Max is Needing to Ask a Question

MAX

Max tapped his pencil against his math book. Everyone else was still working on the problems, and he was finished. Somehow he had suppressed the thoughts of Justin while he finished. Although, Justin's voice had been in his head the whole time, helping him. Not by magic (if you don't count loving someone magic). Nor by actually talking to him. Just the tiny Justin part Max like to keep in his head. And if he thought about that kiss, he'd have been in huge trouble.

The teacher swept the room, checking answers.

"Get to work, Russo," she hummed behind him.

"I'm done," Max mouthed to her.

With a sigh, she grabbed his paper and looked it over. "How is this possible?"

"My brother has been helping me."

"Justin?" Her eyes got the glazed-over, dreamy stare that all teachers who talked about Justin got.

"Yes."

She placed the paper back on his desk and moved on.

-they all loved him didn't they?- Max sent a text to Zeke. He didn't alk to him much, but he was always there when Justin was unavailable.

-ANNOYINGLY SO!-

-howd you know who?-

-A. You are at school B. Everything is about Justin C. I am on prep and just saw you talking to Mrs. Newton.-

Max kept forgetting that Zeke was substitute teaching during his days off from college. He had decided to become a teacher, unlike Justin. Max's mind started to skip in a field of daisies with Justin. He remembered to answer Zeke's text to pull himself back out of that train-of-thought.

-I...uh, need help.-

-With math?-

-No—Justin.-

Zeke passed by the room. His head popped in. "Could I see— "He looked down at a sheet "—Max Russo, please?"

Well played.

"To make up homework," Zeke added quickly.

The teacher's eyes danced between the two boys. She had to know that Zeke and Justin were best friends. But, she agreed.

When the two guys cleared the hallway and arrived in Zeke's room for the day (a teacher Max actually had), Zeke asked him what was going on. Max felt the same, answering because he knew Zeke probably felt the same.

"Well . . ." Max wandered around the room, seeking anything. "."

Zeke let out a breath like he had been punched in the gut by Max. Turning toward him, he was hunched over like someone had punched him.

Of course he loves Justin too.

Zeke extended his arm, reached down, missed, then grabbed theback of a desk chair. He slowly sat down on top of the desk. It started to topple over, and he slunk down in the chair part of it. His knee-caps popped.

"He does."

Max wanted to wave a hand in front of Zeke's face. The older boy stared blankly out the window as he ran his hand over his silk tie.

"If it wasn't something school, education, or geek related, Justin would talk about you and the adventures you two had. I didn't understand half of them at the time. Magic secret and all." His voice sounded so hallow, it saddened Max. He coughed. "You two were meant to be. Get to class."

Max studied the quasi-teacher who had tears forming. "Sorry. Um. Thanks."

Zeke stood and sniffed. "Here." He grabbed something and handed it to Max.

"What's this?"

"Homework."

It really was homework that Zeke had promised he'd do for Max. Ugh.