[Forest] Trying to hide

[Max Hennerdale]

So they were both nervous, was this good or bad? Maxi didnt know, he was scared to find out too. So, Maxi wasnt an expert on relationships but even he knew dating someone to get over someone else was bad, very bad. It was like rebound sex, shouldnt be done ever. You only end up regretting it. Maxi was shaking, though he knew why, this conversation was one he shouldnt be having, he just hoped Ash wouldnt find out, Ash would murder Maxi for this. "Great, not only did I screw up Ash, I screwed up Laney too." He said to himself. Though he knew she could hear it. "Laney, if your relationship isnt what you want you shouldnt be in it. Thats all I have to say on the matter"

Maxi winced when she used his full name, that usually meant people were angry with him and the last person to call him Maxwell was his mother so he was still pretty sensitive about it. "Well, what else is there to do then?" Maxi asked, he didnt know how he could help her get over him.

The situation hadnt exactly been easy either, he had known of Laneys little crush on him, it wasnt hard to tell. Though he never expected anything like this, he never expected that her feelings ran this deep and for once, Max didnt know what he could do, he felt like he was in a maze and couldnt find his way out, he was lost, he needed guidance, he needed a bloody miracle. "I never knew it was so bad for you... Im sorry" Im sorry, was that all Maxi could say?

Maxi looked at her when she asked him to hold her. He knew it would only make her feel worse, having his arms around her but he couldnt say no could he? Taking a deep breath, the blonde shuffled around so he could put his arms around Laney and hold her close to him. He didnt know what else to do, what else to say. This hadnt been how he expected to spend his evening. "Laney..." He began in a soft voice as he held her gently, he didnt know how to handle this situation, there were too many thoughts buzzing through his brain he couldnt make sense of. "I dont know.. Nevermind"

[Carolanne Roberts]

Carolanne nodded, "I know, Max, but I thought it'd help, alright?" she said glancing at him. "You don't have to explain how bad of a thing it is, I already know," she said, ending with a sigh.

"Well, what else is there to do then?"

Laney shrugged as an answer. She didn't know much more than Max on things like that. She just knew it was wrong to like Maxi for Ashton's sake but couldn't she do something for herself for once? She was tired of stepping down just for Ash.

Carolanne laughed and shook her head, "Sorry? Why are you sorry, Max? What's there to be sorry for? The fact that I'm practically in love with you? Or is the fact that Ashton's still in love with you?" she blurted out. Laney took a deep breath, "Er, sorry for that," she murmered.

Once Maxi pulled her closer, she closed her eyes and breathed; for once in her lifetime, she wasn't holding her breath. He heard her name come from Maxi, "Yeah?" she asked, slightly raising her head up so she could see him. When he excused it, she pulled herself away from him, "What?" she asked him a little worried. Did she do something wrong now?

[Max Hennerdale]

Maxi looked at Laney, this situation they were in was getting worse bu the moment, Max had already broken Ashton's heart once, he was now at risk of doing it again, and what was worse, he was scared he was going to hurt Laney. "No, Laney I know I dont. Your a smart girl I know that." Though Maxi knew, someone is this, well, square was going to be hurt, and Maxi couldnt handle more people hurt on his behalf.

"Great, Thanks Laney" Maxi sighed, just what he needed to hear right now. As if he needed reminding about what he did to Ash. "No, dont apologize I deserve worse than that." Giving off a small but nervous laugh he took a deep breath, "How can Ash still be in love with me when he's flirting with some Slytherin dude?" Maxi asked, yes he knew about Sunni, he wasnt as dense or as blind as people believed him to be, but where it concerned Laney, it was clear to Maxi he was blind. He had never noticed this before. "I guess if im sorry for anything, I'm sorry I never noticed how you felt about me before." He looked at her, though realised how it sounded and sighing he added, "If I had have done, maybe I could have prevented this..."

Maxi felt her lean off him, he felt both relieved and anxious, he had said her name without any thought as to why, but what could he do? He was her brother's ex-boyfriend and up until last week considered gay. "Say by the off chance something did happen between us," Maxi sighed, running a hand through his hair, "It could never work and you know that as well as I do." Least he thought he did... "Do you really want to have to hide around corners and pretend like everythings normal? It would kill Ash, and Cris. I've broken enough hearts in my lifetime to last me a lifetime," Looking at her he added, "And how could you be sure I wouldnt do to you what I did to Ash? Because I cant guarentee that. Besides, having to hide away from people is not something I want for you, Laney." He took hold of one of her hands and smiled, "This, me and you... It would be wrong, on so many levels." Letting go he leant back on the tree and closed his eyes, "Besides, I want you to be happy, and a Max and Laney deal, it wouldnt make you happy."

[Carolanne Roberts]

Carolanne stared at Maxi as he spoke. She didn't want to look anywhere else, nor could she. She just needed to see him, his expressions, his reactions... "You want to know why Ashton's flirting with Sunni? It's because he's not willing to fight for you, but dammit, I am!" she said, her eyes full of pain.

Laney shook her head, "Prevent what exactly? This conversation or just me liking you in general?" she asked him. Carolanne was rather confused and wasn't sure what to make out of everything he was saying. What exactly did he think he could change or prevent? Laney was her own person and her heart made all of her decisions.

Laney gazed into Max's eyes, "Max! I'm willing to fight for you and actually give it a shot and all you think about are the negatives! So the odds are against us but we're the ones that set that, not everyone else."

Carolanne sighed as she searched Max's face for a sign, for anything. Without warning, she placed her hand on the side of his face as her lips collided with his. It was probably the stupidest thing she could've done, but she needed to prove to him somehow.

[Max Hennerdale]

Ask no questions get told no lies. Maxi was starting to wish he had thought that before questioning her, however she wasnt lying so that made it void anyway, in a way he wished she had lied to him. He didnt, no, he couldnt hear this. It was wrong and she wasnt seeing that! Shaking his head and running his hand over his mouth, he was speachless. How could he even answer that? "Laney, this isnt about fighting for something." Sighing he looked at her, "If there was only you and me involved it would be easier, but there isnt! Theres Ash, and Cris and it... I dont know!" Maxi had never seen such pain in anyones eyes before, "Kills you, doesnt it?" He said, meaning it killed her to want Max so much, and not be able to claim him as her own. It killed Max, that he could do this to her without even wanting to.

"Prevent this!" Maxi half yelled in frustration, "These," Stop, correct yourself, "Your feelings." Calmer now thats good, "This conversation! This whole situation!" Maxi looked at her, confusion set abound in his own face. He didnt know what to do and you could usually count on him for an answer, for a solution. Though he was striking zero with this one. "Laney, these feelings" Again with the word these, like Max felt them too, he didnt... Did he? No, he didnt. "Your feelings, they're wrong and you know they are otherwise you wouldnt have hidden them for so long!"

Maxi looked back into his eyes, if this was ever going to stop, it needed to be now. "Im not, Laney" He said simply and half-truthfully. You could tell it was only half true, his eyes gave him away, he never was a good lier but even so he wasnt going to just jump up and go, Right lets elope. "At least one of us is thinking about the consequences!" Maxi bit back. "The odds are more than just against us, its not right, Laney, me, you, together. It wouldnt be right, I couldnt give you what you want, I couldnt make you happy! Its as simple as that!" Maxi looked at Laney, he hadnt meant for it to come out like that, he didnt even know if it was true, "Laney, you know I couldnt"

Maxi, with his eyes closed, hadnt expected to feel Laneys hands on his face, nor had he expected her lips to come crashing to his. For a moment, a brief moment, Max was stunned, and in being stunned, he kissed her back but realisation of what he was doing quickly set in and he pushed her away. "Laney!" He gasped, though couldnt stop his eyes drifting down to her lips again, "We... Cant..." Strained words, half meant, he was fighting this, he knew he had too. Did he want to? Yes he did, no he didnt... No, he didnt know. "You... Cris... Ash... But..." Weird, he couldnt string a sentance together now.

[Carolanne Roberts]

Carolanne stared at Maxi. What was going through her mind didn't colaborate with her facial features. In her mind, she was highly turned on but her features shown that of a rather frustrated and pissed off teenager. Why couldn't people deny her wants more?

Laney's eyes watered intensely, "Yes, it kills me, Maxi. It kills me that you won't let me into your damn heart!" she yelled at him as her fist collided with the ground. As she listened to Max stumble through his sentences, correcting himself, she knew he at least felt a little of what she was feeling. Instantly, her face softened, "You feel it to, don't you?" she asked him, almost in a whisper.

Shaking her head she glared up at him, "I hid them for Ashton's sake, God Dammit! I didn't want him to know, Maxi. You of all people should understand that! Ashton isn't like us! He gets mad at little things, get's riled up over nothing. It's like... ugh I don't know!" she screamed at him. Tears were pouring down her face now.

Carolanne tried to calm herself before she spoke to him again. She couldn't keep this up if her feelings kept showing themselves, "How do you know what would make me happy and what wouldn't? Who are you to judge that? Who are you to judge me?" she asked angrily. "How do you know you can't? huh?"

Once Laney was pushed back, she stayed there. She looked at Maxi, her face tear stained as more miniature raindrops fell from her eyes. "Why can't we?" she asked before she crawled back towards him. She wouldn't kiss him this time, it was up to him. She needed to know he felt the same way.

[Max Hennerdale]

Max had no clue what Laney was thinkiing right now and this both worried him but peaked his curiosity. She seemed to be frustrated, pissed off rather but Maxi couldnt help a sense that she wasnt as pissed at him as she seemed, however he could be wrong, wouldnt be the first time.

"You are in my heart Laney!" He looked at her, his eyes were sad, almost pleading, "You know you are, just not in the way you want to be." He knew by her next statement she had picked up on Maxi's stammerings and his constant corrections of himself. He really wanted to say "Feel what, what is there to feel, its a childish crush Laney nothing more". But he couldnt. "No!" He said, "Yes... I dont know!" Shaking out of frustration, for once, just once, Max would love to know what it felt like to not be confused over something. Now is the time he could use a drink. A strong one.

"Hell Laney!" Maxi looked at her as she glared at him, "Dont you think I've had enough experiance with your brother to know he's sensitive?" Though it was because of Ash he kept fighting, it was no secret Laney and Max flirted, but because everyone thought Max was gay, which he was, he thought, okay yes hes confused over sexuality but even so, people thought he was gay so they didnt push it.

"How do I know?" Maxi looked at her, "Through sixteen years knowing myself I think I will know if I could make you happy!" Maxi looked away, he didnt want to hurt her, he didnt but what else could he do? "Would you be happy in a relationship nobody could ever know about? Well? Would you?" He looked at her sternly, "Because that is what you and me would be, dont you get that?"

"How many more times do you want me to go through the reasons we cant Laney?" As a tear fell down her face, Maxi leant off the tree and wiped it away with his thumb and a sad smile on his face. He would be lying if he said he wasnt tempted, or if he said there was nothing on his end that felt for her. Though through sanity and sheer stubborness, he would fight to not give her what she wanted.

[Carolanne Roberts]

Why was he doing this to her? Persistent on saying no. She had to admit, he knew her well, but not very well. Laney wished she could get into the stubborn boy's head to find out his real feelings. He was lying to her, they both knew it but why did he have to keep fighting it, fighting them?

Staring at the ground beneath them, she felt the wind blow through her golden locks. Looking back up at Max, she couldn't help but feel a little relieved at his confusion; at least he knew what she was going through. With a sigh, she continued to say nothing for a change. She stared down at the ground as Ash came into play once more. It wasn't until his next move did Laney get extremely riled up.

Getting up on her knees, she leveled herself with him, "You honestly think you wouldn't make me happy? MAX! Look back to all the times you've cheered me up! All the times you brought a smile back to my face, did all that mean nothing to you? Through fifteen years of my life, I think I know what would make me happy!" she yelled at him.

Laney glared at him, "Yeah, I get it! But at least I want a relationship with you. A real one. Hidden or not, it'd still be real at least!" she continued.

"Until you're blue in the face and realize that I know what I'm talking about, Maxi!" she said with a shake of her head. When she felt his hand on her face, she instinctively placed her hand over his. Closing her eyes, she let her hand fall back down to her lap.

[Max Hennerdale]

This was torture for her he knew that, he kept saying no, not because he knew she liked people saying no to her, but because he knew that nothing good could come of these feelings. Max felt like a bloody yoyo, he could sort out everyones love lives but his own, maybe he just wasnt supposed to have one, that would make sense.

Yes, Ash kept creeping up, but Ash was a big part of this. Ash was Laney's brother, Maxi was Ashy's ex, Laney was with Cris, Ash still wanted Max. noting good could come of this and he wasnt fool enough to believe for a moment that it could. Running a hand through his hair, again out of nervousness, he tried to keep his gaze from hers, when was the last time he felt this nervous? Disincluding first going to Durmstrang, it would be telling Ashton how he felt. "Durmstrang" Muttered Max, if Maxi had fought harder to stay there, he wouldnt be having this conversation now, he wouldnt be here to have it. Things were simpler then, he was simpler.

Maxi forced himself to look at Laney who had levelled up with him. He listened and winced at her words, they were like ice trickling down his back because he knew there were some truth to her words. But cheering someone up was a lot different to making them happy in a relationship. "Of course it meant something, Laney." Maxi looked at her, "It meant I was able to cheer you up, Make you smile when you were sad, but theres a lot more pressure, here, now" He looked at her, "Why me?" He asked seriously, "Out of all the guys you know, why did you fall for me?" He wanted to know, why she fell for him, he was always out of her reach, being gay and being with her brother pretty much left Max untouchable to her. Though as soon as he broke with Ash, he slipped down a bit, though she still couldnt get him due to his sexual orientation, now he was a bit on both sides, it seemed as though he had made himself available to her without realising it.

"No it wouldnt," Maxi looked at her, frustration edging on his voice, "A hidden relationship is nothing but fake, Laney, its not real, never will be!"

Maxi didnt move his hand from her face, it was as though he was trying to get through to her a lot of things he wasnt saying, a lot of things he couldnt say. "Laney, You know how I hurt your brother, he probably said a lot of things about me and most of which are probably true, why would you want to set yourself up to fall? And to be hurt?"

[Carolanne Roberts]

Carolanne watched as Maxi continued to show signs of nervousness... What did it mean though? Did he really not like her? Was she fighting for absolutely nothing? Laney couldn't let herself believe that he didn't have feelings for her, she knew he did.

Sighing, she looked at the ground and thought about everything. Max's ability to understand her, to get inside her head without her even saying a word. How he always managed to make a person feel as if they were wanted, loved. Max's inability to lie and his rather strong ability to say no. All those things she loved about him. Even his little quirks make her tingle.

Hearing him mutter one simple word, she looked up and shook her head. "I'm sure life would be much better if you never left, huh?" she asked him. "You wouldn't have to deal with me or Ash, or anyone for that matter. Your life would be one big friggin ball of fun," she muttered, refusing to show any emotion.

Laney laughed, "Why you? Because Max! Because you're the only one that actually gets me! You accept me for who I am, quirks and all! You have this ability to get in my head without me even hinting to you what's on my mind! You always make people feel welcomed, like they're friends and not just fellow students," she started listings, "Shall I go on?" she asked. Without an answer she smiled, "You're not fake, you don't lie like everyone else in this god forsaken school. You're not afraid to be yourself! I'm not afraid to be myself when I'm with you! That's why!" Laney sighed and looked at him with a loving grin, "When I first met you, you didn't look down on me like Ash does. You treated me like an equal."

Carolanne stared at him, "Then we won't hide it! What's it going to take for me to get through your head, Maxwell?" she asked him with saddened eyes.

Carolanne inhaled deeply and opened her eyes. As he spoke, she kept her eyes on Maxi. She didn't have a long fancy answer this time, "Because I know what I'm getting into and I'm not afraid of it. If I get hurt, I know it's because of my choices."

[Max Hennerdale]

Maxi was completley aware of Laney's eyes on him, he tried to flatten the hair standing on the back of his neck with his hand. This, he could honestly say, was the most strangest situation he had ever been in, and if Max was someone else, he would be laughing at them.

Max didnt even want to know what she was thinking while she was looking at the ground, she had a dazed lovesick puppy look about her and Maxi didnt know what to do about it, how he wanted to tell her everything was going to be alright, but it wasnt. Either he would lose Laney, or he would lose Ash. Maxi would prefer to have neither of them, than to have one over the other, "Im sick of hurting people."

"At least you wouldnt be feeling like this!" Maxi's life at Durmstrang was a ball of fun, but it wasnt simple. Hell no.

"You havnt given anybody a chance to get you Laney!" Maxi tried desperatly to rule out her reasons, "Those reasons are all well and good, Laney but..." Right. Max had no argument for this, she had totalled him, T-Totalled as a matter of fact and he had nothing, not one single retort in this head of his. "No, please dont go..." Though she already did, "..On" Maxi finished regardless. He looked down at the floor, wondering if maybe he should have treated her differently.

"Carolanne!" He never called Laney by her first name unless he was serious, "Be realistic! Me, You. It would never work, hidden or not!" Talk about repetive, how many times had Maxi said this, rubbing his hands on his jeans, he looked at her, really looked at her. Trying to ignore her sad eyes.

"You know what you're getting into?" Maxi questioned with a laugh and stood up both rather quickly and violently. He began pacing. Running a hand through his hair, Human tree thats what Bray said once, and how he wished he could dissapear into them. "Look at me Laney!" He said walking to her and pulling her up, "Im not good enough for you!" He paced again, "You want me? That what you really want?" In between really and want was a rather offensive curse word. He flung his arms up in frustration. Why? Why was it always Maxi.

[Carolanne Roberts]

"Im sick of hurting people."

Those five words brought Laney back to the event. Laney grabbed his hand and placed it over her heart, "And I'm tired of being hurt," she said before letting his hand go, "But I don't think you'd honestly hurt me on purpose, Max!"

Laney gave a rather small yet unconvinced laugh, "Hunny, you don't want to know what I'm feeling, alright?" she said, frustration refusing to leave her facial features.

Carolanne covered her face with her hands, "Stop repeating yourself, Maxwell!" she yelled back fighting full name with full name, "How do you know it won't work if you don't give it a shot?!"

Carolanne was rather shocked when Maxi stood up, a little too quickly for her liking. She swallowed her anger and refused to speak until she knew he was done. Being pulled up wasn't exactly a pleasent feeling. Wiping herself off, she looked up at him. "Will you shut up already!" she said getting up on her tippy toes as she grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss.

Pulling herself away she looked up at him, "Does that answer your question?" she yelled at him.

[Max Hennerdale]

A small yelp escaped Maxi, a trait he picked up off Rieko, when she grabbed his hand. He could feel her heart racing and he knew she was tired of being hurt, but looking at Maxi and wishing she was in a relationship with him was not going to help, Maxi was the last person you came to if you didnt want to be hurt. "I just..." Max began, "I just dont think im right for you."

"Oh, Im going to take a wild stab and say frustrated, angry, resentful blah blah blah?" Taking a wild stab at things was Maxi's specialty, relationships, especially with girls, unfortunatly for anyone who wanted one with him, wasnt.

"Stop calling me Maxwell!" Everytime that word, his full name, left her lips he winced. He knew she didnt know the reason he hated it, only his family and Mark knew. He preferred to keep it to himself, he didnt like people feeling sorry for him, "I dont" He answered truthfully, "But I have a funny feeling it wouldnt!"

Maxi knew he was rambling, god he did that so well when he got onto a subject that he wasnt letting go all to easily, but he was fast losing this fight as Laney kept coming up with things to cross out his arguments and he couldnt think of anything to go back to them. It wasnt until she told him to shut up did he realise exactly what he was doing. She had kissed him, again, for the second time in the space of an hour. Shaking his head as she pulled herself away from him, he couldnt believe this was happening to him, he still felt like anymoment now he would wake up in his bed and laugh thinking this was all a dream.

Maxi looked at her when she yelled at him. "I guess it does..." Whatever he was thinking, which he probably wasnt, or he was doing it to shut her up, he didnt know. Though the next thing he knew, he had picked her up in his arms and was kissing her again, as though a moment away from the blonde girl will kill him. What the hell had gotten into him? Maxi was never like this, he never caved into something he knew was wrong, far beyond wrong it was ridiculous! Why was he doing it? He had no clue. Though he was.

[Carolanne Roberts]

Carolanne tilted her head slightly and tugged at the neck of her shirt, "See that's where we differ. I think you're right for me," she said with a seductive smirk. She rolled her eyes at his rambling of what he thought she felt, "Not even close, well Frustrated, yes... but its more than just that! And Blah is not a feeling!" she said adding a laugh.

Laney knew she had won, it was obvious. She had taken the words right out of his mouth and knew he had no combacks. "Alright, I won't call you that, ok Max?" she said to him. "And you still don't know! If it doesn't work out, oh well! At least we would've given it a shot."

Carolanne grinned. He had no smart comment this time, the arguement was over. She couldn't help but jump inside, that was until Maxi had picked her up and kissed her again. She was shocked at first. She never thought he'd do it, but here he was with his mouth against hers. Laney couldn't think of anything else to do. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, running her hand through his hair.

[Max Hennerdale]

Maxi sighed, he knew defeat when it was staring him in the face and nobody could tell him he hadnt tried to fend her off. He had, with all his might and energy and he was now, rather exhausted. He shrugged, as though trying to shrug off her rather seductive not to mention suggestive smirk, "Blah could be a feeling, I feel blah all the time!" Maxi argued, okay enough with the arguing. Maxi was argumentative by nature, and so was Laney, the two were almost identical in personalities which made Max wonder why they didnt clash something rotten.

Rubbing the back of his neck as a pain shot through it, praying to the heavens this was not a sign of things to come. Though he knew it probably would be. Max was now in a worse situation than ever, he had given in, and by doing so, well he would worry about that later. This would cheer Mark up something awful if he ever found out, oh the scandal! "Thanks" he said simply, he still wouldnt tell her why he hated it, he probably never would. "Im not saying this is right, what we're doing, or done... Or going-Ive never been good with tenses" Maxi laughed and ran a hand through his hair, maybe he would wake up and none of this had happened, he was still fighting it. It just wasnt as apparent. "This," Making silly hand gestures in circles around him and Laney, "Stays with just us. Doesnt go any further, okay?"

Smiling, he couldnt believe he could be so weak. Max was always strong and now, he wasnt. He felt her hands run through his hair as a shiver struck him. His hands were on the small of her back as his lips ran softly over hers. It was no lie that Laney was beautiful in her own little way, but Max never believed he would be in this situation, these thoughts ran though his mind as his tongue danced over hers.