Hatchetfield.

Long Hatchetfield Roads

The drive over the Hatchetfield bridge was drawing near, as 4 boys stayed quiet in an old Honda Accord, ready to come back to their own personal hells all in one small town. Kyle sat in the driver's seat, trying his best not to doze off at the wheel, Jason beside him, his phone light so bright it blinded the whole car, and Max Jägerman and Richie Lipschitz together in the back, the darkness giving the two boys in the back enough security to hold onto each other's hands as they drove, Max keeping the connection as Richie slowly drifted asleep and lay his head on Max's shoulder.

Max adored it when Richie fell asleep on their car rides, it had happened after almost every football game they attended together. This was a special case, they were in the backseat together, just the two of them. Max could hear his breathing, feel his hands, it all felt so warm and pure.

Kyle looked into the rearview mirror, seeing Richie's head resting gently as Max smiled warmly at him, "Is Lipschitz asleep?" Kyle began, getting his and Jason's attention, who finally shut that terrible phone light off.

"Yeah," Max nodded his head, looking back down at his hand surrounded by the warmth of Richie's, "What about it?"

Kyle went silent, turning his eyes back to the dark road. The air was chilly as they reached the bridge, heading back onto the island from Clivesdale, a town that was almost as terrible as Hatchetfield, "Nothin'."

Jason looked at Kyle curiously, "You sure?"

He stayed quiet, "Hey, Max?" he asked. Max turned his head back to him, almost like he was trying to get his attention away from Richie, "Just out of curiosity, but are you two together?"

Max felt his senses heighten as Kyle spoke, "Why do care?" He went on the defensive, Kyle had finally truly gotten his attention.

"I guess there's my answer," Kyle laughed to himself, a cold, painful laugh, "Cool, I'm happy for you."

Max felt calmer now, a little less worried, not sensing the chill in the air the laugh created, "I answered your question, can you answer mine?"

Kyle shrugged, "You guys have gotten closer recently. And you let him drive with you in your car. You hardly let any of us do that." Despite the glare from the cars coming off the island, there was not a light behind his dark brown eyes.

Max knew he was right, despite never wanting to admit it, Kyle was right about a lot of things, like Grace Chasity being a "two bagger", whatever that meant. In the end, he couldn't hide anything from Kyle because he knew him well enough to see right through it, either that or he just guessed.

"So can I date Brenda now? You'll be a hypocrite if you don't let me," Kyle asked, breaking the pause in the conversation.

"Fine, whatever," Max laughed to himself, rolling his eyes, before turning his head back to Richie, who still slept soundly beside him.

"Were you ever gonna tell us?" Jason questioned, turning his head around to Max.

Max shrugged, "I asked him to Homecoming, I guess that'd make it obvious."

Jason and Kyle looked at each other for a brief moment, as they entered one of Hatchetfield's familiar roads, Kyle pulling up to one of the homes, one that belonged to Jason.

"Thanks for driving me, Kyle." They fist bumped and grinned, before Jason went inside.

Once Jason was gone, Kyle drove off again, back through the endless streets. Max felt Richie begin to stir, watching him slowly wake up, "Hey," Richie grinned, yawning.

"Hey," Max smiled, gripping his hand, his voice a hushed whisper he hoped would be lost to Kyle through the loud air conditioner and the noise from the car, "How'd you sleep?"

"Good. Are we almost home?" Richie asked, his eyes still shut.

"Yeah, Paul doesn't mind me staying over, right?"

Richie shook his head, "Nah, I asked him about it this morning. He was gonna be with Emma anyway so we should be alone."

Max grinned, putting his head onto Richie's and lightly kissed him, before hearing Kyle clear his throat, hearing their whole conversation despite Max's attempts to keep it quiet, "Richie, this is your street, right?" they were coming up on the street that was indeed Richie's.

Kyle continued to drive before Richie told him he could stop, him and Max climbing out of the back, "Thanks for driving us, Kyle." Kyle only nodded to Max, not letting him see his eyes. He closed the door as he and Richie went inside, not giving it a second though.

Kyle watched them violently shut the door to the house, before taking a long inhale. "As long as you're happy, Max," he forced himself to smile, gripping the steering wheel tighter as he began to drive through the painfully long Hatchetfield roads, no end to the misery of the town in sight.