The next day Maxwell texted me a good morning text like he usually did. I replied to it, and we talked before he met up with me in the lobby on the ground floor, and we walked to our classes together. It was like yesterday didn't happen, and he was back to the bubbly social Maxwell everyone knew. I was also starting to wonder if I should bring up yesterday so that we could talk about it, but did I really want to do that when it looked like he had gotten over it?

A sigh left my lips as the pencil lead of my mechanical pencil snapped from the pressure I was applying to the paper without thinking. I brushed the broken piece away before clicking the eraser end to get more lead. I was in one of my English lectures, but instead of taking notes I was busy worrying about Maxwell.

I bit my bottom lip as I tried to concentrate on what my lecturer was saying, but I just couldn't. I sighed again, looking at my laptop screen before an idea came into my mind. I then opened up a word document and started typing. I probably wouldn't be able to get Maxwell to talk to me, but I could cheer him up with a little short story. I was able to chug out two thousand words at the end of the class, and I left for the next one just like everyone else. I worked on it for a bit in my linguistics class, and I revised it during my short ten-minute break between lectures.

When I was done with my classes for the day, I headed to one of the many study halls in the humanities building. I sat at the back before taking out my phone to text Maxwell.

Message to: Maxwell.

Hey, are you out of class yet?

THURS, 2:28 PM.

I asked him, watching as the three blue dots that showed he was typing came up.

Message from: Maxwell.

Yeah, I just got out. Do you want to eat lunch together?

THURS, 2:29 PM.

Message to: Maxwell.

Yeah.

THURS, 2:30 PM.

Message from: Maxwell.

Okay. I'll meet up with you in the cafeteria in the student union building. How's that?

THURS, 2:31 PM.

Message to: Maxwell.

Sounds like a plan! I'll be there in like ten minutes.

THURS, 2:32 PM.

I pressed send, smiling down at my phone a bit before I got up from the seat in the study hall and headed out of the humanities building. The student union building wasn't too far away, and soon I was in it and heading to the cafeteria inside.

He's acting too calm. I thought, thinking about the texts I exchanged with Maxwell a few minutes ago. He seemed to be banking on me not bringing up the conversation about his break down, but I didn't want it to slide under the table as if nothing happened.

A smile made its way to my face when I found Maxwell sitting but the window at the corner. He waved at me, and I waved back before heading to join one of the food court lines. When I had gotten something to eat I headed over to sit at the table with him. I sat across from him so that I could look at him right in the face.

"How were your classes today?" I asked, watching him smile a bit.

"They were fine," he said, his smile widening. I didn't smile back, but rather I frowned. He's trying really hard to ignore what happened. I thought to myself, noticing that the smile he was wearing was forced and it wasn't reaching his eyes. Maxwell could pretend around other people, but since I had started being around him more I could spot when he was happy and when he was not.

"So, you still don't want to talk about it?" I said, making Maxwell pause chewing his food. He just stared down at his food, his eyes refusing to look up to reach mine. I sighed, resting my back against my seat as the awkward silence fell on us.

"I know you want to ignore it, but I don't know — I don't want to pretend everything is fine when it's not," I said, watching Maxwell, but he still didn't move or show me any reaction.

"About your dad, about everything," I started, not knowing where I was going with what I was saying. "I might not exactly understand what it feels like, but I want you to know I'll be there for you," I added, watching as Maxwell eventually looked up at me. His brown eyes stared into my green ones, and I could feel my heart beat quicken from the look on his face.

"I don't know it feels like every time you learn something that..." he let the last part trail off, before shrugging. "I don't know. Odd, damaged, I'm not sure what word to use. I feel like anytime you figure out something like that about me that I'm less of the person you liked in high school. I feel like the more you get to know about me, the less you'll like me if that makes sense," Maxwell said, sighing as he reached out for the can of soda by his plate.

"I don't want you to leave," he mumbled, making me frown as I let out a sigh.

"That again? I mean, I'm not going anywhere. I like you a lot, I won't run away if I know more about you — I want to know," I said, and I watched as Maxwell gave me a wary look. He didn't seem convinced, and it made me uneasy.

"My mum left my dad for someone else and left me behind. My dad hates me. Well, no hate. He treats me like that cobweb on the ceiling you can't brush away, so you just leave it there. Everyone seems to have that subtle crush on me but when I show them what I'm not just a little bit they leave and run away," Maxwell started. "I actually don't want to be in the music program — I hate it. It's stressful. I'm just doing it because my orchestra coordinator from high school suggested it and my dad thought it was a good idea."

I blinked. I hadn't expected him to do that. I looked over at his arms and shoulders to make sure he wasn't shaking. I calmed down when I noticed he was just preoccupied with spinning the can of soda between his fingers.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning." he frowned. "Will they still want to be friends with me if they knew X or Y, will they still like me if they knew A or B? And the funny thing is that I know all I have to do is stop caring, but I just do. I want people to like me."

"Even as I get to know you, and realize that you won't leave, I still feel like shit sometimes. I don't know, sometimes I'd extremely happy then I freak out because I think I'm going to cross the line somehow or make one mistake and you'll decide you don't want to deal with it—"

"Maxwell," I said, cutting him off.

"Yeah?" he answered looking up at me.

I smiled, leaning in a bit before reaching out my hand for his. "Please try not to worry about that around me, okay?"

Maxwell didn't say anything in response, he just squeezed my hand and let out a sigh. I smiled at him, watching as he took his hand away from mine to continue eating.

"Oh, I wrote something for you," I said, remembering the short story I had written in my English Lecture. Maxwell looked over at me with interest, and I checked a bit, taking out my thin laptop before unlocking it and opening the word document. I smiled, turning the laptop so that it could face him.

"Gosh," Maxwell said, chuckling. I laughed too, feeling my face warm up as his eyes looked at the screen. It's been a while that I've written my mini fics. I had salvaged my journal from the trash during my falls trash day when we had to send down the main bins to the ground floor collection room.

"I love it," Maxwell eventually said, and I laughed, happy that he liked it. Like I had expected my face was red as he read through it, and when he was done he slid my laptop over to me, and I took it before shutting it down. "What happened to your journal again?"

"I tossed it in the trash, but I found it a while ago when sending the floor trash down," I said, and Maxwell let out a small oh.

"Can I read it? I never finished." My face grew warmer with his request, and I felt my chest flutter.

"Sure," I said, and I had the opportunity of watching a smile spread across his face.

"Thanks," he said, and I just nodded before turning my focus to my food again.

"Xander."

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for cheering me up," he said, making me look over at him. I shrugged, running a hand through my dark brown hair as I stared at his dimpled smile and freckled cheeks.

"I mean, I'm your boyfriend. Cheering you up should be like the bare minimum," I said, making him laugh before he looked back down at the food in front of him. I stared at Maxwell for a while, thinking over something I wanted to ask him before deciding that it was okay.

"Maxwell," I called, making him look straight at me. "Would it be weird if I asked you to come to stay at my aunt's place during the holidays? I'm not trying to be pushy or anything, but if you don't like staying alone — with your dad, you could stay with me and my cousins."

After saying what I had to say I suddenly felt stupid, not knowing how Maxwell would react.

Too far. Too far. I muttered in my head when Maxwell didn't answer immediately. I was starting to get nervous and wanted to take my request but Maxwell spoke up before I could backtrack on what I said.

"Is that — is that really okay?" he asked, making me come out of my thoughts as I turned my gaze to him. "Can I really come over to your place during the holidays?" he asked, and I found myself nodding in response. A huge smile made its way to his lips, and it was infectious, and I was soon smiling too.

"I'd love to come. Anything's better than staying over in school, or going home and having no one to talk to," he said. "Will your aunt and her husband mind though?"

"Nah, my aunt actually asked me if I wanted to bring anyone over," I said, watching as Maxwell nodded at m response. His wavy red hair bounced with the action, and I looked away from him as my cheeks grew warm when I thought about reaching out and running my fingers through his hair.

With the confidence his reply planted in me, I soon found myself making another request. "I'm meeting up with my cousin that goes to the art institute close by on Friday, do you want to come with me?" I asked, and I watched how Maxwell's lips pursed a bit, but he eventually nodded.

"He's not going to tease you or anything. He's pretty shy," I said, thinking to how quiet yet direct Caleb was. I was going to have dinner at his place tomorrow, and I had thought it would be weird to ask Maxwell to come along with me before because of how introducing him to my parents pressured him into talking to his dad about me. I didn't want to come off like I was forcing things on him, and I didn't want him to feel like he was obligated to follow me.

Maxwell nodded at that as a small chuckle escaped his lips, and we both went back to eating our food. When we were done we walked back to the Residence building together, and the uncomfortable atmosphere from earlier this morning disappeared.