what's going on

Max wasn't sure how he felt about being here. He knew he'd been lost if he'd found his mother's family in Mexico. He had no where to begin there. Besides, his Mom was so silent about that part. No, all he needed to know was his father. His father had a family, already.

His mother was so sick, he hated to question her much. As it was the last year, he'd given up a lot. School. Friends. Just taking care of her, mostly. There wasn't much choice in the matter. Sometimes, it felt as if he weren't even there. Of course, he was home. He read a lot. Watched the news.

Yes, it was true, he was a recluse. Sometimes, he could go days without saying anything. He'd always been quiet. When he left school, it was as if he'd slipped away. He kept thinking they'd call for him, or something, but the school never did.

Max wasn't sure he liked all this attention now. Yes, he'd heard his mom speak of them. His father's other family. He had a daughter. She talked about the daughter, a lot.  Perhaps, it was the fact that his mother always wanted one. But the way his mother spoke of her, it sounded as if she were his father's favorite. No said he'd have a brother a year old than himself, and that took Max by surprise.

They were nothing alike. Derrick liked music and gaming. Max was satisfied with a good book, and he liked math. Especially patterns and taking apart computers. He enjoyed putting them back together again too. Of course, back home... all they had were usually broken things, and he'd fix them.

It had been many days since he'd fixed anything. And a part of him felt so torn now. Leaving so soon after his mother died. Showing up here. All these questions. How could it be true? Why was their father, hiding him like that? What else did they not know?

Yet Derrick seemed happy that he'd came. He was the one who talked to him the most. His sister didn't even have time for her own children.

Derrick wanted to know what music he liked. Did he go to movies? He talked about how they would be going to the same school. Max didn't have the heart to tell him how far behind he was. At this rate he was pretty sure he might be a Freshman forever.

"I don't know if I...like school." Max finally spoke up.

"What happened?" Derrick wanted to know.

"I dunno. Its..its been a while." He knew it was better going unnoticed than being bullied.

"It'll be different here." Derrick said the school was small. "You'll know people. You'll know me."

Max couldn't help but smile.

"And you'll know my boyfriend, Ian." Derrick grinned.

Max didn't know what to say. His brother had a boyfriend? He wasn't exactly expecting that, but he wasn't against it, either. He guessed he'd just have to meet him.