Decided By Fate (Preview)

Act 1, Chapter 11

The wait for the second bus came and went in a flash; the next thing the two of us knew, we were on track to reach my house. My mind was racing with thoughts of how my guardians could screw all of this up. There was a very low and absent filter when it came to discussions in the house. Both of my guardians came from a long line of truck drivers, and their behaviours were quickly passed down to their offspring. Along with it came multiple phrases they'd use on the road that may not have been acceptable to others who didn't know their lifestyle. The atmosphere had a touch of hostility and scared off the majority of people who didn't know what they were in for.

It had also become my life, and what I had seen of my counterpart, Max, was nothing like me. Keeping his life nearly clean in every aspect. Even over the course of the year, I had never heard him swear once, but that could have been due to the fact he kept to himself most of the time. Now he had forced himself into an environment outside our comfort zones, except I was at home and Max...Max was truly alone in the impending situation.

Again, the bus stopped. This was it. The last bus. All we had to do now was walk down the street to the little run-down house sitting amongst the others in the old community. I led the way, which was different for both of us, as I held his hand, and we made our way to the house's front steps. I turned the doorknob and swung the wooden door open, and I still couldn't believe this was happening. The scent of the house rushed out, and at that moment, Max and I's hearts started beating faster. This was it. Everything had led up to this moment. He couldn't escape or run anywhere; he was a prisoner standing outside of my personal world.

"I'm home!" I shouted into the house.

My voice travelled, bouncing off the walls like a wild dog trying to find someone to greet, only to explode in the main room. I was already in the process of taking my shoes off when the clanging of plates could be heard down the hall. Then Max entered, only to be greeted by the sight of a woman standing in front of us with a warm, motherly smile. My head raced to look at both of them, going from one to the other, all while Max was still trying to get his shoes off. The next time he looked up, he wasn't just greeted by Cherry but Hank as well, who was holding Chloe. He took a deep breath as I looked down at my feet, trying to hide my feelings toward the reality of this situation. I didn't know what to do next, but Cherry was one step ahead of me.

"Fate, aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" She asked.

With his shoes finally off, Max looked up, took his eyes off my parents, and turned to look at me. Watching as my shoulders rose at the sound of Cherry's words and tensed up permanently into that position. What was I supposed to do in this situation? Max likely thought prior to his brain taking over. He stepped past me, getting closer to my guardians, and without saying a word, extended a hand forward.

"Hello. Nice to meet you, ma'am." He said as Cherry took his hand.

"Oh, look at you, stepping right up, eh? My name's Cherry." She answered.

"Nice to meet you," Max said, a glowing smile still somehow on his face.

"And behind me, is Hank. Fate's stepdad, and that's our daughter Chloe." Cherry explained as Max seemed to be doing his best to follow along.

Upon introducing the other member of the family, Chloe raised her hand and waved at Max as a subtle gesture that all little kids did. To my surprise, Max played along as he waved back, making Cherry smile. As he did this, Cherry got closer to me, then leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"I like him already." She breathed the words.

"Yea. He's great." I whispered back.

My words were met with a hesitant breath following them. I shook my head, and my hand fired out to connect itself to Max's arm. It prompted him to look down at his arm and then at me. I started dragging him through the house while my guardians stood on either side of us. Together, we walked into the main room, where the smell of food dominated the area, causing Max to look over. Like a bolt of electricity firing itself from the front of Max's head and out the back, I noticed he seemed concerned. Oh shit. The words were so loud that he seemed sure they must have escaped some sort of opening on his body.