Chapter 32 ~ Unconvinced.

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Maxine was in the library. The cool, calm and typically empty library where she could sit in the quiet and puzzle over her emotions, to try and get a hold of her pride and destroy it so she could go and apologize properly to her friends. This was what always happened when she blew her temper – guilt flooded in as she realized her fault and she was left to try and make up with those she could have potentially angered or even hurt.

Maxine didn’t actually realize that her friends understood her completely now. Whenever she’d had a fit of temper, she would start hurting herself rather than thinking about what her friends thought. Her worst enemy was her temper, but her greatest sympathizers where her friends. And they understood.

Maxine closed her eyes and began to try and script her apology. She didn’t think about whether they had accepted and known to leave her be, knowing her ups and downs. She just thought she had hurt them and needed to say sorry.

“Maxine?” Her troubles worsened as she saw Theon standing before her, face touching with concern. “Maxine, are you alright?”

Theon. He had been the cause of all this. That and her stupid temper. Her stupid foolish, temper. It burst forth again at that very moment.

“Why are you here?” She demanded, raising her voice.

The hurt and confusion on his face did nothing to her now, but he still tried to keep it up. “I wanted to see you…I thought-“

“You thought wrong, Theon.” Maxine snapped, wishing she hadn’t given the boy any whiff of friendship that could have arisen between them. “Go away. Now.”

His innocence pulled at her heartstrings a little as he answered in a bewildered fashion. “Maxine, what have I done? You said…”

“To leave me alone!” She stood up, venting the anger she held for herself upon an easy target. “A few seconds ago! Now bugger off!”

Theon looked at her pathetically. “I thought we were friends, Maxine…”

That got to her, then. He was too good an actor and she was too deeply reminded of Stefan. Sitting back, Maxine sighed and looked at him with hopelessness. “Look, just go.”

Theon’s eyes became ever more melting. “But-“

“She said go, Hallow.” Stefan came round the corner with solemn and steel ease, facing the boy with a sternness Maxine had never known was in him. “Do you want me to make you?”

Theon looked back at Maxine and sighed. “No.” He said quietly, hanging his head. “No, I’m going.” With one glance back at Maxine, he was gone, walking solemnly out of the library. Maxine tried not to let her pity for him show and fixed her eyes on Stefan. But Stefan was staring after the boy, his suspicions aroused. What Maxine hadn’t seen was the poisonous glare that he had received from Theon as the boy walked out. A glare with such venom Stefan had lost all unsurity about Theon’s true nature.

He turned to see Maxine’s eyes upon him with concern and smiled, taking a seat beside her. He could tell she’d been worrying about the usual post-temper problems and wanted to reassure her. Even if their friendship had only been going for a month, he knew her inside out. And he knew just how to deal with her in this mood.

“Max, you don’t have to say sorry.” He said warmly, eyes soft as he looked at her. “It’s his fault, not yours.”

But she shook her head, unsure. “How is it his fault? I’m the one who gave him the wrong information…I’m the one who told him we could be friends.”

Stefan felt his chest stiffen. Theon’s nature was all to clear to him and he suspected the boy was trying to manipulate the more innocent Maxine. To most people, she seemed tough and rebellious, secure and stable. But she had a soft spot for outcasts…people she could help. This time, however, Theon didn’t quite add up, and though fooling Maxine, did not do the same with Stefan.

“Max, you were just trying to help him. But in this case, I don’t think Theon should be helped.” He answered, trying to subtly paint the picture to his friend.

Maxine looked at him sharply. “Stefan, I understand we can’t trust him, but his feelings seem genuine. Have you seen the way everyone treats him?”

“To be honest, Max, I’m not sure he doesn’t deserve it.” Replied Stefan solemnly.

“How can you say that when you weren’t even present when I talked to him?” Maxine looked shocked. “I’m grateful for you guys protecting me, but I still don’t think he deserves any of that sort of treatment. No one does.”

Stefan sighed, trying to hold his tongue and not flare her up again but also attempting to make her see sense. Theon was trouble. Especially for him. “I don’t think Theon is all he seems.” He answered quietly. “I think-“

“Look, Stefan, I don’t want to hear what you think.” Maxine’s voice was hard and he felt his stomach contract as he realized she couldn’t be convinced. “I’m glad you made up, and I'm sorry I was such an arsehole back there. And I agree that Theon cannot yet be trusted. But I won’t let you condemn him like that.” She stood up, resolute in her judgment. “Anyway, I’m just gonna take a look at that Homework, so I’ll see you at Dinner.” She took her bag and started to walk off, Stefan making one last attempt before she left.

“Max-“

“I’m not condemning him, Stefan.” She cut across, calling as she walked. “Not yet.”