I am running, feet pounding viciously onto grass. It takes a while before I even notice that I am cold. It does not get cold in the middle of a freakish summer-in-spring weather spaz. Except at night.

I notice that I am in a park, not too far from my house, and that my eyes are blurry from tears. Quietly, I sit down on a bench to collect myself. I am tempted to say that this is literal, that pieces of me are falling off and shattering on the once-warmed asphalt the sidewalk is paved with. For that it what it feels like. Like someone had brought a sledgehammer to my soul. Like someone has reached into my body and grabbed my heart and is pulling it out.

But it is not true. Not really. However much I feel it, I am, outwardly, intact, and I am alone. There is no one here to grab my soul.

Perhaps this is because it is, indeed, night. Darkness has long since fallen, allowing the summer/spring air to cool dramatically. Perhaps there will be stargazers later on; for it is a perfectly clear sky, void of any and all cloud formations. As the park must be void of me.

My dad will be worried. I do not mind that so much, only the fact that I will, indefinitely, be questioned. And I have no answers.

It is already to late to avoid an inquiry. But I have to go home anyway, however much I want to curl up and die here.

So I do. Go home, I mean. And my dad is waiting there for me, standing at the door with a flashlight.

"MAX! Where have you been? I was looking for you and…oh, Max!"

He grabs me and gives me a hug, both compassion and anger in his voice, if that is possible.

"Max, what happened today?"

Oh, no. Not this. It was bound to happen, but I've never heard such rock-solid firmness in his voice.

"Um, I just left Tyson's, and—"

"Don't give me this, Max!" There was a pleading tone mixed in with the anger, now, hardly detectable. "I heard what happened at Tyson's dojo. Mr. Granger called me."

Oh. Great.

"Dad, it wasn't as bad as it sounds. I just lost my temper, he was talking about these people on T.V., right, and you know about Senna and all, Dad, it just—" The words are coming out in a garbled mess, because I'm not just explaining to him, but me too. It is probably a good thing that he interrupts me now.

"Max. It is every inch as bad as it sounds. Tyson is in the hospital, Max, for stitches."

Oh.

"Max, I don't care what he said, you can't do this to anyone. I know you're hurt, Max, and—"

My world is spinning so fast I hardly notice that he is using my name so much, as he always does when he is really upset. Tyson is in the hospital for stitches. And it's my fault. And…

"It's not so bad. You…well, he'll get through for sure, but it's really bad, really, Max. He's in a lot of pain, and Max, it's not good. You have to take you're feelings out somehow, but, Max, you can't hurt other people and you can't hurt yourself."

What…I didn't hear that…it can't…he doesn't know…

"Max, I found the knives."

Darn. There were four of them, hidden in my closet, for when there were too many memories. Pain is good. It can't hurt me.

"Dad, look, I can explain—"

"No, you can't, Max! Max, you can't…" he trailed off, and I could tell he was sobbing. Then he straightened up suddenly. "Max, you go to your room right now. You are grounded, do you understand, Max? Right until we can figure this whole thing out! Do you understand?"

I murmured something unintelligible and hung my head in defeat.Yes, I understood.

And I was in big trouble.

HaHA! I actually LIKE this chapter! It was supposed to be longer, though…My dad made me go to sleep, and I completely lost the trail of the story when I woke up, so I just cut it off before I wrecked it…Anyways…

Tigerelly: Beautifully done? Wow…I hated that last chapter…Thank you! There'll be more on Senna soon…by the way, she is the 'you' Max is always talking about. Not his mom. (The VERY subtle difference is that when Max talks about his mom, he callsI her 'she' and when he talks about Senna, he calls her 'you'…at least, I'm PRETTY sure I wrote it like that…anyways, the only chapter he talks about his mom is the apple blossoms chapter and the end of the one right before it…anyhow…

I don't think that really relate to your review, does it? But if you look, there ARE explanations randomly and often accidentally in peoples review responses…

Rising Pheonix: Really? That's scary…I hope you're O.K. now, though!

Once again, more info. on Senna is coming up. Maybe not in the next chapter, though…I'm not sure where it will go yet…

You do not know Senna yet, by the way…I REALLY hope she isn't in the show or something…that WOULD be a total accident…

Maisy: Thank you! Dar writing is actually a lot easier than humorous or light or whichever. (For me, at least…) And yes, Max is pretty mis-understood…though…anyway…

I'm not quite sure if Tyson deserved being punched. Yes, he is an idiot (yet oh-so-useful in stories! He asks all the stupid questions!) But stitches? Anyway…Max didn't just punched him. He ATTACKED him. Like punched him, scratched him, but him, yanked his hair…well, pretty much everything. The world is much thankful that Max does not carry daggers around…

'kay, I admit…I didn't give half as much information needed to a make analysis…sorry!