I lay on my bed and looked at my ceiling. Casper was talking to me, but my mind wandered and every time it stopped, it stopped at him. Femke was wrong. Max is not a one-dimensional person. He has so many sides to him, and so many perspectives that make him; Glen, Angela, Femke, his own and now, mine. Surely, he is polarising. But I guess so is everyone who stands firmly on their opinions and are not swayed by others, unlike me. 

I respect that.

He opened up to me and allowed me to look inside him. And I see the little child in him; he is one resilient man. 

I turn my head and close my eyes, his wild eyes appear before me. The first time I saw him, those dark blue eyes seemed to be holding an unchained soul, who wasn't afraid of having arguments, putting people in their place and navigating through a crowd, boldly, unashamedly. He has something extraordinary about him. I swear I see it.

To think that I have changed someone like that, I must have quite the power upon him. But has he changed me too? Surely, he has. Maybe in ways that I do not know. I want to know more about him. 

I care about him. 

I love you, Max. 

I look at his number in my contact book, "Maximus Achterberg". I look at his name for a long time, wondering how beautiful it would be, "Daffine Achterberg" 

https://youtu.be/t7ps2Iqi33c

Max and I have been spending more time together. Playing video games, with rock music playing in the background, and baking brownies together. We both love brownies. After class, I need to study. He comes to the library with me to study together. One afternoon, he called to his place to study, along with Angela, Glen and George. But groups certainly are not the best way to study. None of us could study. I was about to leave when I got a call from Femke. 

She told me she got a flat tyre and she wanted my help. I wondered why she called me specifically. We aren't even close. Or are we? I told everyone that I was going to go home. I took my bicycle with a toolbag and traced the location she had sent to me. 

But once I reached there, she told me that she had fixed it by herself. I apologised for being too late. She told me to keep my bicycle in her trunk and take a ride home instead. So, I did that. 

"Where were you when I called you? Home?" She asked.
"No, at Max's place"
"You were at Max's? Why?"

"Just studying with his friends,"

"I told you you shouldn't be with him,"
"I don't know Max as well as you, Femke, but I'd like to know him through him, not other people. Then, I'll decide if I still want him in my life or not,"

"You don't love him, do you?"
"No, not so far,"
"Why not? Is he not handsome?"
"No, of course, I don't think that. I just...don't know him enough,"
"Will you ever fall in love with him though?"
"I can't see why I wouldn't. He's charming,"

Femke smiled at me, "I'm happy you found him worthy of loving. If only he would also find you to be that for him, you would be perfect,"
"We would be," I smiled. 

-To be continued