Max and the Crystal Gems

Meeting Max's Parents

David went to open the car door.

"Wow, wait, why are you getting out?" Max asked quickly.

"Don't be silly," said David jovially. "I want to deliver you safely to your parents."

"You don't have to-" Max began, colouring, but David was already getting out of the car. Max sighed and followed.

David walked up the drive and rapped smartly on the door. After a few moments, a light clicked on inside and the door was pulled open.

"Yeah?"

The man wasn't tall. He had the tanned complexion of Indian heritage, a head of greying curly hair and a thick beard. For his squatness, he was broad shouldered and had muscled arms. He looked David up and down, frowned, and then spotted Max, standing- almost hiding- behind David's legs. His frown didn't ease.

"Ah, you've got him," he said.

He reached out and grabbed Max's hood, roughly pulling him over the threshold. Then he looked up at David and his face broke into a broad smile.

"You must be David. Pleasure to meet you," he said, sticking out a large hand. "My name's Rahim. Thank you so much for bringing him home."

David gladly took Rahim's hand and held in a gasp: his grip was vice like.

"No problem at all, Rahim."

The longer he looked at Rahim's face, the more his grin looked like a grimace. Like a predator baring it's teeth at its prey just before he devoured it. His hand was just going numb when Rahim dropped it and called over his shoulder,

"Sasha! Get down here!"

There were footsteps on a stairwell, then a tall, slender woman- taller than her husband- wearing a tight fitting black dress with long sleeves, came into the dimly lit room. She too was tanned and had long shiny dark hair. She didn't look at Max as she crossed the room to the door where David stood on the mat.

"Sasha Patil," she said, graciously holding out a hand for David to shake. Her grip was loose and cold. "Thank you once again for ...delivering him home. Our apologies, we couldn't make it."

"That's alright, it was no problem," said David. He picked up on her use of the word "delivered". He had used it too, but in a jokey way. He didn't think Sasha was joking. "Anyway, I'm sure you're glad to be home Max?"

Max made a funny little noise that sounded like a grunt but could have been a sob. He had his head bent, eyes on the dusty carpet.

Rahim's smile was looking more and more strained, and Sasha wasn't even trying to look happy.

David knew it was time for him to leave.

"Well... I'd better be getting off," he said. Max twitched as though he wanted to run after David. Rahim and Sasha nodded politely.

"Thank you again," Sasha said without feeling.

"I hope to see you soon-" David said, but the door was already being closed. "Bye Max!" He called before it was shut and he heard the click of it being locked.

He didn't get a reply.