Chapter 12: Inner Demons

Max: So, what are you girls in for?

All three girls lift their heads in unison to Max's voice.

Lily, Emily, and Sophia (in unison): Max!! What're you doing here?

Max (chuckles): I asked first.

Lily: Well, this is…remedial class for us.

Sophia (sad): Yeah, we totally messed up the potions class.

Emily (angry): Well, I think Ms. Elara's just being a bitch, ya know.

Lily: What about you Max, I heard you got a girlfriend.

Max (smiles): Mind if I sit first?

Max pulls up a chair and sits in between Emily and Lily, he then explains how he got into detention in the first place.

Sophia (shocked): So, she tackled you in front of the whole class!!

Emily (smiles): She sounds like a real badass!!

Max (smiles): On the contrary, she's actually an airhead.

Lily (smiles): Well can't say I'm happy for ya, but good luck.

Max: Well, it's only temporary…I guess.

Emily (excited): Woah, so you two may get married.

Max: Who knows, but one thing's for sure she might burst open that door anytime now.

Just as Max spoke, a new student entered through the grand wooden doors, she sat far from Max and the trio, and this ticked off Sophia.

Sophia (irritated): What does he think of himself, barging into our conversation?

Max (smiles): I think we should all calm down.

Sophia: No!! I oughta give him a piece of my mind.

Max tried to stop Sophia by grabbing her hand but it was already too late, Sophia was standing right next to Avery, but she just ignored her which was the final straw before she raised her hand to hit her Max intervened and invited Avery over to their table, which she flatly refused, Max did not take no for an answer and picked up the chair Avery was sitting in and place the both of them there, now there was an awkward silence in the whole room only to be interrupted by the teacher's intermittent snoring.

Lily: So Max, how did you two meet?

Avery: We met at the Rusty Mug

Lily: What's that

Avery: The only tavern in Frostviel, I should've guessed you didn't know.

This ticked off Lily, but she hid her anger under a stoic smile; Max sensed the rising tension and decided to shift the topic.

Max: Say, Emily, do you remember the carnival?

Emily (excitedly): Yeah, do you guys remember that giant Ferris wheel, and the cotton candy?

Lily (smiles): And that side trip to the forest, yes, we remember Emily.

Sophia (smirks): So, where did you go during the weekend, Avery?

Avery (stoic): Nowhere, I was busy protecting Max.

Sophia chuckled at Avery's unbelievable statement, Max raised his eyebrow in confusion and both Emily and Lily also had expressions of confusion.

Avery (stoic): It's true, you can ask Max himself.

Max, now stuck, wished for a miracle, just as he was about to speak the

door behind him burst open, and from the came his "girlfriend" to his

rescue.

Amy (smiles): MAXEY-POO, I'M HERE FOR YOU!!

She jumped into Max's arms making him fall from his chair onto the floor, she then said, pleading.

Amy (comically wailing): Maxey-poo, mean potion lady's tryna kill me.

Max instinctively hid Amy inside the closet before Ms. Elara — who was chasing after Amy — appeared through the broken door, seeing the chaos she was in total shock.

Ms. Elara: What on earth, did a cyclone hit this place, Ms. Therese, were you napping, again?

Ms. Therese: uh…Nno ma'am I…

Ms. Elara: Save it, I'm looking for a pink-haired female student.

Max: Excuse me, ma'am, what exactly did this student do?

Ms. Elara: Well, she jumped out in the middle of my class through the bloody window.

Max: Oh, I'll let you know if I see her, ma'am.

Ms. Elara: No, you have detention, stay here, I'll search for the brat myself.

Overwhelmed by the chaos, Ms. Therese takes a seat, she stretches and cracks her neck, and she then yawns and speaks.

Ms. Therese: Hi folks, the name's Therese.

Max (smiles): Hello ma'am, I'm Max

Amy: And I'm Amy.

Saying this, Amy bursts open the closet doors making her dramatic entrance, scaring the teacher to the point that she faints.

Amy (tilts her head in confusion): What's up with her?

Max: A word of advice, don't randomly appear in front when they've just woke up.

Amy: ehh, but that's boring.

Max: Anyway, these are some of my friends; Lily, Emily, Sophie and Avery.

All three of them waved their hands at Amy as their names were called, Amy grinned at them and said "Nice to meet 'cha" with a salute, Avery just ignored her which caught Amy's attention.

Amy (smiles): Maxey, what's up with Mr. Emo here?

The trio chuckled at Amy's sudden statement, Max tried to hide his laughter and replied.

Max: His name is Avery.

Amy: Ah, got it, sooo, what's the matter with him?

Lily: So, you are Max's girlfriend.

Amy: I sure am!!

 As Amy smiles, Sophia heads closer to her and pulls her cheeks, she just smiles, no response, seeing this Sophia concludes.

Sophia: Yup, she really is an airhead.

Emily: Sophy, that's not nice.

Amy (smiles): Eh, what's an airhead?

Max: Amy, can I talk to you for a sec?

Max takes Amy to a corner and speaks to her, meanwhile, the trio discuss something on their own, Avery is left all alone, and something irritates her caused her to attack Amy, just before that, Max intervenes and blocks her attack.

Max: Amy, get the girls out of here and get doc to the forest.

Amy obeys, Avery tries to attack Amy but is blocked yet again by Max, she finally loses her cool, goes berserk and launches a barrage of attacks on Max, throwing him off via the window. Max takes this opportunity and grabs Avery, he then teleports the both of them to the forest where they find Vernon, Max then knocks out Avery with a chop to the collarbone and straps her in a chair.

Vernon (smiles): So, what do you see, Max.

Max: Aggression, bloodlust and extreme jealousy.

Vernon: Could be Demon Possession.

Max: My guess would be Vampirization.

Vernon (smiles): Could be, but you forget, that over there, is an elf.

Max: So, it's rare, but not unheard of, isn't it.

Vernon: I suppose we could only know after she wakes up.

When Avery wakes up, she finds herself in a confined space with Max alone, she tries to get up but is strapped in tight, Max smiles and opens the restrains, Avery dashes at him and aims for his neck; Vernon, Louis and Amy look at the scene from another space.

Vernon (smiles): Well, I be damned, the kid was right.

Louis (shocked): Shouldn't we help him.

Amy (laughs): If Max needed our help, he wouldn't have told us to stay here.

Back at the other confined face, Avery continues to suck Max's blood.

Max (grunts): Don't lose sight of who you are…Arin.

Avery stops momentarily after hearing this name, Max takes this opportunity to put his hand on Avery's head, entering her conscious, there he finds that her memories were fading, she was losing her identity, and at the centre of it all, sat a female demon smirking.