Burning the Rulebook on Romance

"So, Eve you wanna tell me why you were so rude to Bryan earlier?" I snapped after the first class finished.
The topic had been irritating me since it occured and slowly built up to really piss me off.
Eve turned to look at me expressionlessly.
"Dude, he wants you to talk to the guy who put you on the brink of suicide. I met you halfway through your recovery and I'll never forget the state you were in. I'm not gonna sit by and allow him to pitch you his bullshit ideas." Eve explained calmly.
"Fair enough," I nodded. "But I can make my own decisions and right now I'm deciding to keep Bryan as a friend. That ok with you?" I rose my eyebrow.
"Not really," she responded airily, "not like I can do anything about it though."
This semi-argument had clearly caused tension between us but it wasn't rare. We were both strong, opinionated individuals, which often caused problems with living and working together.

"See you later, tomorrow...sometime...whatever," Eve called from the front door before I heard a slam.
I was spread across the living room couch, saring at the ceiling. I'd been doing this for some time come to mention. So I did the logical thing and call Bryan over.
Everything was going swimmingly with our beers for the first hour but you know some people just don't quit.
"Dakota, uh, have you though about...have you considered seeing Max like said?" he asked nervously.
"No, why would I?" I grunted trying to focus on the video game.
"Because I really think you should. Its...kind of a big deal," he poorly explained.
"Well in the words of that dude from Anchorman "I'm a pretty big deal"," I quipped before pausing the game. "Why? Why would it be a big deal for me to give his useless ass a second of my time? I don't even know why we're discussing it." I looked around, bored.
"Because he's killing himself and you're our last hope," Bryan burst.
"Whattt?" I looked up at him.
"I didn't wanna bring it up before, wasn't sure if you knew he'd quit the band. He can't kick his...addiction. Nothing is working," Bryan stared at me. I'd never seen him look so serious and frightened.
"Its really that bad?" I asked with great care.
"Yeah its that bad. Theres a bit more to it but yeah he quit cos he's falling apart. He's not even in Vegas anymore."
A shiver swept my body and the image of Max in some dark room taking god knows what, alone and depressed took over my mind.
"You're not trying to make it my fault that he's using, right?" I asked, feeling a little self-obsessed.
"No, no of course not. Don't be such a dumbass. He started a while after you broke up but it was never this bad," he ran a hand through his hair. "Will you at least try to talk to him?"
"What in person? I dunno man."
"He won't answer our calls. I can't see him myself, its killing me that he's like this. Please, I'm begging you, do it for me if not for him." I could see the desperation in his eyes.
I had a duty of care to my friends. Even though we weren't close anmore and only recently reaquainted Bryan was still important to me. Max hurt me so bed that I felt nothing but hatred for a long time, but now hearng this and picturing his state, I was overwhelmed by sadness and pity. Whether I was doing it for Bryan and his desperation or Max and his addiction of myself and my want to be exempt from guilt it didn't matter.
"Ok," I nodded, "Give me an address and I'll go find him."
**
I managed to forget the point of my journey for most part of the drive, I had to otherwise I'd have been nervous and upset for hours on end. I listened to upbeat music and thought about pole. Thas was until I reached the city of Los Angeles where I had to pay attention to my Sat Nav in order to reach the address. I was there within half an hour, my legs began to shake as I walked up to the main door.
'What if he's not even in?' I realised, 'Then we'll wait,' the other half of me answered. 'How long?' now I was arguing with myself, 'O don't know, we'll see, shut up!'
My feet stopped and the voices stopped when I reached the door with the number matching the one on the paper Bryan had given me. I swallowed whatever wanted to come out of my stomach and knocked.
Nothing.
I knocked louder.
"Go away," came a hoarse response from inside.
"No. Open the door," I sighed loudly.
"No. Fuck off," Max, defiant as usual.
I was thinking up a response, something that would get my way but I got another.
"Who is it?"
I paused in thought, would he answer if he knew it was me.
"Icecream," I replied and shrugged to myself.
There was shuffling and a bang before the door creaked open.
He stared at me for a minute or so in utter confusion.
"Dakota?" I think it was more than disbelief, it was shock and maybe some horror.
"Hi," I smiled a little, trying to mask my disappointment in the mess he'd become.
He was a funny pale colour and his hair looked a complete state, as if a child scribbled on some paper and replaced it. He looked like he was about to die. Many times I tried to imagine what an addic of this magnitude looks like and this was worse.
"What are you doing here?" he questioned.
"I came to see you of course," the smile I faked needed to be replaced.
"You shouldn't be here," he said staring at me as if I were the transluscent one of us.
"Neither should you. I think we should discuss this inside if you don't mind." I really didn't want to shout his probems down the hallway.
"I guess Bryan sent you or something," he scoffed. "Go home, you're wasting your time," he tried to close the door.
"And you're wasting your life!" I growled and held the door open, "You will listen to me whether you like it or not."
"And why should I do that?" Max glared at me.
"Because I'm important goddamnit!" Ok maybe not a sensible thing to say as I wasn't taking that very seriously. "Give me ten minutes and I'll leave."
Max stared at me, tired and disgusted at my presence, which i'll admit pissed me off.
"No." he went to close the door but harder. i threw my hand up again and s the two collided there was a cracking aound and pain shot through my entire arm. i stopped being able to breathe for a few seconds but made no noise to express the agony.
Max gasped quietly, "Fuck I'm sorry, Dee," he yanked the door back open and stepped toward me.
I sucked in a breath through my teeth, "Can I come in now?" I questioned through my teeth.
Max begrudgingly stepped aside and I entered the apartment.