Maximus Fourteen: Disaster Strikes

I'm on the set of my show, and everything is going as normal, when all of a sudden I see a woman I only vaguely remember walking towards me. As she gets closer, I get annoyed because I recognize her as Jade, that girl who I was with in the hot tub as a teenager. She had called me a few times after we graduated high school, but I got a new phone when I moved to Silicon Shores, and I deleted her number. I can't decide what expression she has on her face, whether she's mad at me or happy to see me. I know I'm not happy to see her, not at all.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls? I've been calling you almost every day. I can't stop thinking about you, Max."

"Um, does your number happen to be blocked?"

"Yeah, why?"

It's her that's been calling me? Silently? She's annoying me already and she's only said one sentence. I roll my eyes at her, making sure she can see my irritation.

"Because you didn't say anything when I picked up the phone."

"I didn't know if you wanted to talk to me, and every time I heard your voice, I froze up and didn't know how to tell you that I love you, so I just hung up."

"What do you want, Jade?"

"I found out you moved here, and I remembered how good we were in high school. I wanted to come be with you. I've always loved you."

"You can forget it. I have a girlfriend now. Leave me alone."

"Oh come on, I bet she's not half as good as I was in bed. Plus, you're famous now, she's going to eventually get jealous of all the fans, and complain about how you're never home because you're always working."

"I'm not talking to you about her. I have to work, so go away, Jade."

Jade annoyingly starts trying to block my path, which I dodge easily. She tries to touch me, but I quickly move out of the way and continue walking away from her.

"Max, look at me. I want to be with you. Come on, don't you want this? You liked it in high school."

"People change. I don't have to explain myself to you. Now go away before I have security take you away."

"Ouch. So harsh, Max."

"Trying to touch me is not something I wanted. There is nothing between us, so just go away. I don't love you."

"You can't just push me away like this. What if I tell your little girlfriend about us?"

"She already knows how I was in high school, so she's not going to give a shit. GOODBYE, Jade."

Jade looks at me with what she thinks is an intimidating look, but it's of course not scaring me the slightest little bit.

"I know a lot more about you than you think, Max."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Jade smiles at me, with sort of a sinister look on her face and leaves the set. I start to wonder if Jade would do anything dangerous. I hope that Soleil is having a better day than I am, and I try to shake off the look Jade gave me while continuing to work.

---

"Hello Patrick! How are you?"

"I'm good, Momma. I'm excited to see Aunt Helena and Dusty today!"

Helena has been wanting to babysit Patrick forever now, so Max and I decided it would be fine since she is technically family. I've told her to not talk to Patrick about her views on life though because the last thing I need is him starting to ask why Max and I aren't married. We are trying to teach Patrick to be as open minded as possible, and that there isn't only one way to love someone. Dustin is coming along as well because he has the day off. I took a photo shoot job for a magazine ad today since it coincided with the day Dustin and Helena were free. Pretty soon the doorbell rings and I let Patrick walk over to them.

"Hi Aunt Helena! Hi Dusty! Can you take me to the park?"

"Hey, there little buddy. Only if your mom lets us."

"Momma! Momma! Can I? Can I?"

I laugh as Patrick's eyes light up, pleading with me to say yes, which I was going to anyway. I see no harm in them letting him play on the playground. Max and I have been taking turns spending time with him, and he has grown to love the park. I kiss Patrick on the cheek, and head off to my photo shoot.

---

When Dustin and I arrive at the park, Patrick asks if he can play on the little riding toys, so Dustin puts him on the one that looks like a pirate ship. Patrick laughs hysterically as he wobbles back and forth, while Dustin cheers and claps for him. I am finding myself staring at Dustin and how he is so good with Patrick. Sadly, for me, I feel kind of awkward around him, even though I want nothing more than to have a family of my own.

"Aunt Helena! Come play!"

Patrick calls out to me when he notices I'm just standing there staring. He has always been nice to me, so I don't know where the awkwardness comes from, although I have a feeling maybe it's my jealous feelings surfacing, and the sadness that he isn't mine. I just want to have a normal relationship with him. After his ride on the pirate ship is over, Patrick asks to go play in the sandbox.

"Here, Aunt Helena, use this bucket. We can make the castle."

I smile at him, and start pouring sand into little piles while Patrick molds them into the shape that he thinks a castle should be.

"Oh my god, for real? Dustin Xavier? The actor? EEEEE! You are like my most favorite actor in the world!"

Dustin stands a few feet away from Patrick and I, I think he was getting a picnic ready for us, when a redhead comes up to him screaming hysterically and being completely star struck. I watch them like a hawk as she keeps touching my man on the arm. Who the hell does she think she is? He's engaged and he's mine! My eyes see red as I get up and head over to the two of them. Dustin is smiling and signing something for her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you tramp?! Get away from him!"

The tramp looks at me shocked and holds her hands up defensively.

"He's engaged! Don't you know that?! Do you go around flirting with everyone like this?!"

"Helena, calm down, she just wanted my autograph."

"I am so sorry, miss, I didn't mean anything by it, he's just my favorite actor, and I was excited to see him and I was so happy he took time out of his day to give me his autograph. I'll leave now. Thank you, Mr. Xavier."

Dustin nods and then he gets a shocked look in his eyes.

"Helena, where is Patrick? Did you bring him over here?"

"No, it's fine, he's playing in the sandbox."

"No, he's not. There's no one in the sandbox. Helena! What were you thinking? You can't just leave a child alone like that!"

"I'm sorry! She was flirting with you and I had to stop her!"

Dustin sighs heavily and runs all over the playground, looking around frantically for Patrick, but he doesn't find him. I chase after him and stand there awkwardly.

"Shit, shit, shit, Helena! Max and Soleil are going to kill us! This is our first babysitting experience and we fucked it up! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Why are you mad at me?"

"Are you serious right now?! We lost their baby, and it's getting dark fast! You couldn't have just picked Patrick up and come over here?! That's why I'm mad at you!"

"Do you still love me?"

"Yes, of course. But I am worried right now and this is not about us. We have to call them and let them know."

Dustin calls Max and swears when he can't get a hold of him. He leaves a message explaining what happened and then calls Soleil, also having to leave her a message.

"What did you expect, Dustin, they're both at work!"

"Well I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing! The sooner we fix this, the better."

"Do you think he's been kidnapped?"

"He's not here, is he?! So yeah, it's possible!"

"They're pretty irresponsible parents if they didn't leave their phones on in case something happened."

Dustin squints his eyes at me and gets annoyed.

"They trusted us that nothing would happen! Besides on a movie set, you can't always have your phone on you, let alone having it ring in the middle of a shoot! It ruins the scene!"

RING-RING.

"Oh thank god, it's Max."

Dustin holds the phone away from his ear and I can hear Max yelling about how the hell could we let this happen. Dustin apologizes a million times until Max finally calms down and tells Dustin to meet him at the police station. When we get there, I can feel Max staring daggers into me.

There is a tension between Dustin and I as well, and he's looking down at the floor with his hands in his hair. Soleil bursts into the police station about an hour later and sobs into Max's arms. When she looks up, she has a death glare aimed at me.

"What the fuck, Helena?! Dustin's message said you guys lost Patrick because you left him alone in the sandbox?! You can't just leave a four year old unattended like that!! I trusted you!"

Soleil lunges at me, and Max has to restrain her so that she doesn't rip my face off right there in the police station.

"What was I supposed to do? Just let that girl take my man away?!"

"Why is everything always about you, Helena?! You could have picked Patrick up and brought him with you! Now he's missing?! Possibly kidnapped by some crazy person?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Max pulls Soleil towards him and stands with his arm around her so she doesn't attack me again, but she's still glaring at me, burning holes into my face. Dustin gets up out of the chair and apologizes to Max and Soleil, then looks at me as if he's waiting for me to say something.

When I don't, Dustin puts his hand on my shoulder and says, "Helena, you should apologize as well. This mistake is both of our faults."

I still don't say anything, while Soleil's words resonate in my mind, namely the part where she asked what was wrong with me. What is wrong with me? All I can think of was how that girl was flirting with Dustin. After I saw her, nothing else mattered, I saw no one else but the two of them. That doesn't mean something's wrong with me, does it? I know I'm jealous of Max and Soleil, but did I lose Patrick on purpose?