Pause (Published)

Chapter 27: Game Over

He laughs humorlessly and the sound scares me. His usual joy is dead. "Where do I even start?"

"How about from the very very very...end." I say, messing up the saying as his eyebrows scrunch up together in confusion. I shrug, "What can I say? I don't do cliche. Besides the end is where it begins right?"

He rolls his eyes at me playfully as l slap his chest, faking hurt. "You never make any sense." he comments before continuing, "Anyways I'll do what you ask and jump to the end. My parents are getting a divorce because my mom was cheating on my dad and it's all my fault."

I hear the pain behind his now cheery voice so I crack a joke, hoping to lighten his mood a little, "Well at least your mother isn't in prison." I say, trying to get him to see the upside as I give him my rare comforting and fleeting smile.

"What?" he sputters, taken aback by that burst of his air balloon.

I wave off the matter, "Get on with your heart to heart hear Max. I'm looking forward to this DMC, deep meaningful conversation or as I prefer, depressing miserable crap."

He nods, obeying and not asking any further questions, "I caught my mom with this other guy and I told my dad and now he wants a divorce. This is all my fault. My mom isn't even talking to me right now. She wanted me to side with her because my dad's always away on business and now it's all my fault and I-"

Slap!

I watch as his head whips to the side from the impact of my hit.

"Did you just slap me through the face?!" Max hisses, bewildered.

I nod, "Actually I punched you but lets just go with slapped. I thought it would calm you down. Don't be so melodramatic."

"How would that calm me down?!" he yells, cradling his now red cheek between the palms of his hands like some sulky little baba.

I shrug innocently, "Well did it work?" I ask, curious at my technique.

"No!" he shouts accusingly.

I lift my fist to his face again, "Well then let me try a second time-"

He stops me from trying again as his hand clasps around my own and lowers my hand back down to my lap, "Don't try again you hooligan!" I pout at him for being selfish and not letting me slap him again. "I thought you were going to genuinely help me, not resort to physical abuse. I don't need toughening up, I need a friend and seeing as I'm clique-less like you always remind me, I'm kind of lacking in the friend department."

I sigh, feeling bad for him, "Max, it's not your fault your mom and dad are having problems. What's happening is between them. Your mom is just hurt, she'll get over it. You're her son. And as for you telling your dad, I think you did the right thing. Your father deserves the truth. Max...it's not your fault. If you want to take one thing from what I've just said, take that."

Max nods, shooting me a fleeting smile, "I know it's not my fault. Believe it or not I can be logical when I want to be. But then why do I feel responsible? Why do I feel guilty when I shouldn't have to. I guess I'm just feeling lost at this stage."

I understand from where Max is coming, having been through my own familiar experience. Jay made it clear that I shouldn't have to feel guilty that my mother has been sentenced to prison, yet I still feel responsible and guilty. I now it's not my fault but the feeling is still there. "Max, I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason, so I'm telling you now to hang in there and see for yourself how things will work themselves out, it happened for me and it can happen for you too if you just let it."