Tucked Away...

Part 2

Max got up.

“I'm gonna go take a bath.”

Gwen looked at him.

“Do you want me to wash your clothes while you're in there?”

“Sure.”

Max walked over to his bag and grabbed his swim trunks, not yet comfortable being fully nude, and then went to the bathroom and changed, then started running the bath water. He watched as the water filled the tub. Gwen knocked and entered to collect his clothes so she could wash them. When the tub was full Max got in. It was to hot, and it turned his skin slightly red, but he didn't mind. As he sat in the tub, he thought of how easy it would be to drown himself right then and there. He’d always thought drowning would be so peaceful, floating in the water, it must feel like flying, and the burning in your lungs as they fill with water, the heaviness in your chest making you sink, lying at the bottom of the water, closing your eyes one last time. Max sank into the water and held his breath until he couldn't hold it anymore, then he came back up for air, deciding he’d already put Gwen and David through enough. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift. He tried to think happy thoughts, but all he could think of was David, and his parents, and how they had become so similar. He felt the place on his cheek were David had slapped him, and tried to shake the thought from his head, but it just wouldn't go away. What if David became just like his father, but in a bad way? Max sighed and opened his eyes, staring at the steam rising to the ceiling, frustrated. The chatter in his head wouldn't shut up, he just wished he could get some peace and quiet, somewhere away from his own thoughts. Eventually he got out of the bath and dried off, then grabbed his phone off the counter, where it had been charging, and looked to see a text from Neil, who he had exchanged numbers with.

“Hey Max! How’s it going?”

“Nothing much, just dying.”

“Oh, you don't mean that.”

“No, actually, I was in the hospital yesterday, I almost died.”

“Jesus Christ, what on earth did you do?”

Max contemplated telling him the truth.

“Do you want the real story or the fake one, cause I kinda don't wanna tell you what happened.”

“I want both stories, real and fake.”

“Fake: I was in a car crash.
Real: I overdosed on antidepressants and Gwen had drive me to the hospital.”

“Wait, on purpose?”

“Yeah.”

“Holy shit Max, are you okay?”

“Honestly, no.”

“Wait why was Gwen there?”

“Oh yeah, I had to run away from my abusive dad and alcoholic mom, call Gwen, give them my whole back story about my dead brother and all that crap, and start living with her and David.”

“You have a brother?”

“Had, actually.”

“If you don't mind me asking?”

“We were in a car crash and the paramedics saved me first and they couldn't get to him on time. Wanna pull my heart strings a little harder Neil?”

“Sorry.”

“It's fine, I figured you’d find out someday, and then you’d ask questions. Anything you else you wanna ask while I’m still in the mood?”

“Does this mean David is your new dad?”

“I guess, but he feels more like my other dad.”

“What do you mean?”

“He uh, he kinda hit me.”

“What!? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I mean, he didn't mean to, but it hurt.”

“How did he hit you on ‘accident’?”

“I was having a flashback and I wouldn't let him get near me and he didn't know what to do. Like that one time with Nurf.”

“Makes sense, I guess.”

“Yeah, I just, I'm just a little shaken up. Anymore questions?”

“Yeah. It's a bit off topic though."

"That's fine."

"Are you gay?"

"What? No! What the hell?"

"I dunno you just seem queer."

"Fuck you."

"Sorry, you just don't seem that into girls."

"That automatically means I'm gay?"

"Well, not necessarily."

"I'm not super into dating people, but if I was given a choice between guys and girls I'd pick girls."

"What if you had to choose between two guys?"

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno like a smash or pass situation, or fuck, mary, kill."

"Alright gimme three people."

"Brad Pitt, Chris Evans, Tom Hiddleston."

"Fuck: Chris Evans
Mary: Brad Pitt
Kill: Tom Hiddleston"

"Why?"

"Chris Evans is hot, Brad Pitt would make me famous, and Tom Hiddleston only looks attractive as Loki."

"I'm taking a screenshot of this."

"No you're fucking not I swear to god I'll murder you!"

"Haha, fine."

"It's not funny, and I'm not gay."

"Alright, alright."

"Anyway, I have to go, Gwen's supposed to by me new clothes."

"Talk to you later then."

"Sure."

Max turned off the screen, and walked over to the bathtub, which had finished draining. He thought about what Neil had said. He knew he wasn't gay, but he could enjoy the thought of an attractive man. What did that mean? Did it matter? It bothered him now, it bothered him that he didn't know. His whole life he had never even stopped to think about it, he was to busy being scared of what's coming next. He just assumed he was straight. But was he? He liked to think he was but now he wasn't sure.

"Goddamnit."

He mumbled to himself, before leaving the bathroom to get his clothes out of the dryer, and then went back to get changed. Once he was in his clothing, he put his phone in his pocket, then left the bathroom. Max sat on the couch while David and Gwen talked in the kitchen. Max listened to them speak.

"David, I don't want to keep dancing around the subject."

Gwen sounded concerned.

"I know Gwen, I just, I don't want to talk about it."

"But you really should."

David sighed.

"I just... he worries me, I want him to be happy, but I don't know if we're fit to take care of him, especially me. I just think maybe it be best for him to live in an actual house."

David looked away from Gwen, only to see Max was listening. Max had tears in his eyes.

"You want to get rid of me?"

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