(no subject)

When she got back to the hut, Max was gone.

It was more unsettling than she ordinarily would have let herself admit, but she had no choice in the matter, it seemed. With as worried as she'd spent the past few weeks being, her first thought was the worst, and she'd hardly hesitated before running out of her and Max's hut.

If, as she couldn't help but think, something bad -- like what happened before -- was going on with Max, she'd have to go to Jude. She didn't especially want to see him, but he was Max's best friend, and would have to know what was going on. There was the chance, too, she reminded herself, that she was overreacting; if that was the case, Jude might have some idea of where Max would be.

Still, by the time she finally reached Jude's hut, flushed from running and her hair tousled, she didn't even think to knock before opening the door and walking in. What she saw then was enough to stop her dead in her tracks, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. Jude would know where Max was, alright; they were lying next to each other.

For what felt like forever, she stood there silently, speechless, until finally, she managed to clear her throat. The last thing she wanted was for them not to realize she was there. She'd been saying the first thing that came to her mind all day, but even still, what came out this time was a surprise.

"So," she began slowly, an incredulous look on her face, "that's the way it is."