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Things have changed a lot since that night at Waylon Hall, Richie thought after the prank failed and Max didn't get scared by the 'ghost' that high school would get a lot worse, but it actually got better because Max somehow appreciated the prank and actually stayed around and they all hung out, the rest of the group was mostly confused that Max Jägerman the literal monster of Hatchetfield High not only wanted to hang out with them, but they all actually had a fun time
and that Monday when they all got to school thinking that everything would go back to normal and Ruth, Richie and Pete would still fear any passing period where they may run into Max, but that didn't happen
When Richie ran into Max and he means literally ran into him, he was running late and wasn't watching where he was going, he thought for sure Max would punch him, or worse a flick-it ticket his stomach fill up with dread at the thought of that
But that didn't happen no punch or flicks, Max actually smiles at him, and Richie feels a little unsettled Max Jägerman smiling at him, and since when was Max Jägerman cute? sure Richie's noticed before Max was attractive, yeah the guy is, a literal monster but Richie wasn't blind the dude is hot, but he never noticed how bright and sweet his smile was, maybe because he never saw it directed towards him
"You good, Shit-lips" Richie realizes he's been standing there frozen still pretty much chest to chest with Max
"Oh-oh, I'm so sorry, Max, I didn't" He stumbles over his words, backing away slowly, keeping his head down " I didn't mean to run into you"
Here comes the hit, he knows, he braces himself for it…. but it never comes, Max just shrugs and laughs, not a taunting one like usual but a small gust of breath
"Just watch where you're going Shit-Lips" Max used the usual nickname for Richie but it didn't sound like a taunt or tease more like a regular nickname, like something friend would call him, where he and
Max friends?
"Oh, uh okay" Richie tried to give a small friendly smile back but it felt weird with all his thought running, Max was being nice to him and smiling and looking so good "I gotta get to class" He panicked and walked off without another word
But while walking off he overheard Max and his friends
"That nerd just ran into you" He heard Jason say confused
"Yeah. and you just let him go?" Kyle questions
"Hey" Max yelled, there is the Jägerman Richie was used to " Are you guys questioning my choice?"
"No" "Sorry Max"The two other jocks said at the same time
"Damn right you should be" Max sneered "Remember I get final say in who's a nerd and who's not, and Richie isn't a nerd"
Richie couldn't pay attention in class, his thoughts felt all jumbled
Max said he wasn't a nerd? him Richie Lipschitz not a nerd, the guy who could quote every Studio Ghibli film and name every Pokémon by not only dex number but alphabetically, him not a nerd? not only was that thought running in his mind but also he can't help but think back to how Max looked, not like he would like Max Jägerman but something today was different, maybe how Max smiled and Richie for once didn't have to look at Max with fear and actually got to notice how handsome he is, or when he talked and not yelled Richie could actually hear how nice he could sound, but yeah he definitely didn't like Max Jägerman
Luckily it was soon lunch and Richie hoped he could be distracted by whatever Pete and Ruth had going on, but when he sat down at their usual table he took an accidental glance over at the table of jocks and was Max Jägerman looking at him? no of course not, Richie just was seeing things, Max was probably looking at someone sat at the table behind him, Richie looked behind him to see.. and their table was all the way in the back no one behind them. he tried to quickly sneak another glance at Max and yeah he was still looking, and did he smile at Richie again? he needs to stop doing that, Richie can't
take how that small smile made his heart and other places feel
Richie looks down trying hard not to look again.
fuck, what is wrong with him? if Max being kind of nice to him and smiling at him, has him feeling this way, how is he gonna make it the rest of the school day if all he can think about is Max fucking Jägerman, cannot put fucking anywhere near his name now because now Richie is lost in thoughts of that, Max fucking Jägerman in his mind quickly became fucking Max Jägerman and Richie is lost thinking about that, Max is impeccably strong he probably could pick Richie up no problem, Richie can picture it all too easily, Max Jägerman lifting him up against the wall pounding into him hard fast, Richie mind wonders, would Max be a quite lover? Richie doubts that, Max was loud and brash, Richie bets Max would have no problem telling what he wanted and letting Richie know when he did something Max liked, his breath would be hot against Richie's ear telling him filthy things
"Hello" Richie hadn't realized he had been completely zoning out until Ruth got his attention waving her hand in front of his face "Earth to Richie"
Richie can't believe he got lost in that thought, and how quickly that had an effect on his body
"Sorry, Ruth" Richie shakes his head as if it were an Etch A Sketch and that would erase his thoughts about Max Jägerman
"What's got you all daydreamy?" Ruth asks while they both eat their lunch, Ruth perks up excitedly "Was it a naughty daydream?" She ask and Richie chokes on his drink, of course Ruth would ask that every time anyone zones out she ask that, but that's exactly what was happening and he is not gonna tell her he was daydreaming about Max Jägerman
He's thankful to any God or Spirit that may be out there when while he couldn't answer Ruth's question from the coughing Pete and Stephanie sits down at the table
Stephanie Lauter at their table? What is happening today?
but luckily that distracts Ruth enough that she doesn't press her question, which knowing Ruth she absolutely would
but his luck runs out when Stephanie looks at him and says
"What the hell happened with Max" Richie chokes again, why can't people talk about Max when he's not trying to eat
"M-max?" He asked, lunch was supposed to be a distracting time where he didn't think about Max Jägerman
"Yeah word is he said you weren't a nerd" Stephanie said and both Pete and Ruth laughed
"Richie? not a nerd" Ruth said as if that was the most unbelievable thing
"Maybe you heard about another Richie" Pete said "Because Richie like the rest of us" he points to himself then Ruth "Is a nerd"
"No, Max said this Richie wasn't a nerd" She looks over at Richie again, tilting her head slightly "Why is that, Richie"
Richie nervously grabs himself, holding his arms close to his chest, a nervous habit he picked up over the years of trying to hide himself and things "I-I don't know" He stutters out "I ran into him into the
hallway, like physically ran into him"
"And you're still alive!" Pete exclaims interrupting
"Yeah, he didn't even punch me or flick me or anything" Richie recants what happened this morning " He just smiled at me and told me to watch where I was going"
"Wow" Stephanie says surprised
"Do you think it has something to do with the other day, at Waylon Hall?"
"Maybe" Pete shrugged "I mean he did stick around after the prank"
"Maybe he'll be nicer now and if he say Richie isn't a nerd, maybe he'll say the same about us" Ruth says hopefully
"Maybe" Stephanie say doubtfully
Luckily for Richie the week goes by pretty normally up until the next morning, he's tired and ran late again, and this time he didn't stay up too late watching anime, he just kept having interesting dreams and roaming thoughts, making sleep very difficult
He quickly grabs what he needs out of his locker stuffing them haphazardly into his book bag
"Hey!" He hears Max yell, shit he doesn't want to start his morning like this, he's been on edge since Monday, Max hasn't bullied him or even talked to him since that morning, but and Richie feels crazy for thinking this, he has noticed him sometimes during class and lunch looking at him, and when ever he would notice Richie look he gave that same small smile
"Sorry, Max, I-I just needed my books" He stumbles "I'll be out of your hallway" He goes to walk away but Max walks in front of him stopping him in his tracks, shit
"You don't need to get out of my hallway, Richie" Max smiled, and why is something about the way he says Richie's name doing something to him "I actually wanted to talk to you" oh no Richie notices no one else in the hall usually Max is followed by his friends but today it was just him
"M-me" Richie tries to breathe out, wrapping his arms tightly around himself, he can feel the body heat of Max, he's so unfairly close, he could so easily reach his hand out to touch him, what is wrong with him? "Wh-what about"
"Well, the big game is next week, and we're gonna destroy Clivesdale" Max said but kept looking back and forth, not looking at Richie too long before looking away, was Max Jägerman being shy? "I know you're gonna be there, since you're Zeke but maybe you'd wanna hang out after?" Richie feels his brain stop working, he stands there eyes wide like a deer in headlights, did Max fucking Jägerman, literal monster, the star quarterback of the Hatchetfield High Nighthawks, just ask him out? or maybe he doesn't mean it like that, but what else could that mean? Did Max Jägerman just ask him on a date?
"A date!?" Richie blurts out, immediately regretting it, and if ever the floor could open and swallow him now would be the best fucking time, "I- I mean, I'm sor" he goes to apologize but is cut off that soft sweet laugh like he heard a few days ago
"Yeah Shit-Lips" Max was smiling "A date, what else" A date!? Max Jägerman asking him on a date, his mind races quickly, why would Max Jägerman ask him out?
"Yes!" He exclaims "Um I mean, Yeah" he tries to calm his racing heart
"Cool" Max says trying to look nonchalant but Richie can tell it's an act, he wonders if he's as nervous as Richie feels
The bell rings
"Well I gotta get to class" Richie says moving to walk past Max
"Hey wait" Max calls after him " Want me to carry your books for you" He asks surprising Richie, was Max Jägerman a gentleman?
"Um, sure" He hands Max his bag hoping he doesn't notice how much his hands are shaking, Max takes the bag tossing it over his shoulder, taking Richie's hand in his while walking to class
And Richie has never been so excited for a football game before