Chapter 1: Introduction
Max ducked into the coffee shop, shaking off the rain, and smiling as he spotted Alley tucked away in a corner, bent over what appeared to be a laptop covered in stickers. Was that a frog riding a unicorn? He couldn't help but laugh quietly to himself. God, he loved her ridiculous sense of humor.
Easing his way through the crowd, Max set his gaze on her fiery red hair. It was the first thing he noticed about her, so bright it looked like a bonfire that had stolen him in middle school.
Max had accidentally walked into her homeroom, looking for his best friend at the time, and promptly tripped over a desk, becoming the laughing stock of the class. Alley, however, was the only one who had gotten up, cheeks flushed, to check if he was alright. That was almost ten years ago, and they had been joined at the hip ever since.
"Maxie!" she exclaimed as he reached her table, pulling him into a tight hug. "It's been far too long." Her eyes twinkled in greeting, and Max felt his heart swell.