Peace in a Storm

38 - Max

When the doctors told me I could finally leave the hospital, I'd gotten dressed faster than I ever had in my life. I'd spent a week there, completely lucid and bored out of my goddamn mind, before I was discharged. Despite the visiting rotation of my siblings, my mom, Audrey, and Jordan, I was more than ready to get back out into the real world.

Little did I know that when I got home, my mother put me right back on mandatory bed rest. Now, Cristian I'd argue with. I wasn't afraid of his punk ass. My mother was a different story. All she had to do was look at me with her raised brow and silent challenge to fuck around to find out, and I'd shut up. I couldn't remember the last time I tried her, and I sure as hell was not trying to relive the reason I didn't do it again.

The only difference was that I was in my own bed doing absolutely nothing. I was a bit grateful that I had streaming services to sift through and my comfortable mattress to lounge on. But, it didn't hinder the boredom that accompanied being home alone all day for a solid week.

When I did finally go back to school, I was showered in unwanted attention. Everyone couldn't believe that I'd walked out of the hospital alive. My classmates were all enthralled with my experience, asking what it felt like to cheat death and not completely lose my mind. I scared some of the freshman boys half to death when I told them I didn't have any sanity left to lose. Jordan and I couldn't help but laugh after they shuffled away, convinced that I might actually be a demon walking this Earth.

My only concern as I finished recovering was that I hadn't heard from Juan. I texted him a few times, just letting him know that I was okay and thanking him for the card he'd brought me when I was still too high to remember my own name. I'd tried to make plans to see him a few times, offering to pick him up from school or meet him at the library. Each time, I was met with no response. I understood his silent request for space, recognizing the incident probably awakened some emotions he was already dealing with from his father's death. So, I didn't call or text excessively. But, I missed talking to him.

After nearly three weeks of radio silence, I finally got a response from him. He'd texted me during school hours, asking if I could pick him up from school and go out for ice cream. Since we weren't doing squat diddly shit in my classes at this point, I quickly responded to agree to his plans.

I walked the girls home and grabbed my car before heading down to his middle school. I waited outside for him, leaning against the passenger door and absorbing the warm sunlight. Summer vacation was coming faster than expected, but I wasn't complaining. Now that I had a car, Audrey and I were planning a ton of trips to various amusement parks and beaches. Every single chance we didn't have work, we were planning to be off somewhere enjoying each other and the beautiful weather. I was even sketching in a few things to do with Juan, aiming to get him out of the house and exposed to some of the good things our city had to offer. If he still wanted to be in this partnership with me, then I was going to make it worthwhile for the both of us.

Juan quickly spotted me from his spot in the crowds of unruly middle schoolers running around the front lawn of the school. He jogged up to me, holding on to the loops of his backpack.

I held out my hand, initiating a fist-bump.

Juan bypassed my hand and went right in for a hug. His scrawny arms wrapped around me, squeezing soft enough not to hurt my sore wounds but tight enough to spill words he wouldn't say it aloud.

I smiled, wrapping an arm around him to return his hug. "Come on, kid. Let's get some ice cream. It's hot as fuck out here."

He chuckled, letting me go. "Okay."

I drove the two of us to one of the best ice cream shops in town. They were known for their custom milkshakes and sundaes piled high with an array of toppings. I ordered a chocolate milkshake, still on this stupid soft foods diet, while Juan ordered a chocolate delight sundae piled with fudge, brownies, chocolate chips, whipped cream, and chocolate sprinkles.

I couldn't help but laugh as he shoved every inch of the sundae into his tiny body. "So, how have you been?" I asked as he scraped the bottom of the bowl with his spoon.

He shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

"I heard the police were pestering you. Did they finally leave you alone?"

"Yeah. I didn't see anything, so..."

"You don't have to lie to me, Juan. I thought I told you to go inside."

"I did. But, I just had a really bad feeling in my stomach. So, I went back to the door and watched from there." He looked down, a frown pulling at his lips. "I saw everything," he confessed.

"I'm sorry," I said. "You weren't supposed to witness that - any of it."

"I mean, in a way, it's a good thing I did. The paramedics said my call came early enough that you had a higher chance of survival. Because of all the blood, they said if you'd been there any longer..." He blinked back the tears forming in my eyes. "I was really scared, Max."

"I know. But, you were also very brave. Like you said: you saved my life. Without you, I may not even be here right now. You've got to give yourself a pat on the back for that."

"Yeah, I guess. If anyone was brave, it was you. Even when you were lying there, covered in..." He paused, the memory sending a shiver down his spine. "You never looked scared." He looked up at me. "Were you...afraid?"

"No," I admitted.

"So, you weren't afraid you were going to die? Not even a little bit?"

"Honestly, Juan, everything happened so fast that I didn't have time to be afraid."

"Oh," he whispered. He glanced down at my abdomen, covered by my tee shirt. Underneath that, I still had bandages wrapped around my skin, protecting the scars forming around my wounds. "Does it still hurt?"

"From time to time." I kicked him underneath the table. "But just because I'm wounded doesn't mean I won't still whoop your ass if you get smart with me."

Juan smirked. "I'm still waiting for you to give me my fair one."

"There's a parking lot right outside; nothing but room and opportunity."

"Nah, I'll wait until you're fully healed. I'll just let you win because I don't want to hurt you."

I rolled my eyes. "What the fuck is your tiny ass gonna do? Your soft ass punches."

He chuckled. "Fuck you!"

I kicked him again. "Watch your mouth."

"Or else what?" He asked, returning my kick.

A playful glare conquered my features, summoning a wide smile on Juan's smiles.

Before I could reach across the table and grab his tiny ass by the collar of his shirt, he darted up and ran out of the parlor. Chuckling, I followed after him, happy that our relationship was still intact and eager to put him in another headlock.