Stranger

Alex’s POV

I know that I went overboard when Cassie mentioned Max but she really doesn’t know what he can do. I was just looking out for her and making sure she wouldn’t get hurt because she was my friend. And something that beautiful and fragile didn’t deserve to get hurt. I admit that I like her more than the way she thinks but I’d rather be her friend. I wasn’t Max.

During lunch time, when I wrapped my arm around Cassie, I saw Max at the large oak doors of the school. I also saw the anger and jealousy in his eyes. The same emotion that he had when he did those horrible things and instantly.

Yet, those same emotions are what pushed me to hurt Cassie. So that makes me just as terrible as Max. I guess he really rubbed off on me. I felt terrible though. I had a conscience which made me better than him. Right?

He used to be my best friend. We were like brothers. My parents almost adopted him after his parents left but he still had a grandfather to watch over him as a legal guardian. Max and I, we went WAY back.

I was walking my dog, Shadow, around the neighborhood when I heard someone crying. Shadow heard it and led me straight to a sniffling Max, sitting on the park bench.

“Hey kid. Are you okay?” I ask while tugging on Shadow’s leash.

The kid looks at me with pain filled eyes but when he notices Shadow looming over him, he scrambles to go away. His pain turned to fear and he noticed me laughing at his sudden change of expression. Then he laughed with me and soon, we were talking about ourselves while Shadow quietly walked around a bully’s legs. The bully was about to pick on Max for crying but suddenly Shadow ran, making the big guy trip.

Max and I blurted out laughing but the dude was HUGE and he was getting up so I took Shadow’s leash and we ran like no tomorrow.

That was twelve years ago. The first time I met Max. Our friendship started twelve years back with my dog Shadow and I guess it ended when Shadow died too. Max doesn’t know though but I guess now would be a good time to mention it.

Max and I were sitting on the roof of my house, just watching people pass by. Cassie lived by her word and didn’t talk to us the rest of the day. We also lived by our word and talked it out.

I poked Max’s arm with a twig and he glared at me for a second before his expressions softened. He placed his hands behind his head and lay on the roof while I hugged my knees closer to my chest.

“What is it Alex?” he asked.

Then in that moment, I felt like we were five years old again and we could read each other like a giant sign. I held back a sniffle and instantly, Max had his arm around my shoulders and he was sitting close to me.

“Alex, you can tell me anything. I’ve known you forever and something is bugging you. What’s up?”

A tear fell down my face and rain began to pour on us but we didn’t move. I remember Shadow so well and it hurts knowing he wouldn’t come back anymore. Then I let myself cry and Max knew I had to let this out.

He held me and despite the freezing temperature and our wet clothes, he was warm. Max hugged me and I felt much better but there was still a lump in my throat that stopped me from telling him. Until I heard my neighbor’s dog howl.

I had to tell him.

“Max, Shadow’s gone.”

And then we both couldn’t speak.