Hihi! HMH might finish in about a week. Make sure to tune in everyday!

P.S. 10K reads?! what. the. fudge nuts.

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I take a deep breath, scrunching my eyes because it was so bright in the room. When I do lift my body to look around, I noticed that mum and dad were back from home again and they were talking to each other quietly at the sofa.

Katie, however, was sitting on the floor by the wall, scrolling through her phone.

And then suddenly, Derek came in with his hands filled with paper bags. He noticed me first, smiling when I was awake. Then his smile lingered as his eyes darted somewhere else.

Connecting the gaze, I ripped my hands from Max's that was hidden underneath when I'd been sleeping.

Derek pretended that he didn't see anything, or he actually didn't and he was actually looking at something else. Either way, he started moving and giving mum and dad each bag and then Katie and I one.

He plopped himself next to Katie and looked up. "Aren't you coming?"

I looked back at Max from the corner of my eye. The doctors did come back and say that the sedates wear off in about forty hours. There was still time.

I sluggishly walk over, plopping myself next to Derek after a bit of hesitation. He noticed and then Katie pouted.

"What, are you kidding me? Aren't I forgiven after everything?"

I rolled my eyes, peeking into the bag to see a sandwich cased and an apple with a box of milk at the side. "I still want my apology cupcakes."

Derek snickered at that and earned a hit from my sister.

I noticed the extra bag. "Who's that for?"

"Mason's coming later."

And so, we ate quietly.

Mum and dad talked us about who's going back home when. And when I told them that they could but I was going to stay, they all shared a bit of gaze before continuing to eat. And then mum popped up, saying that I did need to stay fresh when Max wakes up.

And since everything was okay, they planned to just go home and then come back when Helena calls that he's awake. I can't do that. I had to be there when he wakes up.

"Honey, you need to talk." I look up from my sandwich at mum. "You need to tell us why you're so persistent in staying here. Do you, maybe, feel like it's your fault?"

I stare at my sandwich, wishing that I did feel that way. Am I a bad person to not feel that way? Damn, I must be a bad example of a boyfriend.

"Alan." Now mum was serious. She had that look she makes whenever she's busy and she won't take answers for crap. "If you do stay quiet, thinking to yourself all by yourself, I'm sorry if I'm being unfair, I'm going to throw you out of the hospital."

I gulp.

I wondered if I should tell her.

I should tell them.

After what happened, I felt so alone. Like it was all happening and I didn't even have Max to hold onto because only he knew the real deal. And I missed my family.

Plus the fact, I can't get rid of the feeling that Derek saw me holding Max's hand. Ugh. Suddenly, I could feel Derek's presence next to me intensify a hundred more times.

"I..." The sandwich didn't look as appetising as before. "I wasn't at the park because I called Max to meet up."

I moved to keep both my legs folded vertically so I could hug them. My necklace came out and I put it back, leaning my head on my knees.

"Remember how I mentioned meeting someone at the theatres before I left?"

I heard a 'yeah' from mum.

"That was... Max."

It took a moment of silence. Only mum and Katie knew what I was talking about. So, then, after those agonising few seconds, mum went, "okay."

My ears were red. I knew they were burning up and I rocked on my spot to stop it. I faced mum and dad so I could hide from the other two. Mum looked normal as if what I'd said didn't affect her. Dad looked confused, still trying to connect the information together.

"Mum. I'm gay."

There I said it.

And I'd be lying if I said that it didn't feel great.

I was finally free, in some sort of way.

After, feeling like I was going to explode, keeping that inside of me, it felt nice that it wasn't a secret anymore. And I realised that it didn't matter if they accept or not, because it wasn't going to change me.

I just hope they don't hate me.

"Okay."

I sigh, tucking my head in between in hands and legs, just hiding form everything. Then, a hand looped around my back and a pat was given to me in a rhythm. Derek rocked me with one hand, whispering, "It's okay. We all still love you the same."

I huffed, letting him toy with me as everyone just stays quiet.

"I'm also okay with it, if you're wondering."

That was dad and I couldn't help but snort to myself.

"And here we thought that you were doing drugs," mum added, laughing with dad. I just watched them, wondering what I was so worried about.

Katie snorted with me this time and I looked up to see Derek rolling his eyes at her as she smiled creepily at me. "At least I was right about you hanging awfully a lot of time with Max and sneaking out."

I roll my eyes.

"Wait, what?" Derek was giving me owl eyes, expecting an explanation. "Max? As in the..." he eyed the my unconscious boyfriend.

"Ugh," Katie groaned from his other side. "Yes, that Max that's sleeping right now. Max Winters. How many times am I going to have to—"

She didn't get to finish because we were both laughing our ass off.

And our parents just shook our head and went back to talking to each other.

I couldn't help but ask them if they were curious.

"Well, is there anything else we need to know?"

I thought around my head to see if there was. "Well, it does mean that now, you know that Max is..." the hospital room door opened, inviting Mason in. "My, boyfriend."

It took a second for the guy to realise what I'd just said.

"What the heck..."

"Yes, I knew it!" Katie did a punch to the air, wiggling on the spot, nudging Derek a lot, making him push me around. "I didn't know it at first and I did actually think that you were doing drugs, but then after I came to the hospital, I confirmed my doubts!"

"What?" The same shocked voice echoed through the room.

"And all this time, my brother was gay and was sneaking around with Max fucking Winters!"

"What the fuck?!"

Mum jumped at her seat. "Language! The both of you!"

"No, no, no, no." Mason literally ignored my parents and walked up to us. "Tell me I just didn't hear what I just heard"

I shrugged. "You didn't hear what you just heard."

The guy actually relaxed only to tense up again when he realised that I was joking. "You've got to be kidding me."

I shake my head and then hide myself one more time.

"That's why the guy was always running from me?! I thought I did something wrong!"

Mason was rubbing his face a few times, trying to get used to the fact I guess. But then, when I looked up at him, he had an accusing look on his face and he pointed at me.

"When the fuck did you turn gay?"

"Mason!" Katie jumped from her spot, pulling him away from me. "Stop. He only just told us as well. And you can't just come in and yell however you want. Max is right there."

"Yeah," he was going crazy and I didn't like it. I thought Max was open about who he was. Didn't that mean Mason knew? "And I come in late to find out that he's what? Dating my best friend?!"

I looked away, deciding that it was enough and went back to sitting on the stool. "Well," I heard Katie mutter. "They always did pretend that they hated each other."

I took Max's hand again and played with it.

"I don't know. That was just Alan. Remember, Max was cool with everyone but it was Alan that always hated his guts."

Mason snorted with my best friend. What's with everyone needing to snort a laugh?

"And now he loves him too much to care?"

Mason's question left me wondering. So I leaned forward and laid down on top of our tied hands. I whisper, "Something like that..."

Then the time was spent with everyone just sitting around, talking. Mum and dad left as soon as Helena came in. Derek left with Mason and Katie a bit after, planning to come back when Max wakes up. Bailey came in again when she was able to catch a ride from her dad.

"Brian got everyone to donate for a new guitar for Max," she said as soon as it was just Max, her and I. Helena was out to talk to the doctors and get a drink of water.

Doubt started to pool me as I thought about what I had when he wakes up.

Bailey must've noticed because she gave me a side hug on the sofa. "Don't worry, all he's going to need is you when he wakes up. Just make sure you give him a big kiss to get rid of the booboo from hurting."

Then she went on cackling like a moron and teasing me more.

And all I could think was how glad I had her as a friend. Everyone else around me so far understood. I knew that not everything would be all that great, but I could handle it. Now, I just had to wake Max up so I can pull him around the city and make sure the world know that he's mine. I don't plan to let him go.

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Baby I'm sorry! Not sorry!

Bahahaha. 😈 

Sorry, I was listening to Demi. Have a great day guys and vote for HMH chapters!