Howie looked at Alvin as he worked on her prototype. "Is it working?" she asked as Alvin finally took off his goggles and took a step back from his latest project. With a proud smile, he adjusted his glasses and looked at Howie.
"It's finally working," he said, his proud voice taking over as Howie grinned and clapped her hands together happily.
"Great! Thanks, Alvin," Howie said as she grabbed onto the small metallic box.
"Wait!" Alvin called out as she stopped in her actions, looking at him expectantly. Squinting his eyes, he said, "What are you planning to do with that micro-electron magnifier?"
Howie just smiled, her lips stretching into what seemed like an evil smile. Alvin felt a cold shudder down his spine as he noticed her face. He knew that look anywhere and usually, it involved when it was about Max. Something about him made her go crazy in love, or something like that. "I want to use it to see Max."
"Uhm," Alvin said, his voice coming out in uncertainty. "Why?"
Howie just shrugged as a dreamy look filled her face. "He's just so cute." Alvin didn't have time to respond to that when she took that box and walked to the window before she pushed it upwards and walked out. Alvin didn't know what she saw in Max but apparently, he wasn't that into his feelings anyway. About half of the population, maybe more than a half, loved Max Asher.
Alvin just sighed before stripping out from his lab coat and placed it on the table. He walked to the bed and slumped down before he took his science magazine and decided to relax and continue reading. He barely made through one page when the door to his and Max's room opened, walking in was the snowboarder sensation himself. Max just dropped his bag on the bed and sat on it.
"Hey," Max greeted with a grin like he always did as he looked at Alvin.
"Hey," Alvin greeted back nonchalantly and continued on with his magazine, ignoring that Max was ever there. Silence enrolled into the room and before he knew it, Alvin found the silence disturbing. Whenever Max was in the same room as he was, it was never quiet. Alvin slowly looked away from his magazine towards Max's side of the room.
What he saw completely took him off guard. Max looked so serious as he leaned against the headboard of his bed, furrowing his eyebrows, thinking about something. Alvin raised his eyebrows at that scene, unsure of whether to retort a sarcastic comment or to ask him what was wrong. Finally, after a few seconds, Alvin sighed and placed down his magazine. "What's wrong, Max?"
Max immediately snapped his gaze at his best friend and sighed before he messed up his already messed up hair. "Hey, Shred, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, sure," Alvin straightened himself as he looked at Max, ushering him to go on. Max looked away from Shred as he slowly scratched the back of his neck nervously. With a small nervous laugh, Max finally looked back at Alvin and spoke.
"What's it like to date a boy?" Max asked. Alvin's fast-paced brain worked so fast that it left a stunned silence in the room. Alvin blinked a few times as he stared at his best friend, unsure of what to say. Max ignored the shunned silence and spoke again, "It's just I saw two boys kissing at school a few days ago and I don't know, they seemed normal?"
"Max," Alvin started. "Why are you asking this?"
Silence took over once again as Max sighed and finally stood up. Pacing in the room, Alvin's eyes just followed him as Max attempted to explain himself. "It just got me thinking what it would feel like to date a boy, that's all. So, you're the brainiac, I thought you would know."
"Max, Science is my thing, not feelings," Alvin said, almost softening his voice at the word feelings. Max stopped pacing before he looked at Alvin. Alvin shifted uncomfortably on the bed as he sighed, trying to take control of this situation. "Max, it's alright. It's just... you're curious. That's all. It'll pass."
Max nodded, taking it seriously. "But what if it doesn't go away," he said, starting to make hand gestures. "What to do then, Shred?"
Alvin shrugged, not liking this conversation one bit. He didn't care, honestly, that Max was bisexual at least, but the fact that he was asking Alvin about it didn't settle well for the young scientist. "I don't know, Max." Alvin just sighed before he stood up from his bed, ready to leave the room from discussing this any further. "Just date a boy then to satisfy that inner curiosity of yours. I'm going to get something to eat now."
Max just stood there as he thought about it. Alvin just shook his head as he reached the kitchen. He saw Abby texting someone as he made his way to the refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of water. Suddenly, he didn't feel like eating. Abby noticed Alvin and looked up from her phone. "What?" she asked when she realised that Alvin was staring at her.
"Nothing," Alvin said. "Who you're texting?" he asked as he took a cup and poured the chilled water into it.
"Oh," Abby said, a smile stretching on her lips. "Just Kyle."
"Kyle?" Alvin asked as he sipped his drink.
"Yep, my new boyfriend," she squealed excitedly. "He's so romantic!"
"How interesting," Alvin said dryly. Abby just rolled her eyes at him. "How long has it been? Two days?"
Abby pouted a bit as she tried to deny it. "No. Maybe... okay, it's been two days," she said defeated. "But, I think he's the one! I can feel it," she said as she sighed dreamily. Alvin just smiled small. As long as she was happy, he was happy.
Finally deciding to head back to their room, Alvin hoped that Max wouldn't bring that conversation up again. It was already awkward and it was certainly not Max Asher move. Nope, that certainly wasn't. He was a charmer but he never really thought anything seriously besides his snowboard training. Walking away from the kitchen, he took the stairs to get back to his room.
Once he walked into the room, he saw Max sitting at his corner, playing his video game. Alvin felt relieved at that as he flopped onto his bed and continued to read his science magazine. Silence only lasted about five minutes before he heard Max taking off his headphones and placing down his controller on the ground. "Hey, Shred?"
"Yeah?" Alvin asked, his eyes not leaving the magazine.
"Wanna go out with me?"
"Where to?" Alvin asked as he placed the magazine on the bed again, looking at Max with one of his eyebrows raised. Max sighed before he rolled his eyes at his best friend.
"Not that type of go out," he said as he quoted. Alvin furrowed his eyebrows as confusion filled his eyes.
"Max, what are you talking about?"
"Let's go out," Max said. Standing up, he grinned, as if he was making any sense. "You said the only way to satisfy my curiosity is to try it out, so why not?"
Alvin tried to register the words but all he got was nothing. "I don't understand."
"Man, let's go out, you know, like on dates and stuff," Max said as he gestured wildly with his arms, trying to get through Alvin's skull. A few seconds ticked on as he felt this huge uncomfortable silence drowning him. This was so not something Max Asher would do. No, this wasn't it. What the hell was wrong with Max today?
"Max," Alvin started out slowly, hoping that Max was just confused or maybe high from accidentally sniffing some toxic gas. "You're straight. You like girls. This is so not a Max Asher move."
"I know, I know," Max said. "But this Max Asher always likes to try something new," Max shrugged as if this was something normal to talk about. "I like girls, they're cute and pretty, but I just want to try and date a boy. No need for labels for this awesome Max, okay?"
Right, Alvin was sure, something was wrong with Max. "Max, let's drop it. I'm reading this magazine and I need to finish my homework." Alvin took back his magazine and opened a random page to read, hoping Max would get the idea that he didn't want to talk about it and leave him alone for the rest of the day. However, what he got was entirely different.
Max just walked up to Alvin and snatched the magazine away. "Shred, come on, help me out here! We're best bros, aren't we?"
"Max! You're being ridiculous," Alvin exclaimed as he grabbed back the magazine. "You're talking about dating boys as if you wanted to go and get some fro-yo. I'm not comfortable with this conversation. Let's drop it."
"So, you won't help your bro in this?" Max asked, sounding disappointed. Alvin just sighed before he adjusted his glasses.
"You could find other boys to date. I'm not against you with that. I'm just not comfortable with this," Alvin gestured between them. "I'm your bro so that's why I'm saying this. Drop it."
Max kept quiet for a while before he sighed and dramatically sat next to Alvin. "I mean, I thought you would agree."
"And why did you think that?" Alvin asked, completely taken off guard with that.
"Well, one, we're best bros so dating you wouldn't be that awkward," Max listed. "Two, we're already close. So, dating wouldn't change anything and when I'm finally not curious anymore, we could just go back to being bros again."
Alvin just stared at his best friend, unsure of what to say. He opened and closed his mouth before he shook his head. "There's like a hundred and twenty faults in that list of yours." Alvin opened his magazine again for the umpteenth time and decided to read. Max just shrugged as he sighed.
"I thought it was a great idea," Max said as Alvin rolled his eyes.
"Obviously you did," Alvin muttered under his breath as Max pouted. Silence filled in again as Alvin slowly relaxed into this trance and continued to read about some robotic stuff.
"We don't have to do anything weird," Max said, breaking off the silence.
"Max!" Alvin exclaimed, looking at him with a glare. "I'm trying to read!"
"Come on, bro," Max said as he grabbed onto Alvin's right shoulder. "Try it with me!"
"I said no!" Alvin growled out as he slapped Max's hand away. "Leave me alone."
"For just a few weeks," Max continued on. "And then we go back to being bros again. And I won't ask of this again! Max Asher's promise!"
Alvin groaned under his breath. He didn't know why Max was being this persistent but he knew, if Max didn't get what he wanted, he would try and try until he did. Max wasn't someone who loved to lose even though, lately, Max has been tolerant to Alvin winning. "Max, find someone else. I'm not the material to experiment on. I don't even want to date!"
"Exactly! You're unattached and lonely," Max said as Alvin frowned at that. "So, date me for a few weeks. Please?"
"Max—"
"Please?" Max pleaded as he looked at Alvin. Alvin just stared at him, frowning at him. He really wanted Max to leave him alone now but apparently he would bring this up every time Alvin wanted some peace of mind. Max had even went as far as faking his own "trapped-phobia" thing to get Alvin to sing that dreaded song, which he had to admit wasn't that dreadful at all in the end, and he knew Max would do something drastic again to get what he wanted.
He couldn't believe it. This wasn't in his plan at all.
"Would you leave me alone for the rest of the day if I agreed?" Alvin asked, glaring at Max who beamed up. Grinning, he finally patted Alvin on the shoulder.
"So, is that a yes?" Max asked as Alvin finally sighed.
"Fine, leave me alone now," Alvin said quickly as he grabbed onto the magazine again and continued to read. Max just grinned wider before he nodded.
"Thanks, Shred," he said.
Alvin could definitely feel himself regretting now. What the hell was wrong with him? He always somehow gave in too easily when it came to Max and now, this matter, he had given up way too easily! He had just agreed to date Max Asher.
He wasn't into boys like that!
He wasn't even into girls that way!
Quickly snapping away from his magazine from the sudden realisation, shock filled him. "Wait, Max!" he called out but as he looked around his room, he couldn't find him. Max had already left him alone, like Alvin wanted.
Alvin was about to get up and tell Max that he wanted to take back what he said when the look of hope on his face when he agreed flashed into Alvin's mind. Sitting back down, Alvin groaned under his breath.
What have I done?