I am so nice, updating twice tonight! Although, this might be a short chapter, I'm not sure until I've typed it.

Ava sighed, glancing at Max's empty seat beside her. He had been missing for over a week now. His family couldn't find him- not even Louisa- and the police were searching as best they could.

Ava couldn't help but feel guilty. Under the threat of her sister's death, Ava had been forced to give Max that potion. She had been forced to agree spending the rest of her life at Nick's beck and call while witnessing the terrors Max went through over the year. She hated herself for destroying Max's life, reducing it to next to nothing. His drinking problem was her fault.

The fire alarm blaring pulled her from her thoughts. Their teacher hurriedly directed them out, demanding them into orderly lines.

The students joined the masses of fellow students and they all filed out of the building and towards the playground.

Twenty minutes later, registers had been taken and the principal shouted for silence.

Ava glanced round at the students surrounding her. The college students were ten feet from her; Max's older brother, Tobias, amongst them. He looked exhausted, with shadows under his eyes. Somehow he was managing two jobs, impending fatherhood, college and nightly searches for his younger brother.

The fire alarm cut off. Everyone glanced at the school building.

"This was not a drill!" The principal shouted, standing on a low wall so he could be seen by everyone. "The alarm was set off deliberately! Whoever did it, I give you five minutes to own up! After that, we will not be as lenient with the punishment! We will be checking CCTV! FIVE MINUTES!" He repeated, scanning the crowds of students before him.

No-one owned up in those five minutes and the principal's frustration grew. "Five minutes is up!" He called. He made to continue when someone not fair from Ava screamed in warning, pointing up.

"Max!" Tobias's shout sent chills down Ava's spine and she looked up fearfully.

Max was on a window ledge on the fifth floor, staring down at them all. From this distance, Ava couldn't read his expression, but she saw Tobias shoving his way through. She hastily followed, Tobias ten steps ahead of her.

They darted down the corridors, up five flights of stairs and along another corridor. Tobias didn't even stop, but Ava, embarrassingly, had to, possessing nowhere as near as much stamina as Tobias.

When she caught up with him, he was shoving open all the doors, hastily looking for his brother. He disappeared into the second to last classroom in the west end of the hall. Ava followed, standing back hesitatingly as Tobias leaned out of the window.

"Go away, Tobias." Max pleaded.

"No, Max, I'm not leaving you. Come here."

"I said go away!"

"Max, please." Tobias put one foot up on the ledge, reaching out to his brother. Max cringed away, but he slipped. He cried out in panic and Ava screamed his name. Tobias ducked down, holding onto a vertical pipe next to the window.

"Let me go!"

"No." Tobias's voice was strained. "You're my brother. I'll never let you go. Not again."

"Please, Tobias." Max stared up at Tobias, his tone and eyes desperate and pleading. It couldn't have been clearer that Max had had enough. There was no more for him; no more that he cared about. No more for him to live for.

"I won't."

"Please. Just this. I don't ask for anything else."

"Not this, Max. We can help you." Max held his gaze. Help me like this. "What happened to Tobster and Maximus forever, huh?"

"We were kids. What does it matter?"

"We came up with that when we were kids. But it does matter, Max. You were always my brother, you always will be and nothing will change that."

"You can't help me, Tobias."

"I can. We can." Tobias corrected. "Give us the chance and we'll help you."

Max looked down at the ground. It was so inviting, such an easy option. He had tried before, but they hadn't worked. If- no, when he fell, there was no saving him afterwards. There would be no pain afterwards, no more guilt and shame. It would all be over.

The bliss off that was surreal. No more hurting anyone. No more fear of his own shadow. No more terror at what was in store for him. No more Max.

Closing his eyes, Max felt a sense of freedom at that thought. No more Max. It sounded great.

Just one problem.

Tobias.

He wouldn't let go. Max didn't expect him to and he knew Tobias wouldn't. There was no way Tobias would live with himself if he let his own brother fall to his death.

Tobster and Maximus.

Childish names made as children. They had stuck though. Max remembered that day. He had been three, Tobias five. Alvie hadn't been born then, another week or so afterwards. He and Tobias had been playing forts with chairs, sheets and cushions, spending the whole day laughing, joking, playing, drawing and eating homemade blue cookies.

"What are you drawing?" Tobias asked, scribbling in the sky with his favoured blue crayon.

"Us." Tobias looked up quizzically. Max held up the drawing pad, proudly displaying the childish drawing of him and his brother, holding hands and smiling. Tobias grinned.

"Can I keep that?"

"Let me finish. And don't eat all cookies." Max told him, playfully hitting his brother's hand away from the plate of fresh blue chocolate chip cookies. "Silly Tobster."

"Silly Maximus." Tobias retorted, sticking his tongue out. "Hey, Tobster and Maximus forever?" It was Max's turn to grin. Tobias held his hand out and Max grasped it.

"Tobster and Maximus forever." He confirmed.

"Max?" Max opened his eyes. He hadn't realised Tobias had been calling him until the panic had settled deeply in his brother's tone.

"Let me go." He repeated, his voice thick. He couldn't bring himself to look at Tobias.

"No." Tobias's own voice was thick and shaking with nerves and emotions. "I won't let you go. Not like this. Not ever." Max didn't respond, studying the students below him. They all looked stricken. The principal was on the phone to someone, staring up at Max. "What about the others?" Max looked at him then. "Alvie, Sage, Callum, Theo and Lilly. I can't tell them you…" Tobias steadied his breathing, his silver eyes glistening with torment. "What will they think?"

Max sighed. No more Max. It was still appealing.

What will they think?

It was still very appealing…

And cliffy.