Sorry, Not Sorry

-15

He squeezes my hand back, with a shrug "No one deserves any of that." He says.

"Next time I see anyone treating anyone like that, I'll beat their ass." I say.

"Seconded." He laughs, and I notice the smattering of freckles on his nose.

He lays his head back on the couch. "Anything else?" I ask.

"Huh?"

"Anything else you wanna talk about? Me or you?" I say.

"Hmm. I guess I'm curious of where that scar on your nose is from." He asks, pointing smack bang in the centre of my face.

"Oh this? Got it in a fight with a bear." I feel like being vulnerable now, but I still want to lighten the mood.

"Seriously? He leans forward.

"No, not seriously." I laugh. "Might be worse though." I say.

He leans forward. "Worse?"

"I had this friend at the orphanage. Problem child. He and I looked verrrryy similar. We were really good friends. Ronnie... Ronnie had lots of issues. He grew up in a household that was less of a household, more of a 24/7 drug party. He'd been taken away and put in the orphanage."

I look away from Max's curious expression. "Once he got older, he'd turned to dealing drugs. He'd sit on the corner of the road, near a gas station, selling to who ever would buy. See where I'm going?"

"Did he do it to you? Why?"

"Not quite, but you'll see." I cough, "One time, this girl bought from him. He thought she looked gullible or something and so he gave her less than she'd paid for. Shouldn't have bought it at all, but her choice I guess. Her boyfriend - big strong bully type - recognised him from school as one of the orphanage kids, and so he waited outside school one afternoon for him to come out. Only he didn't come out first, I did. Now you see?"

"Keep going." He's not looking at me- though I suppose I'm not looking a thing either- just...staring into space as he listens.

I shrug. "He pulled me to the corner of the gas station, asking me if I recognised his "girl" I swore up and down I didn't but he didn't believe me. They clearly hadn't looked at Ronnie's and I's eyes to see how different they are. Ronnie has bright brown, I have blue with a tiny bit of brown. Anyway, he slashed my face with his knife, right as we got to the corner of the gas station. And only then, when he saw Ronnie sitting where he normally does, did he let me go. I'd been losing lots of blood and fell in the ground outside the servo. I eventually gained the strength to run. Ronnie came back to the orphanage once, and then I never saw him again, he never even said goodbye, he just... Glared at me."

"That's crazy." He says. "Absolutely crazy."

He pauses.

"Can I look closer?" He asks, turning towards me.

"Sure." I gulp. "Sure."

He leans forward, looking at my face. "It's right on your nose. That would've hurt." I try to nod, but I'm frozen. He looks into my eyes. "They really are blue and brown." He says.

"Partial heterochromia." I manage to mutter, as he sits back. "Blue every where except that one bit." I smile awkwardly.

"Are you okay?" He asks me, noticing my sweating brow.

"Sorry, you just were really close." I admit.

"We literally slept on each other last- wait, sorry. I shouldn't have."

"Shouldn't have?"

"Got that close to you. Sorry."

I smile. "Thanks." I wipe the sweat off my face. "I'm also probably still sick." To prove my point I snort.

He laughs. "I'll probably wake up tomorrow with whatever you had." He shrugs "At least yours is nearly gone, anyway."

"Yeah. That's an upside."

Max's phone buzzes and he pulls it out. "Huh, Kitty's calling." I nod as he picks the call up. "Hello?"

"Max!" I can hardly hear what she's saying, but through the muffled screen I can hear she sounds scared and loud.

"What? She's here?!" Max says, his mouth wide with surprise. "For me?! Don't let her inside."

"Max, Come on you don't have to -" He hangs up the phone before Kitty can finish. He leans his head back, staring up at the ceiling.

"It looks like I have to go, Xavier." He sighs, standing up. "Thanks for having me over."

"Wait, hold up!" I scramble up. "What's going on?"

Max struggles with the door handle before eventually pulling it open. "Sorry. Not really time to explain. Y'know it's weird, she showed up just when we were talking about her..." He trails off.

"Your mum?" I ask. I can only see a faint nod of his head as he hops into his car.

"I promise I'll be back."

"Do you want me to come by as backup?" I ask.

"Not in a million years. I don't think I ever want you to meet them." He sighs. "I promise I'll meet you back here. Don't get too worried, please. It's fine."

I watch as he drives away, hands shaking. I walk back inside and close the door quietly. I feel panic oncoming and just rush into my room to get dressed. I shove my phone into my pocket, and rush out the door, locking it behind me.

I start off walking at a fast pace, but I end up just running through town to the animal centre. I probably look like a maniac, but that doesn't matter right now. I open the door and rush into the entry. Dogs bark nearby and the room smells of hamster. I crouch down, poking my fingers through the cage. "Hey Braxley." I say, wiggling it about. Braxley is the shelters pet. A big fluffy hamster. "It's your best buddy, Xavier. He doesn't come out and my fingers shake.

I walk over to the counter. " Uh... Ramona... Martha..."

"Xavier! How can I help you?"

"Where's mum?"

"I think she's out with a couple meeting a dog. My eye twitches. "Anything else I can do to help?"

"Can I go in with Rupaul?" Rupaul is an old grumpy cat that's been in the shelter for two weeks now, but he's just an icon. No one is sure where he comes from, and he seems to hate everyone but me.

"Of course you can go in with Rupaul. He missed you his week." She steps out from behind the counter, walking into the cat room. She unlocks the door to the larger cat room, where people can go in, and let's me in. "I'll tell your mum your here once she's done." Reina says. I nod, sitting down on the cool concrete floor.