Savior [Completed]

Savior: [Three]

Three: Max

“It was like, super cool. Our teacher is cool like that,” Sam was saying enthusiastically, and all of us smiled. We’d gone from how Mum and Dad and Lucy were and what they’d been up to lately to Nick’s parents and then to Sam and school. He’d just finished narrating a story about how a student asked about what did happen when you put Mentos in Coke and his teacher said they could see for themselves the next day.

“Is that the teacher I met the other day? The tall fellow?”

“Yeah, that’s him. His name is Mr. Jacob.”

“How comes you went to meet a teacher in school, Mum? Did Sam get into any trouble?”

“Hey!”

“Just kidding, bro.”

Coach Tanner and I simply shared a look. Neither of us had had much to say for a while now, but I was, and I could tell he was too, enjoying the conversation that was going on between the rest.

“I’d been in the area at lunch time and had wanted to see if Sam wouldn’t mind coming out with me for a quick bite.”

Nick pretended to be hurt. “You’ve never done that for me!”

“Mum loves me more, so there.”

We all laughed at that – including Sam who hadn’t really meant it – and Nick clutched his chest dramatically, which induced further laughter in Sam.

“So Max, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?” Mrs. Tanner asked once we’d all quieted down.

“Not really,” I said, “I mean, I’m pretty sure I’m still in high school for a year more and as for what I want to do after that…” I trailed off, having nothing to say. The plan before everything had been to play some serious basketball, get into the university with the best offer – the plan had included to play well enough to get quite a few offers – and then see what major I’d pick…I hadn’t thought about it, because it didn’t matter. Not as long as I had basketball.

Which you don’t, now.

I felt sick.

Why did I have to be so stupid?

I think I would have continued with the internal dialogue had Nick not nudged me under the table with his foot. I realized then that they were all waiting for me to say something, and just to avoid making things awkward, I shook my head. “I’m still thinking about it.”

“I’d forgotten about that,” Nick said, “it’s going to feel so weird graduating without you.”

“I’ll catch up soon enough.” I said weakly. It was becoming increasingly difficult for me to say anything. I wasn’t welling up or anything, but just the thought – the reminder, rather, of what I’d lost was enough to kill any remaining appetite I had left and make me want to go crawl somewhere and wallow in self pity.

Not that it mattered though, because in as much as I’d suddenly lost the will to make conversation with anybody, the option of leaving the table wasn’t one that was open to me at the moment.

“But Max? We’re not done talking about this.”

Sam, Nick and I were still chewing on our mini-pizzas, Nick’s parents having finished their meal before us and simply giving us company, but I knew that if I were to finish, Nick would hurry up too, as a result of which Sam would, and even though we’d hang out a bit, during which I’d be ‘safe’, we’d disperse soon after.

And then I’d have no way to avoid the conversation he wanted to have.

It’s just as well I don’t feel like eating anymore, then.