Max didn't go back to school until the next Monday, instead of Wednesday. She was stitches free by that time, but she was still bandaged. A rumor was going around that she got shot, so everyone was asking her about it. She answered simply and then tried to avoid human contact at all costs. She was digging through her locker currently. 

"Well, hello there~" Henry greeted, leaning on the locker besides her.

"Hey, Max." AJ waved, walking over. Rich walked passed him and went to his locker.

"Hi." Max responded without looking. Her eyes widened with panic when she was hugged from behind.

"Hi~" Ren greeted in a humming tone.

"You have two seconds to get off of me." Max warned. Ren scoffed and freed her. Max closed her locked and faced Ren, she gave her a look. Ren smirked amusedly. 

"Welcome back." She spoke slyly.

"Right." Max scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Aww she went back to being all tense an emo." Henry teased. Max's eyes rolled again. "I like you more when you're texting." He joked.

"And I like you more when I'm asleep." Max snapped and winked.

"Aww, you dream about me?" Henry winked back.

"You wish." Max's eyes rolled.

"Maybe a little." Henry blushed embarrassedly at the thought. AJ laughed. 

"Henry reveals what he's into." Rich joked. Henry rolled his eyes and crossed his arms defensively. The bell rang. "Let's head to class." Rich decided. 

The classes were still not separated. Mrs. Galar was talking away already. Mr. Banks was speaking with her, sitting at her desk. Max raised a brow curiously. 

"Ah, Max, you're back. Welcome." Mrs. Galar greeted. Max waved casually. "We're still working with the same partners." She informed. Max glanced at AJ she internally sighed.

"Okay, thank you," She nodded. "Welcome back Mr. Banks." She waved.

"I've been back," He laughed. "Thank you. Welcome back as well." He smiled.

"Thank you," Max smiled. She walked off to her seat with AJ. AJ waved casually. Max dropped her stuff and sat. She exhaled softly, pain coursing in her body. She winced, but ignored it. AJ frowned worriedly. "What are we doing now?" She asked with a soft sigh.

"We've been doing more reading, we're supposed to change partners soon." AJ explained. "They said they'd assign us partners." Max nodded. Class started.

"...Henry with Maclean... Richard and Austin James... Maxamillia and Ren..." The teachers casually announced. Max and Ren exchanged an amused look. Rich and AJ exchanged a look. Henry glanced to Mac curiously. Mac kindly smiled, he was glad he was paired with someone familiar.

"Alright, you know the assignment and your partners, get to work." Mr. Banks instructed. The kids sifted. Max hopped a seat over, Rich took her seat, Mac took his. Ren sat across from Max. Max leaned in her seat and softly sighed.

"I don't wanna do this." Max complained. She laid her head down and winced with the pain in her body. Her fists clenched on the desk. She sat up and sighed heavily.

"You okay?" Ren frowned curiously. 

"Peachy." Max responded sarcastically. Ren frowned curiously.

"Does it still hurt?" She questioned.

"Only when I think about it... Which is like all the time, so." Max shrugged. Ren frowned.

"Why don't we try to change your focus?" She offered, grinning amusedly. 

"Yeah, what- OW!" Max yelled, everyone faced them. Max was glaring at Ren murderously after Ren kicked her. Ren was smiling as if she had no clue what was going on. Max inhaled sharply and exhaled harshly. She stuffed her face in a book and everyone went back to work. Ren snickered and started reading. 

"Well, that was something." Henry commented, stretching as he walked out of science.

"Yeah, you were staring at Max like the whole time." Rich laughed as he teased Henry.

"I was not!" Henry yelled defensively. 

"Yes, actually, you were, Henry." Mac responded amusedly. AJ laughed and pointed at Henry. Henry pouted and looked away embarrassedly.

"Mr. Flirt keeps staring at Max." AJ snickered. Henry's eyes rolled. 

"You guys are the worst." He complained. Ren laughed. 

"Here that Max?" She snickered, leaning to see Max's face. Max was staring at the ground again, something she wouldn't do. The gun fire and the door break down had caused her to lose her generally cool composure. Now she was constantly tense and on edge. She hated physical contact even more than she used to and someone being to close freaked her out. Max's fingers tapped against her bag strap, which she was tightly holding. Ren frowned curiously. She huffed and straightened out. "Buzz kill!" She complained.

"I'm not a buss kill." Max responded in an annoyed tone. She had been listening, she just wasn't putting in her opinion. Ren huffed and glared. "Later." Max mumbled, walking off in her own direction. 

Rich frowned curiously. "She's really acting weird." He commented.

"She probably has Post Traumatic or something?" AJ offered, shrugging.

"Or she's shutting out the event entirely?" Henry shrugged.

"I think it's more than that." Mac piped up. "I think she's just having problems. Don't bug her too much." Mac instructed. He broke off from the group and walked off. 

Max tapped her fingers carefully on the desk silently. She leaned on her hand impatiently. The pain in her body was making her shift, which caused her to become restless. She couldn't sit still. Her leg bounced, her fingers tapped, nothing was helping. They just made her more uneasy because of the repeated motions. She got more and more restless. Her teacher was getting annoyed with her so were the students sitting around her. 

"Would you stop?" A child right next to Max hissed, the class faced them. Max stopped. She started again a few minutes later unintentionally. Max's fingers bounced, causing a racket. She got many glares. Max shifted her stance. She started tapping her fingers as if she was playing a piano. She was lost in her own thoughts. 

"Max!" The teacher snapped. Max looked up quickly. She paused her movements. "Stop!" He huffed frustratedly.

"Sorry." Max sighed, looking away. The class irrupted in snickers. Max sunk in her seat. She winced.

A few minutes later she was tapping her pencil as she tried to focus. She didn't mean to make noise, but the class was tired of it. She was sent to the principal's office. Max was seated, tapping again, waiting impatiently to see the disciplinary crew. She sighed as her leg bounced and her fingers tapped in the pattern of a piano of the arm of the chair and her face. 

"Maximillia? Mr. Xin is ready to see you." A secretary announced. Max stood and walked off. She sighed as she entered the room. 

"Max, hello." Mr. Xin greeted. Max closed the door casually. She seated in front of him. "Why were you sent down here?" He intrigued curiously. Max shrugged, her fingers tapping. "I heard it was because of your tapping?" Max shrugged. Mr. Xin sighed. "Max, I need your cooperation."

"I was sent here because I was tapping, yes." Max sighed softly. She was trying not to be frustrated. "I just can't sit still, I wasn't trying to be rude!" She insisted. She winced with her movements. She lost her breath for a second and held her breath while she tried to refocus her lungs. She stared at the ground. "I wasn't trying to be annoying or a distraction..." Max sulked. "I'm sorry..." She sighed softly. Mr. Xin watched her carefully. He hummed with thought.

"You weren't doing anything to horrible, if you learn to control your movements, then I see no need for further action." He decided. "Once class ends, you may go to your next period." He informed.

"Oh, okay..." Max nodded awkwardly. Mr. Xin motioned her to the door. Max walked out and sat down. She sighed and closed her eyes. 

"Max... Max..." Ren poked Max's face over and over. Max jumped, hitting her side on the arm of the chair. She also hit her head. She winced as she lost her breath. Ren laughed with amusement. Max glared at her. Ren continued to giggle. "You're gonna be late, genius." She informed slyly. Max pouted. She sighed and rubbed her pained side. Everything hurt. "Come on, you better get going. It's lunch time." Ren informed sternly.

"I missed third period?" Max asked sleeply. 

"Yeah, you were out. No one could wake you." Ren laughed. "Come on, you've gotta be hungry." Ren pointed out. Max slowly shrugged. Ren sighed annoyedly and pulled her to stand carefully. Max sighed as she was dragged after her. 

"Hey! She's alive." AJ greeted. Henry's lunch was changed today due to a game off campus. He waved, swallowing his food down casually. Max was watching her footsteps. She didn't even look up when she tripped. Everyone watched her stumbling. Max sighed as she regained her balance. She was getting extremely frustrated with the day. She just wanted to disappear from existence. Ren frowned worrriedly. 

"Hey, Max." Rich greeted. Max waved, but walked off. Everyone frowned worriedly. 

"Max! Stop being a freak!" Ren screamed at her. This got the attention of the lunch room. Ren huffed and watched Max freeze. She slowly faced around and approached Ren quickly. Ren stared at her when Max got in her face. 

"God you're not worth it." Max muttered, rubbing her face as she stormed off. Ren grumbled angrily. 

"Brat!" Ren challenged the same way she had as a child. Max faced her.

"Screw off!" She snapped. Ren smirked with sly amusement. 

"Idiot." She challenged.

"Ren!" AJ hissed through gritted teeth. Ren stormed towards Max slyly. Everyone was watching, teachers were slowly moving towards the scene. 

"Why are you being such a bitch?" Ren hissed to Max. Max studied her face. She swallowed hesitantly. The "big-tough" Max was panicking for everyone to watch.

"Why are you being such a jerk?" Max hissed.

"You're the one being a jerk." Ren challenged. Max snarled with frustration. "Just because you got shot doesn't mean you can be a jerk to your friends." She slammed her finger on Max's chest, making her stumble. Max looked down at her finger coldly. She snatched Ren's had and dropped it. 

"Don't touch me." She warned. Steven and Mr. Xin were looking for Max so Steve could give her what she needs. They were watching the scene with panic. Ren snarled annoyedly. 

"Make me." She challenged, poking Max again. Max stared at her frustratedly. "Come on." She challenged. She continuously poked Max over and over. Max grumbled. Her hand tapped at her leg frustratedly. "Do it! Come on!" Ren yelled angrily.

"Ren, quit it-" Rich stood, reaching with panic. Ren hit the floor. Max's eye angrily twitched. Her knuckles were red. Ren clutched her jaw. She look up slowly at Max. They stared at one another angrily.

"Max!" Steven screamed. Max rubbed her hand with pain. Ren jumped up. She hit Max back.

"Ren!" Mr. Xin screamed. Max glared over murderously. Ren and Max had the same creepy look. 

"Guys!" AJ warned, scrambling over. He held up his hands in between them, pushing them apart. He flinched when Max shoved his hand off of her. 

"Don't touch me." She warned darkly. 

"Hey, don't get mad at him!" Ren hissed.

"Make me!" Max mocked. AJ caught Ren when she tried to go after Max. He carried her away as she kicked and squirmed. Max faced around. Steve was standing over her with an angered expression.

"Max." He growled in a warning tone.

"Get out of my face." Max spat and stormed passed him. Tension was the only thing felt in the lunch room as Max stormed out. The door closed with a soft "thump" after Max left. She had none of her stuff, she left it all in the lunch room after Ren clocked her. She didn't know where she was going, she wasn't headed towards home, that was for sure. She was headed off campus somewhere, though. Her body ached so bad. Man, everything hurt so bad. Steve ran after her, but Max was so far gone. 

She was headed down towards the intersection. She watched everything slowly fall. The world was moving slowly passed her angry storming. She was moving swiftly. The leaves were slowly trailing passed her as rain poured down around her. She was soaked in only a few seconds, but that didn't matter. Her life was a mess anyway, what was wrong with getting sick on top of a possibly fatal injury? Nothing, nothing was wrong with that. She listened to the passing cars as she walked across the road. Cars honked as they waited impatiently. The fast moving girl ignored them as she walked next to the trees that dropped water down her back, chilling her to the bone. 

Max's eyes watered. She wasn't sure why she was crying, it's not like she believed she had a right to, everything was just... a mess. She walked passed a ton of buildings that were busy beyond all belief. She didn't care, the business didn't bug her. She sobbed as she walked. She slowly just sat on the concrete. She cried childishly. She felt so alone as cars passed and rain fell. No one seemed to notice her. She was physically hurt, she was emotionally hurt, and just... hurt. Everything was crushing her. Max curled on her side and let the rain fall as she silenced herself. She shivered with the cold as watered froze her. The heat she had from her frustration was disappearing and freezing her. She felt crushed. She wasn't wearing anything warm, no hoodie, only a t-shirt and a jeans. She was wearing a beanie only. She closed her eyes tightly. Her head was pounding and her stomach was throbbing. 

"Dan!" Steve yelled through the phone.

"What? What's wrong?" Dan winced with his volume. 

"Max! She-" Steve panted with terror. "Max ran off campus, I-" his eyes watered. "She punched Ren and... And she... She's gone!" He whimpered. 

"What?" Dan asked weakly. "You didn't stop her?!" Dan hissed quietly. 

"I tried! She- she just ran..." He sniffled. "I don't know what to do!" Steve whimpered. He was curled on the benches outside of the school. Max's friends had followed. They were watching worriedly. Ren chewed on er thumb and looked around panickedly.

"I didn't think this would happen..." Ren whimpered, pacing. She stared at the floor. "God!" She muttered, rubbing her hair quickly. 

"Ren..." Rich sighed.

"I'll find her." Dan sighed frustatedly. He hung up. Steven sighed and rubbed his face. 

Max was walking again, very slowly. She was headed towards the shopping center. Her feet slowly trailed against the concrete on the bridge. She watched the ground as she shook from the cold. She wasn't aware of the police cruiser stopping in front of her.

"Max!" Dan yelled in a warning tone. Max slowly looked up. She had a broken uneasy look. Dan froze, staring at her. Her sighed frustratedly. "Maximillia." He warned, walking over. Max stepped away hesitantly. She was preparing to run. When Dan got mad, he got really mad. Max had a temper like him. She resented it. "Do you know how much trouble you're in?" Dan warned, approaching her.

"Daniel!" Matt warned, scrambling up behind him. Matt was probably the only adult Max really trusted. He was a more calm adult, kinder too. 

"Max!" Dan screamed as Max ran off in the other direction. She stumbled with the rain. She ran across the road carelessly, narrowly missing getting hit. Now she was headed towards the free way. "Max!" Dan yelled, chasing her. He watched her run off with horror when he couldn't cross. His heart shattered. "Max..." His voice was a lot quieter. Matt passed him.

"Go get the damn car!" Matt yelled to Dan. He sprinted off after Max. Matt was only a rookie, he was Dan's partner, though. Matt was a lot faster than Dan, even though he was shorter. He could move in his gear too. Matt had brunette hair that bounced and positioned however it wanted. He had a lighter skin tone. His skin was pale because of the lack of sun. Matt was only... Five six at most, so he was barely taller than Steven. Matt had green eyes, a quickly fading green. He had a frustrated look generally, which was off putting, but he was a sweet guy. His face was smooth after he shaved, which he had done that morning. His hair was dripping with water from the rainfall. He was soaked and sinking into the wet ground. He was only focused on one thing, though; getting Max back safe and sound.