The Subway
Max's eyes slowly opened as she stretched her arms and yawned, but she wasn't feeling her normal exhaustion. Max felt well rested for the first time in years.
"So, what's on the menu for today?"
Max jumped back against the wall and let out a small but audible yelp. Anna was right in front of her, already wide awake, once again with enough energy to climb a building.
"Oh shit! I'm so sorry!" Anna whispered, clearly trying her best not to laugh. "I didn't mean to freak you out. I'm a bit of a morning person."
Max raised her eyebrows and let out a tense breath. "Ya don't say?"
Anna looked like she was about to burst. Seconds later, she let out a huge laugh as she apologized. "I'm sorry, but that was funny. You'll look back on this moment one day and agree with me."
Max put her head against the wall and looked up. "Okay. I'm going to choose to believe you."
"Oh my god, finally!" Anna clapped and batted her eyelashes. "You should always believe me, I'm quite brilliant, actually."
As soon as she finished speaking, Anna stood up and pranced out of the room into the kitchen. Max followed at a much slower pace, wondering how a person could skip so daintily across a living room minutes after waking up.
"Should we have breakfast?" Anna looked back at Max, waiting patiently for her reply.
Max bit her lip and muttered, "Well, we don't exactly have food . . ."
"Of course we do, silly! There's plenty of food leftover from last night!"
Max had miraculously forgotten about her wild sugar high from last night. "Oh right. Sure, what's on the menu?" she said in a goofy voice, mocking Anna's excitement from the bedroom.
"HA, you are SO funny," Anna said with a sarcastic grin on her face. "I'm going to have some brownies, you?"
"Sounds good to me."
After about a half-hour of light conversation, Max looked up at Anna timidly. "Hey, you know I really have to get back to making some money." She added in quickly, "I won't run, I promise, I just—"
Her plea for freedom, however, was interrupted by a cell phone ringing with a scary thrash metal song playing loudly. Anna jumped up with an urgency Max had not seen from her.
"Just a sec," said Anna. "Hello? Hello, Dad?"
Anna looked concerned, but Max couldn't guess why. Anna had said that everything was "fine," and Max assumed she'd meant it, although Max did detect a flicker of pain in her voice. Maybe after all of these years, Johnny had finally snapped and couldn't handle Anna's mother, Michelle, anymore.
"Hey, Daddio, what's happening on the home front?"
Max was always amused by Anna's unique jargon, but this was different. She sounded discouraged, and the words sounded forced. Before Anna began speaking again, Max heard a heavy cough on the other end of the line.
"Dad, it's going to be okay, I promise. I'll be home soon. You don't have to deal with the sea witch alone." Anna laughed nervously, her face still covered in worry. "Don't feel bad, it has nothing to do with you, you know that. I'll be there as soon as possible, okay?"
Max heard another heavy cough on the other line, but it lasted much longer than the last.
"Breathe slowly, Dad, you're doing great. Where's your oxygen?"
Max suddenly felt a flicker of dread that deepened by the second.
"Yes, I love you. See you soon." Anna hung up the phone and held it to her chest as she closed her eyes and tilted her head up toward the ceiling. Max was silent, hoping for an explanation, but too afraid to ask.
"He's sick," Anna said. "Really sick, Max."
Max stepped closer to Anna and gently grabbed her hands.
"Anna. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, but please don't stay here if you need to be home."
Anna looked at her friend with loving eyes, but in a shameful voice she admitted, "I haven't been home in months. I guess he's getting worse. It sounds like he is." She hung her head and a tear fell to the floor. "But that's life, right?" Anna laughed a bit too loudly. "Or so that's what my mom says."
Max yanked her head back with disgust on her face. "You can't be serious."
Anna looked at her with a bitter, angry expression, giving Max her answer.
Max looked directly into Anna's eyes and spoke softly but firmly. "Screw your Mom."
Anna smiled and chuckled weakly. "Yeah, SCREW her."
Max drew back a bit and whispered, "Anna, you have to go. You have to go to him."
But Anna shut her eyes and turned away from her, seemingly unable to face the reality that she was right.
"I . . . just can't. Not now. I can't lose you again, and I feel like if I go I'll come back to an empty home."
Max let out a reassuring smirk. "Anna. Go. I will NOT leave you. Not now. Before today, maybe." She rolled her eyes. "But not now."
Max could tell that Anna knew she could trust her at this point, and had run out of excuses.
"Okay." Anna let out a huge groan and said, "Tomorrow, I think. Maybe Sunday. We'll see." She turned around and headed back to the kitchen for another brownie.
Max walked to the couch and took a sip from a half-empty water bottle left on the beat-up coffee table as she sat down.
"You know, Max, you really can just ask me to get you some water." Anna genuinely giggled this time. "We aren't rationing anymore. I bought us some H2O."
Max looked back at Anna with a scrunched face and her arm over the back of the couch.
"Sorry. It's a reflex."
Too many brownies later, Max told Anna she had to go perform today. "The rent won't pay for itself," she said, "and I am already late, you brownie fiend!"
Anna looked understanding, but Max could tell she wasn't going to begin to let her travel alone. "Sounds fab! I can't wait! It'll be 'take your long-lost friend to work day'."
Max sensed that Anna was legitimately excited to accompany her. Surprised by Anna's reaction, Max stuttered, "Wait . . . you want to come with me?"
The subway was dirty, full of rude people — and that was on a good day. She was not expecting Anna to jump for joy at the thought of sitting in a cesspool of filth watching her sing all day.
"Well, yeah! Sounds like a blast!" Anna started looking around determinedly. "Shit, what should I wear?!"
Max looked at her, puzzled. "I mean . . . I think you could wear a potato sack and blend in, so . . ."
"What?!" Anna yelped, offended. "I am NOT going to look shitty as your sidekick, duh."
Anna danced across the room to rummage through Max's ripped second-hand clothing. She lifted a gray shirt with a big smile.
"YES. Yes. This is it, girlfriend. This is it. And YOU'RE next!"
Ah, crap, thought Max.
"Sounds great, uhhh . . . girlfriend . . ." she said out loud, unconvincingly.
Anna looked back with a sassy smile and shut the door. She emerged five minutes later, walking tall and proud like she was on the runway.
"What do you think?!" She said as she twirled. "Pretty cute, huh?"
Anna's eyes were bright and twinkling.
"Wow . . . can't believe you made that ugly-ass shirt into a fashion statement. I applaud you." Max clapped jokingly, commending Anna's successful style transformation.
The gray shirt had been long, like a nightie, and Anna had managed to make it a form fitting, stylish dress with a few safety pins.
"Well, I DO work for a fashion magazine," Anna said with a wink and a smile. "YOUR turn!!"
Max scooted back on the couch shaking her head. "Oh, no no, you don't need to do that, I'm fi—"
"You aren't getting out of this." Anna moved closer and grabbed Max's hand firmly. "Let's go, ya baby."
Max couldn't dig her nails into her skin because her palms were blocked by Anna's hands, but a shot of anxiety bolted through her stomach. Max's thoughts fell back into the pictures stored in her mind, each one flashing a different horrid moment from her past. He yelled "let's go" more times than she could count, grabbing her hands and practically snapping her arm off. They were always on the run, and most of the time he had the blood and "accomplishment" splattered all over his body and face. He always knew how to celebrate, and she was always his prize.
"Max?"
Anna let go of her hands and softly grabbed her shoulders. "Everything okay?"
Max, as always, shook her head and blinked about ten times before answering. "Yeah, wow . . . sugar rush." Max laughed trying to play it cool.
Her fake laugh, however, couldn't have fooled Anna, but luckily she chose not to press the matter.
"Okay great . . . SO, I have an idea—"
"I really don't like when you have those," Max butted in sarcastically..
Anna pursed her lips, not pleased. "Okay, can we keep our bitchiness to a minimum?" Her frown broke as she chuckled and held up Max's black turtleneck. "Do you have scissors?"
Max stared blankly for a moment, on the verge of saying no, but was too drained to lie. "Yeah, I think so. They're in Chris's room."
Max got up, crossed the living room hastily, and opened Chris's door. He didn't have a chest of drawers like she did, so she correctly assumed the scissors were under the futon.
As Max emerged from his bedroom, she raised her voice. "All right! Let's destroy some clothes!"
Anna rolled her eyes. "We aren't DESTROYING, we are REPURPOSING."
Max handed the scissors over with a smirk. "If you say so!"
Anna cut the neck and about half of the body of the turtleneck. After she chopped the bottom of the shirt off, Max couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Anna! What are you doing?!" Max didn't have a ton of clothing, so it didn't feel great to be down a shirt.
"Oh hush and put this on." Anna held out the shirt for Max to take. "And these cargo pants. And . . . this beanie!"
Max grabbed the shirt from her hand with obvious irritation as she passed Anna who left the room, allowing her to try on her "repurposed" outfit.
Max did as she was told and for the first time really wished she had invested in a mirror. She took a deep breath and walked out into the living room with a scared look on her face. Max hated her body — it disgusted her, but before she could think of any more negative things to say about herself, Anna shrieked.
"OH MY GOD!! YOU LOOK SO HOT!!"
Max jumped, startled by Anna's roaring voice. She hadn't been called "hot" since she was fourteen.
Her stomach was barely covered by her long-sleeve black crop-top, and sitting comfortably on her hips was a pair of dark green men's cargo pants she'd stolen out of someone's trash. She decided not to let Anna know that tiny detail — Max was positive Anna wouldn't support her digging through garbage, let alone wearing it. Her black hair was resting around her eyes and cheekbones, and covering her head was a dark grey beanie.
"I am flipping out, we are definitely ready to roll. Well, ROCK and roll, hahaha I am SO funny."
Max took a deep breath and sighed. "If you say so."
Max grabbed her guitar case and the girls marched out the front door into their murky paradise.
Down the road from their humble abode, the girls were nearing a heavyset, unshaven man sitting outside of an abandoned building.
"Hey, Doug," Max mumbled softly, slightly looking up to her left. Doug was a friend of Max and Chris's. He took shelter in this building and Max appreciated him because everyday he tried to make her laugh on the way to the subway. Laughing wasn't something Max did often.
"Kiddo!" The dirty man exclaimed.
Max felt bad that she'd caught a rare moment where Doug was lucid, almost feeling guilty that Chris wasn't there to see it.
"Who's the ginger?!" Doug cackled and laughed, grabbing his stomach and throwing his head back.
"Excuse m—" Anna nearly shouted before Max interjected.
"This is Anna. She's visiting from Manhattan."
Max felt amused watching Anna stare blankly at Doug trying to come up with something to say.
"Hello, darling!"
Anna flashed her famous smile, waving like the Queen Of England. Max stifled a laugh as she put her hand up to cover her smirk, knowing Doug would not respond pleasantly to Anna's bouncy personality. Doug stared, unamused, for a few seconds before coughing like a grump. "Take care of my girl, Ginger. She deserves the world."
Anna scowled and replied, "YEAH. I'll do that, sunshine."
Max rolled her eyes and turned Anna around by her shoulder. "Thanks, Doug. I'll see you in a few."
Doug pulled out a needle from a crack in the pavement, and placed it next to a baggy and spoon.
Anna's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Max—"
"It's okay. Chris and I do our best to help him and talk to him. Maybe someday it will sink in and he will stop with the drugs. That's what we hope, anyway."
"Well, what the hell was his problem with me?" Anna pouted like a child.
"You're from Manhattan. He's not a fan."
"OH! Gotcha. I mean, I'm from Pennsylvania, I do feel that should be taken into consideration, but whatever."
Max looked at her with a raised eyebrow complete with a half-smile before looking forward and continuing to walk toward the subway.
A few trains later, they arrived at the spot where Anna had first found Max.
"Aww . . ."
Anna blinked sarcastically. "Memories!!"
"Good lord," said Max. "Can we sit without making this an event, please."
Anna giggled. "Do you even know me?"
Max flashed her smirk and grabbed her guitar.
Anna leaned back against the pastel yellow-painted brick. Looking over at her friend, Max couldn't help but appreciate that Anna seemed to accept that her butt was going to be glued to cement that was most likely covered in barf.
The things we do for our friends. Max smiled to herself.
Max hit the first chord and the corridor filled with a haunting progression. She decided to start with "Wild Horses" by The Rolling Stones. Max closed her eyes and put her head down. Her voice was weaving through the halls like the wind carrying a feather, ever so sweetly, but with conviction.
Max loved looking up to see the busy people of New York all taking a moment to notice the beautiful music. Most people didn't toss her a dime, but with every note, she saw their congested minds lighten for probably the first time that day.
She finished her song, and tried to stay in the mood with the last chord ringing out when Anna started clapping and belted out, "WOO!! Hell yeah! That's my friend!"
Max was completely horrified, but to her surprise, someone laughed and dropped three bucks into her case.
"Are you going to do that after every song?" Max asked, annoyed, through gritted teeth.
"PSHHH, you KNOW it!!" Anna laughed, with her last loud clap ringing through the tunnels.
And so the day went: music, applause, and two people enjoying all of the perks the subway had to offer. Which essentially was nothing, but someone tossed a candy in her case and Max was kind enough to give it to Anna.
Can't say I didn't do anything for her! thought Max sarcastically.
"Oh, by the way, I was wondering . . . who is Ra—" Just as Anna was about to finish her question, Max heard a loud, shrieking voice cut through the hustle and bustle.
"Well, well! How I always enjoy seeing my employees dressed in rags loitering in the subway!"
Max saw Anna's head shoot up. They were suddenly confronted by a woman staring down with a creepy smile on her face.
"I must say, that color suits you."
"Wow!! Ha, Ms. Scott! What a crazy coincidence . . ." Anna's voice trailed off with anxiety dripping from her face.
Max looked at Anna, surprised by her behavior. This may have been the first time she'd seen her friend act so submissive toward anyone.
"Oh, this old thing?!" Anna laughed nervously. "It's hers." She pointed to Max like it was her fault.
So, Max took the cue. "Uhhh, yes! It's mine, I made her wear it. Gun to her head! Made for a very awkward morning."
Before Max could fake snicker at her joke, the woman pointed at her and let out the loudest laugh she'd ever heard. Max jumped and tried to not stare her down with an angry glare.
"Your friends are funny too, Anna! Why am I not surprised?"
Anna's mouth was hanging open before she smiled. "She's definitely a keeper! How are things going, Ms. Scott? Anything you need me to do for you?"
"Oh please! Call me Sarah!" she bellowed. "And I should be asking you that! How is it coming with the interview?"
Max didn't remember Anna saying anything about an interview, but she kept quiet as Anna quickly choked out, "GREAT! Absolutely fantastic, riveting."
The girls cringed at the boom from Sarah clapping her hands together. "How WONDERFUL! I cannot wait to see what you've come up with!"
The entire moment was rubbing Max the wrong way. This scary woman was making her bold best friend act like a teenager getting grounded. She decided to steer the attention away from Anna, who was obviously in need of relief.
"I'm sorry, but what interview?"
Sarah turned her head toward Max. "My god! I can't believe she hasn't told you! Your friend is interviewing Siobhan Wild next week!"
Max looked at Anna in shock and slowly turned back to Sarah. "Wow . . . that's great news! Anna! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Sarah looked at Anna, wanting an answer to the same question.
"I just, um, well, I thought maybe I would keep it a secret until I was done . . ."
"Well the secret is out, baby!" Sarah shrieked, interrupting Anna's stuttering. "Let me know when you feel you've written the greatest interview of all time! Which means by Monday."
Out of the corner of her eye, Max saw Anna let a huge fake smile spread across her horrified face. "Of course, Sarah. Right away."
Sarah pursed her lips and winked at the girls. "Fabulous. Better be amazing."
The smile fell from Sarah's face and the girls both gulped in fear. "I'm only joking, ha!" yelled Sarah as she leaned forward, cackling.
They all shared a very awkward laugh as Sarah headed toward her train, but after a few steps she turned back around. "But seriously. It better be. Toodloo!" She waved her hand fancifully and continued walking.
Anna turned her head slowly toward Max. "Sorry about that . . . she can be . . . a lot."
"I don't care about her!! You're interviewing Siobhan Wild?! Why didn't you tell me?"
Max looked at her impatiently while Anna looked down and shook her head. "Well, we've been a bit busy, with finding my best friend after all of these years, you know?" Anna smiled sheepishly, obviously hoping that would direct the conversation elsewhere.
Max opened her mouth in awe. "Yes, I understand that being a big deal, but THIS is serious! I'm not trying to side with your annoying boss, but you need to work on this!" Max abruptly got on her knees and began putting her guitar away.
"Wait, wait . . . we're leaving?" Anna whispered feverishly.
"There is absolutely no way you are throwing this away, Anna." Max locked the guitar case and jumped up, holding her hand out to Anna. "Let's go!"
"You're scary when you give a shit."
Max rolled her eyes at Anna and snorted, "Don't get used to it."
Max whipped around, guitar in hand, dragging Anna toward their train.
"I think you're more excited than I am, Max."
Anna and Max didn't hear Chris arrive home from work. The girls were sitting in complete silence like statues on the couch. Anna was on her laptop typing wildly with Max practically on top of her.
"Uhh . . . hello?"
Anna and Max looked up, startled, with irked looks on their faces.
"Chris, we need complete silence and focus," said Max, not caring that she came off a bit too loud and crazy. "Anna has some real shit to do and she is forbidden to leave home until she's done."
Max watched Chris turn his head slowly toward Anna, looking just as fearful as she did.
"Yes, the warden here has spoken," Anna said as she rolled her eyes.
Chris choked down a small laugh. "You two roll your eyes a lot at each other. Just an observation!" he said as he tossed his arms up, crossed the room, and plopped down next to Anna.
"I'll bite, what's going on?"
Max noticed Anna holding her breath as Chris sat next to her and Anna's cheeks turned a light red. She smiled at him and looked down. Max purposefully interrupted the moment as she sternly said, "Well! Our friend here neglected to tell us that she has to interview Siobhan Wild next Wednesday and hasn't even BEGUN working on it!"
"Who is Siobhan Wild?"
"OH MY GOD, CHRIS!" she shrieked, throwing a pillow at him. "She's only THE biggest supermodel on the entire planet!"
Chris pulled his head back a bit and she squinted her eyes because of his judgmental glance. "Why do you know that?"
Max tilted her chin up slightly as if she were about to explain her out of character knowledge with pride, but only scoffed, "Shut up, butthead."
They glared at each other for a moment before Chris busted out laughing, with her staring at him tempestuously.
Anna still appeared distracted by how close Chris was to her.
"Hey!" Max shouted.
Anna blinked as her head snapped up. "What?!" she said loudly as her voice cracked.
Max squinted her eyes again. "You get back to your work. Chris! May I borrow you for a moment?"
Max could see the fear flash in his eyes because she used to be quiet and subdued.
Anna's personality must be rubbing off on me, she thought to herself
"Oh, yeah, of course."
He got up and followed Max casually into her room.
"Chris. This is getting ridiculous."
"What is?"
Max stared at him without blinking, clearly implying that he should know what she was talking about.
"Anna. Anna, Chris."
"What about her?"
Max grabbed his cheeks with both hands. "She clearly likes you. You clearly like her. What's the deal?"
Max held back a laugh watching Chris look so embarrassed.
"Stop being such a freak. Talk to her." She slapped her hand on his shoulder and shook it. "Just tossing you some friendly advice."
He smiled and his eyes softened, looking at her warmly. "I like the new you. I really do."
She gave him a small smile, and stuck her tongue out. "Whatever, loser."
He laughed and they both returned to the couch as Anna's biggest cheerleaders.
"You got this, Anna," Chris said seriously. "We are here for you."
Max nodded her head in agreement as she watched Anna find the courage to look Chris in the eyes.
"Thank you. Thank you guys."
Chris winked at her as Max exclaimed, "All right! Back to work!"
Chris and Anna exchanged glances, looking as though they were afraid to make a sound. They slowly turned to the laptop, giggling, while Max looked at them both amused. For the first time, Max wondered if there was a chance she could find happiness.