A Little Story About Love

Part 13

Elle

I walked quietly out of my room so as not to interrupt anything. I knew from the second Max introduced me to Chance that there was more than just friendship between them. I put on my shoes and grabbed my keys, I tried to sneak out the door, but Max heard me and looked up.

"Where are you off to?" He smiled.

I saw Chance's cheeks flush red and he removed his arm from around Max. Max's smile faltered for a millisecond. He glanced at Chance but looked back with a smile on his face again. Chance bit his lip and quietly slipped his fingers through Max's, looking nervous. He looked at his feet selfconsciously.

I closed the door and walked back into the room. "I'm going to get ice cream, I suppose I should probably get a pizza too?" Chance didn't seem like he was leaving anytime soon, and Max didn't sleep. They could be up for hours and I figured they would get hungry at some point. "What kind of ice cream?"

"Chocolate," they answered in unison. I laughed and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Max said and jumped off the couch to hand me some money.

"I'll be back soon," I said, taking the bills from him. I had learned long ago not to argue with Max when it came to money.

As I exited the lift into the school's lobby I dug my phone out of my pocket. My mate Callie was in the lobby drinking coffee with her boyfriend and she smiled and waved at me as I passed by. I greeted her and walked out into the cool night air. It was late, nearly one in the morning, but I knew my mum would be up. I got on a bus, and dialed her number.

"Hi Mum!"

"Hey Sweetie! How are you?"

"Fantastic! I was just running to the store and I thought I would give you a call."

"Good! I'm glad you did!" she grew quiet for a moment, "How's Max?" she asked in a much more serious tone. My mum had been Max's second mother since his dad passed and things started to get rough.

I grinned, "He's doing unreal Mum you wouldn't believe it! I've never seen him so happy!"

"Oh? What happened?" My mum asked brightly.

"Remember how I told you about Chance?"

"Yes?"

"They made up! And better yet, they're dating now! Well at least I'm pretty sure he asked Max out tonight. I haven't had a chance to talk to Max yet." I was giddy, a smile plastered to my face.

"Didn't you say Chance was straight?" my mum asked, very confused.

"I know I know. I'm not sure what all of this means. But it's genuine. I can tell."

"I am so happy to hear that! I worry about him you know?"

"I do too, that's what I'm here for!" I smiled. The bus squealed to a stop and I hopped off onto the sidewalk.

Don't worry yourself too much, I know you love him, but I'm here for both of you, you know that."

"I do. Thanks Mum."

"Alright Honey, you take care, and call me soon!"

"Okay. Bye Mum! I love you!"

"Love you too!" She said and hung up.

*~*~*

At home I was an only child, it was just my mum and dad and I, but Max had been like a brother to me. He came to our house whenever things were particularly rough. He spent most of his time living with my family and I. When Max realized he was gay, I was the first to know, and my family was second. My family and I helped Max come out, and were there for him when he was kicked out of his home. Max's parents made him leave Brisbane so they wouldn't ever bump into him around town. My family managed to convince his that if I roomed with him at boarding school I could make him straight again. It was complete bullshit, but it worked, and Max's parents bribed the school into letting us room together, and paid for my tuition. In no time, Max and I were starting fresh in one of Australia's finest art schools.

Throughout primary school, Max was bullied horribly, and I was the one there to pick him up each time. Max thought he was bisexual until about grade six, when he had his first kiss- with a girl. He came to me crying that he was a horrible person, that he should die a terrible death, and that he should burn in hell. In his eyes, that fate would have been better than being gay in his family. My family helped Max come to terms with his sexuality and keep it quiet until Max was ready to come out.

I was by Max's side through years of therapy. The fist time he tried to kill himself was in grade six. He jumped in front of a speeding car. He was in the hospital for weeks, but recovered fully. He tried again at the beginning of grade seven, overdosing on sleeping pills. Again, a long, horrible visit to the hospital, and even more therapy and antidepressants. In grade eight he tried again, this time throwing himself off a roof. He had a few broken bones, and a bad concussion, but pulled through again. I did everything in my power to keep him happy, and stuck with him through everything. I was there for him when he first kissed a boy, and I was there when that boy rejected Max in front of the entire school. Max was my world, my family. I would never give up on him. He was a unique, talented individual, with a stronger will to live than he realized. There was a reason he had to live, a reason each suicide attempt had failed.

I couldn't ask for anything better than Max's happiness, and I loved Chance for giving him that. Max deserved to be happy. From day one, both Max and I felt comfortable around Chance. He was a gentle giant, with a heart of gold. He had a warm, optimistic personality that never seemed to falter. He complimented Max perfectly. Max was the dark and Chance was the light. Something In Max's life was finally going well and it filled me with hope and excitement for him.

*~*~*

I picked up a pizza and a tub of ice cream and headed back to school.

I announced my presence loudly to warn Max and Chance that I was about to walk inside. I found them still curled up together on the couch watching Bambi. I smiled and set the pizza down on the coffee table. I grabbed three spoons and squeezed onto one end of the couch with them. We sat eating ice cream and pizza and watching kids' movies until Chance began to fall asleep and Max sent him off to his own room.