Music Teacher

Chapter 9

"You coming in?" Max asked.

I rolled my head down-apparently having rolled back-and nodded. I took one last glance behind me where we were given a view above and beyond the buildings around us. The summer sun was just beginning to set, masking the sky's blue with pinks and purples, the wind started to cool, but not enough to need a sweater.

"So...where would one do their laundry here?" I heard Max say from inside. His few clothes littered the floor when I got in. He was on his knees with his hands at his waist, and an exasperated look directed to the mild mess in front of him.

"We haven't checked behind there," I suggested, referring to the two doors across the bed-which I only assumed to be the closet, considering that there were no drawers, aside from the beside one, that held random papers from past guests.

"I don't think there's anything behind that..." he said as he got up and headed to it anyway.

He slid one of the doors open, revealing only what I had already guessed in the first place. Nothing, but a pole that ran across the space, with a shelf just above.

"Nothing but a mysterious box." He reached for it and turned around, frowning at the object. "Should we open it?" He grinned, with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"No!" I objected.

"Oh, why not?" He frowned again. "They left it here."

"Because, it's not ours to look through and these are Josh's apartments. For all we know, that box could be his."

He sighed, and looked from the small wooden box to me. "You're not the least bit curious?"

I rolled my eyes. "Put it back," I said sternly, feeling pathetic for momentarily comparing myself to being a mother figure. For one because Max was older than me and didn't need me for that, and second because I never had one to learn anything motherly from.

"Gosh, fine," he huffed dramatically and turned around. I stepped forward quietly just to make sure he wouldn't try to open it, now turned away from me. I only took two steps forward when he looked back and I heard the slam of the lid.

"Max!" I gasped, at the same he opened his mouth to try and deny that he wasn't doing anything.

"Give it," I said, reaching for it.

"I wasn't doing anything," he kept protesting, stretching his hand out of reach.

"Well then give it to me." There was no hope in reaching for the box in his hand, so it was with great force that I tried to bring his arm down.

"You're funny," he smirked down at me.

I stepped back with a huff. "Just put it back."

"Alright." He started lowering his arm, when the box fell. Before I could say anything, he rushed to it first. "That was an accident! I swear." He started bending down to pick up the papers. "Let me just-"

"No, I'll do it," I cut him off. I sighed and bent down to pick up them up instead.

"She caves." I could hear the triumphant grin in his voice.

"I'm not looking at it."

"You're looking at it now."

"Fine," I said, "I'm not going through it."

The last piece I reached for was a photo, I didn't look at it for long-knowing Max was right behind me watching, just as I had him, and for the purpose I was watching him for-but from the quick glance I got of it, I was able to recognize the young Josh in the picture, cradling a pregnant woman's stomach from behind her, with his head rested on her shoulder, as they both beamed smiles at the camera. They made happy feel like a complete understatement to what they were feeling then, like it was a totally different emotion and only they could understand it.