"No. Absolutely not."

"Kacey, come on. Don't act like you wouldn't help him if you were in my position." I snapped back, glancing up from my bag of chips to face my best friend. She had thrown herself back into my bean bag chair, devouring what was probably her third piece of pizza. I honestly don't know how someone could eat some much and say so skinny.

"I am not letting that arrogant asshat sit with us, okay?" I could hear my teeth snap together as I stood up, shaking my head.

"Why? I know why I hate him so much, but why do you?" I finally asked, curious one why she was so against the thought of him spending lunch time with us.

"Last year. You remember when I came back here crying at like three in the morning? It was because of him. Because of Max." I blinked in surpise, not able to respond.

I could remember the day. It was the only day in the ten year I had known Kacey, that she actually cried in front of me. She had been bawling for hours, hugging my pillows to her chest as she tried to explain what had happened. Her hair had been in tangles, her make-up all over her face, she had looked horrible. That. . . that had been caused by Max?

"You were crying because you lost. . ." She cut me off before I could go on.

"Yeah. He took my virginity. He took advantage of me and then laughed about it with his friends the next day." I could tell by the quietness of her voice now that she was on the verge of tears. As if she could tell I knew, she quickly turned her face away and continued to stuff her face with pizza.

"When I told you to get a new boyfriend, I didn't mean him, Quinn. He's an ass that doesn't care about anyone but himself." I started to nod in agreement as I sat back on the edge of my bed.

She was right, Max probably was the most conceited and arrogant seventeen year old on the planet. But I couldn't think like that if I was going to try and help him. And yesterday, he had shown me, even if it was only for a fraction of a second, a little gratitude for trying to help him.

"Isn't Jayden coming back from Italy tomorrow, anyway? Don't you think he'll lose it if he finds out you want to hang around one of the biggest playboys in school?" Kacey asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"He was, Kace. He was one of the biggest playboys. Have you seen him lately? He's always alone and girls never even give him a second glance. I just want to try and help him get back on his feet, not literally but. . ." She held up her hand, signaling me to shut up. I glared across the room at her, but slowly nodded as she started talking.

"I know you, Quinn. You are one of those people that try to see the good in everyone. You want to see the love and the pain along with the happiness and agony. But, Q, love, Max Duncan is a lost cause. He wouldn't even know how to feel if he had been hit by a bus and would never be able to move at all." She paused and set the crust of her pizza back into it's box, "So what's the real motive for you here?" I stared at her blankly.

"What do you mean?" She rolled her eyes as she stood up, letting out a quiet grunt.

"Are you trying to piss Jayden off? Make him jealous? Does it have something to do with your hot ass brother? Or maybe you did something you regret and you think helping Max will make everything all better. There is obviously a motive for you here, so what is it?" She was still talking as she crossed the room and grabbed her purse, swinging it over her shoulder with a sigh. I stared at her for a moment before glancing at my soccer ball under my computer desk.

"I. . . I don't know what you mean." I finally replied. She rested a hand on my shoulder, her blonde bangs falling into her eyes.

"Honey, you know exactly what I'm talking about. When you decide you actually want to admit it to yourself and me, please shoot me a call. I'll see you on Monday. I have to go stay with my dad for the weekend." She rolled her eyes at the last part of her speech, then walked toward the door and stalked out. I waited until I heard my front door shut to slip out of my bed and clean up the trash around my room.

Was Kacey right? Did I have another motive for helping Max? Of course I wanted to find the goodness in him, the smile that I knew was buried somewhere deep inside him, but was there even more of a motive then that?

"No." I said aloud, tossing the boxes and milk carton into the trash, "No, that's the only reason, Quinn. Don't listen to Kacey, she has no idea what she's talking about." Or does she?

***

"Please, babe. I seriously need you to come pick me up. My brother bailed on me last minute." I groaned, rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes as I glanced at the alarm clock beside me. It was nearly three in the morning and Jayden wanted me to come pick him up? Was he drunk or something?

"Jay, I can't." I mumbled, yawning, "It's almost three in the morning. My parents will get pissed if they think I'm sneaking out." I responded, slightly irritated.

He hadn't called me for the last two weeks, had only sent an occasional I love you text, and he expected me to jump when he told me too?

"Please, Q. Baby, I don't want to spend the night in this dump. You know how nasty it can get down here." I let out a sigh of defeat at his words and rolled out of my bed.

"I'll be there in a half hour. If you aren't there I will call the cops, are we clear?" I heard him laugh quietly on the other end.

"Yes, Quinn. I love you." My whole body stiffened at the words, trying to register if I had heard them. Jay and I had been together for almost two years now and not once had he ever said that, despite my attempts, he had said he wasn't ready to move to the next level like that.

"Q?" I heard him ask, but his voice was muffled, distant.

"I'll be there in a few, Jay." I hung up the phone and slid into my pants before reaching for my jacket in the closet.

Why would he say something like that? Was he hurt? Was he dying? Was he trying to prepare me for something I didn't want to hear?

I finally shook my head, and all of the thoughts in it, out as I slipped into the hall. I could see my brother's car keys hanging on the hook above his bed. He had done it on purpose almost six years ago, thinking that I would find a way to get a hold of them and let my friends drive his Ferarri.

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the position he was laying in. One arm was thrown over his eyes, as if he were shielding them from something. The other was hanging off of the bed, along with half of his body.

"Sorry, Austin." I whispered, taking the keys from the hook. "I promise I won't hurt her." I added quietly, referring to his car.

I started to walk toward the door, relieved that I hadn't been caught, when I heard a quiet chuckle from behind me.

"Quinn?" I stopped dead in my tracks and glanced over my shoulder at my brother with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah?" I breathed out, my hand shaking slightly. His blue eyes were glistening with amusement as they roamed my face.

"If you hurt her, you are dead to me." He muttered, yawning. I nodded and he slowly rolled over, whispering something else to himself that I didn't quite catch. I hurried out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind me. I grabbed my purse before walking as quickly, and quietly, as possible toward the door.

I guess that was the good thing about having an older brother that was almost eighteen years older then you, he let me get away with things. He didn't rat me out to Mom and Dad, he never said anything when I would sneak Jayden into the house or would sneak out to see him. He was, in a way, my best friend.

"I swear to god, Jayden. You better be waiting for me." I hissed under my breath as I shut the front door gently behind me. I walked toward my brother's car and was about to get in when I heard the sound of someone laughing.

"Sneaking out at three in the morning? That's a low one, even for me, Cyrus." I wanted to bang my head against the car, but turned around and nodded at Max instead.

"Thanks for putting your two sense in. Bye." I tried to climb in again, but Max's hand grabbed my wrist tightly.

"Where the hell are you going at this time?" He growled, not sounding amused anymore.

"That's none of your business, you aren't my father or brother. Or my boyfriend, for that matter. You're barely even a friend." I snarled, shaking my head as I ripped my arm from his grip.

His green eyes glistened as I got into the car. He crossed his arms over his chest, cocking an eyebrow once I started it. Even if my parents did hear the car being started, they would think it was Austin going out for another one of his midnight bar raids.

"What makes you think I won't go and wake your parents up right now?" He asked. I rolled my eyes and made sure no one was behind me so I could back out of the driveway.

"You wouldn't do that." He looked amused by my answer.

"Why would you think that? I'm an asshole, remember?" A smirk was starting to make it's way on to his face as I stared at him for a minute. Finally I shook my head and laughed quietly.

"You may be an ass, Maxwell." I said, "But you would never snitch or rat someone out. You're too good for that, remember?"

Then I backed out of my driveway, leaving the boy in the wheelchair and his dog to stare after the car in amusement.

***AN***

hope you enjoyed! 

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~ChasingMadness24