“Oh, I see! I get it now,” I said with a smile while listening to Max talking about football.

Max looked at me with a disbelieving smile. “No, you didn’t,” he chuckled.

“No, I didn’t,” I sighed in misery. “I’m sorry. I’m just stupid sometimes...”

“Don’t say that,” Max said, and patted my shoulder. “You’re not stupid.”

I couldn’t help but imagine the lie in his voice. Max had spent the past half an hour trying to explain the basics of football, but I just didn’t understand a word he was saying. It was like he was suddenly speaking a whole new language. He was nice enough not to get frustrated with me, but I believed it was irritating for him when I couldn’t understand even the simple things.

“It’s all right...” I muttered.

Max frowned at me before he turned to look at the mall in front of us.

“Well, you know a lot about nature, so you can’t be stupid,” he said. “It’s not a big deal if you don’t care about sports.”

I didn’t know what to say. I knew he was just being nice, like he always was. I followed him silently through the huge doors into the mall and almost bumped into him when he suddenly stopped.

“Where can we get the camping equipment?” Max asked, looking around.

“It’s this way,” I said quietly, and started walking towards a set of escalators.

The shop that sold primarily camping and hiking equipment was located on the third floor where the not-so-cool stores were. I had seen some of our classmates and other teenagers on the first and the second floor, but I had never seen anyone of my age coming to the third floor. I led Max past the shops that sold everything from knitting supplies to baby clothes.

I noticed that Max was looking around, but he wasn’t interested in anything he saw. He did look out of place. There were only adults with small children around us, and even they seemed to be wondering why Max was there. I was blending in perfectly, but he was like a neon sign.

“It’s here,” I told him, and stopped in front of a quiet shop.

I was a regular customer there, so the cashier waved at me with a friendly smile on his face when he saw me.

“Do you know him?” Max asked with curiosity in his voice. “I thought you moved here a month ago.”

I blushed lightly. “I’ve been here a few times...”

The truth was, I’d been there a few times every week after moving into the city. I kept breaking or losing my stuff, so I had to come buy new ones. Sometimes I just came there to pass some time since I didn’t have much to do after school.

“Oh, okay,” Max said and looked around. “So, what do I need?”

“Boots, for one. And a sleeping bag. Follow me,” I told him, and walked towards the back of the shop.

I had pretty much everything else we needed so it didn’t take too long before we had everything Max needed. I waited for him while he paid for his boots and the sleeping bag. I started to feel sad again when Max followed me out of the shop.

“Are you sure this is all I need?” Max asked, studying the label of his new sleeping bag.

“Yeah – I can get everything else we need,” I told him, and searched for the nearest clock.

It was six already, and I had tons of homework to do. I turned to look at Max, who was also checking the time.

“Well, thanks for help,” he said with a smile. “I would’ve bought the wrong equipment without you. I had no idea there could be so many different hiking boots and sleeping bags.”

I was about to start a lecture on all the things he needed to consider when buying camping equipment, but I managed to snap my mouth shut. I was sure Max didn’t want to listen to me babbling about boots.

“So, uh, about this weekend...?” I spoke timidly.

“I’m free,” Max said. “So, are we going to check out the barn on Saturday?”

I nodded enthusiastically. Earlier, we had talked about visiting the barn where I had seen the owls, but Max hadn’t been sure if he had the time. I gave him a smile, before looking down at my shoes, feeling shy all of a sudden.

I had plans for the weekend with someone! I had spent every weekend alone, so it was nice to finally have someone accompanying me when I left to explore the forests.

“Do we need to stay the night at that place?” Max asked.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want. We are supposed to start with the project next week. I just want to go see what we’re up against so we can come up with a proper plan,” I told him.

He chuckled lightly, and his eyes were sparkling. “You sound like we’re going there to conquer the place,” he said jokingly. “You know, I thought you were really shy. I was afraid that you wouldn’t even speak to me.”

“Oh...” I muttered and blushed. “I know I’m weird...”

“That’s not what I said,” Max said sternly. “You don’t have to be shy around me, you know? This project would get really difficult if you didn’t talk to me.”

I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that. “I’ll try,” I said, since he clearly waited for my reply. “I’m just not used to having f-”

I snapped my mouth shut before I could say the word ‘friends’. I didn’t want to sound lame and pathetic.

“I mean – I just moved here, and... I... I’m just a geek...” I stuttered hastily, and fell silent again, realizing I was just making the situation worse.

Why couldn’t I be one of the cool kids? Cool kids were good with words, and they always sounded so confident and interesting. I was just a whiny little nerd who had a children’s backpack and dressed in grandpa clothes.

“Hey – you’re not a geek,” Max said and patted my shoulder. “You’re just different, and that’s not a bad thing.”

That just made me feel a lot worse than I already did. I felt like a ten-year-old who was being comforted by his big brother.

“Thanks...”

I wasn’t sure if Max knew that being different meant being a geek. I was fine with being the weird one, but it was hard for me to get any friends. That was what I wanted to say, but my mouth just wasn’t cooperating.

I saw Max looking at the clock again. I was pretty sure he was trying to find a nice way to tell me he had to go already.

“I’m starving, should we go grab something to eat?” he asked, taking me by surprise.

I stared at him like he had just grown a pair of antlers or something. He stared back at me, frowning at my expression.

“Or... not?” he asked.

“No! I mean yes! Sure. I’m hungry too,” I managed to mumble.

“Great. Do you eat meat?” he asked and gestured to me to follow him.

“I do, but...” I had my principles, but I wasn’t sure if Max cared about it.

Max looked at me and smiled. “I know a place where they sell great organic food,” he said, like he was reading my mind!

I fell in love with him all over again. Not literally, of course. Maybe. I didn’t know! He was so handsome it was hard to stay straight. And he ate organic food!

I followed him out of the mall like a happy little puppy. I might have looked like a complete idiot, worshipping him with a stupid smile on my face, and the worst part was that he noticed it.

“Why are you looking at me like that,” he chuckled. “I’m just trying to make good choices in my life.”

“No, of course! I just... I just thought no one else cared about organic food,” I muttered.

“Organic is healthier,” Max shrugged. “And I prefer to support local farmers and businesses instead of big worldwide industries.”

“Oh,” I said enthusiastically.

How great was he? He wasn’t just another mindless jock who only cared about having the hottest cheerleader as his girlfriend. Why didn’t he have a girlfriend? Everyone knew he was still single, even though there was a long line of takers in our school.

“It’s this way,” he said once we were standing outside on the sunny street, pointing to our left. “They have a great salad bar. My friends usually want to eat at some fast-food joints, so I don’t get to go there often.”

I couldn’t do anything else except smile like an idiot while following him through the streets. I didn’t even pay attention to where we were going, and he had to stop me two times so I wouldn’t walk in front of a car.

“Sorry...” I muttered after the second time.

He took a deep breath with a partly scared, and partly worried look on his face. He still had a strong grip on my backpack when we crossed the street.

“You really should watch where you’re going,” he sighed, and released me.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, and he shook his head.

“I guess I need to keep my eyes on you,” he said with a cheerier tone.

This time, I paid attention to where I was going, and we finally managed to get to the restaurant in one piece. It was a nice-looking place, but awfully quiet, too. There was another restaurant right across the street and there were more people inside, and it made me sad. It was just another place where no one cared about how the animals were treated.

I turned my attention to Max, who was walking towards the cashier. The girl behind the register had a bored look on her face.

“How may I help – you,” her bored look melted away when she saw Max, and a smile appeared on her lips faster than the eye could see.

I chuckled quietly at her expression. It was the same one I had whenever I was with Max.

Once we had our salads, we went to sit down at a table close to the windows. I couldn’t say the view was fascinating, but Max kept peering at the building across the street. I tried to see what was so interesting, but I didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary.

“What is it?” I finally asked since he was still staring outside.

“Sorry,” he said, turning his attention to me. “I think it’s just beautiful,” he continued, grabbing his fork.

“What is?” I asked, and looked out again.

“That building. It’s one of the oldest in this city. I love all those details,” Max said, turning his attention back to the building. He had a tender smile on his face.

I’d once watched a document about people who wanted to marry buildings. I wasn’t quite sure why that thought popped in my head. Max wasn’t like that, was he?

I think he noticed my curiosity.

“I want to be an architect,” he explained.

“Ohh!” I sighed in relief.

I mean, I had zero chances with him, but it was nice to know I at least had better chances than buildings. What an odd thought.

“What do you want to become? Let me guess. A vet?” Max spoke, and I blushed a little.

“Is it that obvious?” I chuckled. “Yeah. I want to work with animals.”

He nodded lightly. “That’s a good job. Do you have any pets then?”

My smile vanished slowly, and I shook my head. “No.”

Max looked surprised. “How come?”

I suddenly felt sad. “I had a dog. His name was Brutus.”

“Did he die?” Max asked sympathetically.

“Yeah... Two years ago,” I said. “He was just five years old when he got cancer.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Max said quietly.

I shrugged. “He was just a dog...”

“I can tell that he was not just a dog,” Max spoke. “Not to you.”

I have no idea how I managed to stop myself from bursting to tears. Brutus had been my best friend, and when he died, I couldn’t take it. No one else had never understood how much he meant to me, and how horrible it was for me to lose him.

“I can’t do it again,” I said with a tiny voice. “I love animals, but I can’t...”

“I understand,” Max said and placed his hand on mine for a moment. “I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been to lose a friend.”

Max was so amazing. His words comforted me, and I felt a little better again.

“How about you? Do you have any pets?” I asked.

“My mom has a cat. That bastard hates me,” Max chuckled.

“Cats can be grumpy,” I chuckled. “I’d like to meet him someday.”

“All right, but I must warn you, he really is an asshole,” Max said.

I just smiled at him. I was excited to meet the little devil, but I was curious to see Max’s home too. It meant that I could spend a little more time with him!

“So, you want to be an architect,” I said, trying to keep the conversation going.

I didn’t even know I could do that, but it was easy to talk with Max.

He told me about his dreams to create something beautiful, but practical, and how he had always been fascinated about architecture.

“I was eight or nine when I built my first treehouse with my mom,” he said proudly. “I’ve renovated it a few times when I got older.”

“I definitely want to see it,” I told him. “Does your mom like building stuff too?”

Max’s smile trembled a little, and he looked down at his food. “No – she’s not into any of that. I just needed her help.”

There was something in his eyes when he spoke. I wasn’t good at reading people, but it was obvious something was weighing on him.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, of course not,” Max said reassuringly. “It’s just... Never mind.”

“What?” I asked quietly. “You can tell me anything. I won’t tell anybody.”

Max gave me a small smile, hesitating for a moment. “My dad promised to help me build the treehouse. He never did.”

“Is your dad...?” I wanted to ask if he was still alive, but I didn’t know how.

“He was drunk all the time,” Max said quietly. “I begged him for months, but he never had the time. He was always drinking and watching TV if he wasn’t at work. I guess Mom felt bad for me, because she bought a book about treehouses,” Max paused for a moment, and smiled. “She learned how to build one just to help me.”

I could tell the subject was as hard for him as it was for me to talk about Brutus. I wondered if Max’s dad had ever hurt him physically. It was clear he had hurt him mentally.

I was bad with words, and I feared I’d just mess things up if I tried to speak, so I just placed my hand on his. He looked at my hand and smiled a little. It was a good sign, right?

“That must’ve been awful,” I said quietly.

“He’s been sober for two years now, but I don’t think we can fix things between us. I don’t think I want to,” Max said. “I just can’t forgive him for not being there for me.”

“I understand that,” I told him. “There are things that can’t be fixed.”

Max took a deep breath and nodded. “I think we covered up all the sad topics now,” he said with a more cheerful tone.

I hesitated for a moment, but then found courage to say what I wanted. “If you ever want to talk about anything, I’ll listen. I know we are just partners for the project, but I want to be your friend, too.”

Max stared at me for a moment. I felt like I’d just stepped over the line or something. Like I had no right to ask to be his friend.

“I’d like that,” he said softly.

I felt somehow awkward and joyful at the same time. We ate in silence for a moment, but then he looked at me.

“But how are we going to follow the owls in the darkness?” he asked.

“Oh, I have night vision goggles, and a camera,” I told him.

He stared at me for a moment. “Who are you? A spy?” he joked, and I giggled lightly.

“Like I said, I have everything else we need,” I smiled. “I didn’t want video games for Christmas,” I explained.

Max stared at me for a moment. “Now I wish I hadn’t asked video games for Christmas.”

I laughed cheerily and continued eating my salad. It tasted really good, and I hoped I could come there again soon. With Max.