Chapter One
In Which Max Comes Up With a Brilliantly Stupid Idea

"Where the hell are your trousers?!" Alfie shrieked, causing Max to jolt in surprise and nearly tumble over. He lurched for the nearest object to support his weight, grabbing onto his bedpost.

Face flushed, Max exclaimed, "Don't you knock?!"

With that, Max's best and only friend smiled his infamous half smile, with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"You learn more if you don't knock," Alfie said, folding his arms across his chest and leaning on the doorway into the very small boarding school room. He and Max had been going to this boarding school in Bedford since the minute they were old enough to do so. Originally, only Max was going to the school, but Alfie and his parents had also been talked into enrolling in it as well -- with much pleading on Max's side.

"Oh yes, because that exactly what we're taught in schools," Max mumbled, and looked down at his bare legs. He then grumbled, "Where the hell are my trousers?"

Alfie snickered.

"I didn't know the very tough-as-bones Maxwell Nash would be embarrassed by his best friend -- who, I can't help but mention, is probably the world's greatest best friend that has ever existed -- seeing him in his only his pants."

Face flushing a darker shade of red, Max scowled at the taller boy, attempting to cover up his trouser-less area with his incredibly skinny arms.

"I'm too angry to be embarrassed," Max admitted, "now help me find my trousers."

Alfie laughed a bit longer before deciding that the slightly younger boy – only by two months, mind you -- needed his pity and walked over into their shared bedroom.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, what did you do to your trousers, Maxie?" Alfie asked, completely amused that they could not find the young Nash's pants regardless of where they searched.

"I didn't do anything! Who knows what you could be doing to them while you sleep in here?" Max hissed, even more embarrassed. Why was Alfie able to look so comfortable about this whole thing? "I know you of all people are the one I shouldn't trust most to be in the same bedroom as me."

Alfie poked his head out from Max's worn bed, his lips in a mockingly pouty shape.

"Aww, Maxie, I thought what we had was special," he said, adding a fake pout in with his words.

"Oh, for the love of God," Max groaned and tossed his pillow at his friend. "We're going to be late to breakfast, you know?!"

"And?"

"Do you want to get punished again? I can still feel it from last time, and that was three months ago!"

"Blah, blah, blah."

"You're only acting like this because it has never happened to you! You've just managed to weasel your way out of every single one of our punishments!"

"Technically, it was you being the arse you are that made them punish you," Alfie said, rolling over onto his back and flashing his crooked pearly whites at Max. "Seriously, buddy, why must you act like such an awful person?"

"A lot of brilliant artists were terrible people!" Max defended himself and Alfie chuckled, before pulling one hand he had hidden out from under the bookshelf. In his grip were Max's blue trousers, proper for completing his uniform.

"Found your pants, by the way," Alfie winked.

[ To be continued . . . ]