CONNECTED - I

"I think I needed some space, Mary." Maxim shook his head, then fixed his sentences, what he said earlier. "We need some spaces."

After that Maxim moved on, leaving Mary alone there. Hurriedly, Maxim walked ahead of Maxine who was stopping to tie her shoelaces. The man looked so angry, clearly visible from the way he stepped, and his swinging hands seemed to clench strongly.

From behind her back, Maxine heard two voices calling out to Maxim. But the owner of the name did not care about the series of calls. He continued to step, leaving the building, straight to the place where he parked his motorcycle.

Maxine got up from where she was squatting after finishing neatly tying her shoelaces. At the same time, Ivan and Leo approached her with a curious look. All Maxine did in return was just stare at the two with a flat stare, expressionless. Ivan and Leo exchanged glances, as well as threw stiff smiles at each other.

"Are you okay?" asked Ivan and Leo spontaneously.

The reason the two men came to Maxine just wanted to ask her about her situation, was because Maxine was squatting there long enough. They're just trying to be friendly and kind to her. But Maxine doesn't really like her second attempt.

Maxine snorted while shaking her head softly. "Ask your best friend who just came out angry. Not me," she replied solidly and clearly.

Leo frowned. "What is wrong with Max?"

"Go ask him!" insisted Maxine.

The girl rushed away before getting the same question attack. She didn't want to be involved or even get caught up in what Maxim was going through, either. At that very second, Ivan and Leo raced to the motorcycle parking lot —coming to Maxim. Unfortunately, Maxim quickly gassed, leaving the efforts of his two friends in vain.

"What is wrong with him?" asked Leo to Ivan who was engrossed in fiddling with something on his phone screen.

Ivan raised his gaze, looked at Leo for a moment, then returned to his phone screen as before. "I think there's something that makes him angry."

"Angry?" Mary folded off the waist, staring at Leo and Ivan in turn.

They don't know when the girl was there. Leo and Ivan didn't care at all. All they care about is Maxim, his best friend. Now the two seem busy calling Maxim's mobile number, but none of their calls are received. Even sometimes intentionally rejected.

"Just so you know, Maxim seems to have a secret relationship with the wolfless girl behind me." Mary was grumbled.

Ivan and Leo still didn't care about all of Mary's words. Even when Mary accused Maxim, even their best friend might be having an affair, the two instead threw smiles at each other with sparkling eyes. It was as if it was something they were so expecting.

"You said that Maxim was cheatin' on you?" Leo tilted his head slightly to the right side, staring at Mary with a deliberately contrived look of sadness. 

"Yes. He is," replied Mary softly.

"That's really great news!" replied Leo to the point.

Ivan nudged Leo's arm, hoping the young man was silenced. Instead of doing what Ivan expected, Leo became more and more. He patted Mary on the shoulder, then approached and whispered a few words into Mary's left ear.

"You should thank Maxim," whispered Leo with a look and a provocative tone.

After saying a sentence that managed to ignite Mary's emotions, Leo and Ivan got up on their motorcycle, going in the direction Maxim had taken earlier, letting Mary cultivate her anger without anyone there.

Not far from where Mary sculpted with her hands clenched, Sidney with Seth, her lover, seemed engrossed in chewing corn pop. It was as if what happened to Mary back then was an interesting spectacle.

"Shouldn't you cheer her up, baby?" said Seth to a blinkered Sidney watching Mary from a distance.

The blonde man on Sidney’s right side looks concerned to witness a friendship between Sidney dan Mary that is unlike most people out there. Both Mary, and Sidney, are two-faced. Everyone knows that even they know it themselves.

Each of them doesn't have a genuine concern. The support and help they always give each other are always self-resentment. Seth called the relationship between these two girls a toxic friendship.

"Ignore it," said Sidney, no sense of care implied by the way she said and stared.

After throwing an empty corn pop box into a yellow trash can, specifically for recyclable objects, they left campus holding hands.

Elsewhere, Maxine unknowingly does the same. Not far from the place where Sidney and Seth monitor Mary's movements. Maxine spontaneously shook her head, incredulous by Sidney's attitude. Leaving someone they call as a friend, alone when angry and needs a backrest.

Liam shouted Maxine's name from the parking lot, asking her to come soon because it seemed like it was going to rain soon. So, when the first drizzle descended, Maxine rushed to meet her brother's call and drove towards what they had always called home.

Heavy rain has continued to batter Hillcester since seven days ago. Hillcester is known as a cool city. Rarely does the heat come too long, or even in accordance with the portion it should. Just like winter. Both seasons were never willing to settle long enough as happened in some other parts of the world.

But the rain that fell 7 days in a row managed to change the mood of almost all students of Hillcester University. Moody, like the sky outside a campus building. Most of them feel bored because they can not do some outdoor sports activities, or just lay down relaxed in a public park. 

They were all confined inside the building, no one could escape the courses they had so avoided. Everyone looked like an exemplary student. Obediently enter the classroom, because if you wander outside the classroom, counseling lecturers will come and lecture anyone who neglects the obligation. All the young people in Hillcester hate being lectured.

During recess, as usual, the cafeteria was full. Crowded. Everyone gathered there. Some even had to sit opposite Maxine. Although Maxine was engrossed in burying her face in her backpack with thick books inside, the person felt uncomfortable at a table with Maxine.

It had been 10 minutes since the pale-skinned boy sat down, enjoying his tuna salad as calmly as he could, he couldn't hide his annoyance. Because several times Maxine groaned, even on several occasions, she heard Maxine crying and even grimacing in pain.

Obviously, Maxine grimaced, even almost crying. Her subconscious again brought itself to the events that nearly claimed her life. The incident that she desperately forgot, continued to overshadow when the other part of her felt lonely. Even when Liam releases Maxine from his watch, Maxine always runs away to the place where the nightmare happened.

Maxine again voiced a subtle cry. In her subconscious, she was put back into a pinched situation.

Maxine stood on the edge of the cliff, with the high seas stretching below. Her body trembled at the pounding of the waves behind her back, while, if she ran forward there, there was no way for him. Her father, a jet-black furry wolf, is desperately battling a vicious vampire along with several of his herd, two of whom have been killed by bites —some parts of his body are torn apart.

Maxine's round eyes were perfectly slathered when she watched one of the vampires bite her father —about to tear him apart like his dead pack. Maxine's breathing was caught when a vampire darted towards her, when almost hit by her lunge, a small wolf ran to rescue her until they plunged together —floating on the surface of the sea.

Her breath gasped —caught as a huge wave rolled up her tiny body with the wolf —the young man who helped her. Everything that crossed Maxine's view changed color. Blue, dark, and all the light glows alternately. Bring Maxine back to her senses.

In one jolt, Maxine raised her head, staring at the surroundings with squinting eyes. Maxine shook her head when her entire consciousness had returned, hearing the noise of the frenzy in the Cafeteria.

"I have to go there," she muttered, fixing the contents of her bag.

Maxine was carrying her backpack, trying to close her ears tightly when she faintly heard Mary and Sidney voices, who could be engrossed in talking about Maxim, disappearing —nowhere to be seen for a week. Even his phone couldn't be reached.

She'd love to not have to care what she just heard. It's just that, deep down, Maxine felt a little guilty. The two lovebirds fought over her, though it wasn't entirely her fault.

"Troublesome!" she muttered in annoyance.

Maxine crams a loud voice into her ear. Ignore the noise when she passes by. She's too lazy to hear something she shouldn't hear. Ignoring everything would be much better.

***

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Maxim stared blankly at the ocean beneath his feet. Strong winds after the rain did not dampen his intention to stay there. Either way, he needs calm. And this place, the only area that will never be reached by his best friend, also Mary of course.

One week ago, Maxim disappeared —away from all the crowds. Maxim spends his day in the forbidden forest, which is closed to all residents of Hillcester. Since it closed a few years ago, Maxim has been visiting frequently —looking for a calmness he couldn't get anywhere else.

As far as the eye can see, there is only a blue expanse of ocean and shady trees behind and right and left. The air around the cliff tends to be warm, although the waves are incessantly splashing underfoot.

Deep Hills, being the only place to hide—avoiding everyone and the crowd. There, Maxim is free to shout, reflect, do the things he likes without anyone's supervision.

For a moment Maxim closed his eyes, having previously repeatedly looked at the surroundings, recalling the re-enactment of an event that caused Deep Hills to be closed forever to anyone.

Maxim remembers, that day he saw a group of werewolves fighting against a group of vampires. Several werewolves were killed by a vicious attack by vampires. At that time, Maxim just accidentally passed by and wanted to avoid all the chaos that occurred there. But when he saw his older sister lying covered in blood on the ground, Maxim couldn't ignore it.

The big wolves seemed to be trying to protect Lisa, his older sister.

There was one point that really attracted all his attention, much more of his own than his sister's condition. A brunette girl stood on the edge of the ravine, right at the point he used to sit at this moment.

The girl was like she was holding back her fears, even almost slumping into the abyss behind her, when a vampire darted towards her. Without hesitation Maxim transformed himself into the shape of a wolf, running crashing —catching the girl —holding onto her as they landed on the cold seawater.

Maxim still clearly remembered the girl's voice while crying. For some reason, every time Maxim remembered her voice, the girl he saved that day, something like encouraging him to find out who the girl was and how she was at this time.

Maxim let out a deep sigh, before then opening his eyes —sweeping his gaze around, to give all his attention and surprise to someone, who had somehow been sitting in the same place as him. Separated by a distance of 5 meters only.

Her presence managed to divert Maxim's entire attention. He was fixated on looking at the girl who was closing her eyes while breathing fresh air after the rain.

Thick brows with perfect lines framed her pretty face in such a perfect way. Her eyelashes, her tiny beheaded nose, her rationed cherry lips, her taper chin, and white skin froze everything Maxim thought instantly.

But Maxim quickly recovered from all the amazement that surrounded him, because the girl he looked at silently opened her eyes. Turning towards her, while smoothing her long brown hair with both hands —tying her carefully. She didn't take Maxim out of her eyes.

Maxine looked at Maxim with a probing look. It was as if the man really needed to be suspected. For a moment, Maxine even considered Maxim a stalker. Although in reality, she was the second person to enter the Deep Hills and sit on the edge of the cliff.

"Don't look at me like that!" insisted Maxine with great emphasis.