Bruises in Miniature Form

Max slung an arm over my shoulder as he leaned forward with a sigh, pushing his weight onto me and expecting me to hold him up properly. My legs shook before I was scooped up into the arms of Omar, his large face stretched into a grin as Bryan came up behind him.

“Hey O, don’t go killing her now”
Omar shook me like a rag doll as Max stood back to avoid the war path. “She’ll be fine!”
“No, I won’t! Put me down!” I begged, fists pressing into his thick shoulder.

I was set free finally, the lungs returning to my bruised lungs as the two boys patted Max on the shoulder and punched his arm. I never quite understood the ‘man greeting’, it was like cavemen unable to produce English yet so they grabbed some clubs and attacked.

“So what are you two doing here?” Max asked when I was back by his side.
“I have to pick up some groceries for mom. Omar was hanging around so I brought him with me, you two stocking up on deserts?” Bryan answered.
Max clucked his tongue as he looked down at the ice cream in his small shopping cart. “Nah”
Interjecting I answered Bryan’s question, “Our parents needed some things. Ice cream was just the first thing he grabbed”
Omar nodded sympathetically, “Yah, that’s what Max usually does”
Max narrowed his eyes at his friend, “What I usually do?”
Bryan cracked a bright grin and ruffled his blonde hair, making the strands stick up in all directions; “Yah, Newton, the poor boy is constantly getting ice cream when he’s upset. He’s very feminine”
I laughed heartily as Max threatened to punch his friends under his breath. “I do not”
“Oh Max would never admit to it, you know? But he’s all into those chick flicks too” Omar added.
“Stop talking about me like I’m not here”
“You’ve done it to me,” I added, “I think its fair”

Max scowled in my direction before tugging the cart in the opposite direction and vanishing down the frozen isle. When he was gone I turned my eyes back to our friends.
“What was that about guys?”
“We figured you’d know. Why is he so prickly?” Omar spoke first, with Bryan nodding in agreement.
“Well... last week his parents told him they were going on vacation. He was upset about that”
Both boys frowned and shook their heads. “So he’s staying with you again?”
I nodded mutely, staring in the direction Max had left.
“Well, we figure it’s time for a party to cheer him up!”
“Why a party...?”
“Well, so long as he’s drinking with Ronnie, he always seems to be cheered right up”

Pursing my lips I rolled my shoulders and let the boys begin planning their party. Bryan suggested themes; Omar suggested alcohol and the cycle began. I agreed to keep Max out of the loop and bring Jennifer along, so long as I wasn’t required to do much else.
With a quick call on Omar’s phone to Jennifer I let her spread the word and the boys finish their talk before hunting Max down in the aisles. While I wasn’t sure on a party for Max, I knew he needed some way to cheer up.
His back was hunched over, and he hardly looked up for anything, even when I called his name out and a woman with child bumped nastily into his shoulder. Max just let his black hair droop into his eyes to shadow his face and let the breaths escape his lungs.

“You can spend time with them, you know. You don’t always have to be with me” Max spat when I grabbed a can of tomato paste and threw it into the cart.
My attention was alerted to the defensive tone he had taken on and my skin prickled with worry. “I’m not always with you”
“Yah you are,” He shouted, causing a few heads to turn in our directions, “every time I turn around, there you are!”
Tilting my head to the side I forced a smile before I found it becoming true; Max had an awful habit that I was going to break. “Want to go on vacation?”
“What?” He scowled.
“Vacation...? Yes or no” I carried on; ignoring the way confusion replaced his volatile mood.
“How the hell can we go on vacation?” I smiled at his little admittance of ‘we’, it seemed I wasn’t as annoying as he let on.
“Finish the grocery list and get in the car with me. Just close your eyes and trust me, okay?”

A plan formed in my mind quickly, one I thought was a much better idea than Omar and Bryan’s. While their tactic was alcohol induced fuzz, mine would be confrontation.

We finished collecting the items off our list; frozen peas, salad, salad dressing, four loaves of bread, a pack of steak, cereal and a carton of ice cream (per Max’s request). The check out was fast and soon enough we were in the car I borrowed from Rick and driving back home. I had Max close his eyes the minute his seat belt was on, and made a few odds turns so he wouldn’t be able to guess where we were going.
Parking in the drive way I trusted him not to open his eyes as I dropped the bags off and revealed my plan to Rick, who grinned cheekily and informed me he would handle everything before placing his credit card in my left hand. I had the directions and once I was on the road with Max, it didn’t take long before I was letting him open his eyes and the high way was opening up for us.

“Where the hell are we going?” He asked, fiddling with his fingers as he looked at all the road signs flying past.

I ignored his questioning as I did my best to remember all the directions; in less than two hours Max and I would be at the vacation home of Mr and Mrs Green, and Max would have the chance to confront his parents.