Sorry, Not Sorry

- 29

The air is only getting hotter and hotter the closer towards new years we get. It's evident as i walk through town, sweat beading on my forehead. Somehow, despite my struggle with the heat, i still spot multiple people wearing jeans. I guess it's night-time, and you'd assume it'd be cooler, but it doesn't really feel that way to me. As I walk with my face tilted down as to avoid any strangers noticing my sweaty face and flushed skin, I run into someone. Again. And this time, its one of those psychos wearing jeans. "Xavier?"

"Huh?" I look up, my eyes adjusting to the face above me. "Oh, Hi Max." I fan my face with my hand, trying to cool down. "Nicole." I say, acknowledging the girl standing beside him.

"It's nice weather out, right?" Max says, looking out at the rising moon.

"Uh-" I raise an eyebrow, "Not... Really..?"

"Huh? Oh, you do look pretty hot." He says, eying my flushed cheeks. "Maybe you're sick, though." He points out, "I mean, no-one else seems to be as hot as you are right now."

"Eh- I don't know. I've been in the aircon all day, it probably just isn't as cool out here as it was in there so its hot for me." I shrug. I notice that he isn't looking at me while we talk, instead looking somewhere behind me. I start to turn to see what he could possibly be looking at, but he stops me. "Makes sense." He says, letting go of Nicole's hand to lean closer to my ear, "Thanks for the message earlier, By the way. You should be a prophet." He whispers.

"A philosopher?" I ask.

"Oh, yeah that sounds more right." He stands back up straight, placing his hands on his hips.

"Listen, I'd hate to break this up." Nicole says, grabbing Max's hand and standing closer to him. "But we have places to be."

"I mean, not really-" Max starts but Nicole's already pulling him away. Max waves with a sigh.

"Bye, Xavier." she says icily.

"Bye." Damn, What's her problem? I think, before remembering the way I'd treated her the other day at the park, Okay, maybe that's her problem... I sigh, continuing to walk. Clearly Max didn't want to leave, despite thinking I'd been avoiding him earlier. Maybe I'll see if we can hang out tomorrow. I can always go shopping another time, besides hanging out with him seems more important right now.

I sit awkwardly on the couch set up in Max's office/studio room, which he explained he mainly uses for solo practices. He strums the guitar a few times, looking down at it with his hair covering his face. He flicks his head up and looks at Nicole and I. "Any recommendations? I'll see if I know it."

"Mitski." I say, trying my hardest to not look at Nicole on the other side of the couch. She hasn't yet acknowledged my presence, even though she got here after I did.

"Okay." Max says, making sure the guitar is set up right. He takes a deep breath in, before strumming the guitar. I recognise it immediately as 'I will' He launches into playing, singing the lyrics as well. I sit forwards, my elbows resting on my knees, watching Max's fingers as they expertly strum the strings. The guitar echoes through the room. As the song ends, I applause him, Nicole following after me. "I need to go to the bathroom." She says, swiftly standing and leaving the room.

I watch her leave, before turning back to Max. "Good taste." I say. "Also nice to listen to your music without some guy trying to fight me." I joke, standing next to Max with my hands in my pockets, but he isn't looking at me, he's watching the door. "What's-"

"She's being weird." He sighs. "Seriously, what's up with her?"

I shrug, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I don't know, dude." I say, "I literally don't understand women one bit."