Elise read Max’s reply and stared at it for a moment, shocked. Her mind halted for a time and the words didn’t seem to mean anything for a bit. Then things started to make sense, and suddenly her mind was moving double time. Who was Jacob to blackmail her into staying away from Max? And who was he to tell Max to stay away from her? There had to be some game there, and Elise didn’t want to play into it. But what was the game? What was the right move to avoid it? She was older than Jacob, but weaker because she didn’t feed often enough. Maybe, just maybe, if she fed more often she could hold her own against him and protect herself. If she could protect herself, maybe she could protect Max as well. The words ‘I see you as a really good friend that I trust’ swam in front of her. Why? Why would he trust her already? He didn’t know anything about her. That was an awful lot of responsibility. Shaking her head, she moved on from those thoughts, but the next part of the note caught her eye. ‘I won’t mind going back to my father.’ Suddenly her temper hit. Standing up in the middle of class she turned around and placed her hands on Max’s desk, leaning in to him, staring him down. “You don’t go back to people that treat you like that, Max. Not if they force you too, and certainly not willingly! Family or no, you are better off here in this hellhole than you could ever be living a life of accepting cruelty!” Her gaze was intense and she surprised herself as she realized what she was saying and that she truly meant it.<br/><br/>As the teacher coughed, she remembered where she was supposed to be and had to catch herself on the back of her desk’s chair out of embarrassment. “How heart-felt, Elise. Now if you would sit down and try to pay attention to the class, I would certainly appreciate it. Please don’t make me send a report to your sponsor.” Elise, properly chided, sat down again and stared forward, though she kept her arms crossed under her chest and steamed about what Max and considered doing. All because he thought that she didn’t want him around and that he was trouble. He didn’t even consider the fact that maybe she was trouble for him!