You Love To Hate Me

I woke up in an empty bed. Oddly enough Max wasn't around. I got up, and stretched. I stood up and walked out of Max's room, and into Ronnie's room. Ronnie was on his bed asleep with Poe sleeping on top of him. I walked to Ronnie's side, and bent down. I rubbed Poe's head, and he lifted it looking lazily at me. I smiled and kissed his head.

I also shook Ronnie waking him up. He looked angrily at me.

"Why did you wake me up?"

"Do you know where Max is?"

"He isn't here?" He asked closing his eyes again. Poe jumped off the bed and stood next to me. I continually rubbed his head while our conversation continued.

"No."

"Well that is weird."

"No duh, that's why I was wondering if you knew where he was." We both heard the front door burst open and get slammed shut. Ronnie sprung out of bed, and followed me to the front room. Max staggered in looking lost.

"Max are you okay?" I asked silently. He looked at me with vacant eyes.

"I'm fine." He roughly pushed past me and into the living room where he collapsed on the couch scratching at his arms. I felt Ronnie's hand on my shoulder.

"Go into my room okay?"

"Why?" I questioned.

"Just go."

I did what I was told and went into his room. Poe was back on his bed sleeping away. I joined him, sitting down on the bed slowly. I was as quiet as possible. I wanted to hear their conversation in the other room. A few minutes went by and I could hear Ronnie's voice, but couldn't decipher any of the words. I got up from Ronnie's bed and made my way to the door. I kneeled down and put my ear to the hollow wood door.

"Max how could you be doing this?"

"You do too man."

"But you are the one who is married."

"Just back off my case."

"Stop with the drugs Max. I'm getting clean too. We both have too."

"What's the big deal?"

"You have a wife you nearly knocked to the floor." I heard Ronnie's voice get angrier.
"Do you even care?"

"No! Is that what you wanted to hear? No I don't care." I felt my heart sink. I collapsed all the way to the floor. Poe lifted his head up and stared at me. Tears stung my eyes as I stood up, and left the room.

In the living room I saw Ronnie and Max facing each other. They both had serious faces on. Ronnie added anger to his emotions. His hands were balled into fists, and it looked like he could strike at any moment.

"Is that what you really think?" I asked as my voice cracked. Max looked at me blankly and nodded his head. I surprisingly nodded my head in understanding. There was always a part of me that knew this would never work, that there was so much I had yet to learn about Max. I turned away from them and went into Max's room. Conveniently I kept all my stuff in one section. I grabbed it all in one big bundle, and walked it over to Ronnie's room. I crashed onto his bed with my cell phone in hand. I dialed a number and held the phone to my ear.

"Hello, you've reached Jimmie's Music. How may I help you today?"

"Hey Chad it's Maddie. I'm calling to let you know I'm going to be a little late today."

"That's no problem Madison." I could feel his smile from over the phone.

"Thanks," I ended the conversation. We said goodbye and I hung up the phone. I heard a knock on the door and Max came in.

He walked over to the bed and sat down on the floor. I could see feeling had returned to his eyes. He was coming down of whatever he was on.

"Hey Maddie," He started. I looked at him, and he continued.
"I think you know what is coming, and I think it's for the best. I think we should get a divorce. You know as well as I do that it isn't working out. I'm sorry Madz."

"It's alright Max. I knew it was coming, and it's the best decision for both our lives. Still friends though right?"

"Of course." He smiled, got up, and hugged me tightly.