Jack blinked and looked to his side. Lucas stood there, slightly hesitant.
"I don't know what you like," Lucas admitted, avoiding Jack's eyes. "So... I made this for everyone."
Jack accepted the glass, inspecting it, then took a sip. "Max likes it," he muttered.
Silence again.
Lucas leaned beside him, resting his elbows on the railing. "You're not the only one worried about him," he said quietly. "Others are too."
Jack glanced at Lucas. "Then maybe stop acting like you aren't part of the problem."
Lucas exhaled. "Maybe I am. I just... I don't know what I'm doing either."
Jack gave a small chuckle. "Welcome to the club."
They stood in silence, sipping their drinks, letting the evening pass without saying much more. The weight of concern was heavy, but so was the shared understanding.
Meanwhile, inside the living room, the rest of the band was scattered around, all looking equally worried. Sol sat upside down on the couch with his feet over the backrest.
"So? What do we do now? Just let him sulk forever?" Tik asked.
"He needs space," Tul said.
"He needs love," Lucian corrected.
Sol rolled his eyes dramatically. "He needs his pillow and a tub of ice cream."
"Guys, be serious!" Mark interrupted. "We need to cheer him up. Think of something fun or distracting."
"Like what? Throw a party?" Tul scoffed.
"No, just lighten his mood," Lucian replied.
"Easy to say," Sol muttered. "But Max isn't the type to open up."
"He did once. He told us about his allergy, remember? That wasn't easy for him," Mark pointed out.
Lucian bit his lip. "Then maybe he will again... if we try."
In his room, Max sat on the floor, back against the door, knees pulled to his chest. The light was dim, and silence hung around him like fog.
"I don't even know why I like Lucas," he mumbled, hugging himself tighter. "Jack was right to ask... I don't have an answer. But one thing's sure... I won't let him go back to that hell again. No one knows, but I know how his father treats him... worse than mine."
His voice faded as his mind drifted back.
---
Flashback – High School Days
Max had been sitting quietly on a park bench, sketchpad untouched, eyes fixed on Lucas. He was under a tree, surrounded by soft light, a half-finished painting in his lap and a rare smile on his face.
Then, two men in black suits approached him.
"Your father's calling," one of them said firmly.
Lucas looked up, surprised. "Can I finish this first? Just a few more minutes—"
They didn't wait. One of them grabbed the canvas, the other seized Lucas's arm, and they marched him toward a car.
Max's heart skipped a beat. She followed them at a distance, confusion turning into worry.
Outside Lucas's grand house, Max quietly climbed a side wall and crouched at the top, peeking into a room on the first floor.
Lucas stood in front of his father. Max couldn't hear a word—but she didn't need to.
Mr. Lancaster screamed at Lucas, his face red with rage. Then, without warning, he grabbed the canvas and tossed it into the fireplace. Lucas's drawing book followed.
Max's eyes widened in horror.
Lucas didn't move. He didn't protest.
Then—CRASH!
A vase shattered. Glass exploded outward from the window. Max ducked, then looked again.
Lucas was on the floor, holding his head. Blood streamed through his fingers.
Footsteps approached her from below. She panicked and climbed down, running without looking back. But her mind was frozen on one image—Lucas sitting still on the floor, bleeding, silent.
---
Back to Present
Max laughed bitterly to himself.
"And later, when his friends asked… he said he fell down the stairs," Max whispered. "But I knew the truth. I was the only one who did."
His voice cracked. "He still has that scar. I saw it… I never forgot it."
A knock pulled him back to the present.
Knock. Knock.
"I said not to disturb me, Lucian," Max muttered.
"…It's me," came Lucas's voice from the other side of the door. "It's getting late. Let's have dinner?"
"I'm not hungry."
"It's your favourite."
Max stayed silent for a moment, then replied louder, "Fine!"
He got up and headed to the bathroom to wash his face.
"…But only for you," he mumbled under his breath.
---
To be continued...