Fluctuat nec Mergitur

Chapter 18

"Did you guys write that note?" The man at the door seemed embarrassed.

"Yeah, we did. Come in." I shut the door behind him.

"I'm Connor." He waved awkwardly. He was older than we were, maybe in his later twenties.

"Lauren." She nodded.

"Max." I walked over to the counter, where Lauren was sitting.

"I'm so sorry about the noise." He choked out. "We'll stop."

"Thank you." Lauren replied stiffly.

"Really, you don't need to get our mail or anything." He looked like he wasn't sure who he should be apologizing to.

"It's okay." I sighed.

"Anyone could've written that, you know. You're lucky it's me and my stupid sister -" I pushed her, and she almost fell off the chair. "- and not soccer moms with little kids."

"I'm really glad it's the two of you, then. Do you want to talk to Emily about it?" He shifted on his feet.

"Since you're in here, you might as well. I want to meet her, not humiliate her." Lauren shrugged. Connor went and got her.

She was blonde like him, probably as tall as me, and very, very mortified. We made it quick, and the two of them were out within four or five minutes.

"Thank God that worked out." She sighed. "And you don't even have to get their mail like your note offered."

"For the record, that note said we, not me." I raised an eyebrow.

"Listen, it's you who already gets the mail." She pointed her finger at me.

"Only because it's me who comes back from work through the lobby to pay for your tuition."

"It won't cost that much." She protested.

"Your books, electricity, heat, water, rent, and literally anything else you could think of to pay for too, Laur."

"Well, maybe that's true."

*

"I'm so sorry." I heard a voice say, but I was too busy trying to escape the tangle of leashes to reply. "Come on, Max, get off."

"What?" I lifted my foot out of a loop. I really don't like dogs.

"Huh?" She looked up at me from where she crouched on the sidewalk, untangling the two dogs' leashes.

"Are you - uh, is your dog's name Max?" I pointed between the two animals awkwardly.

"Yeah, why?" She stood.

"I, um, my name is Max." I stuttered, pointing back towards myself.

"Max isn't bad for a girl's name." She laughed. She was so pretty. I know I'm supposed to be finding a boy for Costello's plan, but damn. "My parents called me Atticus. Sometimes I wonder if my dad was drunk when I was born."

"That's unusual." I frowned, sidestepping one of her dogs trying to lick me. "I've only ever met guys called Max, and, ah, a lot have been dogs."

"I'd rather share a name with a bunch of dogs. Atticus is quite a boy's name. He probably was drunk, though. My mom has never wanted anything to do with me. My dad has never been too interested either." She held both leashes in one hand, completely blowing it off. "It's a shame you don't seem to like dogs much. Come on." She beckoned.