chapter 2: What's The Rush

Max slung his bag over his shoulder as the final bell of the day rang, signaling the end of another school day. His friends were already gathering by the door, finishing up their conversations and packing away their things. Max quickly joined them, stepping into the hallway with the rest of the group.

Jake, ever the joker and the shortest of the group, shot Max a grin. "You've got math homework to handle, right?" he teased, nudging him lightly with his elbow. "Don't forget we still need to cram for that test."

Max smirked, brushing him off casually. "I'll handle it," he said confidently. "I'm naturally brilliant, you know."

Ryan, the taller twin with shaggy blonde hair, gave Max a side-eye and chuckled. "Sure, 'brilliant,'" he teased. "Maybe if you actually helped us study for once, you'd get more than just a passing grade."

Max shook his head with a grin. "If you actually studied, you wouldn't need me," he shot back.

Sarah, Ryan's twin sister with short, platinum blonde hair, had just zipped up her bag and turned toward them, raising an eyebrow at their usual banter. Sarah had always been the level-headed one in the group—Max's close friend for years. While he tended to act on impulse, Sarah was always the one to keep him grounded, the voice of reason among the chaos. She shot them both a pointed look.

"I swear, you two are hopeless," Sarah said with a small laugh, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "You'd be lost without someone to keep you in check."

Zara, standing beside Sarah and finishing up with her own bag, smirked. With her wavy brown hair and grounded, practical nature, Zara had always been the more skeptical one of the group. She didn't share Max's or Jake's enthusiasm for weird things, often rolling her eyes at their wild ideas. Yet, Zara stuck around—her bond with the group was strong enough to make her part of all their ridiculous adventures.

"Yeah, if you spent less time daydreaming and more time listening to Sarah, we might get through the day without any disasters," Zara added with a teasing smile, her arms crossing as she stood next to Sarah.

Max grinned, trying to brush off their teasing. "You guys underestimate my brilliance," he said with a wink. "I've got everything under control."

As they filed out of the classroom, Jake and Ryan continued their usual banter. Max, however, found his attention drifting back to Lena, who was heading to the school exit in front of him.

"Alright, let's get going," he muttered to his friends, suddenly eager to walk faster and escape the unease that had settled over him.

"What's the rush?" Jake asked, his voice laced with amusement as he saw max walking ahead of him.

Max didn't meet his eyes, still focused on Lena's retreating figure. "oh, I just remember that I have to reach home early today." he said, trying to sound casual.

Ryan gave Max a quizzical look. "You've been acting weird all day. What's going on?" he asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.

Max quickly brushed it off, turning toward the door. "Nothing. I have to reach early because my parents have to go for a bussiness trip so I have to look after lisa or else she will be alone."

Jake raised an eyebrow but didn't press the issue. He tossed his bag over his other shoulder and followed Max. "Alright, but I'm watching you," he teased.

As they made their way toward the exit, Max couldn't help but glance over at Lena again. She was already getting in her father's car. There was something about her that drew him in, and even though he tried to push the thought away, it was hard to ignore the way his heart raced every time she was near.

"Are you going to talk to her or just stare at her all day?" Jake's voice cut through Max's thoughts.

Max tensed, his face flushing. He shot Jake a glare. "I'm not staring at her. I just..." He trailed off, unwilling to admit what was really going on.

Sarah, who had been walking next to Ryan glanced over at max with a raised eyebrow. "What's going on with you?" she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and concern.

Max ran a hand through his messy hair, trying to play it cool. "Nothing, really. Just... let's go."