Parallel

Chapter 1

   I guess my name is Max. In my world, nothing really happens that much and that's just the way I like it. See, I am a man of simplicity and calmness. I don't really like to rock the boat, I prefer it stay perfectly still thank you very much. I have the unfortunate honour of living in a city overpopulated with super heroes and creatures alike. However, I have realized that if I leave them alone, they will leave me alone. This goes the same for my roommate or other wise known as my cousin, Bunny. She can sometimes be annoying but she tends to keep out of my bubble, as she should. The only person I will let near me is my friend, Lucas. He's a little over the top with energy but I've known him since the womb so I keep him around.

   My mother and his mom were best friends since high school and they decided to have kids at the same time. So original, right? Well, that turned out to be the only gift that my mom gave me, the closest thing she could to a brother, before she and dad died in a car accident. I never knew them beyond pictures and stories so it's kind of hard to be sad about it. I was put into an orphanage for about three point five seconds before Lucas's mom practically kidnapped me. She is my mom as well as my dad, er, I mean Lucas's dad. His parents are my parents. That's all I have really known them as, so Lucas and I really are brothers.

   Luke and I are pretty close but we have, almost, polar opposite personalities so sometimes I need a break from him. Today is one of those days, and I swear that he could sense that I needed a break from him because I just heard him do his signature knock on the door. In a frantic scramble, I flopped onto the floor and rolled under the couch. I must have alerted Bunny, which isn't too hard since her room is pretty close to the living room, because I heard her stroll into the room yelling my full name.

   "Maxwell, what was that noise?" She shouted. I know Luke heard it, so now he knows I'm here for sure. That's just wonderful. I sighed.

   "Maxwell?" I think this girl had super hearing.

   I slid out from the couch, staring at her with the angriest face I could muster and whispered so Luke didn't know I was under the couch. "My name is Max, not Maxwell, and I swear to God, if you open that door I will come out of here and throw your essay out the window." I slid back under the couch. I knew she wouldn't open the door, Lucas doesn't wait for people to do that but I thought she would leave me alone so she doesn't give away my position.

   It was too late for that though because I heard Luke throw the door open and the next thing I know, I'm being dragged out by my ankle. Like usual he's glued to that stupid phone and without missing a beat he says, "Hey there buddy."

   "Go home Lucas!" I manage to yell with my leg hoisted over me. He was relatively strong for a guy his size.

   He puts his phone in his pocket and lets out an emotionless "k." Before gripping my leg with both hands and dragging me out the door.

   "By yourself you psycho!" I could hear Bunny laughing and yell something before Luke closed the door and pulled me to my feet.

   He stood with a good seven inches on me, causing me to have to stare up at him. Being short for a guy didn't really help me ether. We were having a glare off except, he was smiling like the idiot he is.

   "What's up?" He was the first to break the silence.

   "What's up?!" I mimicked in a higher pitched annoyed tone.

   "Nothing much. You?" He thought he was so funny but he didn't laugh at his own jokes, most of the time.

   "YOU PULLED ME-" He shushed me down a little so I wasn't yelling over the whole campus. "You pulled me out of my dorm by my foot, again!" I was a little mad.

   "What else is new?" He pulled out his phone and started walking away. I know he intended for me to follow him, he knew I would. "Actually, there is something new. Well, new to you."

   He was walking too fast; I had to do an awkward half jog next to him. "What are you going on about?"

   Still texting, "You'll have to see to believe."

   I swiped his phone from him and as he tried to do a little reach to get it back I held it away from him. He moved back and stood there staring at me with a patient half smile. We knew he could take it, but that wasn't going to help the situation. He knew that. "What are you talking about?"

   "I can't tell you."

   "No, but you can certainly fling me out of my dorm for no reason." I clutched the phone tighter.

   He sighed as he spoke, "There was a reason..."

   I cut him off, "But now there's not?"

   "No..."

   "Then tell me!"

   "I can't tell you!" He has lost a little bit of his calmer expression for a more impatient one.

   "And why on God's great Earth not?"

   "Because..." He held out his hand for the phone and I gave it to him, "...I need to show you."

   We continued down the hall as he began texting again. "You are so cliche, who are texting anyway?"

   He put away his phone. "No one." He said in a nauseously peppy way as he practically skipped forward. It's unnatural for someone to be this happy.

   But then we turned the corner and I got a little spark of happiness stuck in my throat. I choked on it.