Maxine Nelson • heartstopper ff

5. trouble

Max POV

It was Monday. Me and Nick had relaxed the day before watching marvel movies and eating endless amounts of junk food.

Today I was going to school. I was still in pain and my body was covered in bruises and scars but I didn't care. And I wasn't gonna hide them.

I wanted everyone to see what B*n H*pe really was like.

I had my short sleeve shirt on with the top button undone to show the marks where he had strangled me. My arms had been covered in bruises and I let them be seen. I was wearing a skirt with ankle socks so everyone could see my legs where that had bruises. I couldn't wear my blazer because it touched my bruises and it hurt. Also I didn't wear any makeup on my face so the black eye was visible and all the rest of the places B*n had hurt me.

When we arrived at school, everyone was staring at me. B*n was also there.
"Don't you dare touch her," Nick yelled in front of me.

B*n smirked and then walked away.

When I walked up to Darcy, Tara and Elle they were all smiling.
"I like this approach, your a badass woman Maxine Nelson," Tara said and I smiled.
"Aren't you gonna get in trouble for not having a blazer?" Elle asked.
"It's in my bag," I told her.

We walked into school and I saw Tori Spring walk up to me.
"Hey Max, can I talk to you a second?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'll catch up with you in form," I told the others and they nodded.

"I wanted to thank you for protecting Charlie. He feels really bad that he didn't say anything but I'm glad you stood up for him," Tori said.
"It's no problem. B*n is a dickhead. Besides it's kinda my fault it all started," I told her.
"How?" Tori asked.
"I was the girl Ben kissed who then punched him because he was sexually assaulting Charlie after Charlie confronted him about me," I explained.
"Oh, god yeah. I was probably mad at you for that," Tori said.
"It's honestly fine, I didn't know about Charlie and if I had I would've stopped it because I felt really bad afterwards," I told her.
"Max it's fine, also wow he really hurt you didn't he," Tori said.
"Yeah...he did, can you tell Charlie that it was not his fault. I would but I don't know when i'd be able to see him." I said.
"Yeah, of course, we'll id better be going," Tori said.
"Yeah, good point, bye," I said.
"Bye," she replied and we walked away and to our forms.

•••

At lunch, everyone was staring at our table we ignored them, it's their problem not ours. Until we heard them whispering.
"Maxine Nelson is attention seeking,"
"How much makeup do you think she's wearing?"
"It can't be makeup, I saw her at the party,"
"But why so many?"

I'd had enough. I got up and stood on the table.
"Max! Get down," one of the teachers said. This brought me everyone's attention.
"No," I told her before starting what I was gonna say.
"You may be wondering why I look like this and what happened," I started. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me.
"Well, it had been happening for a few weeks, but B*n H*pe has been hurting me. At the party, I found him threatening another student and so I told him to leave that student alone. He strangled me, stuck me up against the banisters and punched me until I was nearly unconscious. You may be wondering why all this came about. Well, I found B*n sexually assaulted another student while we were dating."

Everyone stared at me. The realisation of all of this had finally got to me. I fell onto my knees and before I could do anything else, I burst into tears.

"Maxine Nelson! My Office now!" I heard someone yell. I looked up and it was Mrs Lemaire.

I walked away and sat in her office.
"So, why we're you stood on one of our school tables especially when you were told to get down. Also where is your blazer? Your dressed against the dress code," Mrs Lemaire asked.
"Firstly, I was making a point because everyone was whispering about me and I wanted to tell them what kind of person b*n h*pe is. Also, I'm not in dress code because it hurts when I wear my blazer as it touches the bruises plastered around my body from B*n," I explained.
"I understand what happened to you was disgraceful, but you still have to follow school rules with no exceptions. So I'm sorry Miss Nelson but I will be phoning your mother." The principal said.

I sat quietly in her office while she phoned my mum. I saw Tara, Darcy and Elle in the window behind the desk and I smiled and waved.

The Homosexuals + Max

Text us everything when you can
~ Darcy

Can say much, but she's phoning my mum
~max

I typed that under the table when she was looking away and somehow didn't get caught.

My mum arrived a bit later. We walked through the halls everyone was by there lockers. There were tears still slowly falling down my face. They felt hot against the dry ones on my face.

When I got in the car, I couldn't even look at my mum. She was disappointed, I could tell.
"I'm so s-sorry," I started.
"Hey, come here, your not in trouble," Mum said and she hugged me. "Well, your not in trouble with me at least," She said.
"Really?" I asked looking up slightly.
"Of course not, you we're standing up for yourself," she said wiping my tears.

I smiled and she started the car and we drove away from the school.