Chapter I

Water

It was a normal day, at least, a normal day for Max. He had turned sixteen only a week ago, and his friend Maria was taking him out for a special treat. He had no idea what she had planned, but he was still feeling the depression from past events that happened on this day weighing in on his shoulders. He sat in the car as his mother drove him to the designated location that only she and Maria knew about.

Max had really wanted to drive, but his mother said no. He had his learners permit, but he wasn't 'trustworthy enough', at least, according to his mother and father. Brushing the few hairs that hung in his eyes out of the way, he looked at the reflection of himself staring right back at him.

He had dark brown hair, uncut for about six months, give or take. A few strand touched the nape of his neck, but that was probably only around three or so groups. The rest of his hair, at its longest, reached about halfway point of his neck. His skin was tanned from the many hours spent outside with Maria, and he was fit. He wasn't as built as the hulked-out athletes at school, but he could pack a bunch if he really wanted to. His eyes were a brilliant blue that seemed to look over you with every intention of either breaking you down to read you piece by piece, or to tease and toss you around. He wasn't a brainiac, he hardly passed most of his classes. He figured he would go to college if he got enough money from both his parents and the many part time jobs he'd have once he started working. He had no set path for the future, just the intent on marrying the girl he was crushing on at the moment, having a family, and earning enough so they could get by without too many hiccups.

Before Max could think any deeper into the future, he glanced down at his outfit. A navy blue V-neck met his attention first. It was his favorite shirt, not because of the style, (which it technically didn't have) but for the fact of the comfort it gave him that his other shirts could not provide. His eyes trailed down to his jeans. The cuffs ended at his ankles, so it was the perfect length for mid-fall, early winter weather. They were washed so it was a lighter blue on his thighs and shins then everywhere else. He stuck his thumbs into his pockets before examining his black converse. He moved his feet, feeling the familiar sensation of them popping as he looked at the dirt and grime they had collected over the time he'd have them. They were worn, that's for sure, but they were the best, and quite frankly, the only pair of shoes he had.

He looked over at his mother, who was staring at the road. He didn't take after his mom at all, except maybe her nose. It was a tad round at the tip, but still built to be more like a man's nose, which was a bit odd for a female, such as his mother, to have such a nose. Not that he was complaining, his father had a pointed nose that hooked. Her auburn hair curled at the edges as it rested around her chest and shoulder blades. Her gray eyes watched the cars intently as they sped to get in front of them, or slowed to stop at a red light. Her petite hands gripped the steering wheels of the station wagon as if she was in a life or death situation. His mother was way too serious for her own good.

She wore her olive green sweater that day. The sleeves stopped right as it touched her wrists, showing off her silver bracelet his father had gotten for her for their fifteenth anniversary. A beam of sunlight hit it, almost blinding Max, so he fixated his attention somewhere else. She was wearing her white trousers today, which ended just above her ankle, showing off the small sliver of skin that was showing right before it was covered again by her ankle boots. They were a light brown and had frills on the edges. They were slightly elevated, but it wasn't some crazy ten inches, it was more three or two. When she noticed him staring, she looking into the rear-view mirror and then at him. "Honey, why have you been staring at me for so long?"

Max began to pick at one of the few holes the seat adorned. "Sorry, just looking around." He mumbled as he looked outside.

His mother nodded, focusing back onto the busy, insane streets of Manhattan during rush hour. Taxis and cars alike rushed around, probably trying to get out before things got too crazy, not that it was in any way, shape, or form calm. Stacks of smoke and steam rose in from the many different buildings that lined the streets. Hordes of people rushed in and out of stores, hoping to catch either a taxi or the subway before things got too busy. Lines of people walked along the sidewalk, and whenever someone bumped into someone, Max could almost hear the profanities stringing out of their mouths. He sighed happily. He loved his home.

His mother chuckled. "You really love Manhattan, huh?"

Max nodded. "I wouldn't want anything to harm it or hurt it, its home. Speaking of which, where are we going?" He asked again, hoping he'd get an answer this time.

His mother sighed exasperatedly, though he could tell she was being sarcastic. "You'll see soon, Munchkin!"

Max groaned as soon as the nickname left her lips. "Mom, I'm sixteen now, stop calling me that!"

She burst into laughter. "Oh Max, I am just teasing!"

Max nodded, though he pretended to be annoyed. He loved to make her think he was mad or annoyed at her, it usually made her act nicer to him. When she saw him ignoring her, she scoffed and lightly shoved him. "Seriously boy? I push you out of me and into this amazing world and this is the thanks I get?"

Max's face turned as read as a beet. "Mom!"

She laughed. "Honey, I am just teasing, besides, you learned all this in Sex Ed. in middle school."

"You know I hated Sex Ed."

"Exactly, hence why I brought it up."

Max turned back to look outside the window. He didn't like his mother at the moment, so he opted to ignore her for the rest of the drive, and quite possibly, the trip. As he looked out, he could see the same figure he always thinks he sees.

Donned in a dark green hood pulled over his head and covering his face in its shadow, with the same material making the cloak that just surpassed the halfway point of their calves, they always seemed to be watching him. Sometimes the figure would have the curves and built of a woman, or the muscular and tough built of a man. They always wore the same hood, cloak, and clothes under the cloak. A black long sleeved shirt with dark trousers, presumably dark gray, but since he had only ever seen them from a distance, he wasn't too sure. They also always wore dark brown boots that reached just below their knees, and had on gloves on each hand that was made of the same material as their hood and cloaks. They would follow and watch him, though he couldn't make out any identifiable traits to report to the police or to go off on. Sometimes, he'd notice a weapon clinging to their side. People would pass by them, not noticing them, or complimenting them on their fashion style. New Yorkers were crazy in that regard.

This particular figure was leaning against the wall of an apartment building they were passing by. His arms were crossed over his chest, revealing a dagger sheathed onto his belt that hugged his hips. It looked quite deadly, and if Max focused hard enough, he swore it was glowing. Some boy and his mother walked by him, and the boy pointed at him, clearly happy to see some hooded man standing there-not that that was something people should be happy about-and began to tug on his mother's arm. She looked to where he was pointing, and then bent down to the boy's height. She was shaking her head, clearly telling him that nothing was there. The boy protested, but the mother simply grabbed onto his arm and tugged him along, not casting another look back.

Once the red light they were at turned green, his mother pushed down on the gas pedal and the car began to move. As they moved farther away, the hood the figure wore bunched around his neck as he rotated his head to follow them. Max shuddered before looking out the front window. He saw his mother cast a worried glance at him, and then reach for the dial to turn the heat up. The warmth filled Max up as he sat in the leather chair, enjoying it. He'd soon have to step outside, and he wanted to have as much warmth within him as possible. He cast another glance at the side window, noticing the condensation building up. It must have been colder then he thought outside if condensation was forming like this. Either that or the inside of the car was really warm. He reached a hand up and trailed his index finger through the small patch, watching it leave a clean trail.

As he sat there, the car suddenly pulled out of the main street and into the front of a Pizza Hut. Max smirked before glancing at his mother. He scoffed. "Really?"

His mother attempted to look unfazed, but she couldn't hide the twitch of the corners of her mouth as she spoke to him. "Yep." She answered, popping her 'p'. "We are here to meet Maria, eat some pizza, and then she is taking you out-without me-to go to your favorite places."

Max smiled like a mad man. Maria was the best friend a guy could ask for. "Gosh, she is just the best."

"Keep in mind I made up the Pizza Hut part."

"No worries, Mom. Let's go eat, shall we?"

*****

"Would you stop moaning whenever you take a bite?" Maria said, clearly annoyed by it.

Max laughed. "But it's so good." He stated, moaning afterwards just to tease her. She rolled her eyes, but her expression showed she was amused. Max laughed after swallowing the pizza, which earned laughs all around the table.

Maria set the crust of her pizza down. She reached for her purse and set it on the table. As she rummaged through it, Max grabbed her crust and gulped it down without her knowing. He grinned, waiting for her reaction. Suddenly, she pulled out a gift wrapped box and set it in front of him. The wrapping paper was a cobalt blue, and the bow tied around it was a blood red. Max picked it off the table and began to unravel the bow before he tore into the paper.

A cardboard box stared up at him, and he looked up, a grin plastered onto his face. "Maria, thank you! You remember how much I love cardboard boxes!"

Maria rolled her eyes but laughed all the same. "Your jokes are bad and you should feel bad"

"Thanks, I try to."

Max began to pick at the tape, which made his mother get involved. She used her nails to pick the tape up just enough for him to peel it off. He thanked her before pulling on it. He opened the lids, and gasped. Staring up at him was the same watch he and Maria had seen when they went looking for gifts for Maria's cousin. It was silver, but the face of it was a royal blue. It had three circles on the face as well, and small parts of the outside were colored the same as the face. It had been really expensive and Max hadn't been able to afford it, but wanted it so badly because it was his favorite color.

It had been really expensive and Max hadn't been able to afford it, but wanted it so badly because it was his favorite color

He looked up at her to see her smiling at him, her cheeks flushed. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" He cried as got up and raced to the other side of the table to give her sloppy kisses on the cheek. "Maria! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He cried, giving her kisses between each word.

Maria squealed, but her cheeks kept getting redder and redder the more he kissed her, so he stopped. He pulled back to see her face a beet red and her breath shaky. She looked at him, smiling. "You're welcome, Max." She said her voice wobbling.

Max chuckled. "Sorry about that, Maria. I just got really excited."

Maria's smiled faded, but she nodded. "It's...fine, I guess."

Max sat back down, grabbing the watch and putting it on. He admired it on his wrist before grabbing another slice of pizza and gulping it down. Once the pizza was gone, Maria stood up. "Well, we best be off to the next part of the day I have planned."

Max's mother nodded. "I will see you two later." She said as she stood up.

Maria smiled at her. "See you later, Mrs. River."

"Ashley, Maria. Ashley."

Maria nodded. "Sorry, Ashley."

His mother nodded. "Thank you. Now, run along you two! I don't want to see you for a few hours!"

Max laughed. "Fine, Mom. Don't have too much fun without us!"

"I should be saying that to you, Max."

"Come now, we all know you are more likely to have too much fun."

His mother chuckled. "That's enough out of you, boy."

Max laughed before being grabbed by the arm and pulled out of the Pizza Hut by Maria. Once they were out, Maria stopped yanking on him and motioned him along. Max followed, sticking his thumbs into his front pockets in his jeans. Maria glanced down at his thumbs, and then back up at the street. "Where we going?" Max asked, looking intently at her.

Maria turned to look at him, her mouth opened as if she were going to say something. When she saw him staring, her face turned red again and she turned away. "We were going to see a movie, but there aren't any good ones out right now."

"What about Sleeping with other People?"

Maria stopped walking and turned to face him, giving him a deadpanned look. "Max, seriously?"

Max chuckled. "Right. It'd be awkward to see a romantic movie with you."

Maria looked away as she continued walking. Max wondered if he said something, because she hadn't spoken for five minutes and he was getting worried. She could be a Chatty Cathy if she wanted to, and this was definitely not her normal self.

"Maria-"

"We're here!" She chirped.

Max looked up to see the entrance to Central Park. Max smiled. "This makes me feel nostalgic." He said, looking at her.

Her curly brown hair framed her waist. Her skin was a light tan and her eyes were a dark brown. They darted to look at his, and he smiled at her. Freckles covered the tops of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Her face was on the rounder side, but it wasn't extremely round. She was curvy, and her hips were larger than most girls' were. Max's eyes darted to her rack, which wasn't that big. His eyes fell on her lips. They were full. He figured they were kissable, but he didn't think of her in that sense. He moved his eyes up to her nose. Rounded. Straight. No hook. It was pretty, for a nose. Her eyebrows were perfectly done, as was her makeup. Max hated the fact that she wore some. She didn't need it in his opinion. Having her freckles showing was much more likely to grant her attention from a boy. Max thought they were adorable, and he told her that whenever she was putting makeup on in front of him.

Maria turned away, tugging at the dress she wore. It was a deep magenta. It wasn't a V-neck, and the cut wasn't that deep. The top of it hugged her waist and showed off her curves wonderfully. The sleeves ended a little past the start of her forearm. The skirt of the dress puffed out at her waist, and it ended right above her knees. Her legs were cleanly shaven underneath the skirt, which wasn't something Max minded in the slightest. He had seen her half-dressed before, and she had one time seen him naked. Long story. She wore her black high tops with the dress, which Max thought was adorable. Who needs to wear fancy shoes with a dress? In fact, why did girls feel the need to be fancy? It was probably so much easier to walk out of the house without painting their faces and putting their hair up in intricate designs and patterns.

"Why are you staring at me so oddly, Max?"

Max snapped out of his daze. "Huh? Oh, sorry, Maria."

Maria smiled faintly and then made her way into the park. Max followed. Maria was making her way to their favorite spot: the Lake.

Max loved it. It was the second largest one, and it always made him happy. Water was a calming thing to him. He never felt out of place in it, or around it for that matter. Their favorite place was under a grove of trees that turned yellow in the fall months. When he saw the towering trees and the golden leaves, happiness sounded within him. Maria plopped down by the lake. Max followed suit, and the two watched others row boats out on the lake and saw others pass by, doing whatever seemed fit.

Maria looked at him. "I'm sorry about earlier, I just-"

"No, no. I get it. We've seen plenty of Romance Movies together, I don't know why I was so skeptical."

She looked away, mumbling something. "Sure." She eventually said. Suddenly, she stood up. "I am going to go get you one of the other surprises, alright?"

Max grinned. "What'll it be?"

"You'll see." Maria said, winking.

Max nodded as she walked off. He then stood up and got close to the water. He laid on his stomach, his head hanging over the edge. The water smelled like it normally did. Nothing too great, but it was a home smell. He felt comfortable near it. He and his parents always went here when he was younger with his group of friends.

A pang of sadness hit Max. He felt tears coming to his eyes. He shook his head. No he thought, I have to be strong today, for him.

Max closed his eyes, calming himself down. He needed something to taker his mind off of him, so he thought of water. He imagined the surface of a lake, and then imagined pulling water out of it. He twisted and twirled it within his mind, and eventually calmed down. He kept the image in his mind, and then opened his eyes.

He almost had a heart attack right then and there.

The same design of water in his head was hovering above the lake's surface. Once he lost focus, the design dropped back into the lake. Max blinked, and then quickly started imagining the same surface of water, though he kept his eyes open. He decided to make a rose, for the girl he liked, perhaps. He pulled strand of water out of the imaginary surface, starting to make the flower. He watched water lift out of the lake, forming into the head of a rose. He then made the stem in his mind, and watched the stem connect itself to the flower. He pulled the design closer to him, and he grabbed it, expecting it to break.

Instead, his hand wrapped around it, and he pulled it close to him. He wished he could freeze it, but it wasn't working, so he figured he could only manipulate it. Suddenly, the water froze in his grasp, and he gasped, almost dropping it. Before he could question what happened, Maria came back with a cake in her hands. "Okay, I have a red Velvet cake here, your favorite!"

Her eyes landed on the rose in his hands. "Where did you get that, and who is it for?"

Max smiled at her, deciding on the best thank you gift for her. "Well, I bought it for you as a thank you gift for today!" Not the truth, but he doubted it'd turn out well if he told her the truth.

He handed the rose to her, and she took it into her hands. "Is this ice?"

"Yeah, sorry. I would've gotten you a better one, but-"

Max was cut off when he felt her lips grace his left cheek. "I love it." She said against his cheek. When she pulled away, she began to gently examine it.

Max, however, was left speechless. Had she just kissed his cheek? His face heated up. Sure, it was embarrassing. He only kissed her as a joke, but that seemed genuine. Suddenly, Maria tapped his knee. "Come on, you. Let's dig into this cake!"

He nodded, and Maria cut a slice for him. After devouring the cake, the two walked over to the place his mom would meet them at, and they were taken home to his house. Maria was staying over for the night, so she didn't have to go home. Max's mom was fine with it, so long as she got her own room. Max would never do anything like that to her, but his mother didn't trust him.

As Max lay there, he mulled over the whole day. Perhaps it was just a dream, and when he'd wake up, he would tell Maria all about it when they went on his birthday trip.

However, when Max woke up the next day, Maria was still asleep in the guest room, and he could move the water around in the bathroom sink. The ice rose was still in the freezer, and Max was utterly confused.

However, his life was just getting started.