Yesterday was great and gave me a little more courage. So I decided to call Max today, because I don't want to lose my best friend.

"Uhm.. hey Max. It's Liam, remember?"

"Hi." there was a tense atmosphere.

"I miss talking to you Max. I'm sorry about all that happened but can we still be friends please?"

"I don't know. Maybe, yes. I have to think about it."

"Is everything alright?" Mom suddenly asked. I looked up. "Yeah.. I'm okay. I was talking to Max." Did there just sound disappointment in my voice? "I mean, um, of course I'm really happy to hear him etc." I just made it worse... "Oh, yes, okay. I did notice that you hadn't been seeing each other as much lately. Has something happened?"

It was quiet for a moment. Would I be honest with her? Maybe better not, she'll never understand me anyway. "No, everything is ok. Max was just a bit busy with his hobbies." She nodded.

When she was gone, I sighed. Why did everyone always interfere in everything? I rolled my eyes and walked out. The fresh air woke me up. It's refreshing.

"It's getting colder, isn't it?" Nate came to stand next to me. Suddenly I felt myself becoming frightened and quickly looked around. "Don't worry little one, they won't see us here." he said reassuringly. "I just don't want to lose you, do you understand?" I stared at him, waiting for a response, but saw little emotion.

"Yeah.. I know."

We both looked ahead.

It's ok, it's ok, it's ok. I kept repeating that in my head.

"I just heard you talking to Max. Is everything okay? You looked, um, I don't know, sad?" he changed the subject. I nodded "Mhm-mhm.".

"Is he special to you?"

"Well, yes and no. He's my best friend. But I feel like our friendship is falling apart and I don't want that." Is he jealous?

"Why do you think your friendship is falling apart?"

"B- because..." I started blushing. Should I tell him? Maybe, yeah...

"I had a new friend at school, Naomi is her name. She wanted more than to be friends with me, of course I didn't want that. And then she got angry, she spread nonsense at school and also to Max she said things that were not true and Max wouldn't believe me."

Suddenly I could see everything again. Deep down it still hurts that she did something like that and that no one would believe me.

"What did she say?"

"That... That I pretended to like her, touched her etc and told her afterwards that I didn't want anything with her because I would be gay.."

"And are you?"

Omg these questions... Does this even matter?

It was quiet... But not for long enough-

"Maybe Max is just jealous, he knows you're gay now and maybe he wants you but he's afraid to say it and he's ashamed of his own feelings and that's why he's so distant."

Is this seriously what you think? I could hit myself so hard right now.

I wanted to go in, but Nate held me. "Should I talk to him?" I looked at him. To say what, mmm? I'm so tired of this.

I shrugged my shoulders and pulled me out of his grip.

Max said he was going to think, maybe there is still hope, who knows...