It's the last chapter. Sorry it took so long!

I love my reviewers.

Merry Christmas.

I'm a confrontational guy. When there's something bothering me about someone I walk right up to them and tell them. Or force them to join me in a sketchy alley and tell them. So I did the latter with Max, when my friends were gone and he was walking quietly beside me, minding his own business.

"Tala."

Max didn't even look confused, obviously he is getting used to me. "No, Kai, I'm Max."

"I know you are."

"Right, then what about Tala?"

"You know what about him. It bothers you. And it bothers me that it bothers you."

"It doesn't bother me." Lie.

"I'm not going to make excuses about this. Tala is the most important person in my life. He's not a romantic interest, never has been, but he's important."

"Yes, I know that." Lie.

"More important than you."

"I know that." He was honest once. "But it doesn't bother me." Not that time.

"Stop bullshitting."

"I'm not." He was. I tried to hold eye contact with him – best way to make someone be honest – but he stepped in and hugged me. You'd think he had a bachelor's degree in hugging by the way, I could definitely get used to pretending not to like this. I granted him a one-armed response, still annoyed that he had managed to evade my lie-detector tactics.

"Okay, I am." Um, never mind. "But I'm trying, okay? I'm going to make myself be okay with it, because if one of us has to go between me and Tala, it's me, and… I don't want to."

"I hope you mean that. I've put up with enough people who were jealous of Tala."

"I do." He nodded against me for extra effect. "But how could I not be jealous? I mean, how could anyone not be? He's your top priority, always."

"You can't seriously tell me you don't have any friends you wouldn't give up for me."

"Kai, I don't even know if I have friends."

I sighed. "You do. Anyway, you don't want us to have what me and Tala have, you'd want more."

"That would make me greedy."

"I bet you are."

"Why do I feel like you're holding back from turning that into an innuendo?"

"Because I am."

"So I'm getting way better at reading your mind," Max said smugly.

"Okay, then what am I thinking right now?"

Max put on a thoughtful expression. "Um, okay, you're thinking, 'When is that thing going to shut up so I can go back to the wall I was leaning against earlier?'"

"Exactly."

XX

When I have a movie night with my friends, we have a good long argument about which one to watch: one person wants an old war film, one person wants a slasher, a mob movie, a sci-fi occasionally. And even though Tala wants Fight Club and Bryan wants Schindler's List, we know that no matter who wins, the movie's at least going to be good.

Not surprisingly, this doesn't happen with Tyson, Ray, and Max.

Tyson wanted to watch Austin Powers in Goldmember, and kept saying "yeah baby" and "Fook Yu, Fook Mi!" Ray wanted to watch Little Miss Sunshine. I suggested Pulp Fiction. And Max was torn between Bruce Almighty and Superbad ("I'm leaving you," I said).

So we decided on the Swan Princess.

You can see the logic behind that, right? No? Me neither. But that was the one movie at the rental place we all agreed was a classic. And I have to admit that Max and Tyson's rendition of 'This is My Idea' on the way to Tyson's place actually made me laugh.

We were halfway through the movie, me sitting against the wall, Ray and Max on the couch, and Tyson sprawled in front of the TV, when Tyson had a sudden craving for popcorn. He paused the movie and skidded out of the room, leaving us silent in his absence.

"Guys, do me a favour," Ray said.

"No," Max said.

"No it's easy. Just picture yourself two months ago."

Easy indeed. "I was probably in my room, reading."

"In my room, on Facebook," Max laughed.

"I wanna play!" Tyson shouted, sliding into the room on his socks. "What are we doing?"

"You, two months ago," Ray debriefed him.

"In my room, playing Call of Duty," Tyson said.

"You guys are a bunch of losers," Ray smirked.

"Why, where were you?"

"Um, probably in my room as well, but anyway." Ray grinned as we all glared at him. "Anyway, now imagine if you knew that in two months you'd be here, with us. Watching the Swan Princess."

Max snorted. Tyson's cap fell off. I said "No."

Having shared that thought, Ray settled back into the couch. "Okay, just pointing it out. Weird, eh?"

"Very. Ty, go get the popcorn," Max demanded.

Tyson planted himself stubbornly on the floor. "If any of you said we were friends, I would have said you were on crack."

"I would have asked why you were talking to me," Max said, grinning. "You bunch of freaks. I am obviously so above all of you."

"No way," Ray said. "Have you seen my report card? I'm obviously a superhuman."

"Guys, none of you are popular," Tyson reminded us. "Better than me? Bitch please."

"I can't believe you just said that," Max said. "No wonder we weren't friends."

"None of you are cooler than me, so don't bother," I informed them. As if I had to.

"Whatever, no matter how you put it, we just shouldn't be friends," Max said. "Stick to the status quo and all."

"Did you just make a High School Musical reference?"

"Max, you're so disappointing."

"I don't think I can be in the same room as you."

"We should all just stop hanging out."

"This obviously isn't working."

"My mom thinks you're all bad influences on my math mark."

"I cry every night over how Kai makes fun of me."

"This friendship is toxic."

"You can't even call it a friendship."

"Why am I even here?"

"Why are you guys in my house?"

"Why am I in your house?" I stood up, tightened my scarf, and walked to the door. Max and Ray followed me, Tyson formally ushering us out. We made it to the front door.

Then they all fell over laughing, and I smirked.

"Aw, I love you guys," Tyson said. Max and Ray looked ready to return the sentiment, but I punched Tyson in the arm before they had a chance.

"HEY! What the hell Kai!"

"Pi almighty, Kai, don't be an ass."

"What? He got off topic."

"Kai, we're not doing the project anymore."

"Then why am I even here?"

No one had an explanation for me. They all just shrugged and went back to the family room, starting to laugh again about our earlier antics. And for some reason I followed them.

XX

"Guys, I burnt the popcorn," Tyson shouted from the kitchen.

fin