7. Then - Max
Then - Max
T ugging at the neck of my shirt, I grimace at my own reflection.
Way to go overboard.
But I don’t change. Instead, I duck out of my bedroom and down the hall. “Mom?”
I reach my parent’s doorway. “Kenny’s going to be here soon. You’re still good for dinner, yeah?”
I blink. Taking in the bed. The familiar, worn khaki travel backpacks, pushed open and filled with clothes. My mom turns, giving me an absent-minded smile before she glances down, picking up a leaflet. “Hey, hon. We got wind of a hike in the North Cascades. Looks like a good one. It’ll be good prep for us anyway, what with the expedition coming up, so we’re gonna head out. You’re good here, right?”
“Course he is.” My dad shifts past. He barely looks at me, and I dodge the hand that aims to ruffle my hair, as if I’m still a kid. “It’s a house, Mon. Not like we’re leaving him in the middle of the forest.”
I duck out from under his touch, my words irritated. But not surprised. If anything I’m surprised they’ve stuck around this long. They haven’t gone longer than a month between trips since I turned fourteen. Thank god for Cora.
But Jake’s mom isn’t here anymore. They didn’t even come home for her funeral. “When are you leaving?”
“In… an hour?” My mom at least has the grace to look mildly embarrassed. “Sorry. Cupboards are full. And we’ll transfer you some money.”
“But… we’re supposed to be having dinner.” Disappointment sinks, a stone in my stomach. “Kenny is coming over, remember? You were going to meet her—,”
“And we will,” my dad cuts in. He’s not looking at me. “We just can’t right now, Maxy. When we get back, we’ll rearrange.”
For the third time . “When are you back?”
“This loop takes around two weeks.” My mom moves to her drawers, pulling out some sort of spray that she tosses in. “Give or take. We were lucky to get in, Max. Deryn called us—,”
“I don’t care what Deryn said,” I snap. “You’re supposed to be here. You promised.”
Just like they promised last time. And the time before that. “I may as well move in with Jake now, instead of waiting.”
He’s on his own at home, and I’m on my own here more often than not. What’s the point?
My mom’s sigh is faintly patronising. “You’re getting older, honey. You need to do what you think is best. We’ve prepared you as best we can, but you know we don’t want to settle.”
They might not, but I do. Not that anything I want has ever mattered.
“Fine.” I cross my arms. “I’ll let Jake know. What about the house?”
Mom shrugs. She doesn’t even seem bothered. Her eyes slide back to her rucksack. “We paid up front. Lease doesn’t run out for another two years. We could sublet? Drew, what do you think?”
I’ve finally captured my dad’s attention. He frowns, studying me as he steps away from the bed. “No. Keep the keys, Max. Let the lease run out on this place.”
“Is that parental guilt I hear?” I tilt my head.
He sighs, the concern wiping away. “You’re seventeen. Your pack is right here. You’re going to be fine. And we’ll still need a base, at least for now. We can come back and check on you.”
As if I’m an abandoned pet. My throat tightens, and I force a nod. “Don’t do me any favors. Enjoy your trip. And don’t worry about the money. Just make sure the bills are covered, if you’re thinking of coming back.”
I’ve been funding my own food for the last year, since I started working as a guide on weekends and after school. Every hour I could.
I’ve always known my parents were… temporary. That I had to build my own security as soon as possible. Too many years of last-minute trips, being yanked out of school. Of coming home to empty cupboards and hastily scrawled notes left on the counter.
Some parents never leave. Charles and May, settled in their big house, with their family.
Some are forced to. Jake’s mom. Oscar’s parents.
And some probably shouldn’t have been parents in the first place.
Guess I wasn’t enough.
Blowing out a breath, I discard the shirt, tossing it aside and shrugging on a softer tee in its place. It’s not like I need to impress Kenny. She doesn’t care. I know that.
But I wanted her to meet my parents.
My throat still feels tight when I rap on the door to the trailer an hour later. It swings open, confronting me with the sight of a still half-sleeping Rick. He scrubs his stomach. “Hey, kid. Looking for Kenny?”
“I’m here.” She shifts past him, her face twisting with disgust. And maybe embarrassment. “Shit, Rick. If you forgot where it is, the shower’s right next to your bedroom.”
“Language, kid.” Rick yawns. He disappears without a goodbye, and Kenny slams the door shut before she turns to me.
Her eyes don’t hide her annoyance at her dad. “Sorry. Am I late? You didn’t need to come and get me.”
I drop my eyes, clear my throat of the dust from the walk up. “About that. Turns out my mom and dad planned another trip. They… just left.”
She doesn’t say anything. My hand raises, rubbing at the back of my neck. “Sorry, Ken. I know we planned dinner. It’s not you. It’s just…,”
“Them.” She sighs, slipping her fingers into mine and squeezing. “I’m sorry. What should we do instead?”
I tilt my head to the other end of the clearing, toward the path that leads up. “I could do a sunset. If you’re okay with that?”
Her eyes light up. “I need to change.”
“I’ll wait.”
Barely two minutes pass before she bursts pack through the door. She holds up two bottles of water, and I point to the bag on my back. “Stick ‘em in.”
“Always so prepared.” Her words are faintly teasing as she unzips the bag and slides them in.
“Can’t take too many chances in the forest.” Words I’ve had repeated to me all my life. “And I’m not taking any chances with you.”
“Charmer.” She slips her hand into mine again, the feeling natural as we set off at a slow pace. “What time is sunset?”
I check my watch. “Ninety minutes. Plenty of time.”
Our feet crunch against the autumn leaves as we walk. Both of us are quiet, but there’s a peace in the air between us that I find myself clinging to.
“You know,” Kenny murmurs finally. “I was so pissed when Rick told me where we were moving.”
I’m not the only one who’s been pulled around. I glance back at her before twisting to check the trail path. “You came from Charlotte, right?”
“Right.” She tests her balance, stepping up onto a log as I hold her steady. “Plenty of construction there. I think Rick pissed off the wrong person, though. He had us packed up and out of there in an hour.”
“Not many to piss off up here.”
“I’m sure he’ll manage it,” she grumbles. “But I'll be eighteen soon.”
The thought of her leaving… it hits much harder than my parents ever have. “What about college?”
“Oscar’s helping me with applications. What about you?”
“I considered it.” Up ahead, there’s movement, and I pause, my hand sweeping out. “But I like the forest. I’d probably end up doing something up here anyway. There’s a pathway I can follow to get accredited, if I want to. Maybe set up my own offer one day, run my own tours.”
My head tilts. When Kenny shifts, moving past me, I thrust out my hand. “Pilot up ahead.”
“What—,”
“It’s alright,” I murmur when she stiffens, following my gaze. The tan and brown hourglass markings are unmistakable.
“Max.” Kenny backs into me. “ That is a pretty big snake.”
Up ahead, the copperhead lazily uncurls from its position coiled up on the path. We nearly walked right into it.
“He won’t hurt you.” I slide my arm around her waist, ready to yank her out of the way, just in case. “He’s just goin’ about his day, Ken. Not doing any harm.”
She makes a small noise. “But they’re poisonous.”
“Yeah.” I keep my voice low, studying the snake carefully. “Not lethal. Treatable. But he’ll only strike if he feels threatened. We’re a good distance away. Just hold off for a minute and he’ll be on his way.”
Her breathing grows choppy, her body heavier against mine. Distracted, I glance down at the warmth beneath my hand. My thumb glides over bare skin where her white tank’s ridden up. “Sorry.”
“If you’re trying to take my mind off our scaly friend, it’s working.” There’s laughter in her voice, even as it wobbles. My mouth twitches as I drop my head. Kenny sucks in a breath as my lips brush the soft outer shell of her ear. “ Max .”
“Mmm.” My smile spreads as I glance up. The copperhead is already moving off, seeking somewhere cooler to curl up. “I think we’re safe. He’s gone.”
She wobbles when I step away. “Who? I… um. Give me a minute.”
Grinning, I hold my hand out. The dark cloud that settled over me earlier seems to lighten. Disperse, even.
But then, Kenny always has that effect on me. Maybe that’s why I went to the trailer in the first place, instead of cancelling.
I just needed a dose of Kenny. “Come on. I promise I’ll protect you from the snakes.”
“Even the poisonous ones?” She shudders as she shakes her head, brushing against my shoulder. Casually, I settle my arm around her shoulder, giving her space to pull back.
When she presses closer, her face peeking up, my heart sings. “No snake is going to get you while I’m here. Promise.”