Mum stood in front of me, hands tied at the front, eyes cast down. She was nervous but I couldn't care at the moment. I was too shocked to even react.

I seem to be in shock a lot since the year started.

"Alan, say something."

I turned to Katie, raising a brow. "You knew about this?"

She gave a hesitant nod. It only made me more sour. The whole family literally hid me in the dark. I had no fucking clue.

I turned to grandma May and watched her give me a small smile. I frowned.

"You realize that you all have been lying to me, right? All this time, I had no idea what was going on." I fidgeted my fingers together. It was something I did since I was a kid, just, doing it after a long time. "What the hell were you guys thinking?! And Katie knew?! Katie knew and I fucking didn't?!"

"Hey!"

"Alan! Don't use that kind of language in this house!"

"I don't fucking care!" Mum flinched at my voice but didn't back down. I saw grandma May cower away and instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry. I just, I wasn't expecting this. I had a... I had a shitty day and I wasn't... prepared for this." I gulped, giving grandma May a sorry glance. "I hope... you get better soon."

She nodded softly. "The doctors are trying. They're going through everything that could fix me."

I held back a sob. "Stop. You're not broken. There's nothing to fix." She gave a sad smile, opening her arms wide and I ran into it. 

"It's alright buddy."

I cried in her arms like a baby. I snuggled close to grandma May, taking all the heat I could. I didn't like what I've heard and I really didn't want to believe. At that moment, nothing else mattered. I wanted my grandma back.

Dad came some time after and scolded me for being a girl. He pulled me to his office, reminding me that I was the family's only son. I had to be the tough one. I had to take care of mum and Paws and, grandma May.

I didn't like it, but I knew dad was right. He was a little out of it too because of the news but he held on. For that, I pretended that everything was totally normal during dinner. I smiled at grandma May, nodded at mum whenever she told me something and played around, teasing Katie about her boyfriend, Mason.

Inside, I was breaking. I didn't know how serious grandma May's sickness was. I didn't want to know. All I knew was that she was getting treated daily and she only came to Stratford because the hospital facilities were better.

She was so strong.

I dragged myself to class, regretting even coming to school. At least it was Wednesday. It meant no practice after school. Tuesday passed in a blur. I went to school, ignored Max completely during and after English, didn't talk to Bailey but she didn't force me and didn't give anyone a glance until I was back in the safety of my home.

I spent the rest of the evening teaching grandma May how to play Mario cart because she's always been interested in it. I'd just been a dick to not help her out in the past.

"Alan, come on. Stop sulking for a second. You're grandma's not dead man!"

I flinched, fixing a hard glare at Brian. He moved a step back, whispering a sorry. "Fuck off."

"No, you're going to stop before you make everyone around feel the same freaking depression. Dude, it's not healthy. Drake, tell him."

"I can't say anything Brian. I know grandma May too. She's an angel. Finding out someone as tough as her is not so healthy would put me off too."

By lunch time, I ignored everyone else and decided to spend it alone at the extra floor on the roof. I needed time to figure out what I want to do to make grandma May's health care easier. Mum mention the money on it and that it was getting tough.

Maybe I could help by paying the bills for home. I needed a job for that.

I made it to the place. It was made at the back of the school building, which meant that no one would know that anyone was there.

What I didn't expect was to find someone already there, eating a sandwich.

Max turned at the noise of the door. He watched me stand there awkwardly before turning away, continuing his lunch.

I decided that I didn't have the energy to find another place and walked up to him, sitting down, leave quiet a good enough space in between.

"You play?" I eyed the guitar case on his other side. I've never seen Max Winters with a guitar before.

He nodded, shoving the last piece into his mouth.

We sat in silence. He continued on his silent chews and I started to do what I came to do: think.

"Sorry about your grandma." I turned to him, frowning. "Mason told. I heard that she's a pretty cool lady."

I nodded with tensed shoulders.

"She'll be better. She's a strong woman yeah? She'll be fine with your family and all."

I repeat my actions again. I didn't know what to feel with Max Winters consoling me. It felt, surprisingly calm.

"So, about the project-"

"What were you doing at the party?"

The question was out before I even realized it myself. What the heck was I thinking?

Max didn't seen to understand. 

"The party on Friday? A few weeks before?"

Shut up Alan.

"Yeah, I was at the party. Liam's a friend of mine."

I rolled my eyes. Of course the fucker was going to play innocent. "I know man, I didn't mean it like that. I was asking if you remember anything from it."

He stared at me for a long time and I started to get uncomfortable. "I didn't drink that night Alan."

He said my name so easily. Sure, he's said it before between the few, minimal times we've talked. But for some reason, with just the two of us, he said it like he didn't mind shouting it out either way.

I'd never feel like that for anyone ever. The guy's got a fucking personality, sure. He was, in the end, Max fucking Winters.

"I should be asking you, if you remember anything."

I snapped back to reality. He was sitting with his legs laid in front, hands supporting his body from behind. The guy was tall, and maintained his body without playing sports. I wondered if he did it in secret. "What do you mean Winters? Tell me what you know."

He smirked while I scowled. "I don't know Baker, I thought you wanted me to 'hate you harder'? What's with the sudden conversation?"

I groaned in my head. I wasn't going to let him run me over. "Tell me what you know Winters." I stared at him for a second. I never noticed how light his eyes were. "I'll do anything." Fuck, did I sound desperate?

"Anything?" It was another challenge, and I was the cause of it. Cursing in my head, I nodded. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of winning. Not with me. "Well then, I'd like to work on the English project without making it such a drag."

Of course the idiot wanted that as whatever of anything he could've asked. He could've fucking asked for something more serious. Something to get back at me. But no, he chose English over it.

He laughed, turning away to stare at the sky. I waited but he didn't seem to understand the steps of a deal.

"Are you going to tell me?"

Why did I sound so desperate?!

Max turned to me again and I almost chocked on my spit at the realization of his eyes. I suddenly understood why every girl in school was head over heels for him.

The guy had amazing eyes, I'll give him that. I didn't know how I spent all those years not realizing it. Did I even notice him properly?

"I did talk with you, on Friday." He took his time to talk. I was getting irritated. "I took you home that day Baker, that's it."

My eyes almost flew out of their sockets. "You?!"

He only nodded, giving me a glance. "Yeah. You were totally out of it and I didn't see any of your friends. You didn't have your phone with you and I asked for you car but you just kept singing."

Another dead soul.

"Singing?!" I didn't believe him.

He snickered leaning towards me. I leaned away, surprised but only to clear my throat when I saw his phone in hand. "I knew this would come in handy."

I cleared my throat again, wondering what he was talking about. "You're lying. There's no way I sang. Or danced," I say, remembering Drake saying something about it.

"Bet on it?" Max had one brow raised, playing with the device in his hand. He was planning something but I knew I'd never back down. Max fucking Winters.

"Fine. Loser gets a wish from the other." It was stupid but I'd get a better thing done than fucking English project.

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