Just Tara

"You? All right?" Maxie's concerned look lingered. He met Tara after school a week or so later.

Tara's frown was small. She looked right through him, as if he wasn't much of a cure, after all.

"I've called. I've left messages. What's wrong? What did I do?" He followed her as if he was the long lost puppy that adored her the most.

"You've done nothing." She hugged her books as if no one out there could help.

"But.."

"But what?" She glared at him to stop what sort of nonsense he might be up too.

"I dunno." He stared at her as if he wanted the truth. Something, to latch on too. It was true, he needed to be near, but she wanted no one. She'd gone for days now, without speaking. Why did she have to break her silence now?

Her folks might as well have stuck her on a shelf and left her without regard. They were not coming back for her. Everything, seemed so silent now, but here was Maxie wanting to be the only thing that mattered.

Well, she couldn't be put under his spell. Not now. Not with everything coming undone in her life.

"I dunno who I am." She finally yelped.

"You do." His smile slipped as he hugged her, in spite of her books in the way.

"You, can't fix it." She told him.

"But..I could help." He took her hand as if he'd be with her all the way. Even in the thick of it.

She mentioned her Dad was in jail then. And the rest unfolded about what her Dad told Lorde about her mother.

"Well, we need to find your Mum." Maxie was ever so serious. He was so much more than that silly lad who used to hang out with Matty.