2. Another Max & Amber

 Thank god, he hadn't gotten on at the high school as the art teacher. Max read the headline one more time as he passed by the old newspaper vending box. Another teacher was under investigation. Of course, one more pervert to the list, evidently. It gave him the shivers.

Actually, it was a close call while he was back in Austin. Back when he thought he could write songs for maybe Taylor Swift, yet he'd always wondered if she'd actually ever been in love. Every song he tried to listen to gave him a bad taste in his mouth.

Of course, Winnie did have her hopes and dreams and after all, she was someone he met online who did live in Nashville. Back then, he was doing some writing for an up-and-coming indie band while he was still at the University. Back when he could have been somebody.

It wasn't exactly a physical love affair. Still, they were close. So very close to something. Naturally, his bandmates always found him odd. Why had he let somebody's words take over his life? He hadn't even met her, but he'd considered her his best friend. Honestly, he felt he was there every step of the way. Well, at least for most of a year. He guessed.

The past seemed so far away now. Maybe to a standstill. He'd been in a freak car accident. Damn if they couldn't take care of roads around here during an ice storm. Of course, that was the last thing on his mind, at the time. Hadn't he remembered how he wanted to have some sort of engineering life? After all, he spent a summer climbing highline poles. Now he couldn't drive. But he worked at a gas station which lead to being in charge of the pits out back at the barbecue place.

He might not be going anywhere, but there was plenty to do in this little Texas town. After all, he lived with his old uncle now. And Winnie changed her name to Melody because evidently, that's what you did if you wanted a hit in country music. Oh, and she was barely fifteen, after all. 

Not that he ever felt he had a troubled life, just a slow one. 

When he looked up, he saw her there looking at the menu. Of course, there was no one around other than him to get an order going. He squinted a wink thinking he knew her from somewhere. Naturally, she was as cold as the day he first met her. She was hugging herself as if no way could she keep warm in a Texas winter. 

"Can I help you?"

She gave him a startled look as if she'd seen a ghost. Max cracked a smile.

"Don't I know you?" He couldn't help but point a finger at her. He tilted his head as if he might want to question her just a little. "You're my neighbor, aren't you?"

She sucked in a frown and looked at the meat situation under the glass counter. Max only sighed. He'd wanted to say something like, "Oh it's the ice queen." but instead he told her they had a couple of smoked chickens and even a chicken breast left.

"I don't think I've seen you here before." Of course, this was his other home. He only spent his nights out on the farm. His uncle was teaching him how to make wine out of wild plums.

No answer. It would be that way. He bet if he came around and stepped on her foot or kneed her in the knee she wouldn't have said a thing, either. 

She pointed to the brisket.

"Amber? Right?"

He got a nod out of her while he weighed the meat and put it in a foil bag.

"Now, you've been talking to Jane, haven't you?" He asked, by the look on her face, he knew she had.

He couldn't help but keep a laugh to himself. "She's thinking of my brother Rex." How could he forget about his misfortunes that were rather fortunate. "Tell her, he's in Australia with his husband, and he's doing just fine. He's a deep-sea diver."

She snatched the bag and paid him plenty.

"Did you want some free pinto beans?" He grinned as he reached for a container. Actually, two. "You could give Jane one, couldn't you?" There was an awful amount of beans here to get rid of.