Anne and I spent the whole rest of the afternoon checking rooms and searching through cupboards to find this mysterious life ruining box. Anne had set herself on living room and linen closet duty, (Anne could fold towels, unlike yours truly) and had told me to check my own room, and the bathroom.
My mom woke up around two and didn't even bother to ask what Anne and I were doing. Best parenting award goes to her.
I finished my room pretty quickly, there wasn't a lot to check. My closet which I came out of in eighth grade, no box. Under my bed with all my hopes and dreams, no box. On my shelves with non-existing trophies just like the fucks I give about sports, no box. I moved to the bathroom.
I'm not a very vain person, so when I walked into the bathroom and stopped short to stare at my reflection I felt kind of weird. Everyone always said it, I'm a copy of my father, aside from my eyes which are about as good as a moles in sunlight (which is really bad by the way.) I slowly took off my glasses to exchange them for the contacts I never used.
I never used them for several reasons: one, they're slimy and hard to hold and I'm a super klutz X 10. Two, I have actual issues with touching my eyeball ever since my cousin told me the story of Old Willie who popped his own eye out with only his finger. Three, they were uncomfortable and constantly shifting. But I wanted to feel brave like my dad right now so I put them in.
ITS A WHOLE NEW WORLD! I didn't have the rim of my glasses in the top or bottom of my sight anymore! Man, contacts were great! I regarded myself in the mirror. My onyx hair fell in ripples down to my shoulders and my heterochromia eyes of hazel and blue seemed sharper without the glasses. I ran a hand through my hair like I remember my dad doing on so many occasions.
"Just breathe, Max. You're doing great."
I blinked away some tears that sprang to my eyes. I missed him so much.
"Wow, hello Mr. Orino." Anne said with slight surprise in her voice.
    "Anne! Oh my god, hi!" I reached for my glasses and shoved them on my face, and then blinked really fast confused why sight was failing me so bad. It took me a few seconds but I clued in and pulled the glasses off just as quickly. Anne cocked an eyebrow in confusion.
   "So did you find anything?" I asked playing off my now glasses-less face like it was nothing. Anne took quickly to the topic change and grinned.
"I found an everything!" She said.
"The box?!" I asked, hopeful that we could get this adventure over.
"I found a box!" She giggled and pulled a box of old Moxie dolls out from behind her back. My jaw went slack from embarrassment. Anne's eyes lit up with glee, and my ears turned a violent shade of red.
"Give me those!" I grumble grabbing the box from her forcefully. She started to laugh at my embarrassment, which only made me go more red.

After a few more hours of teasing and searching we fell exasperated onto the couch.
   "Maxwell, dearest, I'm going-" my mom stopped mid-sentence when she entered the living room and saw me sans-glasses. I smiled at her turning slightly pink under her piercing gaze. I could tell she actually thought I was him for a second, I could also tell she was trying hard to not cry. "Oh honey, you're finally wearing them!" I nodded and flipped through the tv channels hoping she would leave faster. Luckily she did. "I'm going to be home late, dinner is in the microwave. Bye Maxwell, bye Anne."
"Your mom's chill." Anne mentioned tapping on her phone.
"You mention that like, at least every two days." I respond settling on Gravity Falls reruns. Anne flicked her eyes up and then back to her phone. I waited. Anne waited. We both waited.
"I'm not doing the thing." Anne stated blankly glaring at her phone and scrolling very hard.
"You saw my Moxie dolls, so you better do the thing!" I retorted, and then gave my best puppy dog face, "pleeeeease, Annie!" Anne gave this huge sigh and looked at me with her golden eyes that were full of humour.
"I hate you."
"I know." And without skipping a beat Anne started to recite exactly what the characters were saying in correct voices not a second off. I grinned, I loved Anne to the moon and back.

After we had dinner we continued our search for 'the box.' Anne searched the garage, and I took a look in the library; both of us came up empty and ended up sitting on the floor in my hall staring at family photos.
My family looked like one of those cheesy movie families where no one looks alike. My mother had red curly hair and freckles all over, my sister had straight (-er than my sexuality) blonde hair and round glasses, my dad had shoulder length black hair, and was tall, well built, and very handsome (so my mom says.) Then there was me; my thin body and tall stature made me look like an uncooked spaghetti noodle, except I was tan like my dad, and had black hair like my dad that was wavy thanks to my mum, and I wasn't straight, and you know I was human and not an uncooked spaghetti noodle. Anyways, we were all very different but for some reason people could always tell we were related.
"Your family is super cute." Anne said. I smiled but I wasn't really listening. I'd started thinking about all the places my dad would've hidden something, or what my dad actually did for work. I couldn't actually recall ever being told. "Honestly, what does Jerry have against me, by the way? Like..." Anne was still talking and I still wasn't listening. My mind had started to replay every conversation I could remember about my dad and no job ever came to mind. He was always away on business trips but he never told me his job. Not even during his funeral where we buried an empty casket was his profession mentioned. Just the same sentences over and over: He was a great man. You look so much like him. He was a great man. You look so much like him.
"Oh my god." I stood up really fast and walked into the bathroom.
"What? What!" Anne called after me scrambling to follow.
"The attic!" I said pulling the string from the ceiling.
"You have an actual attic?" Anne responded watching me pull the stairs down. "Wicked."
The two of us climbed the old greying wooden stairs into the attic that had long been forgotten.

I was seven, and there was a huge storm.
I was seven, and didn't understand the warning sirens.
I was seven, and couldn't see out any window except the attic window.
I was seven, and starring out the attic window.
I was seven, and the tree went trough the window.
I was seven, and I was bleeding out on the ground.
I was seven, and my sister came running up the stairs.
I was seven, and I was taken to the hospital for the first time.
I was seven, and I saw my mom cry for the first time.
I was seven, and I had my first surgery.
I was seven, and "just breathe, Max. You're doing great."

The small window had been boarded up but never replaced and all my toys were still scattered by my old fort. My dad and I built it together one weekend when he was home. Anne and I played in it all the time until the accident. I walked over to it and peered in. I was vaguely aware of Anne following me.
Inside was a small mattress, four old greying stuffies, a few pictures I had drawn, a picture of me and my dad, and a small red treasure chest labeled; 'The Box.' A small gasp escaped Anne's lips and my mouth parted in surprise.

"Don't go in the box Max, promise me."
"I promise."
"This is Daddy's special box, do you understand?"
"Yes."
"It gets to stay here to make it more magical."
"Thank you!"
"I love you, Max."
"Love you, daddy."

I had my hand on the soft wood. The red was chipping in some spots but I couldn't remember it any other way. I glanced at Anne; her hair was falling into her face, and her eyes were locked on the box. She was anxious - her index finger was tapping furiously.
I lifted on the lid which made Anne suck in a sharp breath, and for her rhythmic tapping to quicken. My heart was pounding double time, and I was sure I was going to pass out.
The lid didn't budge.
Anne let her breathe escape in a defeated sigh.
"It's locked..." I mumbled sitting back on my heels. Anne dropped her hand onto her thigh with a slap.
"Perfect, now we have to find a key." I stared at the box my thoughts swimming circles in my head.
'We need to find the key.' 'It's locked.' 'What's inside?' 'Key.' 'Where's down here?' 'Key.' 'Why me?' 'Dad.' 'Key.' 'Dad.' 'Key.' 'Dad' 'Key' 'Dad' 'Key' 'Dad''Key''Dad''Key''Dad Key''Dad Key''Dad Key'
"Maxine!" Anne shoved my shoulder and I snapped my head towards her holding my hair out of my face.
"Huh?" She grinned a pity grin at me.
"I wish I could zone out like you. Anyways, my mom texted and I was expected home a half hour ago. You good?" I nodded quickly, and she smiled genuinely. "See you later, Maxine."
"In a while, Annie." Then Anne left the small fort and I listened to her descend the stairs. All the while looking at the box.

Five am and my phone goes off on full volume. I stumble-half dead-over to it and, without even checking, pick up the phone.
"I'm sick of this shit." I mumbled into the receiver too tiered to think about how to quiet my breathing, and swallowing.
"Maxwell, have you found the box yet?" The same voice from the last anonymous call asked.
"Shuddit," I mumble sitting on my bed, "where the hell is down here?" I hear movement on the other end, and the sound of rushing water which reminds me I should pee.
"Maxwell I need the box, very soon." The voice says instead of answering my question.
"Yea well it's locked." I respond getting quite sick of this guys shit. More movement on his end and the water seems louder, and I should really go pee.
"But you've found it?" He asks quietly.
"Uh-huh." I mumble shuffling into the bathroom.
"Maxwell, listen closely..."
"Uh-huh." I say lifting the toilet seat.
"Maxwell,"
"Uh-huh?"
"Maxwell I need the box down here ASAP." I give this really annoyed face even though he can't see it, and I position the phone between my shoulder and my head.
"Where is 'down here' mysterious phone call guy?" I ask grumpily while relieving myself.
"Henderson will remember."
The phone fell from my shoulder.

The Orino's were champion sleepers. We could sleep through a nuclear war, (well not actually since if a nuclear war happened we would probably be asleep and never wake up) but for some reason the sound of my phone dropping from my hounded was enough to get Jerry into the bathroom in a panic.
"Moxie?" She asked her voice raising in panic. I tie the tie on my pants, and flush the toilet.
I turn to face her forcing my face to a dead expression.
"Jerry?" I mumble despite my heart begging to escape through the skin on my throat. I swallow hard.
"I heard something drop." She mutters sweeping the floor with her eyes.
"I dropped my phone, something exciting happened in my podcast and I wasn't ready for it." I lie swallowing again and fiddling with my pants strings. Jerry raised an eyebrow.
"You suck at lying, Moxie." I nod, and drop my gaze to her purple clad feet poking out from under her blue house robe. "Why're you still up, really?"
"Had to pee..." I mumble gesturing lightly to the toilet. It wasn't a total lie.
"Uh-huh. Well I hope it's a good adventure and that you tell me about it when it's over." She puts her hands into her pockets, and leans on the door frame smiling. I smile wryly.
"Me, adventure? Never." I say as naturally as possible for someone who is trying to swallow their own heart, which is slowly crawling out onto their tongue.