Theories of Unbalanced Forces and Black Holes

part two | theory fifteen

"My nickname reminds me of my brothers." Maximillian almost choked on air, it was almost inaudible.

"Do you have a problem with them?" Alouette asked, praying to God that she had said the right words.

"Everyone is a lawyer in my house. Parents, my two older brothers and the other two below me are planning to be." He started, fidgeting with his fingers. "They happen to uh... look down on me and my dream to become a violinist. Saying that I wouldn't last long in the real world... That it's not a real profession." He bit his lip. "Baby Max this and Baby Max can't do that..."

Alouette froze. What were the right words to say? What would be something that could make him feel better? She didn't know.

"But the violin is the only thing I have..." He whispered harshly, almost as if he was talking to himself. "No one would understand."

Alouette breathed in and reached to his back to give at least an action of comfort to him but before she did,

"Only Claude does..." He mumbled, stood up and left.

Alouette watched as Maximillian's figure disappeared to the campus and the words slowly repeated in her head.

"Only Claude does...huh..." She repeated to herself.

Of course it would.

She remembered her talk with Claude with the can phones. About how he often teased Maximillian about his name or about himself even if Maximillian hated it dearly. She questioned herself as to how Claude could do it without hurting him. Or maybe it was simply because Maximillian knew that Claude never took those things seriously.

But even Claude has his own problems.

Alouette looked at her feet, her head started to hurt and she could see a white figure from afar but she dismissed it immediately. Instead, she thought of Claude. Of what he said to her on their last cup phone conversation and...

And of why he quit playing.

Would Maximillian know...?

"Alouette!"

She held her head up again and noticed Amanda running towards her with a big paper bag on both hands and boy, it looked heavy.

Alouette waved at her and Amanda only stopped and nod, breathing heavily.

"Was that Maximillian?" She asked between breaths and Alouette nodded. "What *breathes* happened *breathes* to his *breathes* tight pants?"

"I know you're excited but don't forget to breathe." Alouette patted her shoulder. "As for the tight pants, it's a Mary Jane break up thing."

Amanda nodded, her mouth forming into a large hole.

Once Amanda was breathing again like a human being and not a diseased malnourished hyeana being drowned in water, she handed the paper bag to Alouette.

She could see why Amanda was breathing too much. It really was heavy.

"You know what it is." Amanda winked.

Alouette could feel the corner of her lips rise up.

"Thank you, Amanda."

The player.

× × ×

Alouette questioned how the old century people managed to carry such things and it could be labelled as 'portable'. How could the people back then not have bulgy muscles if they carried such "portable" players all the time.

It wasn't at all portable. It deserved to be shelved.

Alouette took a deep breath again, this time, thanking the Heavens for letting her be born in an era where such a thing as an iPad existed.