[Chapter twenty-eight]

"Nevaeh!" Megan exclaims as Dylan and I reach the table before sighing under her breath. "Thank god."

"Oh, guys, this is Hazel." Noah introduces her to us without looking away from her as she smiles at him. "Hazel, this is, Dylan and...uh..."

I see Dylan, Max and Megan look at me but I ignore them.

I clench my jaw. "Nevaeh."

He quickly looks at me. "Carter—"

"Did you just forget my name?" I raise an eyebrow, trying not to show my annoyance.

"No, Carter, I was just—"

I cut him off again. "Blinded by her beauty. Don't worry. I get it."

He sighs. "Carter..."

"I just remembered, I need to talk to my math teacher about something." I make up some bullshit excuse before walking away.

"Carter, wait!" Noah calls and I hear the scrape of a chair.

"Noah, don't." Hazel stops him. "She's just being a little bitch."

I clench my first as I make my way towards the cafeteria doors.

Let me punch you in the face then we'll see who's being a little bitch.

"Don't call her that." I hear Noah growl. "You know nothing about her."

Hazel scoffs. "I'm just speaking the truth."

"I think you've got the truth mixed up with your jealousy." Megan hisses before I hear her chair scrape. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go talk to Nevaeh."

I wait outside the cafeteria door for Megan.

As soon as she gets there I start walking towards my locker with her by my side.

"What took you and Dylan so long?" She questions. "I was about to stab Hazel in the neck with my fork."

"We we're talking then Max showed up. We finally got him to leave then I told him that I have cancer."

Megan opens her mouth to speak but a gasp cuts her off.

We both turn our head quickly and find Max standing a couple feet away.

"Max..." I start as I walk over to him.

"I'll leave you two alone." Megan whispers before walking away.

"You...you have cancer?" His eyes get glassy.

"I-yeah." I sigh.

"B-But, you can't leave me." His lip quivers. "I love you. You're my best friend."

"I-I'm sorry." I mumble, looking down.

He pulls me into a tight bear hug. "Don't you dare say you're sorry. It's not your fault. You can't control it."

"I love you, too, Max." I whisper into his chest.

"Also, Dylan may or may not have caught me up on the whole Noah situation." He starts. "I understand why you told him you didn't like him."

"Thanks." I say before my eyes spring wide open as I remember something very, very important. "Max...where's Kamri?"

He stiffens and slowly pulls away from me, staring down at me with wide eyes before laughing sheepishly. "Hehe, Kamri who?"

"Kamri, our electronic plastic doll child, Kamri, that's who!" I shout.

He rubs the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at me as he bites his lip. "Uhhh...that's a good question."

"Oh, shit." We mutter in unison before taking off running.

*~*

"Max, how did our baby get in a tree?!" I shout as we stand a bit away from the football field, staring up at the line of large trees which separate the school from a public field.

"How am I supposed to kn—oh." He snaps his mouth shut, staring up at Kamri guiltily.

"Wh—what 'oh'?!" I turn to him, pulling my hood off to stare at him with icy eyes.

"No, stop! Don't look at me like that!" He cries, trying to avoid my gaze.

"How did our child get in that tree, Max?!" I question through clenched teeth.

"Well, we were playing football for P.E today and someone passed me me the ball so I kicked it and it went in the trees and we were too lazy to get it out." He explains nervously. "I'm just now realising it wasn't a ball."

My jaw drops open. "You kicked our baby into a tree?!"

"I'm sorry!" He shouts.

"We've probably lost ten thousand points for that!" I yell.

"I'M SORRY!"

"We need to get her out!" I exclaim, rubbing my face in exasperation before pulling my hood back up.

"How?!" He shouts, throwing his arms in the air.

We go silent and look at each other.

*~*

"MAX, YOU'D BETTER NOT DROP ME!"

"STOP MOVING SO MUCH!"

I'm currently sitting on Max's shoulders, trying to grab Kamri from the tree.

I reach up and my fingers skim the plastic doll.

"WAIT, I'VE ALMOST GOT HER!"

"YES! WAIT, VAEH, STOP LEANING BACK SO MUCH—"

Thud.

"Oww." We both groan in pain as we lay on the grass in a heap.

"Oof." I huff as Kamri falls out of the tree and lands right on my stomach, winding me slightly.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

We crane our necks back and see Noah, Dylan, Megan and—ugh. Hazel.

"Funny story." I chuckle sheepishly, sitting up, pulling Max up with me.

"Kamri climbed the tree and got stuck. Naughty child." Max lies, making me roll my eyes. "We were trying to get her out."

"Right, because a plastic doll can definitely climb a tree." Noah drones sarcastically, rolling his greenish-blue eyes.

"And why didn't one of you just climb the tree?" Dylan asks.

Max and I look at each other.

"You're an idiot!" We shout in unison.