Burn Bright ×Maxian×

5

[Song The (Shipped) Gold Standard by Fall Out Boy]

Somehow we managed to lose our matches. I could've sworn I put the box back but they just aren't there. Ian was trying to act like he wasn't mad at me but I could tell he was.

When Ian gets mad and doesn't want to lash out, he'll bite his lip and dig his nails into the skin on his hands. He did it the whole time we looked for the matches and when I broke the tv. He tried to act like it was fine since I got hurt but we both knew that there was no way we could afford another tv.

"Max," Ian had been trying to get my attention but I hadn't realised. We were at the store, picking up new matches, but I had retreated to my mind like normal. "I said hold these."

I took the box from him and held them. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" He started walking to another aisle, I wasn't sure what he was looking for but he must've known.

"I keep messing up," I watched my feet as I walked. My sneakers that were original gray had long since blackened with wear. There were parts where my toes nearly poked out of the fabric and the soles were far past being comfortable. I wouldn't dare ask for new shoes now though, I've already been the cause of enough expenses lately.

"Everyone messes up, Max," Ian stopped at one shelf and picked up something. "It just depends on how you handle the situation that makes it matter."

"What's that?" I asked Ian, meaning the thing he picked up.

"A card," Ian said as he put it back.

"Why are you looking at cards?" I ask in confusion.

"I'm just looking to send one to a friend," Ian picked up another and looked at it. "Can you find some cheesy one for me?"

I picked up a different card and looked at it. I bit my lip (it was something I did in deep concentration) and tried my hardest to make out the writing on the card.

'ϱυɘƨƨ'

It was the first word and I couldn't get past it. The letters twisted in my head and appeared in a senseless matter. It made absolutely no sense to me.

"You okay?" Ian asked, noticing my struggle on the card.

"I don't get it," I told him. "I can't read it."

Ian took the card from my hands and set it down. "It's okay, you don't have to look."

"But I want to help," I argued. "Just let me keep trying."

"If you can't read it, you can't read it," Ian sighed. "Don't push yourself."

"But...," I trailed off and looked down. I felt useless. I was too stupid to read a simple card.

Ian pulled me into a hug, "it's okay, Max. I'll help you on some reading when we get home."

I nodded and let myself relax in the comfort of his arms.

After pulling back, we walked up to the front counter and I set the matches down. The cashier asked if that was all and Ian told her it was.

The cashier was an older woman with graying hair and a few wrinkles beginning to set in. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and she wore a casual uniform for the store.

She looked at me and we made an awkward moment of eye contact before she spoke, "you look familiar."

"I do?" I say confused.

Ian jumps in and tells her "we come in here a decent amount, so it's probably just that."

"No," the woman shook her head. "It's not that."

"What is it?" I ask, my curiosity taking over.

The woman snapped her fingers and said "I know who it is. You look a lot like my niece, many similar features."

"That's nice but we have to get going," Ian said setting down money and picking up the matchbox.

"Wait," I said to Ian, just wanting to hear more of what this woman had to say.

"Yep you look a lot like her. Poor girl, I'm the only family she has left. Her parents got killed in a fire when she was young and her brother disappeared the same night, his body wasn't in the fire so there's a good chance that he's out there somewhere," the woman spoke so casually about the deaths, almost too casually, but that wasn't what startled me. What startled me was the content of what she had told us.

"We really have to go." Ian tightly grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the store and towards our home.

"Ian let go you're hurting me!" I cried. His nails dug into my arm and his grip was painfully tight.

Ian let go and stopped. "Sorry I just didn't want her holding us up."

He wasn't looking at me as he talked, a clear sign that he was hiding something. "Who is she?"

"Just some cashier," Ian still doesn't look at me. "How should I now?"

"I mean the niece," I clarified.

"Again, how should I know," this statement was accompanied by an eye roll.

Something popped into my mind that sent a sickening feeling through my body. "Did you set that fire?"

Ian looked at me for the first time since we started talking and I could see the emotions in his eyes shift into a look of guilt. "There's something we need to talk about."

My heart sank with all the scenarios playing out in my head of what could've happened. I was afraid. Afraid of what this man that I've spent my whole life blindly trusting could be capable of.

Regardless, I followed him home because I needed answers. I needed to know what happened more than anything else in the world right now.

Upon arrival, we sat on the couch in a minute of the loudest silence I'd ever experienced before. I wanted Ian to start talking but I could tell he was trying to find the courage to say what he had to.

"There's something very important I have to tell you." Ian finally broke the silence. "I've been waiting for the right time and I guess this is as good as time as any."

"Okay," I urged him to keep going.

"When I was twelve and just starting out, I found this house looked like no one was home. So I started a fire without checking if anyone was home." Ian paused and started to mess with his finger nails, which was a sign of his nervousness. "I was about to walk out when I heard a baby crying. I ran to where it was coming from and sure enough a baby was there."

I looked at him with eyes of wonder. "What did you do?"

"I took the baby and left, not thinking that the parents wouldn't be able to get out." Ian looked at me, his face showed nothing but pure guilt. "That baby was you, Max."

My heart sank. I felt like my whole body had just gone cold.

"Y-you k-kill-ed my fa-mily," I stuttered out.

"I didn't mean to. I thought they could get out and I was going to bring you back but they were sleeping." Ian looked down in shame. He should be shameful what what he's done. I got up and walked to the door. "Where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here." I walked out, slamming the door behind me and walking out of the building. I had to get away from him. I just had to get away.