Chapter 2:

Max had fallen asleep about an hour and a half into the trip, and David hated to wake him, but they had finally made it to their destination, the slightly shabby, but very livable, apartment belonging to David.

"Max. Hey Max buddy, we're home," David said, gently nudging Max in the passenger seat.

Max opened his eyes, groggy as ever. Looking around, he could see that they were in the parking lot of an old warehouse that had clearly been converted into apartments.

"Is this your place?" Max asked.

"Yes, it is Max," David answered as he was unloading the car, grabbing the few belongings Max had and handing them to him. He led him to the main entrance, then pulled out a key card for the door. Swiping the card, he heard the click, and opened the door for him and Max to enter. Looking around, Max was impressed. It was clearly somewhat old, but had been well taken care of, and the fact it was an old warehouse gave it a sort of chic post-industrial look. They made their way to the elevator, and took it to the 2nd floor, before stepping off into a hallway which led to two other hallways. David led them down the closest one.

"So, David, how long have you lived here?" Max asked.

"Since I graduated college," David answered, stopping in front of a door marked 215. He passed his keycard over the lock of the door, and it opened. They stepped into a reasonable furnished apartment that was clearly set up as a bachelor pad.

"Wow David, could this place scream bachelor pad more?" Max asked sarcastically, back to being his usual shit self. David just rolled his eyes.

"Ok Max, your room is that door to the right, and there's stuff in the bathroom to shower with," David replied, opening the door to the room opposite Max's. David threw his bags onto his bed, letting out a sigh of relief. He did it. This was happening. He rescued Max, even if it is only temporary. He'd have to go to Eastside Academy sometime in the week to make sure he's registered for school.

Across the hall, Max had deposited his bag and teddy bear on the floor and couldn't be bothered to care enough to pick it up. He surveyed his new surroundings. A simple wooden dresser, a twin mattress on a metal bedframe, a small closet, and a nightstand. Still better than the room at his parents' house. He plopped onto the bed, and stared up at the ceiling, as white as the rest of the room.

"I guess, this is not so bad, even if it means David 24/7/365," Max thought to himself, before allowing himself to slip into the sweet grasp of sleep.


Max woke to the smell of bacon and eggs, and they actually smelled good? He found his way to the kitchen to find David moving a pan off the stove and empty its delicious, sizzling, pork-based contents onto a plate. Max couldn't help himself, and he started salivating.

"Good morning Max. Did you sleep well?" David asked as he set a plate in front of Max.

"Holy shit. A home cooked meal. I haven't had one of these in ages," Max thought to himself.

"Yeah David, I slept well," Max answered, in between gorging himself on the breakfast.

"So Max, listen. Tomorrow, me and you are going over to Eastside Academy to get you registered for school. It's the best private school in the city, and I think it'll be good for you," David said.

One of the things Max didn't want to deal with, school. But summer was over, and he knew this was coming.

"Ugh, that's so lame," Max said, not wanting to go back to school.

"Well Max, Summers over, and it has to happen tomorrow because school starts in two weeks," David replied.

"But for today, we can do whatever you want," David added, finishing his breakfast and taking his plate to the kitchen sink. Max joined him.

"I want to see downtown, and the mall, if there is one is this place," Max said.

"That sounds like a great idea Max. Go get ready, and we'll head out," David replied.

45 minutes later

"My gosh, that traffic was just terrible wasn't it?" David asked.

"Yeah, sure, I guess," Max answered.

"But it doesn't matter, because here we are. East River Mall, the biggest in the city!" David exclaimed as he pulled into the parking lot. Max wasn't very impressed by the stereotypical 90's mall, that was until he noticed a familiar set of red overalls and corduroy pants.

"Oh my god, you've got to be kidding. There's no way," Max thought to himself as he watched them walk into the mall.