The next day at school, Max sat quietly at his desk, eyes drifting toward the two empty seats in the room.
One of them was right beside him, Sam's old desk. He didn't let anyone sit there. No transfer students, no one. That seat belonged to Sam. It stayed empty as a reminder. Of mistakes. Of things Max couldn't undo.
And now, on the far side of the classroom, near the window that looked into the hallway, there was another empty seat.
Joe's.
I got the full story from everyone at the gym, Max thought, and from Steven too. But I still don't know who it was that broke in that day. From what they said... it sounded like they were looking for me.
After hearing what happened, Max hadn't hesitated. He told Steven not to worry about any of the hospital bills. He'd cover everything, for Joe and for the other students who got hurt.
He remembered the look on Steven's face when he said that. It wasn't just relief, it was something deeper. Like Steven had wanted to say more… but didn't.
