping her eyes as they continued to water. Sighing, she rested her head back against the tree. Turning her head slightly so she could just catch him in her range of site, she gave a slight roll of her eyes. "Lemme guess, Prefect duties?" she asked, moving her eyes so they were completely on him.

[Max Hennerdale]

He heard her mumble something but didnt quite catch it, all he heard was something about a devil. Which in Max's head it meant nothing to him. It seemed like there was an air between them, though he couldnt fathom out why, for some reason Maxi felt a little awkward, Maxi couldnt think of anything useful to say to Hi Maxi so he just smiled at Carolanne. He had always felt a strange desire to protect her, though that was probably because she was Ashton's sister, though that did not explain the awkward feeling he had right now.

He raised his eyebrow when she said she was fine, it was obvious she wasnt, which she clarified, not that it needed to be clarified. Walking towards her, he brushed some hair from her face and looked down at her. "Obviously you're not." He said softly, brushing away some more tears and holding her shoulders with a sad smile, "This have anything to do with Cristian?" He asked, the only reason he could think that Laney was in this state was because of Cris, "Did he hurt you? I swear if he did I will kill him." Says the master of hurting people.

"Prefect duties?" Max asked surprised, "Oh, no. I saw someone come in here." Looking at Laney, he was glad he found her, he didnt want to think of what might happen to her if he hadnt, "I thought they, well you, might be in trouble so I came to see if I could help. Besides," Maxi smiled at her, "You never know what kind of creeps are in here, and there's no way I was going to let you be in here alone. I care about you too much"

[Carolanne Roberts]

Carolanne felt a little awkward around the Gryffindor. She continuously glanced from him, to the ground, then back again. She was afraid that if their eyes held contact for too long, he'd be able to see right through her.

When she heard Cristian's name she gave a small laugh and wiped her eyes, "No. Cristian didn't do anything wrong, I assure you that," she said looking down at her hands covered in smeared mascara. "Great," she said as she wiped her hands off on her pants.

Carolanne laughed as she glanced up at Maxi, "I'm sure the only creep in the forest at the moment is you," she said jokingly. At least she could still joke at a time like this. She hated fighting with herself, it was the worse feeling; especially when you took it out on those closest to you.

Laney brought her knees up to her chest, "I think I hurt Ashton," she said in a sad voice. "We sort of had a fight. Well, technically, I was fighting with him, he kept trying to get me to stop," she said looking back at him.

[Max Hennerdale]

So maybe the awkwardness was mutual. He ran a hand nervously through his hair and didnt keep eye contact with Laney either, it seemed the both of them were avoiding eachother's gaze, and without Maxi knowing, there was a very good reason for it too. Maxi tried to compose himself, brushing down his front and letting out the breath he had been holding.

"Well then, if it isnt Cristian." Maxi looked at her, his eyes were soft and caring, "Who's this about. And dont take me for a fool I know your stronger than letting a simple sibling fight do this to you."

Maxi listened to Laney, but for some reason, just by looking at her, Maxi didnt believe for a moment that the reason she was here tonight, in this forest, tonight, to cry over her brother, who would forgive her in the blink of an eye. Maxi looked at Laney and with a small smile, he tried to think of reasons why she would be crying in the forest here tonight.

"Laney? You can trust me, you know you can"

[Carolanne Roberts]

Carolanne stared at her feet as she occasionally picked up a pebble and tossed it a little ways away. She'd have to say something eventually; she'd have to tell someone eventually. With a sigh, she looked up at Max, "Well it's," she said before breaking herself off. She glanced down then back up at him. "Um... I can't tell you?" she said unsure of herself. What good was a secret when you told the one it involved?

Laney shrugged, "How do you know it wasn't a big fight?" she asked as she stared at the empty air infront of her. "It could've been" she said before she bit her bottom lip.

With a small sigh, she looked up at Maxi, her eyes showing a bit of longing for the gryffindor. Quickly she looked away, "I know I can trust you, Maxi." she said. Picking up a small rock, she observed it in her hands, "Were you ever confused about something? Like really confused. I'm not talking about a question on a test that you can't understand. I'm talking bout something much bigger than that," she said with a sigh.

[Max Hennerdale]

Maxi watched her body language, she seemed to be on edge for some reason. Maxi furrowed his brow, confused much. "Well its...?" Maxi questioned as she cut herself short. Though it seemed as though Laney wasnt going to tell Maxi, and he didnt know why, he always thought she could trust him. "You cant tell me, or you wont?" Maxi questioned, he knew something was bugging her and he wanted to help so he wouldnt stop questioning her until she told him.

"Laney, darling" Maxi said with a little chuckle, "Even if it was a big fight, you wouldnt tear yourself up like this, you and Ash, you make up pretty quick." He smiled at her, "You know as well as I do, you two dont hold grudges against eachother, so whatever's got you vexed like this, it isnt Ash."

Maxi looked down into her eyes and saw something in them, something he's never seen in Laney's eyes when she was looking at Max but he just discarded it, for now at least. "Well why wont you let me help you then?" He asked, if Laney did trust him, she should know he wouldnt tell Ash, or Cristian if she didnt want him too. Though the next question took him completley by surprise as he wasnt expecting it, "Confused?" Max more stated than questioned, name one day this week he hadnt been full of confusion, "Yeah, I've felt like that before, I know the feeling of confusion." Truth, he did. Though he wasnt about to go into detail just yet, "Why? What does that have to do with you crying?"

[Carolanne Roberts]

Laney took a deep breath, "I can't and I won't because it concerns you," she mumbled. It was the only way he'd stop questioning her on why she couldn't or wouldn't tell him. It was too confusing for even her to understand let alone explain it to him.

Laney sighed and looked up at him, "Alright, so it isn't Ashton," she said before pausing. She tried to come up with some creative way of saying it but nothing came to mind, "It-it's you," she said, "At least I think it's you," Laney stated as she picked at a loose string coming from her pants.

What does that have to do with you crying?

At that question, Carolanne looked up at him. She didn't care what he saw anymore, "Becuase I'm confused over you, Maxi," she finally said. "I have been for a while. But now, I just can't let it go."

[Max Hennerdale]

"It concerns me?" Maxi said a little taken aback, of all the things he thought was wrong with her, him being a main part of it wasnt anywhere on his list. He looked down at his shoes trying to think of something to say, except nothing was coming to him at all. Scratching the side of his face, a thing he often did when he was confused, he looked at her.

Maxi nodded, he had gotten the part that it wasnt Ashton, because she had just told him it was Maxi. Though he couldnt think of anything he had done to make her cry. Crying, that seemed to be something that happened a lot around Maxi. "Y-yeah" Maxi stammered, "We uh, kinda got to the point that it was me." Maxi sighed, what had he done this time? What was wrong with Maxi, did he have something about him that made people cry? Lad or Lass?

Maxi let out another deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. He open and closed his mouth a couple of times before he settled on anything to say. He looked at her, if she was confused over him then this needed talking about, like adults. This had to be sorted, "You're confused over me?" Statement, already said, "Thats why your crying?" He asked, "Why? How? When?" Maxi was reeling off all the questions, "What I mean is, why are you confused over me, what did I do to make you confused?"

[Carolanne Roberts]

Carolanne looked at him as his facial expressions changed. With a determined sigh, she patted the ground next to her, "You, uh, better sit down," she told him.

She gave a small laugh as his face became full of confusion, "No no no, nothing bad. You didn't do anything wrong. It's mostly me," she said hoping to reassure him. Laney liked Maxi, it was as simple as that but it was hard to just go out and say it, especially when Maxi dated her brother. There's was also the undeniable fact that she was dating Cristian.

Laney bit her lip as he questioned her. "Uh-uh," she stuttered, "Why? Er that's actually a good question," she said with a small laugh, "It's mostly because I like you, er- alot and well, you and Ashton, then me and Cris... I just got confused. I-I tried to get over you but it didn't work and now, I don't know," she said with a sigh.

[Max Hennerdale]

"Okay, either I've done something terrible or I'm about to die and I dont know about it yet." Maxi sighed as he took up the spot beside Laney and sat down. It was never a good start to a conversation when you used the words of, You'd better sit down.

Maxi stared down at the ground, his brow furrowed as he tried to concentrate on something other than this. He found himself wishing he hadnt started this conversation, he knew nothing good come come of it but no, he had to push! "So, You're confused about me, but you say its nothing bad and its mostly you?" Max tried to piece it together, "How is that not bad, being confused is bad enough but add someone who you're close to into the equation it becomes a little worse."

Not Helpful Max

"Well im full of good questions." Max laughed, "I just suck at good answers." He looked up at Laney. He hadnt had a serious conversation like this since last year. He had planned on keeping it that way but obviously the world had other plans for him. So much for a peaceful life, Max thought to himself.

"You..." Maxi looked at her, shock was on his face but at the same time relief, it was weird hearing the sister of his Ex tell him they liked him but if this was the case then Maxi could see why she was confused. Poor thing, having to go through this all alone and Maxi, the idiot he was, never realised. "You, uh... Like me?" Though it took a while for Laney's definition of like to come through, though when she brough Ash and Cris up, he knew instantly what the girl meant.

Deep breath, inhale, exhale... My god Ashton is going to kill me

"..."

I wont be telling him though, thats certain

"You tried to get over me but it didnt work?" Maxi took a deep breath, seemingly a lot calmer about this whole thing. Max shook his head, this was either sheer coincidence, or fate liked putting him in awkward situations. A week after Max kissed Girty and became more than a little confused about his sexuality, Laney, the sister of his Ex, who is quite a looker mind you, telling him she liked him. Inwardly, he was cursing the heavens. "And now what?" Max knew that was the most important part, but he knew about getting over people, you could only get over them if you wanted to, and if she couldnt get over Max, for whatever reason, it was more than likely because she didnt want to.

He looked at Laney, he didnt have a clue what to do. Pulling her closer to him, he put his arm around her and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I am so sorry for doing this to you... I never realised, I never thought you would ever, I dont know. I guess I never thought you would feel anything like that for me. I dont know."

[Carolanne Roberts]

Carolanne stretched her feet out in front of her and clicked the toes of her shoes together. With a nod, and a deep inhale, she confimed his statement, "Yeah, I like you," she said before exhaling, "A lot," she added.

"You tried to get over me but it didnt work?"

Laney's eyes began to water as she nodded once more, "Yup," she said softly. She continued to stare at her shoes as she inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to keep the tears from pouring out. "What do you mean, 'and now what?"' she asked him. "I don't know. I've tried, well everything I could think of," she stated, "Except killing you, but that's out of the question," she said adding a quick laugh as she wiped her eyes.

Carolanne let her head rest on Maxi's chest. She couldn't stop the sniffling but at least the stopped the tears from falling. She had no clue what to do about everything. "Don't be sorry, Maxi. I did this to myself. I let it happen," she mumbled. "I just... don't want to break anymore hearts. Mine's already in two," she said closing her eyes.

[Max Hennerdale]

This was great, just great. How much more confusion could these two handle. "What about Cris though? I thought you were like, really into him?" Maxi questioned, She couldnt like Max that much if she liked Cris as much as she said she did. Though as soon as the question was out, he regretted asking it.

"This is a mess..." Maxi said softly, his blue eyes travelling to hers, impulses to just grab her but he resisted and put it down to the stress of the moment. Maxi ran a hand through his blonde hair, this was a trait of his when you could tell he was nervous. He would either run his hand through his hair or pick his cuticles. "Killing me seems like a good plan right about now..." Maxi sighed and looked at Laney, this was weird, weirder than anything he had experianced of late and he didnt think that was possible. "Have you tried not thinking about me?"

He pulled her closer to him when she said dont be sorry, how could he not be? Without realising he was stroking her hair, something he used to do when she would cry on him during summer for whatever reason, it always seemed to calm her down. Though this time, he didnt think it would. "You dont have to break any hearts Laney, this..." He lifted her off him and held onto her shoulders as he gave a smile and looked into her eyes, "With you and me..." With you and me what? What was supposed to come after that? "Its confusing, but its never been anything has it?" Maxi didnt know where this was going or how it would end up, only time would tell he supposed, "You, and that Claw.. Cris?" He forgot his name, baad Max, "You two seem... I dont know... Like you fit somehow. You're good together" Maxi and Laney could never work, he knew that and he was sure she did too. Even if by the strangest most weirdest chance anything did happen, nobody could ever know about it, it would be one of those secret things and was that what she wanted? Maxi smiled at her, trying to keep his own voice of reason from breaking.

[Carolanne Roberts]

Carolanne ran a shaky hand through her mess of hair, "What about Cristian," she said, "I only started dating him to get over you. It worked, until he started getting all clingy. I mean, I tried being the perfect girlfriend, the one he wanted, but you and I both know its not me you see with him," she said, frustration in her voice.

Her first instinct was to roll her eyes when she heard the word 'mess,' "You're telling me, Maxwell Hennerdale," she said with a sigh. Laney shot a slight glare in his direction, "We're not killing you and yes I've tried that," she said clearly frustrated with him at the moment.

Laney gazed into his eyes; what exactly was on the boy's mind? Carolanne wished he'd just stop being so guyish about the situation, "This situation hasn't been anything for you but almost everything for me. Since you and Ash first got together but I had to hide everything because of the simple fact that you and Ashy were."

Carolanne stayed quiet for a while as Maxi continued to talk. Cris and her good together? That was an act on her part! She just wanted to feel loved so she made herself into someone she wasn't. Maxi should've been the first person to see that. Did he even notice her trying to get away from Cristian at the three broomsticks? Of course, Cris ended up following her outside anyway so it was hard to tell; plus she was drunk.

Laney looked at Maxi, desperate for some understanding. Giving up on him, she sighed, "Can't you just hold me like any normal guy would do?" she asked him as she stared down at the ground.