Maxine walked the cold streets of New York late on a Friday night. Her shift at the small coffee shop had just ended and she needed a drink. It had been a rough time for her; her mother was very sick, she was almost homeless after not paying rent, and the majority of the people in her life she considered important, had abandoned her over one stupid mistake. Max wasn't in a very good mood, to say the least.

She was always a very outgoing girl.

But things change.

Two years previous to this one, she was living a happy life in Florida. She graduated as one of the top students in her class and got accepted into one of the best music and performing art schools in the country. Over the summer of that year, she went out with her friends and made a mistake; one that she's reminded of every day. No matter what, however; she loved what that mistake gave her more than anything.

Max was alone. Even when she wasn't physically alone, she still was.

She walked into the bar and ordered her drink. They didn't card her, even though she was only nineteen; she looked older than she actually was. Max knew she shouldn't be drinking, but she didn't care.

"Hey," a male voice said to her.

"Hi," she said back, bluntly.

"Are you okay?"

Max's eyes widened. No one ever cared enough about her to ask her if she was okay. "Are you really asking me if I'm okay?"

"Y-yeah. Is that okay?"

"N-no. I mean, yeah. It's fine. It's just; no one ever worries about me." Maxine looked down, ashamed.

"Why not? You're pretty and you look smart. You should have a lot going for you."

"I-I did, but not anymore." She rubbed underneath her eyes.

"Hey, look at me." He lifted Max's head up to see a few tears run down her face. "Everything will get better. I promise." Max nodded. After a few minutes and a few sips of her drink, she felt a little better.

"So, what are you doing here this late at night?" She laughed through her tears, wiping them away.

"My band just played a show, and I needed a drink."

"You're in a band? What do you play?"

"I play bass." He smiled.

"That's awesome. I used to play the piano. Not quite like the bass, but still an instrument." She laughed.

"Why'd you stop?" Her frown vanished.

"Um, I had to leave my piano back home when I moved out here and I never got the chance to get a new one."

"Oh, sorry about that."

"Eh, it's whatever." He could tell it wasn't but he dropped the subject, detecting that she didn't want to talk about it any longer.

He looked down at his phone. "Oh, sorry. I have to go. I told the guys that I'd only be gone fifteen minutes tops. Um, c-could I maybe get your number so we could possibly talk again. Only if you want to, I mean." Max smiled at his nervousness.

"Yeah. Give me your phone." She took his phone and put her number in as he did the same with hers. "Oh, I'm Max, by the way. Well, actually it's Maxine, but I hate that name." He chuckled and he smiled.

They gave each other their phones back. He hugged her tightly, and told her again that everything would get better. Once he started walking away, she realized she never got his name. Max tried calling for him, but he was already too far away. She took out her phone and scrolled through the contacts, looking for an unfamiliar name. She smiled once she saw it.

Zack.