Forever?

Chapter 3.5

"See," Someone said. "Told you, Max had an orgy."

"Okay, but why are they all hot?" Someone else said.

"I have dibs on that one," Helios said. Well, Max thought it was him. He groaned a little as he smacked Alec's chest who in return kicked whoever was sleeping on their legs, and they kicked someone else. And once again, they were all kicked awake.

"They're awake," another voice said.

"Max," Alice deadpanned. "Why are there now three famous people in your room?"

Max shot up in bed. He accidentally hit Alec but he’d apologise later. Helios, Selene and Atlas stood at the bottom of their bed.

"You've gotten big," Atlas said. He had somehow gotten jacked again.

"And he's made new friends. Last time I was home he was friends with that girl with the hair," Selene said as she looked at the group on the bed.

"Ohh yeah," Atlas said, nodding a little. "With the funky eyes."

"Yeah, her,” Selene said, nodding.

"I feel like we’re missing something here," Matt said. He sat up. He was such a morning person, he smacked Oliver to try and wake him up, but he just smacked him back and hid under the pillows. Oliver, however, wasn't a morning person.

"They're my siblings. I'm the youngest. Selene and Atlas meet Damian, Matt, Alec, Ani, Amber, Alice and Oliver,” Max grumbled. They were here now, so he might as well have introduced everyone.

Oliver shot up in bed.

"Atlas, as in Atlas?" he said. He looked up at him and Oliver made a sound.

"Oh, you like him?" Selene asked, eyebrow raised, a smug smile on her face. Max's eyes narrowed.

"Yep," Oliver said. "I've watched all your movies and shows."

"Why didn't I get a reaction like that? I just got a gun pointed at me," Helios grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Now, with the three of them standing side by side, you could clearly see the similarities between them. Max was surprised people hadn’t put one and one together. Atlas and Helios had the same eye shape, but their eye colour was different. Helios had dark eyes like he did, but Atlas and Serene shared the blue eyes their father had.

"We don't like you," Oliver deadpanned, scowling at Helios.

"Oh, but you like Atlas?"

"Yep," he replied.

"Wait," Matt said. "Siblings?"

"So the rumours were true, you are all siblings?" Ani said. They all nodded.

"Then why deny it?" Oliver said.

Selene smiled. "Why not?"

"I like this group better than the other one," Helios said, grinning. His eyes were on Oliver, who was shoving his glasses on his face.

"You've met them?" Selene said she crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at Helios.

"For like a few minutes. But I thrive on annoying them a lot, it's fun as s**t. Watch this." He walked to the side Oliver was on and was about to grab his bare leg when we heard. "You better f*****g not, Prince."

"Prince?" Selene asked, confused. "Are you two together?"

See that had Oliver jumping up. "Don't say such disgusting things."

"Yeah, no, he hates me. And, to be honest, I don't like him very much either."

"Good. Then get the f**k out."

Atlas snorted.

"Well, it was nice to meet you all but you need to leave. Max get up, we're having brunch as a family," Selene said.

Max had to take a double-take, because what?

"They live here," he said, ignoring his comment about eating lunch as a family. Because that was the biggest joke he had ever heard.

"What do you mean they live here?" Selene asked.

"I mean, they live here. I am always left alone in this house, who cares if they do."

"And, you all just sleep here?" Atlas asked, looking around Max’s very appealing room. Max blushed in shame, he knew he didn’t have the most aesthetic room, all his furniture was mismatched and old, but he liked it. No, he tolerated it.

"Yeah, pretty much," Max said.

"Wait, did you say brunch? What time is it?" Damian asked as he scrambled to find his phone.

"It's almost 1 pm."

"I'm f*****g late!" He scrambled out of bed, grabbing his case that was by the window. He was barely dressed as he was outside the door.

"They're not going anywhere," Max said. "And to be honest, I don't want brunch. We were all going to Ani's sister’s house. She texted last night, said she was going to be making lunch for us and we don't want to keep her waiting."

"Did she, now?" Selene said.

"Yeah."

"What is she making?" she asked.

"Lasagna. It's a family recipe from their family, with a secret ingredient."

"What's the ingredient?" Atlas asked, and he stared at him.

"Wouldn't be a secret if you knew," Max said.

"What else?" Selene said.

"Breadsticks, mozzarella sticks and cheesy bites."

"What's your favourite?" Atlas asked.

"Mozzarella sticks."

"What was she making again?" Selene said, c*****g her head,

"Lasagna." Come on, Selene. She should have known better. He had years of practice.

Max got out of bed as he went to my walk-in wardrobe. He grabbed their duffel bags and threw them at them. They got the hint and began to change clothes as they took turns going to the bathroom to freshen up.

"Max," Atlas said.

"I said no. Why did any of you even come back? At the same time, too, was this something else I didn’t have the privilege to know?"

"Max," Selene hissed.

"What?" he snapped back. "Is that not what you said to me?"

The others had gotten dressed by now and had freshened up. He stormed to the bathroom, Alec threw a shirt at Max and then Ani threw some jeans. Max freshened up, and he was getting changed into the shirt. He realised it was Alec's, he smiled a little as he slipped it on and when he got out, the air was heavy.

Helios, Selene and Atlas were standing where they were but the others had moved towards the bathroom door. Max saw how Oliver hadn't taken his eyes off of Atlas. Well, s**t. Was he crushing on my brother?

When they left his room, Max saw his mother in the hallway and she barely glanced at her youngest child as she went back into her room.

Martin was drinking coffee and he spat it out when he saw Alec and Matt in the hallway. He went for his gun and they were about to do the same until he pushed them out of the way.

"It's fine, Martin. They're my friends."

"Max," he yelled. "Sorry, '' he said, looking at them. "Thought you were intruders."

"Don't worry, we did the same thing," Gavin said. "Going out?"

Max nodded and he smiled. "Have fun, kiddo. Bye, everyone."

They nodded and all quietly left.

No one said anything for a while. They just walked around aimlessly. Of course, Ani had a sister, but she lived two towns over and Max had just lied to get away from his siblings' scrutinising gazes. He hated having to spend time with the older two, mainly because they felt like strangers. He liked Helios the most.

"So is no one going to ask how effortlessly Max came up with such a good lie on the spot and didn’t mess up once. Hell, I believed him," Amber said.

"Thanks," Max said, grinning.

"That's not a compliment, Max," Alec said.

"I know, but I'm taking it as one."

"Why do they all have Greek names?" Oliver asked.

"They do?" Max asked, c*****g his head and he nodded.

"Yeah. Selene is the Greek goddess of the moon. Helios is the name of the young Greek sun God who rides across the sky in a chariot pulled by four horses. And Atlas is the titan who carries the world on his shoulders."

Max nodded as he soaked in this information and all he could really think about was the fact that he had been excluded from another family thing. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. It was fine. He was fine. He wasn’t alone anymore, he wasn’t alone.

Growing up, yes, he had been because Selene, Atlas and Helios would be there for a bit and then they would leave. They always did, they had TV shows, guest appearances, world tours, movies and so on.

But, now? He wasn't alone. He had Alec, Alice, Matt, Ani, Amber, Alice, Oliver and Damian. He just had to remember that. He had his friends, and no one could compare to them.

~*~