Is he really a bad boy? [English]

~Chapter 52~

"It was the day of his parents' death. He came into the café, it was already dark outside and I was about to close it. He was crazy drunk. Wasted.", she told me and it sounded shockingly familiar. "He was quiet at first but then he started screaming all of sudden and beating everything that was close to him. He even took a chair and smashed it on the piano. He destroyed it and was screaming so loud", it sounded like it was hurting her telling me about it since she was constantly feeling her chest and her eyes were full of pain. "I tried to calm him down and at some point, he gave up and broke down crying. It hurt my heart seeing him like that. There were so much anger and pain in him. So much grief.", one single tear rolled down her cheek.
I cried with her and the scenario was playing over and over again inside my head. His crying face appeared in front of my eyes. As if I was there with him.
"We were sitting on the floor in front of the counter, I was holding him and was crying with him.", she told me and a short, sad smile appeared on her face.
"He didn't hurt me, Barbara. Not physically. He would never do that.", I promised her. She looked at me and nodded.
"Yes...", was the only thing she said. I think she was probably woolgathering since she started smiling suddenly.

"Thank you, Barbara", I said with my whole heart. "It really meant a lot to me."
"For me, too.", she admitted and hugged me. I returned the hug and smiled.
"He is a very good boy. Even if it doesn't seem like it at first.", she said before letting me go. I nodded and said goodbye.
I got into my father's car and turned on the music. The day of his parents' death was a sore point for him. I thought that the night at my house was a one-time thing. But apparently, he felt every year the same way. It broke my heart even thinking about how horrible this day was for him.
What Barbara told me answered my questions about why the piano wasn't there anymore and where it was. He destroyed it. Which was incredibly sad since there were a lot of memories hanging on it.

"In less than an hour, you are going to be 18! We were waiting for this moment since we were little kids!"
"You were waiting for it, Mia. Not me.", I corrected her and drank one sip out of my cup.
Mia, Jacob and I were sitting in Mia's room. Both forced me to celebrate into my birthday. Celebrating into my birthday meant for us sitting around and almost falling asleep. At least I felt like that since I was unmotivated and tired as hell.
"Why are you in such a bad mood?", Jacob asked me.
"Yeah you are destroying the atmosphere", Mia added.
"I'm tired. And besides that, I told you already that I didn't want to celebrate my birthday."
"You are like that just because Max isn't here. Forget this guy!"
"Ugh fuck this son of a bitch", Jake said bored.
"Don't you dare calling him like that!", I threatened him. No matter how much of an ass he was to me, it still won't make him a son of a bitch.
"He's a fucking bastard! And the one who gives birth to someone like that can only be a bitch"
"How dare you? His mother is dead, you idiot! His parents are dead!", I jumped up and went through my hair angry. How could he say something like that? What has happened to him?
"Nica, I..."
"Jacob, it was too much"
"Sorry, if I'd have known that, I wouldn't-", but my ringing phone interrupted him.
I took my phone out of my back and picked up the call.
"Hello?"
"Miami Police Department, Officer Standburg, can I talk to Miss Veronica Trafimova?"
It sent a shiver down my spine.
"It's her", I said, "did something happen?"
"Who is it?", Mia asked noiselessly, I raised my hand to make her shut up.
"Miss Trafimova, this is about Mr Maxim Graf. Does this name sound familiar to you?", the officer asked me and my heart stopped beating and my chest started hurting again by hearing his name.
"Yes. Yes, I know him", I managed to say, "is he alright? Did something happen to him?"
Oh god please let him still be alive. Let him please be alive.

"Nica, where are you going?", Mia asked me after the call was over. I was putting my jacket on and picking up my bag of the floor.
"I have to go", I said and ran downstairs. I could hear them running after me and calling my name but I ignored them and left Mia's house. With quick steps, I walked over to my house and got into my father's car that was parked in the garage. My dad wasn't home anyway so he couldn't say anything against it.

After I've arrived at the police station I got out of the car and walked inside. Behind a glass window was a woman in a uniform. She was looking bored and yawning.
"I'm Veronica Trafimova. I got a call because of Maxim Graf.", I told her.
She just said "Hmm give me a moment.", and went through the list in front of her.
"There is a bail that has to be paid. Are you willing to do that?"
"Yes"
"Are you full aged?" Shit damnit...wait.
"What time is it?", I asked her. She looked at me as if I was completely out if my mind and told me the time. 12:12 am.
"Yes I am", I answered her question.
"Can I see your ID?"
"Sure", I fished my wallet out if my bag and gave her my ID.

She told me everything I had to do to pay the bail. After I've done and paid everything, I had to wait in a room on a cold plastic chair. Inpatient and nervous I was wriggling my leg. It felt like years past when the door was finally opened and Max followed by an officer came out. He had a busted lip and a wound on his brow. My chest convulsed and my heart started beating like crazy, I had a feeling that I'd pass out any second.
He looked at me wide-eyed when he noticed me and his eyes were screaming with shame.
"Veronica", he said barely audible which turned my legs to jelly. There again was the fire that he started in me everytime he looked at me.
"Here's your stuff", Officer Standburg gave Maxim his jacket and a plastic bag with his phone, his wallet and keys inside it.
"Thanks", he said and took the things.
The officer said something to him that I couldn't understand because I was busy getting my breathing rhythm under control, and then he followed me out.

"Veronica, I am so incredibly thankful, that you came. Obviously, you'll get every single penny back for the bail. If you want I can talk to your dad and tell him personally why you had to pay so much money, so-"
I raised my hand and hit him with the flat of the hand. Shocked he stand still and grabbed his bright red cheek.
"Can you even imagine how terrified I was because of you? When the officer called me I thought you were DEAD", I screamed and hit him on his chest. I could feel the sudden angry spreading through my whole body.
"I you planning on destroying your future with your behaviour? A fight in a bar?  Along with it, you are insulting an officer? I bailed you out, Maxim! How can you be...so...fucking...reck...less?", in between every word I hit him against his chest.
"I can't believe how careless and stupid you are!", angry I stamped to the car and got inside. With deep breaths, I tried to calm myself down.
Maxim got inside the car as well and sat on the passenger seat.
"I'm sorry", he apologized but sadly I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or himself.
"Why did you even call me?", I asked him without looking at him. "Don't you have a manager or some friends that you could've called?"
"You were the first one that I thought of. I know that you, no matter what happened between us, would come. Exactly what I'd do for you if you would've been in my position." Sadly he was completely right.
"I wouldn't be in your position"
"Yeah, that's true", he laughed.

I started the car and hit the road. There was no traffic at all. Which wasn't really surprising since it was in the middle of the night.
"What did you tell your father why you had to go?", he asked me and interrupted the silence with it.
"He doesn't know. He's in London and he's coming back tomorrow or better said today."
"Were you alone at home?" Why does he want to know that?
"No"
"Who was with you?", he asked and wanted to make it sound as casual as possible but he failed.
"It's not your business anymore"
"Hmm", he made and looked away.

When I turned into the street where Maxim was living, I stopped in front of his entry.
"Your wounds have to get disinfected", I said when I saw the blood on his lip and brow.
"You-"
"You could ask Taylor. She could do it", I interrupted him because I knew I couldn't decline if he would've asked me to do it.
"You are mad at me", he said.
I shook my head. "No. Not mad. Just hurt."
"Veronica...", he whispered and wanted to touch my cheek with his hand but I ducked it. I didn't want to get touched by him. I didn't want to give him the power that he had over me.
"Good night, Maxim", I said to him.
He poised for a moment and let his hand sink afterwards. His face was twisted with pain but not even a second later he had his perfect poker face on as if nothing ever happened.
"Thank you for bailing me out. Good night and sleep well.", he said goodbye, opened the door and got out. Before he closed the door he said my name.
"Just one more thing", he said and looked at me "Happy Birthday", he winked at me and left.

I waited till he disappeared inside the house, then I turned the radio on full volume and I started the engine. I hit the road as far as I could and noticed that every song that was playing became sadder all of sudden.

I really hope you like it xx