Second Choice

Chapter 4

Max pov.

     How can people see me as me if they keep comparing us. We may share the same traits and be identical but it doesn't mean that we are one and the same. He is way too proud to like the fact that everyone is comparing him with me. Putting us in the same category.

I will take all day telling things that will make us different, but I just want to be honest. I don't care, I just need for the people that care about me to know that I am me. In the past it was only Jonah, but a year ago came a boy, a boy named Ryan.

He was the bad boy kind. A year older than me, moved to California when he was three years old. I didn't know about him till a year ago. Jonah introduced us. At first I thought that it was a bad decision, but it wasn't a bad one at all.

*Flashback*

A year ago...

            "Why are we here? You know I don't like eating here, the food is too salty."  It was true, it was a diner, but the chef put way too much salt in the dishes. The only good thing they got going is their famous frappe, The Nutella fountain. It was like the name, the cup was big in the form of a fountain in the top edges. The straw was in loops running in circles, it came in different colors. The customer got to choose the color of the straw. 

            "Like you wouldn't want to buy the Nutella fountain, it's your obsession."  He is not wrong. That is the only thing I love about this place. Nutella is my life. I wouldn't change it for any other chocolate. 

            "That is besides the point, why are we here?"  I am curious, he only brings me here when he wants me distracted or wants to drop a secret bomb on me. The point to all of it is, which of the two?

            "I need you to meet somebody, he is a friend, I met him a month ago, he wanted to meet you, saw you one day at the park with me"  Playing cupid now, huh. I will follow through, I want to see this mystery guy. 

            "Where is he going to get here?"  I said, it was more of curiosity than anything. For Jonah to trust this guy to present him to me is huge.

            "I am here"  No way, his voice is so mesmerizing. I haven't seen him and he already made an impression on me based on his voice. 

When I looked back I was totally stunned, where can someone so handsome hide? In a place like this is not common for a person with his face to go unnoticed. He was gorgeous, black hair that goes to his collarbone. Beautiful green eyes that captivate you, so green as the shiniest grass in a magnificent magical garden. Don't get me started in his height, he is a 6'2 in height from what I can see. Just perfect, all perfect just for me. Wait, what am I thinking?

        Just calling someone mine, I barely know the guy. Get your mind out of the gutter, Max. I don't need this kind of distraction in my life, I may even forget my name. Why am I here for, again? Oh, right, Jonah. When I looked at Jonah he had that stupid smirk on his face.

I see where this is going, I know he has something up his sleeves. Don't like it, this time I love it. Jonah, you know me so well. Ryan has me at his mercy, and he doesn't even know it yet. Like a puppeteer handles a puppet, dancing at his tune. This is just perfect, Can't wait for the outcome.

            "Max, Max, MAX, Hello!!! Earth to Max"  I was surprised when Jonah said earth to Max, I didn't hear him talking to me.

            "What?"  I said to make him answer. God knows how long he was talking to me. It must have been so embarrassing, and in front of Ryan, nonetheless.

            "I was calling you, you were out of it, I was introducing Ryan to you"  He said with amusement. He must be enjoying this, seeing me embarrass myself in front of Ryan. Good job, Max.

            "Sorry, I was just thinking if something, you know how I get"  I said blushing looking at my hands, I didn't want to look up and see Ryan looking at me. I always do this, I go to my own world when I think.

            "Yeah, I noticed, so back to what I was doing, Max this is Ryan, a boy I met two months ago, he moved here when he was three years old. And Ryan, this is Max, my best friend. The one I have been talking about"  He said with a smirk. This little Grinch, his being talking about me with him. About what exactly, good things I hope. This blabbermouth, we will have a talk when we get to my house.

            "Hey! Max, nice to finally meet you, Jonah talks about you all the time"  He said with a happy smile. Again, good things I hope.

            "Hi! Ryan, nice to meet you too, can't say the same thing. He has been keeping you a secret and I hope he didn't talk too much. He tends to get to chatty"  I said looking at Jonah with a pointy look, that look that he knew meant business. He opened his eyes in shock, he knew he blew it.

            "Oh, I stepped in a landmine, didn't I?"  He said in disdain. He has no idea.

            "It's not that, just that Jonah knows I don't like when he just does these kinds of things. Not that I think you are a bad guy, but.."  I said with a little sad tone. Jonah is my best friend. For him to hide he started to talk to another guy just hurts me. 

            "You feel betrayed, right?"  He said with an understanding tone. Like he knew what I felt. Ryan was right, I felt betrayed. Jonah hid this from me, I don't like the way I am feeling. 

I just looked at him, I didn't want to respond. The words that wanted to come out was, he is my best friend. I know he has other friends, but he talks of them with me. This time seems different. Am I losing my friend?

            "Max, you are not gonna lose me, ever. You are my best friend, and will always be my friends friend no matter what."  He said looking like he was going to cry. Even when he said that I felt a squeeze in my guts telling me that that was going to change, but I just ignored it. I'm pretty sure It's because of what I am experiencing right now.

            "How can I be sure? I can't lose you, I will be all alone"  I said to Jonah with a sad tone. I don't care if Ryan was listening to what I was saying, the words kept getting out of my mouth. 

            "Max, listen to me, you are never going to be alone, now or ever, you got that?"  He said with certainty. Maintaining a steady tone, but I knew he wanted to cry. He doesn't like when I feel powerless or sad. Always telling me he wants to see only my smile in my face. That I don't deserve any bad thing in life. A fact that always makes me think the reason why he does it.

            "How can I be sure, you know I felt like before"  I said without caring that Ryan was there and could hear the whole conversation. I don't have the time to think. I just want to get everything out in the open with Jonah.

            "Like that, that feeling"  He said scared, he knew that If I felt it, it would come true. The thing is I know he wouldn't leave voluntarily. That is why I need to find out the reason he goes away from me before it happens. I can't have that, I can't lose Jonah. He is my only rock, without him I don't know if I will be able to keep passing time with Miles' attitude all the time. 

If these premonitions are going to just tell me things without the reason why, what is the use of it? How can I stop it if I don't know how or why it happens. I need to get to the bottom of these. Jonah can't go, like he said not now or ever. I will search the whole planet if I have to. He will stay by my side, not anyone can be like he is to me. He will be my only real friend. I don't trust just anybody.

Either way, trust is earned. It took a week for me to trust Jonah when I met him. Like I said, he is special. Nothing can change. These feelings, premonitions got to be good for something. It just has to. Before it's too late to back down on anything that may happen in the future.

            "Yes, at first I thought it was because of this surprise friend thing, but now, not so much."  I said with uncertainty, I feel so lost right now. 

            "I will make sure it doesn't happen."  He said with a fire in his eyes. I believe him. I just don't believe that it won't happen. I know it's not his decision. 

            "It's not that easy, the decision is made for you."  I said so sure that I got scared by it. Inevitable. That word describes the situation at the moment.

            "If it happens I will find my way back to you, I promise."  He said taking my hand and squeezing it. It was comforting.

            "I know, but I will be devastated, How can I be happy without you?"  Till I see him again when he is gone, I will feel like a part of me will disappear. With him. 

            "You know that even when I am not with you, I will always have your back. You are my moon, remember?"  He said to make me feel better. Even with our promise, he is my sun and I am his moon.

            "And you are my sun, always. I will always remember."  I said as a promise. It's something that will stay with me in good and bad times. Even when I feel alone and think there is no way out. 

It's not something out of the blue. People who don't know about us think we are lovers by the way we talk and our closeness. But it's true and false. Everything started when we were five, we promised to each other to be there for each other. Like how the moon is for the sun, and the sun is for the moon. Kind of out of it, we just wanted a special nickname just for us. Try to imagine how my twin younger brother felt about that. His attitude is not new. He went all ape like on Jonah and said that I am his brother, and only him is special to me. 

*End of flashback*

        My parents thought it was cute, he put a possessive claim on me. How funny that is now, no part of that "cute" kid anymore. Only pettiness and selfishness. Don't care either way, he's family. That won't change even if he doesn't change his ways. Others may think I am a masochist for putting up with every whim of my brother, but I won't change that. He has to do it himself.

Anyways, the face Ryan made when he heard us talk to each other like that was priceless. He didn't stop thinking we were more than we told till I started to flirt with him two weeks later. It was so funny, he thought he was going to hurt Jonah if he were to reciprocate my advances.

When he was sure it wasn't like that we started dating, only dated for six months because of our constant fights. Mainly about my brother. Ryan wanted me to stop letting my brother push me around, I loved him for that, but decided it was better if he found someone else. Someone who will make him happy, who he will cherish and they will cherish him. He deserved that, for that I don't care if I have to go to a supermarket thirty minutes away. 

It was a sacrifice I was happy to do.