Max's mother kept him home from school for the next few days, deciding that he wasn't strong enough physically or mentally to be in a crowded place right now. He didn't really like being at home, but it beat being at school, and he just stayed in his room the whole time listening to music and reading. It had been three days since he had left the hospital, and he had been having nightmares and headaches every day and night since. He didn't tell his mother, though, because he knew that if he did, she would just take him in for more testing, and that was the last thing that he needed right now.

"Max?" his mother knocked on the door, and he instantly shoved the lighter that he had been playing with under his pillow. "Max, honey, there's someone here to see you, says he's a friend of yours from school."

"I don't have any friends," Max stated, but it was too late, his mother had already opened the door, showing Liam inside. Max's eyes widened as the boy entered his room, and he was going to ask his mom to show Liam out, but she left before he got the chance.

"Hey." Liam leaned against the wall, giving Max his space.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Max spat.

"I came to see if you were alright…" Liam frowned. "You had a seizure in class, they wouldn't tell me anything at the hospital, so I thought I'd come by and see for myself if everything was alright."

"Is this some sick game to you?" Max hissed, standing up and walking over to Liam.

"Max, what are you talking about?" Liam backed away slightly, looking confused.

"Coming here? Why would you think that was alright with me? Why would you tell my mother that we were friends? We're not friends." Max shook his head, glaring at Liam.

"Look, I just thought…" he bit his lip.

"Just thought what?" Max asked. "That it'd be fun to fuck with me? I know you're hiding something from me, Liam, I just don't know what it is."

"Max, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" Liam's eyes widened with fear, and he backed up even more.

"Oh don't play naïve with me," Max snarled. "You've been around me both times I've passed out – are you trying to tell me that was a coincidence? That you just happened to be there both times I've had these weird attacks or episodes or whatever the hell they are?" Max shook his head, frowning at the boy. "Not a chance in hell."

"Max, I don't know what you're on about, I wasn't there when you passed out the first time, I came across you after the fact!" Liam was backed up against the far wall, but Max was still moving forwards. "Max, you look crazy right now!"

"Is that what you want people to think?" Max asked. "That I'm crazy? Did he put you up to this?"

"He who, Max?" Liam asked. "I have NO idea what you're going on about! Really, I don't!"

"Jacob," Max stated. "My stepfather, did he put you up to this? I know he'd love to see me end up in an institution, then he wouldn't have to fucking deal with me."

"I've never met your stepfather, Max," Liam stated. "I'm not trying to hurt you, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"The picture," Max hissed. "The picture you drew in art class today, what the hell, man?"

"What do you mean?" Liam asked.

"Why did you draw that?"

"I don't know, I told you! The idea just came to me, I thought it was kind of cute, you know, a little kid in a wolf suit with a crown?"

"I don't think it's cute at all," Max hissed. "I think it makes you a fucking stalker."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Liam asked, his eyes growing even wider.

"You've been stalking me, haven't you?" Max accused, jabbing a finger into Liam's chest. "Why? I want to know why."

"Max, I have NO idea what you're talking about, how many times do I have to say it?" Liam asked, his voice shaking with fear. Max looked insane to him and, in this moment, a little on the dangerous side. "Max, I'm not stalking you, why would you say that?" he frowned.

"Like you don't know," Max scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"I honestly don't!" Liam stated, a lump rising in his throat.

"Oh yeah?" Max turned away from Liam and went through his closet, digging through it for several minutes before he produced the wolf suit. It was ratty and dirty, but it was very clear that it was the one from the picture.

"Oh." Liam frowned. "Well I must have seen it on some kid somewhere or something." Liam shrugged. "You don't need to freak out, I'm sure a lot of kids have the same suit hell, maybe I had one when I was younger and I don't remember it."

"No." Max shook his head, tossing the suit aside. "No, you didn't, and you didn't see it on anyone else because my mom made that for me. We didn't buy it some store where there were a hundred other costumes just like it, she made it for me, it's one of a kind. The kid you drew in class, that kid was me, now I'm just really, really curious as to how you knew about that if you've just moved here from Liverpool."

"Max, I swear to god I don't know," Liam stated, his eyes widening as Max spoke.

"Do you believe in god?"

"Well, no…" Liam bit his lip.

"Then what weight does swearing to him have?"

"Max, I promise you, I have no idea how I got that image, I just moved here, I had no idea that was you in the suit, that you even had that suit. I told you it just came to me and it did."

"How can I believe that?" Max asked. "It's too much of a fucking coincidence to be true.

"Max, trust me."

"Why should I? I don't know you!"

"You know what? Fine." Liam shook his head, heading for the door. "I just came by to see if you were okay, to see if you liked the Bosstones CD, but clearly, you're a head case just like everyone's saying. I won't be back." Liam opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind him. Max fell back onto his bed, breathing heavily. What the hell was happening? What the hell was going on? Did Liam really not know where that image came from? And even if he had stalked him, how would he have known about the crown.

"Maxwell Cordon, what the HELL just happened?" his mother stormed into the room. "That boy, your friend just left the house in tears!"

"I told you, mom," Max stated, lying down on the bed. "I don't have any friends."

A/N So yeah, felt like working on this some more - I'm sick, so it's probably not very high quality, not that it ever is. :P Just curious to see if anyone's reading, what do you guys think of Max? Of Liam? Do you like them? I know Max is a bit of a basket case right now, but I dunno...I kind of like it, I want to know what you all think!