Until I found you

Tommy.

  Max looked around discreetly before entering down a alleyway with his board.

Bradley watched as Max cautiously looked around before skating into an alleyway down the sidewalk. This was getting even stranger, why would Max be going into an alleyway? What could he possibly be doing in there?

Bradley continued to trail after Max, staying far enough back so Max wouldn't notice him. He had to find out what the hell this boy was up to.

  Max entered and the ally lead out to this open closed off center. It was secret but beautiful..

"Tommy!"  Max called out with a smile. This homeless older dark man came out and chuckled.

"Hey Max! Nice to see you again my friend! How's your board?"  He said. He looked like a wise man with a gray beard. There was a presence around him that seemed loving. Like a father almost. But he was just a good friend.

"Eh..a little beat up..could you fix it for me? I'll give you some money." He smirked and the older man laughed.

"Oh Maxie! You know you don't need to keep doing that.." He said with a warm smile.

  Bradley's eyes widened as he saw Max enter the allyway and enter this secret place that Bradley didn't even know existed.

He saw Max greet this older homeless man named Tommy, who seemed close to him in an almost familial way. This man seemed to act like a protective father towards Max and seemed like a nice person.

Bradley watched as they spoke, Max asking Tommy to fix his cracked board and offering him money for food.
    Bradley could feel a pang of guilt in his gut as he realized that Max was spending the little money he had on someone else just to make sure he was fed.

Max smiled and gave the man all his money as he sat down and relaxed in the nice place with Tommy. He fixed up his board and they talked..

"Y'know..When I grow up, I wanna own my own skateboard shop.." Max says softly with a smile.

  Bradley felt another pang of guilt as Max handed over all the money he had, basically leaving himself with nothing, just to feed Tommy. But he also couldn't help but smile hearing Max talk about owning his own skateboard shop some day.

Despite his messy appearance and punk rock attitude, Max actually had dreams and aspirations for his future.

  Bradley continued to watch Max and Tommy interact in the secret alleyway, listening to the two of them talk and laugh together.

  Max smiled softly and Tommy began to talk again as he fixed Max's skateboard.

"Did you ever end up telling your friends  what you told me?" Tommy says and glances up at Max. Max looks away for a moment and nodded.

"Yeah..I told P.J and Bobby.." He said with a little smile. "And they..actually accepted it! I was surprised but.."

Tommy cuts Max off.
"You have good friends, Max..don't let them go.."

  Bradley raised an eyebrow as he listened to the conversation between Max and Tommy. Did Max tell his friends something important? Something he told Tommy about first?

He then heard Max admit that he told P.J and Bobby this secret and that they actually accepted it. That made Bradley wonder even more—what is this secret? And why didn't Max tell his friends first?

Then he heard Tommy's words of encouragement to Max, practically encouraging him to keep those friends and not let them go for anything.

  Max looked up to the sky and hummed quietly as Tommy fixed up his board.