Max was now a single father to four boys, 12 year old David, 11 year old Dwayne, 6 year old Paul and 5 year old Marko. And each boy had some issue that no matter what, Max couldn't sesm to figure out.
David hit puberty early, and already had a keen intrest in the female form. While he was too awkward to approach a girl in school, he was often caught looking at magazines like Playboy and Penthouse. But Max often over looked David's curiosity, as he was the one who made sure his little brothers obeyed, most of the time.
Dwayne had trouble socializing. He was smart as anything, even being the smartest kid in his grade level, however trying to get him to talk was near impossible, unless you were related to him. He was quick to anger however and often got into fights, thus leading him to have many days of detention.
Paul had been diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. He was constantly bouncing off the walls, even with the help of medication. It was a constant battle to keep Paul calm, and out of trouble. The kid was constantly into things, and it took a lot to tire him out.
Marko was a handful, but Max couldn't blame it on the child. The poor thing had been neglected most of his life, he hadn't even been toilet trained yet! (something that proved to be the biggest issue). However, Max was very glad to see that David was so kind and paitent with Marko, even taking the time to teach him other simple things that Marko should have been taught by age 2.
"Alright boys. We need to go to Walmart. We need dog food, Dwayne needs new socks, we need food and Marko gets to pick out a toy for eating all his dinner all by himself this week!" Max smiles, as soon as the Santa Carla sun had set.
"But if Marko gets a toy, I want a toy! Daddy!" Paul pouts, plopping down on the plush brown carpeted floor.
"We will see how you behave in the car and in the store. You two boys" Max looks up at David and Dwayne "if you behave too, you can both pick out something special. Now lets get shoes on and get going!"
David and Dwayne slip on identical pairs of black Air Jordans, while Paul puts on his favorite Sponge Bob Square Pants sandals. Max grabs a pair of Batman lightup sneakers and tries to place them on Marko's tiny feet. But Marko wasn't having any of it, constantly kicking the shoe off, before Max could even get Marko's full foot into it.
"No!" Marko cries out.
"Marko. Shoes." David stares at his youngest brother, who suddenly then seemed okay with the concept of shoes.
"Come on boys. Let's go." Max states, as he leads he and the boys to his Chevy Tahoe.
Naturally, David got to ride shotgun, while Dwayne was unhappily stuck in the middle of Paul and Marko's booster seats.
Dwayne crossed his arms the whole ride. "Discrimination, I tell ya." He would mumble under his breath. "It's because of my dark hair." Even though Dwayne knew it wasn't fact, it helped him in a strange way, thateven he himself didn't understand.
"Marko! Stop!" Dwayne cries out as they hit a red light. Marko was grabbing at Dwayne's shoulder length hair like a cat with a string. "Stop it, Marko!"
"No." Marko smirks and continued to wrap his tiny little fist into Dwayne's hair.
Dwayne often forgot that Marko was 5 years old. He had the apperance and mentality of a two year old. He was very small for his age, a stark contrast to the other three boys who were always so tall, and looked a few years older than they were. Even Paul could pass for a 8 year old in appearance, however his mentality and maturity proved that he was very much a 6 year old.
Marko was a handful for the whole family, but they all seemed to be paitent with him, as Max explained to the other three before Marko even came to live with them; "your little brother Marko has been through a lot. His mother never really took care of him, and he dosen't really know things other 5 year olds do. Its important that we all set an example for him. He can't help the fact he was never given the basic love and needs we all had. So I need you all to be Marko's teacher, and most importantly a good example and good big brothers."
"Marko! Please!" Dwayne pleads.
"No!" Marko squeals and yanks more of Dwayne's hair.
David whips his head around to look Marko straight in the eye.
"Marko Alexander!" David booms.
"Davidddddd!" Marko squeals, letting go of Dwayne's hair.
David and Marko had a special bond, one that no one could explain, but perhaps David and Marko. It was a bond that made Max happy however, seeing how well his oldest and youngest got along.
"No more pulling Dwayne's hair okay?"
"David!" Marko replies, smiling.
"Marko! I mean it! No more!"
"Okay, David."
"So what are we not going to do anymore?"
"Pull Dwayne's hair!" Marko squeals and claps to himself.
"Say sorry to Dwayne."
"Sorry." Marko smiles at his dark haired brother.
"Just don't do it again, buddy."
"Okay, Dwayne."
"Daddy! I want a lolipop! Can I get a lolipop at the store? Pleaseeeeeeee!" Paul whines, and kicks his feet against the back of Max's seat.
"If you are good, maybe."
"I promise I'll share with Marko!"
"I want my OWN!" Marko screams.
"Last time you had a lolipop you got it stuck in your hair, Marko." Max reminded his youngest.
"Daddy!" Marko screams. "I WANT MY OWN LOLLIPOP!"
"If you are good, Marko."
Marko smirks and sticks a thumb in his mouth. He knew he was going to get a lolipop regardless of the fact if he was good or not. He always got what he wanted, and he knew it too.
"Daddy! Are we almost there?!" Paul asks, not even five seconds later. He was bouncing up and down in the booster seat, as much as it would allow.
"Almost, Paul. Now please stay still!"
Dwayne sighs and tries to stare out the window, but the darkness and lack of streetlights provided him with little more than images of headlights.
"Daddy! I want a soda! Can we get soda at the store?" Paul asks again. "I want Mountain Dew!"
"Mountain Dew is the last thing you need, Paul!"
"But daddy! I like it! Dwayne and David get to drink it! How come they do! Marko and me have ta drink juice and I just want Mountain Dew!"
"David and Dwayne are both older than you and Marko."
"I think I should drink Mountain Dew if I share with Marko!"
"You and Marko don't get soda!"
"DADDY! DADDY! LOOK! WALMART! W-A-L-M-A-R-T!" Paul exclaims as they approach the supercenter.
"I can see that, Paul."
"YAY! WE MADE IT ALIVE!"
"Paul, you are so dramatic." Dwayne laughs.
"Better that than being named Dwayne!"
"Dwayne is a fine name. I mean The Rock's name is Dwayne. And The Rock is cooler than you'll ever be!" Dwayne argues back.
Max sighs as he pulls into a parking spot next to a cart corral.
"David, I'll have you push the grocery cart, while I push Marko and Paul in the other cart not for grocery items. We don't want a replay of what happened last month, where Paul got into the whole bag of chips and ate them."
"Maybe if you fed me!" Paul argues.
"I do feed you!"
"Not enough Wavy Lays!"
"Wavy Lays are not a need."
"Yeah, they are, Daddy!"
Max sighs and pulls the keys out of the ignition. He gets out and pulls a cart to the car. He gets Paul out first and plops him in the larger part of the cart. He then makes way to the other side to get Marko. He sets Marko in the child seat part of the cart and buckles him up.
"Come on boys. Lets get our monthly shopping done." Max becons, leading David and Dwayne into the store.
"DADDY! NINJA TURTLE BAND AIDS!" Paul exclaims, pointing to a Band Aid display. Max sighs and places a box in the cart. "Don't open them, Paul."
"I wont!" Paul promises and starts to read the box.
"What are we getting first, dad?" David asks, picking up a DVD collection of the Back to the Future movies.
"Non food. And come on, David! You know I can get the videos cheaper."
"What do we even need that isn't food?" David asks, putting down the DVD in a huff, even tho he knew his fathet was right- he did own a movie store that did quite well.
"Dog food for Thorin. Diapers for Marko. Hand soap for the bathrooms. Bubble bath for Marko and Paul. You all need new socks. We also need napkins and toilet paper."
"Toys!" Marko exclaims, as Max leads the cart to the toy aisle.
"What does Marko want?" Max smiles at his youngest.
"That! Daddy! Daddy! I want that!" Marko points at a large stuffed black pigeon with a cute looking face.
Max looks at the sign above the display. "Creepy Cute Stuffed Toy Assortment $20.57 Each"
"Daddy! I want it!" Marko pouts.
Max sighs and picks up the oversized stuffed bird. He hands it to Marko who hugs it, regardless of the fact its nearly the same size he is.
"Daddy! If Marko gets a toy, I get a toy!" Paul pouts.
"Yes, Paul. You can get a toy too. Your teacher said you did very good on your spelling test this week." Max smiles as he pushes the cart down the WWE figure part of the toy aisle- Paul's favorite section of the store.
"Daddy! That!" Paul jumps up and down in the metal cart, pointing to a Seth Rollins role play kit that came with a shirt, toy title belt and a microphone.
"Seth Rollins or John Cena?" Max asks, knowing that both of them were Paul's favorite.
"Seth!" Paul exclaims, and smiles as Max places the box in the cart.
"Thank you daddy!"
"You are welcome, Paul!"
"Hey dad? Can I get a book? Allan has this book series called Vampires Among Us, and he only has books 1 thru 3, and book 4 just came out!" Dwayne asks, referring to his best friend Allan Frog.
"Did you read the first three books?" Max asks.
"Yeah! Allan and I read them together. Vampires Among Us is a way of life, Dad! They are very serious books, and it's way better than Harry Potter. More realistic than Dracula! Way more gruesome than Cirque Du Freak! Please dad?"
"If they have it, you can get it."
"I'm gonna go look!" Dwayne nods and runs off to the book section.
"Vampires Among Us suck! Only Allan and Dwayne like that stupid book series! Even my friend Edgar, you know Allan's brother who is the same age as me? He loves vampire stuff but he can't stand it!" David shakes his head.
"What is Vampires Among Us even about?" Max asks, confused by the latest vampire literature craze affecting preteen America.
"A hoard of vampires from Germany who are disquised as a rock band." David answers, feeling ashamed that he even knew that much.
"Weird." Max shrugs.
"Yeah! It is. I don't know why Dwanye likes it so much."
"People like what they like."
"I wanna be a vampire rock star! That sounds cool!" Paul charms.
"Maybe one day you can be a vampire rock star." Max responds with a slight laughs.
"Cool!"
"Vampires aren't real." David shakes his head.
"Don't say that, David! How do you know if they are or not?" Max asks.
"Dad! Seriously? Everyone knows that vampires don't exist."
"The same argument can be said about God or Buddah."
"Dad! That's different."
"You can't be so sure, David."
"Whatever dad!"
"David Keifer! Don't give me attitude!" Max grits.
"Ha! Middle name!" Paul laughs.
"Come on boys, don't argue!"
Marko started to laugh at the arguments between his father and brothers. He found it funny for whatever reason.
"Whats so funny, Marko?" David asks softly, staring at his youngest brother.
"I dunno!" Marko giggles.
"You're funny, Marko!" David shakes his head.
Dwayne soon comes back, with the newest copy of Vampires Among Us in hand.
"They have it!"
"Put it in the cart."
"Thanks, dad!" Dwayne smiles and plops the book down next to Paul's Seth Rollins set.
"I don't know why you like Vampires Among Us so much." David shakes his head. "Its so unbelievable! If you were a vampire, why would you have a job? Why would you be a rock star?"
"Because they can't let people know they are vampires! And being a rock star is a good way to get victims! You and Edgar really need to read the books!"
"No thank you. We have more important things to do. Like look at the latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition!"
"David, since you seem so intent on knowing the right book, how about you let Dwayne push the cart and you go pick out a new book to read to Marko."
"I wanna pick it out!" Marko pouts.
"Dad? Can Marko come and pick it out with me?"
"Leave your toy in the cart, and only if you promise to hold David's hand the whole time."
"Okay, Daddy." Marko sighs, and plops the large stuffed pigeon in the back with Paul. He waited paitently for Max to get him out of the cart, and then gripped onto David's hand without any hesitation.
Max had to laugh at the height difference between his oldest and youngest.
David was already 5'6, and still had a way to grow, and Marko was still so small, a little under 3 feet tall. David had spiky platinum blond hair, and Marko had a mess of golden curls. It was almost a stark contrast, one looking so mature, the other so innocent.
"David! Up?" Marko asks, looking up at his brother, who was a giant to him.
"Of course." David smiles and scoops Marko up.