A safer place

chapter two

It was Saturday noon when Max finally got up. No one stopped her from sleeping in on the weekends her parents were out, so she let herself do just that.

The girl yawned, turning around to look around the room, unconsciously searching for Billy.
But the blond was nowhere to be seen, so she got up and grabbed some clothes to get ready.
When she left her room, walking towards the bathroom, she stopped when she heard steps coming from the kitchen.

Max quickly peaked through the door, seeing Billy standing at the stove, which was a weird enough sight in itself since he never cooked.
Though the redhead knew he liked to, he never did.
But right now he was whistling along some song playing faintly on the radio and flipped around something in a pan.

Taking in the smell, Max assumed he was making scrambled eggs for breakfast, but probably only for himself.
They always ate separately when their parents didn't make them sit together for meals, and last night was weird enough for her.

Billy hadn't seemed to notice her so she just went into the bathroom like she wanted to, getting into the shower quickly, brushing her teeth and put on the striped shirt and cargo pants she had picked out.

Once she was ready, she went out, about to enter her room again when Billy called out for her.
„Come here, I made breakfast!"

Max entered the kitchen again, looking at the two prepared plates.
„That's nice of you" she smiled, picking up the dishes and cutlery and brought them over to the table, Billy following with two glasses and a carton of orange juice.

They sat down and ate in silence until Billy cleared his throat, making Max look up at him through her towel dried bangs.

„Thank you" the boy whispered, not looking at her, but she knew what he was talking about.
Still, the girl decided to let him actually talk.
„Thank me for what exactly, Billy?" she chuckled when the blond across from her rolled his eyes.

„For...last night. Don't make me say it, dipshit" he muttered, making Max break out in laughter.
„Why, because you're too manly to admit that the Billy Hargrove had a nightmare?"

Billy sighed, looking up at her now.
„Not only that, but I also meant that you're not making fun of me...though you're doing it right now so I'm taking that back" he chuckled.

„Yeah, that's fair. But I told you already, I don't really care. It's more chill when you don't want to hit me for existing, so this is a welcome change" she responded, her voice getting more serious the longer she talked.

Max's brother shivered slightly and swallowed thickly before nodding.
„I'm sorry for being such an ass" he admitted, locking eyes with her.
„I guess you were just...there, and I didn't have anything else to take my anger out on...but that's not an excuse, and I'm sorry."

Max smiled at the genuine apology.
„It's okay Bills, I know your life isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows either."
And with that, the conversation died down, both of them eating in silence.

When Max went to clean their plates, Billy came after her and leaned against the counter.
„So, when do you want me to bring you to the arcade? And when do you want to be picked up?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

The girl chuckled, hanging up the towel she had used to dry off the plates.
„Why, do you have places to be?"

„No, not really" Billy muttered.
Max waited patiently, since she could tell he wasn't done talking yet.
„I just thought maybe we could hang out after you're back..? If that's alright with you?" Billy asked, making the girl laugh.

„You want to spend time with me all of the sudden? Who are you and what did you do to Billy?"
When the blond rolled his eyes, she softly hit his arm.
„I'm just messing around. If you want to hang out, I can stay here too. Or we go together and I beat your ass at video games" she grinned.