Hatchetfield.

That House On Laston Pt.2!

A year had passed by since Max's initial meeting with the girl on Laston Street. Since then he learned that she didn't really like her name, and that he could call her anything except that. So, they had decided that Gabe was the best name to give her since it was from the comic she had been reeding. Gabe had seemed entirely enthusiastic to have a name like that. Max didn't know what or why, but giving her a "girly" name seemed wrong. Like it didn't fit her.

Gabe and Max were at the beach. They'd been left alone by Gabe's parents who'd driven them there, and Max was going to be picked up by his Mom after.

The sun blared down on them and sand itched under their skin from where they were sat, but their smiles were wide regardless. Both children were smothered head to toe in sun screen and had hats forced down on their heads to protect them from the sun in the cloudless sky. A sandcastle was forming between them, tall pillars of wet sand built with walls joining them in a square. Max dug a trench as Gabe built up the centre castle.

The ocean roared beside them, clear blue water foaming on the sand. Wind rustled in Max's hair as he grinned at Gabe putting the finishing touches on their sandcastle.

"Tah-dah!" She announced as she took a careful step back from the sand monument. Gabe had gotten better at talking as they'd become closer friends, becoming more open about her interests in comics and cartoons. Max responded just as enthusiastically about soccer and football.

When they had found a comic about football, they had spent hours in the Hatchetfield library reading through the whole series over and over again, talking about their favourite characters. Max had found a best friend in Gabe, and he liked to think he was also her best friend.

Their sand castle stood tall in it's foundations and Gabe grinned at him. "I love it!" Max looked at the castle again and nodded.

"Yeah! Me too! What's it's name?"

"Why does it need a name?"

Max gaped. "All good castles have names! Like in Tangled with Corona Castle. And... And..." his brain ran short. Gabe snorted a laugh at him before covering her mouth. "Hey! Okay so I can't think of many castles with cool names. But that just means that our castle needs the bestest name!"

This seems to have won over Gabe, who hummed in thought.

"How about..." A grin spread across her face. "Hulkion castle!"

"You just want it to be named after the Hulk!" Max groaned, smiling. "You're such a nerd, Gabe!"

"Hey!" She laughed and hit his arm. Max winced and rubbed the sore spot carefully. She hadn't done most of the damage, but she didn't need to know that. His mom told him nobody could know about it. It was only the first time. And his mom promised him it wouldn't happen again. Gabe frowned. "Sorry..."

Max shook his head, smiling. "It's okay! I know you didn't mean it." He looked around before pointing to the water. "Race you to get in the sea!" He yelled out quickly before bolting off in the direction of the waves.

---

Max felt the fear rise in him with every step as he ran towards Laston. He wondered why he hadn't question the absence sooner. It was Richie's birthday. He was meant to be there.

The smoke grew thicker with every step.

Max swore he could smell it from the end of the road.

He prayed to god that Richie was okay. He was willing to go back on all of his non beliefs if Richie was alright. If it was just his fear telling him something was wrong. That the fire was actually a neighbour's house.

Anything that meant Richie was all okay.

---

Gabe's mom came to pick her up again. It should have been expected, really, but Max always seemed to get lost in the fun they were having, and it didn't ever stop the sadness he felt watching his best friend leave.

Max felt his mood drop as soon as the Lipschitz car left the parking lot. He stared at the sandcastle on the beach with tears filling his eyes. Why did he feel so sad? He belatedly realized that he was going to be picked up by his mom soon and taken back home and fear shot through him like a spike.

He didn't want to go home. He wanted to stay here, with Gabe. He wanted to build sandcastles and read comics forever on the beach with his best friend.

The sandcastle mocked him. It would also be gone soon, swept away in the waves. Max kicked it down himself. He didn't have to watch it disappear if he didn't want to. He didn't. He could just get rid of it now. So he didn't have to feel sad if he came back tomorrow and saw it gone away. Max cried as he stomped at the sand. Why couldn't he just stay here forever? He didn't want to be shouted at, he didn't want it. He didn't!

His mom called from the parking lot.

Max considered causing a fuss, he really didn't want to leave. But he decided not to. He wanted to be good for his mom. He didn't want to yell at her too.

Max walked to the parking lot and found his mom standing against his dad's car with a big sunhat on. She saw his tearstained face and frowned, crouching down so she could talk to him face to face.

"What's wrong, Maxie?" She asked him, softly.

"I don't want to go home." He pouted, feeling tears well up in his eyes. His arm started to sting again.

"Oh I know, sweetie..." His mom pulled him into a tight hug, her knees trapping her nice white skirt against the concrete. "I know... But you know we have to, don't you?" Max nodded into her shoulder. "How about we stop at Pizza Pete's on the way home, yeah? We can have a nice pizza. Just us two." She pulled away and gently cradled his hands and kissed their knuckles, sand and all.

Max sniffled and nodded.

She smiled and stood up, giving his hands one last gentle squeeze before letting go and opening the car door. Max got inside and didn't even flinch as the door closed.