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"Max, don't be dramatic again."
"You guys are so dramatic, who do you think you are, Maxine?"
"You make everything a big deal. We're all living in the Max Show."
"Things don't come to him as easy as they do you."
"Your feelings can be a lot sometimes, Max."
"I don't know, maybe we just grew apart a little bit. Maybe that's okay."
I don't want that to be okay.
Maxine was always supposed to be the happy twin. The light of the room. Always joyful. She needed to be that. She felt guilty. Guilty, for having these feelings. She had to be happy for Marcus. She had to be happy to make up for the infinite frowns and tears that Marcus had saved up.
However, she just wasn't that. She wasn't all sunshines and rainbows. People believed that they could say anything to her and she wouldn't care. She's so happy all the time, why would she be bothered? People forgot that she actually has feelings like any other person. She couldn't bring herself to actually feel sad. To process being sad. It felt selfish of her. Maxine, snap out of it, you're NOT sad. She told herself that every night. Every night she hoped and prayed nobody would see that side of her.
Until she accepted it. She knew exactly how she felt. She knew what the end would be and that it was fast approaching. It was all too much for her. Something she couldn't comprehend. She thought about everything too much, but she just couldn't think about this. She was sure of it but she would break down if she thought about it for too long, she can't do that. But is she just overreacting? Maybe she's just tired. Or is she a failure that never deserved this happy life?
But that doesn't matter. She's an actress anyways. She can fake this for a little while.
"Hey guys!" She laughed, running to Abby, Norah and Ginny, ANG, which were enjoying their time together in the school hallway, exchanging giggles.
"Heyyy..." They all mumbled in unison.
She could tell something was up with them again. They were leaving her out, but she couldn't make it a big deal. Not today. Today she has to fill the world with happiness because she's struggling. She can't leave without everyone seeing her glittery self last.
"What are you guys up to?"
"Nothing, really." Abby replied, exchanging a look with Ginny. "Just scrolling on social media. You?"
"Oh, I'm missing last period for drama practice because the play is coming up and our teacher can't meet up after school, so I'm greeting everyon-" The bell quickly rang and lockers closed.
"Oh, gotta go, love ya!"
"Bye Max." They said.
During practice, Maxine couldn't think straight. Her mind kept wandering elsewhere. She messed up a few lyrics and movements, but everyone thought she was just a little tired that day. Happens to everybody, am I right?
She got home and couldn't find anyone. Even searched the bathroom. She went to see if Marcus was here, at least.
She opened his door and found him sitting on his bed and scrolling on TikTok. They exchanged glances for a second until Max said something.
"Hey Marcus! Where are mom and dad?"
"They quickly went to the grocery store because they made spaghetti sauce without actually checking if we have spaghetti. Bye." He replied, in a dull tone. He lost his spark and Max really did try to get it back, but she failed. She failed at everything.
"I just wanted to sa-"
"Get out."
"Okay. Bye Marcus. I love you." She mumbled, voice clearly on the verge of tears, while closing his door. She didn't even get a proper goodbye.
Maxine closed her door and got a piece of paper. She wrote something on it in sloppy handwriting. You couldn't quite make out every single word, but it would get the point across. She slowly unlocked the drawer on her bedside table and grabbed an orange bottle with a white cap. She paused for a minute. Or maybe 10 seconds. It felt like time was messing with her. Like it kept slowing down and speeding up. It all just felt like a blur. Without thinking, she opened the bottle and dropped everything in her mouth at once. Memories consumed her. For a second, she wished Marcus would have changed his mind. That he would run into her room to apologize and save her. But he didn't. Nobody did. It was just her. The room felt too quiet. She felt like she had to communicate with someone. Max unlocked her phone and went to the MANG groupchat to type out a goodbye.
"i just wanted to say i love you guys so so much, goodnight"
She closed her phone before anyone could reply. She didn't want to see anyone reply.
Max plopped onto her bed and closed her eyes. For the last time. She closed her eyes for the last time. She just layed there until it kicked in. But it felt like eternity. It felt like she was a cow waiting to be slaughtered. She went from feeling everything to feeling nothing. Soon enough, she took her last breath. Her last memory played through her head. The little people in her head, desperately trying to breathe, stopped fighting. For good. It was like a cut that never stopped bleeding. She couldn't live lile that. Not anymore.
"Maxxx, did you eat the last cookie?" Marcus yelled from the stairs, running up. He was surprised to hear no answer.
"Max?" He repeated, now in front of her door.
He slowly opened the door, thinking she was sleeping.
"Ah. Of course you're sleeping."
Something felt off, though. The wind blew differently. He swore the atmosphere shifted. He got closer to her bed.
"....Max?" He noticed the paper. He was sure something was wrong. He looked closer and he didn't see her chest rise and fall.
"Hahah.. hah... joke's over..."
"I said. Joke's over. Max." He yelled, grabbing her shoulders and shaking them.
"No...no.. NO." He was clearly angry now. A tear streamed down his face onto his neck.
He cried. He wished he would've changed his mind and apologized to her. He didn't. He could have saved her. He felt an emotion he's never felt before. For the first time in his pathetic life, his young soul began to stir with a note of what life was. It can bring you tears. It can bring you grins. It was always meant to be like this. It's something the human body simply has to partake in, no matter what.
Some stories don't have happy endings. Some stories end in a painful way that will leave you scarred. It gives you something to think about, something to wonder, are there truly any happy endings in life?
The end.
The painful end.