The car ride is quiet and tense. Narhi sits with his hands in his lap like a boy who just got in trouble with his parents. He pulls the loose threads off of the rips in the knees of his jeans. Max stares out of the window like he's interested in the scenery but he's definitely just trying not to make eye contact with Narhi who keeps looking over at him.

“Narhi, you know the woods are dangerous right now. I'm not going to tell you again to stay away from that place until the police deem it safe.” She glances into the rearview mirror and decides not to say anything to Max. It's painfully obvious.

“It's not like I was the only one who was there.” Nahri mumbles. He stares accusingly at Max who pointedly stares out the window. He feels the words land on his shoulder and resists the urge to brush them off. He wasn't in the woods on purpose, he thinks. He says nothing, as usual.

“I don't care about faults. I'm saying it now and it goes for everyone. The woods aren't safe, so, stay away.”

“Why?” Max hears himself say. He quickly looks at Keelie, who stares at the road, and then Narhi. Dammit, after all that work he's staring into this guy's eyes again. They're like crystals and Max feels like they're examining him in excruciating detail.

“What do you mean why, Max?” He says it like they're already friends. “You saw that thing.” Max doesn't hear the last part. He's still thinking about the way Narhi just said his name. Are they friends now? Is that all it takes? Or is Narhi just one of those people who thinks nothing of familiarity.

Keelie doesn't take her eyes off of the road. “You saw it?” She asks. “The beast?” And then it was real because it's one thing if some random teen says it and it's another thing when the freaking sheriff says it. Nevermind seeing it with his own eyes. He could always be the crazy one.

“I saw it,” Max says quietly, and he doesn't know if he believes himself.

Keelie sighs. “I'm sorry, Max. I really wanted to ease you into everything. This must all seem unreal.”

It does seem unreal, but the longer he thinks about it the more dissociative he feels.

“It's... fine.” He looks back out the window and says nothing else.

“Would you stop watching the f…” Narhi glances at Keelie then back at Max. “Freakin’ pine trees right now? We just survived the beast! And you're just like, ‘it's fine’?!”

Max looks at Narhi and Narhi's looking at him like he should be feeling something other than what he's feeling but all he can focus on is that sentence.

“Um… these are...um…not pine trees…” He wrings his hands out and he wants to look back out the window but he feels like he can't now so he looks at the unbuckled seat belt on the middle seat. “They're…they're sequoias…” Which don't really look like pine trees, Max thinks, but he doesn't say it out loud. He's taken enough risks today.

Narhi looks like he might say something but Keelie let's out a raspberry trying to hold back her laugh and he just leans back in his seat instead.

“Whatever…” He says. Keelie is laughing and Max just looks back out the window. He might feel a little guilty but that also felt like the first triumph of the day, even though it's night already.

After only a little bit longer, they pull up to an apartment building and Narhi and Keelie both get out. She hugs him and Max feels uncomfortable enough to look the other way. It's weird to think that Keelie is supposed to be his guardian now but she seems like she's already a parent to this guy. Max starts to feel like a puzzle piece that doesn't fit and he's closing in on himself as they say their goodbyes. He wills himself not to the entire time but who knows what good it really does.

“It's not your home anymore, kid.” He can hear Keelie trying to be quiet through the window.

“Neither is this,” Narhi tells her before glancing through the window. Max isn’t looking but he can just tell. Something about Narhi is so loud, even when he's not talking.

When Keelie gets back in the car she tells Max to come and sit up front. He doesn't want to but he does it anyway because saying no feels awkward. She talks about Narhi and how she was a good friend of his mom before she died. Max feels like he shouldn't be listening but he doesn't stop her. She tells him she feels a bit responsible for the guy because he's always getting in trouble but she knows deep down, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, everyone knows each other and has bonded and Max is sitting in the front seat of a sheriff's car with the stranger who's going to take care of him now. This day is already too much for him and he thinks he's probably had enough of that guy. Oh, she's been talking for some time and Max realizes that he hasn't been listening after all.

“That Narhi is a wild one.” She laughs. Then she gets a mysterious look in her eyes that looks like it's her real face instead of that warm smile from the doorway earlier today. “He doesn't show it but he's got a lot going on inside. You seem like you've got a good head on your shoulders. Look after him, would you?”

Only Max was pretty sure she's just spouting out some of that pre-recorded bullshit adults say when they're encouraging you to do the stuff you really don't want to do but that they think you should be doing. Or maybe she's just giving him the go-ahead to be friends with that crazy guy. Isn't she the sheriff? Shouldn't she be telling him to stay away from delinquents?

Max just says, “Yeah,” and pretends he's really interested in whatever is outside the car which is just the city and is much less entertaining than the sequoias. Then he remembers Narhi's dumb expression when he told him they weren't pine trees and laughs quietly to himself. Keelie doesn't try to have a conversation after that and in the silence of the car ride, for the first time, Max feels comfortable next to her.

When they get back to the cabin, Keelie shows Max his room. It's empty except for a bed with green sheets and an end table with a lamp. Max's single duffle bag full of everything he owns sits at the base of the bed. Everything in the house is earthy colored and Keelie reminds Max of a Calla Lily when she leans against the window. Max stands by the door like he needs permission to enter.

“I haven't really gotten to talk to you as much as I'd hoped.” She smiles. Then she motions toward the bed and Max finally walks in and takes a seat, his fingers gripped tightly in his other hand.

“Well, um… we can talk… now?” He chances a glance and looks back at his hands in his lap. “I-if you want to.”

She smiles a warm, closed-lipped smile and it feels genuine.

“No, I think you've had a big enough day. We can talk tomorrow. At breakfast!” She's suddenly excited. “I'm not a great cook, but I've got breakfast food down.” She winks and Max laughs at that, for real. “I think that's the first time I've seen you laugh.”

Max feels a pang of guilt and Keelie tucks her almost-white hair behind her ear.

“Sorry…”

“It's okay. I get it.” She doesn't look at him. He doesn't look at her. “Get some sleep.”

Max is still sitting when Keelie gets to the door. He sees a glimpse of something in her expression as she leaves. It's something he's very familiar with.

Regret.

“K-keelie?” He doesn't call it out intentionally, but she peeks back into the doorway. They make eye contact and Max feels his hands sweating as he struggles to think of something to say.

“Max,” she smiles. “Things are going to be better now, okay?”

He nods.

And then the door is closed.