Max and Taro

-Max-

Taro seems to be the most normal out of the bunch. Even now, I have to admit that it surprises that he still managed to keep his sanity after all of this time. I guess that is due in part to all of the soul-traveling that he does. Still, our crazy is a special breed. Then again, he already had his first taste of crazy when he met Robin.

Speaking of which, I finally met up with the twins. That was rather surreal, if I can tell you the truth. Matt, Robin, and Taro altogether. Whew, man! I have to tell you the story. It goes a little something like this…

I had to run a stupid errand for my mother. I forgot what was I was going to get for her. Anyway, I was heading home when I heard someone squealing. I froze as my brain tried to work out why it sounded so familiar.

Wait, is that…?

No sooner had I turned my head, I noticed a guy trying to drag away a red-haired woman from this brown-haired boy. At first, nothing was connecting in my brain. It just looked like a woman harassing a kid and the guy was pulling her away. However, I couldn’t look away. The more I stared, the more I began thinking about this little brown-haired girl who was just as weird as I was. We weirdos hung out together back in grade school. (Okay, there was Matt and the others hadn’t come along at the time yet.)

“Let me go, Matty!” the woman wailed. “I was only talking to my buddy!”

“No!” the man said. “You have annoyed him enough today. We are going home.”

“No!” she shouted. I tilted my head, blinking. Matty? The only person I know who says that is… I dropped my bags on the ground.

“Robin? Matt?” I asked. The twins and the boy turned when I spoke. The man with short black hair and glasses narrowed his eyes.

“Uh… who are you?” he asked.

“It’s me, Maxxie!” I said.

“Huh?”

“We went to grade school together.” I could tell by his face that I wasn’t getting through. I shifted my focus to Robin. “Robin?” She stared at me before gasping.

“Max?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said, nodding. She clapped her hands together.

“Yay!” Robin cheered. Her brother looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

“Robin?” he asked. She hugged him like he was a rag doll.

“It’s Max, don’t you remember?” she asked. “He always followed around and did the monkey dance.”

“I guess…” he said. It didn’t bother me; he’ll figure it out soon enough. I turned my attention the young boy slowly backing away from the twins.

“And who might you be?” I asked him. The boy froze with his white and blue bike helmet on.

“This is Taro!” Robin shouted. “He’s my friend!” Taro was quick to shake his head behind her. I raised an eyebrow.

“I can see that,” I said. I walked up to the boy myself. “Nice to meet you, Taro. My name is Max.”