A/N: Happy New Year!

Cold Call

The next day, Max sat at the dining table alone. She'd eaten breakfast mindlessly, shoveling in the Mini Wheats without tasting them as she'd replayed the whole scene in the truck with Neil over and over—his constant lies, his dangerous threats, his ironclad grip…

Eventually, her cereal started to taste like dust. She couldn't bring herself to eat the last two. She took to playing with them some time ago, spinning them round and round in the bowl until a milky typhoon had formed, breaking them apart so that each shred of wheat floated at the top.

The house was quiet, except for the sound of Billy showering down the hall. Normally she would have been grateful for the solitude. But now she felt as though she was drowning in it…like her emotions echoed in the empty spaces, reverberating through the silence. Each wave of feeling crashing against the walls with an overwhelming force until she was completely submerged in an unrelenting sea. Each sentiment was a weight dragging her deeper into the quiet abyss. It was dangerous being left alone with so many thoughts and feelings. Dread, sadness, anger–toward herself and Neil. But mostly herself. How she was so weak…So afraid.

She wanted—no—needed to talk to someone, to have somebody pull her from the water. But she had no one… She couldn't talk to her mother, not after the car ride. Max felt the throb of her arm, the ghost of Neil's grip still there, evident by the light bruise hidden beneath her long sleeve. Was her mom completely ignorant of her pain, too engrossed in bagging her receipts, or was she overlooking it like how she did whenever Billy faced Neil's wrath? She had to be unaware of it. The way her mother was always so attuned to Max's needs, how she was so steel-focused on her health, she had to be, right? Whatever the case, Max didn't want to talk to her mom. What could she do against a man like Neil? And she couldn't very well talk to Billy either, especially since it had to do with the tickets. Since it had to do with her failing him. All she could do was continue to drown in her endless wave of emotions.

All she did, all that hard work, and even Billy's beating was for nothing. It was all in vain. She had nothing to show for it and it made his suffering–his stepping in for her even worse. Those tickets were going to smooth things over between them…after all, she felt he deserved them. But now she had no clue where they could be. Where Neil might have stashed them…or thrown them away. But there was no way she would risk asking him again. He'd never just tell her. At this rate, she'd never see them again or anything else in the box.

I've failed him. Fully and completely failed him. Why didn't I just give them to him when I first had the chance..? I should have just given them to him!

Max felt a lump in her throat, one she couldn't swallow or force down. It built and built until she couldn't stand it. The stinging of her eyes followed after. A small drip of water fell into her bowl, then on her hand. As they gradually fell, she just let the tears flow.

I'm sorry, Billy… I'm so sorry.

Bring! Bring!

Max startled at the sudden ring of the phone. She just stared at it, her dread mixing with a sudden annoyance. Why did someone have to call so early? She didn't feel like talking to anyone right now.

Bring! Bring!

A door clicked open down the hall.

"Max, are you gonna get that or what?!" Billy yelled.

Max sniffed and wiped her eyes, composing herself as best she could, clearing her throat. The next ring seemed to come faster than the one before and she stumbled trying to get up from the table fast enough. It was like the sound was grating on the remaining thread of her nerves she had left. She yanked up the phone. "Hello?"

She didn't even bother to mask her annoyance, set on just getting the person to hang up as quickly as possible so she could go back to wallowing. She wiped her eyes again with the backs of her hands as a woman's voice chimed in far too brightly for that early in the morning.

"Oh! Uh…who is this?" the woman said, almost surprised.

Max scoffed, rolling her eyes. Like she would just answer that so freely. "Who is this?"

"Sorry… sorry. I didn't mean for it to come off that way. I just wasn't expecting…um… never mind. I'm looking for… someone." She cleared her throat. "Is…is this the Hargrove residence?"

"Yeah." Unfortunately.

The lady paused. "Is…is Neil around?"

Max wasn't too sure, but she could have sworn she heard a little bite in her tone. "No."

The woman gave a heavy sigh—one that struck Max as a sign of relief. "Thank god…"

The reaction almost made Max forget her turmoil and like whoever was on the line. Some of her irritation faded as she decided she could at least have enough respect to hear her out. She figured this had to be good if even this stranger felt that way about Neil.

"Sorry. I just…I've never heard anyone else besides him or an older woman pick up," the woman continued. She cleared her throat again. "Is Billy there?"

Max stood at attention. "Who's asking?" She wasn't sure why she felt suddenly defensive over him. Maybe because others rarely called, let alone called Billy. For a second she wondered if it might be one of his little flings, but then that didn't seem right. None of them had ever dared call the house before. Nor had they ever asked about Neil. So why was this woman asking about him?

"I'm Wendy. I'm a friend of his mother's."

Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to work through her sudden shock. Her hand gripped the phone tighter and even though she was alone, she peered around to make sure no one was listening. Wendy? His mother's friend? Why did that name sound so familiar? Then it hit her. "Are . . . are you the prankster who's been calling the past few days?"

Wendy scoffed a mock of laughter. It made Max smile since it matched the earlier vehemence in her voice when she first said Neil's name. "Is that what he calls me?" She paused. "Then I suppose I am."

Max couldn't believe what she was hearing. That this was actually happening. She rubbed at her neck as she tried to figure out what to say to that. Thinking back to the last dinner when she called, Max remembered how Neil and Billy reacted to the name. How strange they acted. But… a friend of Billy's mom? Was that why they acted so strange? Why Neil wanted her to never call again?

"May I ask who this is?" Wendy asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Max pursed her lips. She wondered for just a moment if she should trust this person. If she should reveal who she was, but somehow it didn't seem like a bad idea. After all, who could be worse than Neil? She sniffed, "I'm Max… Billy's sister."

"His sister..? As in…step…sister?"

"I guess."

"Ah…that makes sense now." There was a long pause on the phone, and when Wendy spoke again her voice was softer, almost sympathetic. She sighed, "I see… I'm sorry."

Sorry?

Max wondered what she was apologizing for. Her defenses rose again. Was she apologizing for Billy being her stepbrother? Sure a few months ago she would have wholeheartedly agreed and accepted her sympathy of having to be "related" to a jerk like him… but now? How dare she?

"What for?" Max said, a little growl in her voice.

Another pause. "I can't imagine it's easy… with a guy like him as a father…"

Max dropped her tense shoulders. Suddenly, her apology made sense.

Wendy cleared her throat. "So you're close to him? To Billy, I mean."

Max pondered that for a moment, thinking a bit about how their relationship had been like one long roller coaster. In a way, it still was. Still, there wasn't a simple answer to that. But she thought back to how things had been going lately and she smiled a little. He'd called her his sister after all. That counted for something. "I'd like to think so. At least… I hope so."

Wendy was silent for a moment. She sucked in a breath. "Sorry. This must all be a little…strange for you. And I'm sorry if I'm bringing you in the middle of all this. I mean…we just met—er this is the first time we've spoken, I guess. But I've been trying to connect Billy and his mom, and I haven't had any luck."

What? Max's eyes widened. Did she just hear that right? His mom? The one person who almost felt like she hadn't ever really existed at all…like a made-up superhero to protect that one last soft part inside of him?A person who has seemed so far away, almost imaginary, suddenly made real by someone else, his mother's friend no less. Was it that easy all along? So then why hadn't his mom reached out?

Max narrowed her eyes. "Why doesn't she call him then?"

Pause. "It's…complicated… She's been afraid to."

Afraid? To call her son? Is that why her dad never called? She felt a pang in her chest from the sudden thought, then quickly shook it away. Why would someone be afraid to make a single call to their kid? Max wondered. At first, she thought of the way Neil answered Wendy's calls in the first place… She figured his mother didn't call because of him. But to hear Billy's mom was afraid to call her son in general..? It didn't make sense…Could it be because a lot of time had passed since they last spoke and she was afraid Billy would reject her? That didn't seem like something he would do…considering the way he'd clutched at his necklace the other night. Or how he'd spoken about her in the heartwarming way he did. It was so clear to Max that he missed her.

Then again, the way Billy went on the defense whenever Max brought his mom up might imply something else. Something she didn't know.

What happened to her?

Max thought back, remembering the question she'd asked Billy in the record shop. He'd gone silent, the flicker of pain and anger clear in his eyes.

"She um…she talks about him from time to time…wondering how he is," Wendy said. "But I can tell she doesn't have the courage to just pick up the phone. I mean Jesus…it took a hell of a time just to find this number. And ultimately I did it for her because I could tell how much she wanted to. So…I just thought that… if she couldn't… then maybe Billy would." Wendy cleared her throat and chuckled a little, "Actually, she doesn't even know I'm doing this. And look, I know it's not my place but…I just wanted to give Billy the option."

The room was quiet. The traded silence between them did nothing to calm Max's running thoughts. She heard the shower turn off down the hall. Wendy wanted to get word to Billy….that much was clear. But was she asking Max to involve herself too? She thought about calling Billy in and having him talk to Wendy, but then thought against it, knowing he'd most likely hang up the phone.

"Max? You still there?"

"What do you need me to do?"

She heard a sigh of relief. "Do you have pen and paper?"

"Just a sec." Max shifted the phone to the other ear and walked to a drawer containing a scratch pad and pencil. She tore off a sheet before going back to the receiver. "OK, I'm ready."

Wendy said the numbers slowly, then repeated them again to make sure Max had them correct. "If he ever wants to reach out to his mom, he can contact her with this number. Or mine. But please, don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry. I won't tell Neil."

Wendy chuckled, this time more lighthearted. It felt a little reassuring to know there was finally another person who didn't like Neil either. "Thank you, Max. Really."

They said their last goodbyes before Wendy hung up. Max waited a moment, letting the dial tone ring in her ear until she finally put the phone on the hook. When she turned, she startled with a small yelp, feeling her heart thump wildly. Billy was standing there, drying his hair and frowning at her. Had he heard the end of that call? She cleared her throat and tried to seem nonchalant. "Hey."

"Who was that on the phone?"

She tightened her fist around the slip of paper with the numbers Wendy gave her and shrugged, "Just one of those stupid sales calls. Mattresses this time."

He grunted, indifferent. "And you actually listened?"

She shrugged. "I was bored…and it's fun to mess with them sometimes."

Billy gave a single disdainful chuckle. He turned back toward his room, wrapping the towel around his neck. She waited until he disappeared and slammed his bedroom door before staring at the bit of paper. The first number was his mother's, and her eyes were locked onto it.

Maybe not so imaginary of a person after all…Just someone he plainly missed. It was so obvious, and now, he could call her if he wanted. He could have her back in his life.

She slowly walked back into the dining room, glancing at her abandoned cereal bowl, the number in her palm cradled like a treasure. Max suddenly stopped mid-step. She sucked in a breath as a realization formed in her mind. This could be it—a treasure… her one and only opportunity to fix the missing tickets situation. Surely talking Billy to his mom would be better than that ever was. It was possible it could bring up old wounds—she wasn't sure, but it was a risk she would take. It could be just as possible that this might be something he'd always longed for. Whatever the case, he deserved the right to choose—to have that connection with his mom if he wanted it.

It was a sensitive topic, Max knew that, so she needed to ease him into the idea. Guide him into realizing he wanted it. No–needed to reconnect. And this would be treading in dangerous territory. She folded the paper up into a neat little square and tucked it neatly into her pocket. This was something she couldn't mess up.

I won't fail you, Billy. Not this time.

To be continued…