"Seriously?" Max raised an eyebrow at me as he gave me a once over after opening the door to his house.

I didn't put any effort into getting a costume this year. I wore jeans and a maroon hoodie for this party. If it was considered adding cat ears and drawn-on whiskers to my face a costume, then I think I did a pretty good job. As for Max, he was dressed as a roman god. Typical. It was an excuse to get himself half-naked around women tonight. I had to do a mental eye roll.

Tommy's costume had filled my time. He wanted to be an Avenger this year, so I went out this morning to get him one that he liked. Some of the accessories I had to DIY, which took much time to finish. By nightfall, we both went out roaming the streets of our neighborhood to get candy. Ellen encouraged us to go without her since she knew I wanted some alone time with my brother. The walk tired him out eventually. We had to make our way back home. He looked so pleased with his loot that he shared some of his candy with me.

Ellen had distracted Rex after we got back from trick or treating. I carefully snuck out from the house to get to Max's. But before I left, I put Tommy to bed to avoid giving him a sugar rush from eating too much candy. Ellen also warned me I should be home before anyone woke up by dawn. Thankfully, my parents were away for the weekend.

It had been a challenge to come up with an excuse to not attend the party. However, Sydney didn't trust me enough. I had to tell her there was an important matter that needed my attention at home. When she asked why, I panicked, accidentally blurted a promise that I would be coming over a little late from the arranged time the party was starting. Everyone cheered as they finally made me agree to come to a social gathering. This was one of the rarest moments.

So here I was...

I had arrived at Max's small get together. It didn't look like a 'small' party, though. I could hear the music blasting and people cheering inside, clearly having a good time.

"I thought this was going to be a small party," I deadpanned.

Max scratched the back of his neck as he smiled sheepishly, "Well, it got a bit out of hand. People started coming over when they heard there was going to be a party."

I sighed and took a deep breath. This was going to be a long night.

"Don't just stand there. The fun begins beyond this door," he grinned, grabbing me by the hand to let me inside. He handed me a cup of beer, and I just awkwardly stared at it.

"Drink up," he offered.

I scrunched my nose. I didn't plan on getting drunk tonight. Getting home in one piece was my priority.

"You owe me."

"Why?"

"For being the worst dressed tonight," he winked. Now that I looked around, everyone went all the way with their costume. Even a guy who passed by us went full commando. I had no idea who he was portraying, but seeing his junk out in the open was off-putting.

I promised myself I wasn't going to be a pansy tonight. So, I shrugged all of my worries and gulped down the glass full of cold beer.

"That's my girl," Max nudged me as we continued walking towards the back of the house.

"Where is everyone?" I asked when Max led me through his backyard. It was more peaceful than when we were inside.

"I saw Sydney and Curtis dancing together. Peyton was off with some guy," he shrugged.

"I swear if those two don't get together..." I trailed off chuckling.

"Right? Everybody in the room could feel their sexual tension." Max and I laughed together. I agreed. They just weren't aware of it yet, but I could see it as well.

Max and I engaged in small talk while we waited for the others. It felt nice to be out once in a while. The beer loosened me up a bit as Max continued refilling my cup.

"So, what's up with you?" Max casually asked.

I stiffened. This was forbidden territory for me. Immediately masking myself, I said, "Not much."

"I call bullshit," he gave me a smirk.

"Excuse me? What was that supposed to mean?" I was baffled by the fact that Max would talk to me that way. The alcohol was probably giving him the courage to utter such nonsense.

"Come on, Scarlett. I've known you for a couple of years. The only thing I know is your parents are doctors. You hate social gatherings and always have this far off look on your face. It's a really weird habit."

"Why is it so important you know things about me?" I asked Max warily. Where was he going with this? I began feeling quite irritated when the spotlight was on me.

Max shrugged, "For one, we're friends..." he lifted his hand as he reached out to touch my face, gently caressing the bruise that was over a week old, "...And two, I notice things." I weakly slapped his hand away, looking anywhere but his pitying eyes. I was sure I had covered my bruises properly. There was no way a single person noticed.

"I just wish you'd let us in," Max sighed in defeat. He wasn't getting anything from me. Not tonight. Not ever. I abruptly got off the bench and started walking away.

"Scarlett, wait! Where are you going?" Max called out.

I looked back, "I'm going home, Max."

I felt his warm hand grab mine, which made me stop from my tracks. Pausing, I lowered my eyes to the ground unable to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry I upset you. Please, stay. The others haven't seen you yet. They were looking forward to hanging out with you tonight."

I met his gaze and saw he had a soft smile on.

"You mean that?" He nodded gladly. I started thinking I had been a shitty friend. All these people cared deeply about me while I had been dealing with my monsters on my own. My problems had already consumed me, but I haven't bothered to ask them how they were. Was I even worth keeping? It was a tough pill to swallow.

I could no longer stay mad at him, but I couldn't let my guard down. Pretending I was fine required too much work. In all honesty, I was tired. If only it were as easy to belt out my secret as feeling like shit all the time.

I let him lead me back to our spot.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, I decided to speak up. "I'm sorry, Max."

He turned to me and smiled, "I get it. Just know that we're all here for you unless being an underground fighter is your big secret?" His tone was teasing which made me break into a smile. He knew, but I wasn't confirming it.

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes, nudging him with my elbow as I chuckled.

I then mumbled, "Thanks. Opening up isn't my thing."

Max put his arm around me as he gave me a side hug. "Your secret is safe with me," he whispered in my ear. I just nodded as I started relaxing once more to get myself back into a partying mood.

"Hey, lovebirds! Stop talking and start dancing!" Sydney yelled from across the lawn. She had a little too much to drink as she stumbled her way to us. Curtis was following right behind her.

Sydney grabbed both my hands and pulled me up to stand, "Scarlett, this is a disaster! I don't even know what costume you're wearing." She scrunched her nose in disapproval when she saw my so-called cat costume.

She was in a white swan queen costume. Her blonde hair was bright as she tied it into a neat bun. It gave an ethereal vibe with how her skin looked flawless and sparkly from the highlighter she was using.

"We need to loosen you up," Sydney giggled.

"Sid," I groaned.

"Relax. We're just going dancing. Let's find Peyton." She started dragging me inside the house. I looked behind me, pleading for rescue. But alas, Max and Curtis just held out their glasses to me in salute.

We later found Peyton lip-locking with some random guy behind the thick curtains of the vast living room. Sydney didn't even bother excusing herself. She just grabbed Peyton off the guy.

Peyton was unaware of the situation since she was intoxicated as hell. She blinked a few times and looked at us. When she saw that it was only Sydney and me, she beamed. The guy she just made out with was left behind in a haze. We made our way to the center of the dance floor that was Max's living room. We held hands, dancing together in a small circle. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. Both girls had guided me through each song which eventually got me the hang of it.

I admitted I started enjoying myself tonight. Max and I had had a little setback, but we were back to normal after he had stopped prodding. He never mentioned anything about what he had discovered to the rest of my friends. Not quite sure what he had assumed, but he pretty much got the picture of my current situation. I just hope it stayed that way.

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