Not Qualified For Friends

the house

I knocked twice on the door why isn't he answering? Finally I heard footsteps then the door opened. A strong odar hit my nose...what is that smell?

"Ander" he said almost surprised "good afternoon" he said, he's wearing these black joggers and a green sweat shirt and his hair thrown into a messy bun.

"Good afternoon yourself" I clutched onto my bag, this smell is disgusting...How can he live here?

"What makes you stop by?" He asked

"There's a project at school..."

"Oh yeah I've heard about that" he looked at me and  didn't look away

"Alex didn't turn up.. so I was wondering-"

" Im sorry but I already have a partner" he cut in... His ego is so high that he thinks everything is about him now...

" I actually wanted to be Rio's partner" although his face remained still, I saw his hand squeeze tighty onto the door frame. Then it suddenly released

"But Rio is my partner"

"If I remember correctly... You and Rio were the first to finish the assignment therefore... He's single now" I reminded him... Max there's no way you can get out of this one. I added the word single to my sentence to make him overthink. Let's see if my efforts paid out

"Single?... You want to... Take Rio because he's single??" He started moving his hands over towards his hair just running his fingers through it messing up his bun. I know old man Jim told me not to do anything reckless but...

"Yes that's what single means... Unless he's not?" His finger runnings started to become hard pulls. What is he doing...? "He doesn't belong to anyone so might as well take him" suddenly the hair pulling stopped and he pushed it back. Then started humming... It was... Uneven it didn't really have much of a beat...

"Sure you can be Rio's partner I don't mind" it happened again...the switch, he extended the door giving me room to enter the vile smelling house. His house looks clean...for the most part. "Follow me I'll show you where he is" as he pressed his hand against my back it gave me chills... We walked down the hallway and there was a door that stopped at the end of the hallway... I'm sure that's where the smell is leaking out from.

"Is that a basement" I asked? He didn't reply and kept moving forward

"Oh... It is" he finally answered very leveled in clear and pushed Open a door and I saw Rio laying in bed a laptop in his lap .. his arm appeared to be broken aswell

"Ander" he said a jerking in his voice wasn't just surprise it was more scared

"He wants to partner up with you for the project" is he hoping that Rio says no? Rio he won't reject me

"Max do you think this is okay? " Interesting... He had to ask permission.. I bet this was Max's plan all along. He came closer to Rio patting him on the head, Rio started nuzzling up to him like a dog...

"I'm sure he won't do anything to hurt you" he let go of his hand "well I'm off... Have fun" he said leaving the room and to my surprise he actually closed the door... I look at the door and saw there was no lingering shadow... I quickly sat on the bed

"Listen to me Rio... We need to get out of this house as soon as possible" I said frantically

" What-? "

"Max he isn't what he seems to be... He kidnaps people!" I grabbed onto his hand trying to force him out the bed. But he didn't budge... Don't tell me he's okay with max doing this??

" If you want to talk about people not being who they actually are... Then we are going to talk about you" I let go of his hand, he didn't look away from the empty spot on the bed trying to concentrate on it.

" What do you mean? "

" I thought you were a nice person... Ander... " His lip quivered" but... You" he took his good hand and held tight onto the cass

" What are you whinning on about we have to go!" I shouted

" YOU  JUMPED ME A FEW DAYS AGO! DON'T GO SPOUTING NONSENSE ABOUT MAX HES BEEN WITH SINCE DAY ONE!" he snapped... I could feel his anger and frustration flowing into me aswell

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! YOUR NOT MAKING SENSE!"

"If you were jealous of my relationship with max you should have just said that" his fused burned out as his tone went back to merely whispering "if your not here to do the project then you can leave" he laid down flipping his body away from be just showing his backside. Without a word I left and went towards the door but I smelled something cooking in the kitchen I looked over and saw it was max... It looked like he was cooking for him and Rio making two plates....
This is all his fault .. he lied to Rio making me seem like the bad guy. That's why he had no problem with leaving me and him alone ... He looked up at me from the stove with a look of emptiness. He doesn't care that his master plan worked because he already knew it was going to.

"Would you want some before you leave?"

"no" I replied

" Will you be coming back tomorrow? "

" Yes" just because of one misunderstanding with Rio doesn't mean I can't save him... I'll come back tomorrow to clarify everything up along with some proof.

" Hm .. okay" I opened the fornt door and it seemed like no one ever comes in this house lives... So there's a start.

I've learned a lot of new things today... Rio he was beaten up that means it was no accident. It could mean that max found Rio after him get beat up or max actually did the beating... Or maybe both? It's odvious that Rio is traumatized... And since max helped him he doesn't want to betray him... I still have to... Try to convince Rio that what max did is still wrong. And then and only then he can be saved.