They don't know what Maxim was going to do to them, which was clear, he looked very ready to attack.
"SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THAT!"
Mary and Sidney howled, then ran off the mount —avoiding Maxim who from both points of view was about to lunge to the place where they were.
Instead of attacking, Maxim lunged at the vampire who was trying to finish off Maxine whose clothes were almost torn, snagged twigs, and various pointed objects strewn on the ground.
Now Maxim is struggling against the vampire when Maxine manages to escape —hiding behind Maxim's sturdy back. She was unconscious.
Hang on. I'll finish him, then take you home.
As per his words, Maxim managed to finish off the vampire —tearing his ice-cold body, then throwing it on the flames that Ivan also Leo deliberately made.
"I'll take her home," Maxim exclaimed, as he managed to put on full clothes.
Swiftly, Maxim grabbed Leo's hoodie lying on the ground, then he used it to wrap around Maxine's body.
Leo clucked to see his beloved hoodie wrapped up just like that, covering Maxine's upper body. "Oh, man! Why don't you just put your clothes on? It will give you more impression, just so you know."
"Then what does her family say if I come shirtless?" said Maxim with a defiant look. "Wouldn't it have a bad impression on their eyes?"
Ivan shook his head in disbelief, hearing the unnecessary debate between the two. "Just shut up," Ivan told Leo as he glared at him.
Leo put on a smile with a stiff look, rows of white teeth that appeared to the surface to mediate. Ivan's gaze softened slightly because of it.
Patting Maxim's shoulder firmly, Ivan again said, "Just take these girls home, then come back here immediately. We'd be a little overwhelmed if those minor vampires came back here."
Maxim seemed to exert all his energy when he was about to lift Maxine's body which he thought would be more weighty than Mary's. Unfortunately, inevitably Maxim had to feel surprised because of that. Maxine feels even lighter than Mary who looks dainty.
Are you eating less? Why is your body so light?
Frowning, Maxim answered Ivan's commanding sentence. "Will be here. As soon as possible."
Then, by running, Maxim left the border also forest after saying goodbye. Whether they realize it or not, Mary and Sidney are hiding somewhere that feels safe. The two girls even saw what Maxim was doing: holding Maxine who was still unconscious.
With all her might Mary tried to refrain from running, and let Maxim be with the girl she hated so much. Mary even saw clearly how Maxim treated Maxine, and the way he looked at Maxine looked different, unlike when he looked at her.
Unlucky me! Don't expect to take Maxim from me, crazy bItch!
"Mary, we'd better get out of here," Sidney said, breaking the increasingly piercing silence between them. "I'll treat you to beer and whatever you want."
Despite her frequent cunning, Sidney knows how to please —correct Mary's bad mood. A smile didn't mean it rose, replacing all the melancholy on Mary's face. She was always excited to hear treats, especially beer. Mary really liked these two-word combinations. In an instant, the two ran away from a location they were not allowed to visit that night.
Maxim changed his sling when he arrived at the front yard of the Kelly Family's home. At first, he held Maxine with both hands, until several times he unconsciously looked at Maxine's sleeping face in his lap. Even smile because of it.
He didn't know how long he couldn't smile for something free, and smiled because watching Maxine, who was close to his chest, was the first time for him in so long. Maxim immediately pressed the bell next to the door and managed to position Maxine behind his wide back safely.
It didn't take long for the homeowner to come and open the door with a friendly smile as a welcome. Behind the glasses shaped like a cat's eyes, Daniela stared at Maxine from behind Maxim's back with furrowed brows in wonder.
Daniela only realizes that her daughter came with a man, unconscious. She can't get rid of her surprise, because Maxine is not the type of child who likes to hang out with just anyone. Even to Daniela's knowledge, her eldest daughter had no friends —no one wanted to be friends with her daughter.
"Oh dear, what's going on?" asked Daniela probing.
"It looks like your daughter entered the border in the middle of the forest, ma'am," Maxim explained as he is. "He was almost all-out attacked by a vampire if by chance I wasn't there."
Yes, Maxim speaks for what he is. There's nothing he loses or oversizes when explaining. He just doesn't mention the part when Maxine is bullied by her girlfriend. That's all.
I hope that Maxine’s mother or brother doesn't ask more than this. I don't want Mary in trouble because of her carelessness.
Maxim was quite worried that suddenly Daniela investigated something further than what he knew. All he knew was that parents usually do such things when they want to get a satisfactory answer.
"Oh? Well. Thank you very much in advance, son. But, can you help me lay her in her room?"
Daniela's voice sounded so calm and gentle, although she couldn't hide her nervousness after hearing Maxim's earlier explanation. Daniela herded Maxim towards the second floor, then into the only room at the end of the hallway.
Maxim unwittingly flashed a knotted smile when he entered Maxine's room. The pastel-all room looks like most girl rooms, it's just that, in one corner there are many candid black and white photos that look deliberately pasted as empty wall decoration.
Maxim finds one thing in common between himself and Maxine, and somehow it manages to invite him to smile.
Not wanting to sink too long into something that made him smile just like that, Maxim immediately turned his attention to Daniela who looked worried and looked at himself and Maxine in turn.
"There are no injuries to worry about, Mrs. Kelly. It was just bruising and there were some minor scratches around her back." Maxim immediately gave Daniela an answer.
Daniela nodded understandingly, then let out a deep sigh —voicing relief at something she had worried about earlier.
"Thank God, if only minor injuries," muttered Daniela more to herself.
After wiping the fine hair around her white arms, Daniela stared at Maxim who was stealing a look at the place where her daughter was.
"Are you the son of... Jase Stone, son?" in the end, Daniela asked such a trivial thing.
Despite the weight of saying the name of someone who seemed to hate her family so much, Daniela did it anyway. However, she looks so curious when she sees the face of Maxim, who looks so similar to someone she refers to as Jase Stone.
Justifying what Daniela was asking, Maxim gave her a nod and a thin smile. "Right, Mrs. Kelly," he replied subtly. "I am Maxim, the son of Jase Stone."
Daniela exhaled her heavy breathing after learning the truth. There's a worry behind her deep blue iris. "Are... Your sister... Lisa... Is her condition improving?"
Maxim again gave Daniela a nod and a smile. "It's getting better, she just has to keep in a wheelchair."
Spontaneously Daniela approached Maxim, rubbed his back firmly, and hugged him for a moment. The sadness mixed with regrets could not be separated from behind her beautiful eyes. "I'm sorry for that," Daniela said sincerely.
Once again, Maxim gave Daniela a nod and a smile, although no words were spoken in response. Because he could not say any reply to the misfortune that befell the sister.
"What can I do to repay your kindness, Maxim?" Daniela tries to repay Maxim's kindness to her daughter.
Instead of accepting it, Maxim chose to reject it. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Kelly. I still have other tasks."
"What if next time?" asked Daniela.
Even if Maxim doesn’t want to, he needs to say yes to make everything looks clear. "Okay, Mrs. Kelly. Maybe next time," he replied slightly.
Daniela seemed happy to hear Maxim's reply, she reviewed a smile when she met maxim. "Just call me Daniela."
"Okay," he replied briefly. "I'm saying goodbye, Mrs—"
"I'll take you to the door!" said Liam, who had just arrived —poking his head from behind a half-closed door.
Maxine forces her body to rise, then sits on the edge of the mattress, after seeing Maxim leave her room with Liam. As if knowing what her daughter had done a few minutes ago, Daniela approached her calmly.
"Why did he take me home, Mom?" Maxine voiced the curiosity she had endured, ever since hearing Daniela ask about the condition of someone she believed was named Lisa.
"I've heard Maxim's version of the story," Daniela exclaimed, wiping Maxine's back. "Do you remember something, and tell it to—"
"Us!" cut Liam.
He laughed, his voice sounded so carefree. "Are you friends with that popular guy?" he urged excitedly.
Liam chose to sit on Maxine's left side because for him, flanking Maxine would make it easier for the question-and-answer process between him and his mother.
Aware of her position, Maxine turned her head quickly to her right and herself. Looking at Daniela and Liam in turn. "Who’s Maxim? And is he that popular?" she asked confusedly.
"The guy who just dropped you off was the popular guy who had almost defended you at the cafeteria, and his name was Maxim," Liam explained at length.
Oh?
One meaningless word was one that could slide further than Maxine's mouth. He knew it was just that he refused to remember things he thought didn't need to settle in his memory.
"What made you enter the forest until you reached the border?" urged Daniela as she looked at Maxine with a worried look.
Maxine draped her shoulders, then threw a smile, and replied, "I don't know, ma'am. I... Don't remember anything about it. All I remember is... I was on my way home from Fish and Chip Restaurant."Daniela and Liam seemed disappointed to hear about it. It seems like they're expecting another version of Maxine's story."Let's just say that everything he was just said are the truth." insisted Maxine.The girl got up from where she was sitting, then went into the bathroom —taking off all the clothes that wrapped her body, including a hoodie belonging to a stranger.The next split second Maxine opened the door a little, holding out the thick navy hoodie, shouting her brother's name, asking him to put these hoodies in the washing machine. She has to return that to his ow
"I think I needed some space, Mary." Maxim shook his head, then fixed his sentences, what he said earlier. "We need some spaces." After that Maxim moved on, leaving Mary alone there. Hurriedly, Maxim walked ahead of Maxine who was stopping to tie her shoelaces. The man looked so angry, clearly visible from the way he stepped, and his swinging hands seemed to clench strongly. From behind her back, Maxine heard two voices calling out to Maxim. But the owner of the name did not care about the series of calls. He continued to step, leaving the building, straight to the place where he parked his motorcycle. Maxine got up from where she was squatting after finishing neatly tying her shoelaces. At the same time, Ivan and Leo approached her with a curious look. All Maxine did in return was just stare at the two with a fl
The girl hurriedly turned her face away from Maxim. However, they do not need to interact, even exchange glare like humans in general. "Sorry," Maxim said quietly. Both of them looked at the waves that were pounding under each other's feet. Nothing was done by Maxim and Maxine, other than sinking into each other's minds. But Maxine becomes the only one who is disturbed by some things that disturb her during the trip. A handful of Mary's complaints. For the first time in her life, Maxine feels guilty for what she didn't really do. Maxine took a deep breath, before then turning to her right side, staring at Maxim and voicing something disturbing her. "If... If only you're avoiding someone, or maybe everyone... At least, don't turn off your phone. My ears almost bleed c
Maxim took a deep breath, then ventured to look at Maxine fixedly, straight into her green eyes. "What if it turns out that the little wolf that saved you that day was me?" Maxine laughed bitterly in response to Maxim's question which sounded quite shocking. "How could it be?" Maxine ended her question with a laugh, like never before. "I'll prove it." Maxim got up from where he was sitting, taking off his shirt and the thin T-shirt inside. Maxine calls for a ban when Maxim wants to undress. "Don't you dare!" Maxine almost squealed at maxim almost lowering his pants. Maxim shook his head softly while chuckling smoothly.
Ivan and Maxim’s eyes round perfectly when they’re hearing an impulsive question. They ignore the kind of sound they hear. Just focus on the arrangement of sentences that echo there.They were even transfixed, just staring at each other. None of them moved or even turned to the source of the sound.Watching the two freeze, Leo who had been eavesdropping on the conversation between Maxim and Ivan from behind the door finally burst into laughter. Then he ran over and embraced the shoulders of both.In between his laughs, Leo voiced a conclusion that made him laugh. "Do you think I'm the Rector of the University, or your future father-in-law, Max?"Maxim and Ivan spontaneously hit Leo's arm, as the two managed to gather consciousness after a while of fixation an
"Morning sunshine," Maxine heard a soft and warm voice that belonged to her mother. Like the morning sunlight sneaking in, Daniela opened the curtains covering the bedroom window. Maxine groaned slowly, before then opening her eyes and instantly squinting at her. Glare. It seemed like this morning the sky was so clear, that the light that entered her room felt so piercing. "Do you want to drink something, Max? Warm water, or maybe a warm blue tea with little pieces of ginger inside?" There was another sound. The only baritone sound they have. The voice of his brother, Liam. Sounds calm, but demanding. Liam couldn't hide his worries about his sister. Because Maxine is not a typical person who is resistant to alcohol, especially if there are other mixtures in it. Like
Maxim completely obeyed what Lisa said, and her orders. After seeing Lisa lock the door of her room, and send a message to their family group chat, Lisa does not want to be disturbed, because she and Maxim need to talk a lot and Lisa wants herself to sleep without being disturbed by anyone.If it had been like that, no one would have dared to knock on Lisa's bedroom door, what Lisa asked and said, will always be her father and mother without the slightest debate.Maxim entrusted everything to his sister. He knew Lisa loved him so much. He knew that Lisa was the only person who understood his best, even though he never said or showed her what he wanted so much.Like this time. He needed time to be alone, breathe fresh air, and be able to rest without being disturbed for a few hours.
That morning, although the sun was nowhere to be seen, the air around the hills was cool. Not cold, not hot. Quite friendly for those who like to do any activity outside their home. Maxine edged across from Maxim. The girl's gaze looked up at the high mountain that was in front of them. Although far away, due to its enormous size, the gray mound with a pile of snow at its peak looked like it was only tens of meters away from where they were looking at it at the moment. Meanwhile, Maxim is seen painstakingly holding back his will to smile, every time he stares at the spot where Maxine is sitting. Especially when accidentally their green iris meets at the same point. Second after second passed, and a swarm of butterflies had now managed to fill Maxim's stomach. Maybe, in the next few seconds, when he