Trans Love

Chapter 2

The bell rang and everyone began to shuffle around. I pressed out of the movie to my home screen, a picture of Max and me when he had first come out. We were at prom and he was in a dark burgundy suit with a black tie and I was in a rose gold dress. That was the first time I had truly seen him for who he really was. I placed the phone in my pocket and followed him to our advisory class. That day was the day that colleges were coming to us to talk about themselves. College was something we were all looking forward to. That day, was Idaho State University. Max and I had both claimed that we wanted to go there but we were only saying it for our parents. We wanted to have a year or two where we could just go on a cross-country road trip before continuing our education. That was the plan at least at the beginning of the year. 

The representative talked about the college's grounds, the programs, and other things about the school while Max drew pictures of gorgeous naked women on the cover of his notebooks. I tried to listen but it was his hands gliding across the pages that intrigued me the most. So smooth and gentle with every swipe. 

"Where do you think you'll go to college?" said a boy named Jacob as he leaned across the table.

"Why does it matter to you?" I said.

"Maybe we could go together."

I rolled my eyes. Jacob has had this strange and unusual crush on me since middle school. He knows that I don't like him but he still tries to gain my fancy. My eyes returned to Max's hand. Jacob reached over and grabbed my hand but I pulled away. 

"Common sweetheart. You and me out at college having fun. What's the big deal?"

"She told you once before, leave her alone." Max chirped in with a sharp look from the corner of his eye.

I could feel the tension in the air between the two. Jacob had been fighting Max for many years about me. Jacob was one of the rare straight boys in the school. He was also the "heartthrob" to many people but not me. I could see Max's hand tighten around the pencil as if he was going to throw it into Jacob's eyeball. Right as Max squared up to face him, the harsh heavy smoker voice came into the room with a loud boom.

"Max Peter Jones!" the principal yelled across the room. "I need to see you in my office immediately." 

Max let his shoulders drop with grief. The principal walked away as Max stood up with frustration. I followed him with my eyes until he was out of sight. As my eyes scanned the room, kids were whispering to each other. I could hear Jacob snicker behind me before reaching for my hand again. I shot it up in the air and asked if I could go to the bathroom. The teacher knew all too well that I was going to stay there until the end of class. He nodded with a sigh of surrender. I gathered my backpack off the floor along with Max's things and rushed out the door. I kept my head down as the whispers turned to laughs and mocking. 

I placed the bags on the floor and sat down. My knees were against my chest and my arms were crossed around them. I could feel my stomach drop at the thought of Max being in trouble again. I was there for a good 20 minutes before the bathroom door swung open. Max stormed in with tears streaming down his face. I stood to embrace him but he seemed too pissed off. He paused for only a minute before slamming his fist into the stall side, denting it but not without a loud bone-cracking grind.  I clenched my jaw as he turned around. Blood began to seep through the cuts in his knuckles. I gasped at the sight of the tears and the broken hand. Slowly he approached me before falling into my arms crying. 

"They're dead, Amy. They're dead."

"Who?"

"My parents. Some asshole in a semi-truck went barrelling into their car after running a red light."

I held Max tightly. I had originally thought that he wasn't going to be allowed to graduate but this was much worse. The both of us sat down right there in the middle of the floor until the bell rang for our next class. Girls began to flood the bathroom with questions and comments. I grabbed the bags before shuffling Max out. The hall had become a traffic jam of people asking him what happened but he kept his head down. I managed to shuffle him to the front office.

"We need to be permitted to skip the rest of the day."

"Why should we give you that permission?"

"Because Mr. Dalley, his parents are dead and the whole school will not leave him alone. My grades are fine and I've never missed a day so let me have this one-off." I was practically screaming my head off at him. 

He gulped knowing that I was serious about this. I had threatened him before about changing certain policies in the school as my father is the sheriff. I can threaten him with charges of student rape if I don't get my way. He nodded and signed us out of school. I took Max's hand and hurried him out the door.

We sat in his truck for about 10 minutes before he finally started it and drove off the school property. I didn't know what was going to happen now. He could go home but it would be too quiet and lonely. I suggested the police office to try and get some answers. As we pulled up the cars were lit up flashing as people were running around. I took his hand and led him inside. I scanned the entire floor before spotting my father in the back corner giving orders. With Max's hand still in mine, I shuffled him through a crowd of officers to the back corner.

"Dad, tell us everything you know, please?"

"Shouldn't you still be in school?" 

"Dad!"

"Hmmm, ok. Your parents were on their way to the store to grab a few things for dinner. A trucker figured out his brake lines were damaged when he couldn't stop at the red light. Your parents had a green light, but the trucker couldn't stop and barrelled right over them. They died instantly. I'm sorry Max."

Max's eyes dropped to the floor as another tear came streaming down.

"The company is being sued for inefficient equipment. The trucker is currently facing charges for involuntary manslaughter as he was demanded to check his truck before starting it on the road."

Max didn't say anything. My father looked at me with sorrow in his eyes before nodding. He turned back to his men to finish giving orders. I placed one hand on the back of his shoulder. Max just stood there without saying anything. What could you say to someone who had just been through so much like this? I took his hand with a tight grip. His tear-filled blue eyes looked up at me through his brown fallen curls. I offered a smile and got one back. We both knew things were going to be ok.