teach me to know.

Clover gasped at his choice of a name for her and flashed him her middle finger with a smile. “Don’t be fucking rude, Maximilian.” She turned her attention back to the records in front of her, pulling a few out that she had interest in. “Oh!” Clover pulled out an album and showed him the cover, Cheap Trick’s Dream Police. “This one?”

“Maximilian, there’s a new one,” he mused with a widening grin, picking up an album and glancing it over. “Yes!” He exclaimed, eyes bulging slightly. “How’re you so good at this?” He asked excitedly with a laugh. “I gotta find yours now,” he nodded once, head sinking back down into the stacks.

“Do you know how many times you’ve said those words since we left?” They had a day off and Frida had intended on spending the majority of it sleeping, that was until Max came strolling in with a destination in mind. A change in their usual routine. “Could you at least tell me where exactly it is we’re going?”

“I haven’t been counting, have you?” He mused with a grin turning more crooked as he glanced over at the brunette. “It’s a magic shop-- it’s one of the best in the country and my little sister’s really into magic nowadays,” he shrugged. “Figure we can find somewhere else to go after?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Whitney laughed shortly with a shake of her head. “Why don’t we ask someone instead? Would be awful to get lost in a city we don’t know.” She gave him a smile, taking her phone out so she could show him a screenshot. “Follower’s comments, they wanna see more pics of Stevie and you.”

“Getting lost can be a lot of fun, Whit,” Max smiled sweetly. A month ago he’d have never truly meant the words, but he’d found beauty in just wandering. “Damn, look at us go, making a name for ourselves.”

“I don’t want to stay true to my roots of Idaho. Who the fuck wants to hear you’re from Idaho? Bumfuck nowhere, Idaho. Potato state, Idaho.” Loren only wished he was born in a different place that wasn’t in the middle of nowhere. “Nah, I doubt they really give a shit. Nor do I care about space heads.”

“What’s wrong with Idaho though? Everyone’s from the coasts or this city and that city. Women like a guy who’s got a little dirt under his nails,” Max reasoned, words laced with a laugh. “I’m telling you, stick with Idaho.”

“You sure this is even the right town,” Saleem questioned, yet followed along regardless. “Look, we could go to that one instead.”

“That’s just a bar!” Max argued, glancing back at Saleem. “Oh-- was that the point?”

“For sure, and I’d been an asshole of a ghost, like turn the water cold while you’re showering.” Clover gave him a grin before stepping off to the opposite side of the aisle he was heading down. “Let me know if you find any Fleetwood,” she said as she began thumbing through albums.

“You fucking bitch! I’d never have hung out with you if I knew you were so cruel,” Max laughed, biting down on his lower lip and glancing up above the shelves to catch a glimpse of her. “If you tell me if you see Cheap Trick,” he offered with a smile, looking back down at the bins, thumbing through them.

“I’m looking at what I’m pretty sure if matting,” Pearl teased, squeezing the cream into her hands. “Think of how cute that’ll be, bees surrounding perfect ringlets.” She worked the product through the ends of Max’s hair, coaxing his curls to form a little cleaner. “Do you mind me dabbing on a little bit of concealer?”

“Get your eyes checked!” Max teased back with a widened grin. “It’d be super cute, except I’m really afraid of bees. It’ll ruin the whole performance!” Max’s lips twisted, squinting as the product moved through his hair. “You can’t to conceal me?”

Clover let out a laugh as she held onto his hand and ran across the road with him, a car honking at them as it sped by. She jumped onto the sidewalk as they reached the opposite side of the road, laughing as she let go of his hand and pushed her hair back. “If you had me killed before eating these donuts I would have never forgiven you.”

Max’s laughter mirrored the blondes as it always seemed to, his body spinning round to glance at the car that’s horn was still honking. He stuck his tongue out, a flick of his middle finger to match as the laughter mounted. “You wouldn’t? Would you haunt me in the after life?” He asked, slipping in the record store, eyes jumping from one row to the other, heading to the closest shelf.

“I’m like ninety percent sure you don’t brush your hair, babe.” Pearl’s disapproval was imminent, blue eyes found Max’s surprised gaze. The blonde opened the cap of the product, holding it out. “Just some hair cream. It’s Ouai, smell it. I swear it changed my life.”

“What.... no... I totally brush my hair,” Max nodded with a telling smirk and a laugh that followed. Max hesitantly smelled the product. “Smells good, but can’t help but think it’ll attract bees.”

The blonde pressed her lips together, shaking her head. “It looks like a bad wig at this point, let me at least run something through it.”

“A bad wig?! Like straight out of my grandmother’s closet?” Max’s eyes widened slightly, both hands coming up to run through his hair, tugging on it. “What’re you putting on me?”

“Ugh, don’t judge me if I eat ten of them okay? I can basically live off of fried dough.” Clover nudged into his side playfully as they walked and then glanced around at the area that they were in, noting a record shop on the corner opposite of the street they were on. “Oh! We have to go there. Is the donut place near by? I gotta know if we need to go in now or it can wait till after donuts.”

“Never judge for over-eating. That’s the most important rule there is,” he nodded, glancing over in the direction she was looking. His arm peeled out from hers, grabbing her hand instead, lacing their fingers together while his pace picked up to cross the street, tugging her along behind him. “Let’s go now! The donuts will be there,” he smiled back at her, taking the right opportunity to run across the busy road.

“Whatever you say,” she shook her head knowing better. “Do you really want me to answer that question?” She looked over at him a smirk playing subtly on her lips. “Because I don’t think that you do.”

“Well,” he dipped his head to the side, handing his phone over to her. “Can you help?” He asked with a laugh, wetting his lower lip. “What the fuck have you regretted?!”

Clover’s eyes widened at the mention of food and she clapped her hands together out of excitement. “Fuck, I love donuts.” She linked her arm through Max’s as they walked, taking a peek at his phone. “Do you think they have a bacon one? That would make my day.”

Max’s smile turned up more at the girl’s excitement, pleased just to see the smile on her face. They fell into step with one another fairly quickly with their arms linked, Max giving another shrug. “Probably, but don’t hold me to that! I just got lost in the chocolatey ones. I think they do different ones every day too.”

“That is also what you said when we started in the other direction and then had to turn around,” Stevie reminded him, reluctantly following along. “You really shouldn’t promise that.”

“Yeah, but this time I’m sure!” Max lied through a smile, and he was certain Stevie knew he hadn’t a clue either. “Oh come on, when have you ever regretted anything with me?” He teased, glancing down at his phone, brows tugging together as he reluctantly turned up onto another road.

She followed him without much complaint, holding onto the canon camera hanging from her neck, allowing a giggle. “We’re not getting anywhere, are we?” Whitney asked, a smirk on her lips as she shook her head. “I gotta follow you around anyways, need a couple of shots of your pretty face.”

“Sure we are. We’re getting--” Max glanced up the road, twisting his lips slightly before his eyes settled back onto the girl a half step behind him. “We’re getting up this road,” he settled on with a shrug and a half a laugh. “What’re you posting about my face for, huh?”

“Whenever have I ever regretted anything?” Clover followed Max along willingly and knowing that there was a good chance they were going to get lost. But truth be told, some of her best finds were when she had gotten lost and so she had high hopes for this adventure. “What’s this place again?”

Max gave Clover a thoughtful look before gently shrugging his shoulders, smile quipping upward slightly in response, eyes lingering on the girl a half second too long before straying back to his phone. “It’s a donut shop!” He mused with excitement laced in his words. “They make all sorts of crazy donuts. They’ve got a dunkaroos one!”