BARCLAY DAVIS - HAPPY AND WILLING TO HELP OUT A FRIEND

Art by Scopedog

A few weeks have past since the Broadview Harvest Festival. Since then, Max and Frida got a little closer. Although not too close, despite some of the whispering that went on inside Danforth High.

After arriving at Danforth, on a Thursday morning, Max went to get some coffee in the faculty lounge, to help start a busy day. He saw Frida around the coffeemaker and went up to her.

"Mornin', Frida!" Max told her. "How ya doin'?"

"I don't wanna talk about it!" Frida grumbled, appearing to be in a bad mood.

"Huh?" Max said, showing some concern for Frida. "Are you sure? You'd rather not talk to me about..."

Frida turned to Max, screaming, "I SAID I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!!!" to him, which got everyone's attention in the lounge, and left Max a little scared and freaked out over Frida's behavior. Frida didn't care, as she sulked away from a confused and concerned Max.

"She's going through some things, right now." said Gail, who was standing behing Max when she said that, which caused another one of Max's startle screams. He turned around to see her and Abigail standing right behind him.

"Huh?" Max said to the two of them.

"She was told by her babysitters they couldn't look after Frida's daughter this Saturday. A relative of theirs had passed away." Abigail told Max.

"Really? That's too bad!" Max said, rather surprisingly. "Can't she get anyone lined up to look after Angela?"

"We just found out about it today." Gail said. "It's on such short notice."

"And we can't help her. We're following our husbands to a gig this weekend." Abigail responded.

Max turned to where Frida left him, and looked worried over Frida's predicament.

***

Later in the morning, Max was in the middle of teaching his class about the War of 1812. He started writing something on the blackboard to his students when he was disrupted by a knock at the door. He looked into the door's window to see Frida standing there with a sad, worried look on her face. Max stood there motionless for a second, until his class started making "OOOOOing" sounds behind his back. Max turned to give them a dirty look, which they then stopped doing, yet showed no regrets in what they did.

Max put his chalk down and told his students, "I'll be back in a sec. Meanwhile, keep reading today's lesson in your text books."

Max then stepped out and started talking to her. "What IS it, Frida? I'm right in the middle of teaching a class!" he said, as he closed the door behind him.

"I know." Frida answered, with sorrow in her voice. "But I just wanted to apologize for yelling at you, this morning. I feel so awful about it, I..."

Max interrupted Frida to tell her, "It's OK. Gail and Abigail told me all about Angela, and this coming Saturday."

"I don't know what to do, Max, I'm just so worked up about it, right now." Frida told him.

"Can't you find a babysitter online to look after Angela?" Max asked Frida. "They're certified nowadays, so you know you're in good hands with one."

"I hired one, once, to look after Angela." Frida replied. "But when I came back, they had their friends over at my place. I just can't trust anyone with Angela, like I do Marie and Gerald."

"That's too bad." Max said pensively.

"I can't leave Angela alone. But I can't just stay home to look after her because I need the money. I don't know what I'm going to do!" Frida said, as her voice started quivering at the end because of the imminent problem she was facing.

After a second, Max just said "...I'm sorry, Frida. I wish there was something I could do."

Frida sniffed and said "...I know." and turned to leave Max, who had turned to grab the doorknob to return to his class.

But after he had opened it a couple of inches, Max said, "Wait a minute!" and closed the door in front of him to turn back to Frida. "There IS something I can do. I'LL look after Angela, this Saturday!"

When Frida heard that, she ran back to Max and told him, "What?"

"Sure!" Max said. "I'll babysit her! At my place, while you're at work at the Crow's Bar!"

Frida was quite surprised by Max's offer to her, and told him "Oh Max, you don't need to. I don't want you to ruin your Saturday..."

"That's no problem, Frida!" Max told her. "It's no more than a five minute walk to the bar, so you could practically check up on her during your breaks! And I won't be alone. I'll have Victor helping me out! He'll be happy to lend a hand. Errrr...a CLAW in his case!🦀😁"

Frida didn't say a word. She was looking down, taking everything in. Max finally chimed in. "Frida...This is ME we're talking about here. If you can't trust me...who can you trust?"

After a moment, Frida started to smile. Then, she went up to Max to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her, and started hugging him tightly. "Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH FOR THIS, MAX! This means so much to me!" Frida said, choked up with joy.

Inside, Max's students were watching Ms. Olsen embrace their teacher, Mr. Edwards, through the classroom window, and were chuckling amongst themselves.

Max then gently pulled Frida off him and told her, "Think nothing of it, Frida. I'm more than happy and willing to help out a friend." He then started turning towards the door to return to his class, and told her, "And besides, it's not as if I've never handled children before." He grabbed the doorknob, then turned his head towards Frida and told her "I do that on a daily basis, here!" Max then opened the door to be greeted by his class, who started making whooping and catcall sounds to their teacher. Max then yelled at his students, "HEY!!! Don't make me have to separate you all!" and closed the door behind a very relieved and grateful Frida.

***

Saturday night, and Max is getting things ready for Angela's arrival. He's already cleaned his place spotlessly, his TV is set to pick up any children's programming she may be interested in, and he has some snacks on the ready that Frida approved of. Victor is excited about having Angela over for the weekend.

"Oh boy, oh boy, I can't wait!" Victor said excitedly while sitting on the arm rest of Max's sofa closest to the door. "Angela's gonna have a lot of fun tonight. I bet she won't go back to her old sitters after this!"

"Don't get your hopes up, Victor." Max told him. "This is only for tonight, while Angela's babysitters are out tending to urgent family matters."

"Yeah, but there's nothing wrong with broadening one's horizons." Victor said. "Adding a little spice in one's life never hurt anyone."

"Angela's three years old, Victor." Max told him. "She's not ready for anything different yet. And besides..." Just then, Max's intercom went off, and he rushed to click on it. When Max responded, Frida was on the other end.

"Hi Max!" Frida said. "I have Angela with me, ready to drop her off with you for the evening."

"Ok Frida, come on up! First door to the right after you go upstairs." Max told Frida. After turning off his intercom, Max turned to Victor and walked up to him.

"Listen Victor," Max told him. "Angela's a shy, nervous little girl who might get upset by your appearance. So if she's like that, you may have to spend the evening in my bedroom so as to not spook her out."

"WHAT?" Victor said upsettingly. "But I want to be a big part of this evening, I wanna help!"

"I know you do, Victor, and I want your help." Max told him. "But our top priority for tonight is that Angela be as comfortable here as possible, so..." But before Max could finish, there was a knock at his door.

Max goes to the door and opens it up, where he sees Frida standing there holding Angela in her arms.

"Good evening, Frida!" Max tells her. "Welcome to Casa de Max! Be it ever so crumbled."

Frida looks around Max's place and says, "Mmmmm, looks nice and cozy." as she puts Angela down on the ground. Angela was clutching the stuffed rabbit Max had given her as a replacement for the one her louse of a father had thrown into the crowd.

Max went down on his knee to talk to Angela. "Hi Angela! I see your rabbit came back. And he's never looked any better." Max told her. Angela never said a word, although she had a shy, sweet smile to give to Max. He continued, "I know you might not feel comfortable in a place you've never been before. But I just want you to know, you're more than welcome to make yourself at home here for tonight. You have worries here. Ok, sweetheart?"

Angela nodded her head and said, "Ok."

Max smiled and continued, "There's someone I want you to meet, Angela. See over there on the couch? That's Victor. Victor's a crab, and he's going to help, tonight."

"Hiya, Angela!" Victor said, waving his claw around. "We're gonna have lotsa fun tonight, you and I!"

Angela stared at Victor with her mouth open, as Max continued. "Now I know he might seem a little scary to you, but I just want you to know..." But then Angela stretched her arms out, which caused her to toss her doll aside, and then screamed out "PUDDIES!!!" And then, she joyfully ran over to Victor, who happily jumped into her arms, as they were both hugging and laughing together.

Totally surprised, Max got back up on his feet, with a happily surprised Frida, and said to her, "Well now...that worked out much better than I had hoped!" And they were both happily smiling and laughing at the new friendship between Angela and Victor.

Soon, Frida gave Max a list of things Angela can and can't do. Among them, NO SUGAR! She then handed Max a bag containing diapers, in case Angela has an accident, which she assures won't happen tonight to Max. And soon, Frida is heading out the door. Before she leaves, Frida then tells Max, "Thank you so much again for your help, Max!"

"No problemo!" Max tells Frida. "Happy and willing to help out a friend, remember?" Frida is soon gone, heading to the Crow's Bar.

Max then turns to Angela and says to her, "So Angela, what do you want to do tonight? Watch some TV? Draw in a coloring book? Play with Victor?"

Angela said nothing to Max. Her face suddenly turned sorrowful. Max was confused.

"What Angela?" Max asked her. "Why are you all of a sudden looking like..." Just then, Max picked up a whiff. It was an unpleasant whiff.

"Do you smell that, Victor?" Max asked?

"Smell what?" Victor asked. "You know I don't have a nose of my own!"

"Well something just smelled, and it..." And then, Max looked down at Angela who now has a sad face.

"I'm sowwee, Max." Angela said sorrowfully.

Max's reaction to Angela's accident:

"What?" Victor asks Max.

"Angela just pooped in her diaper." a disgusted sounding Max says.

"Really?" Victor said. "Well, I'm sure you'll have no problem putting a new diaper on her, whilst I go check my emails."

Victor tries to crawl away, until Max grabs a side of Victor's legs, saying "YOU GET BACK HERE!!!" and pulls him up until Victor's looking at Max, as Max continues. "You said you wanted to help, so...YOU'RE HELPING!!!"

Soon, they're at Max's couch, where Angela is lying on her back ready to have her diaper changed by Max. Max had Victor stay by Angela as Max has to do the dirty work himself. He first removes Angela's pants, then he undoes her diaper and slowly opens it up. Max has his eyes closed for most of that, but he had to look eventually in order to change her.

When he finally does, he looks directly at Angela's freshly soiled diaper. And the sight of her "business" caused him to retch and throw up in a nearby wastebasket. Max groaned after that, which had Angela apologizing to him again. Soon, Max got himself together, wiped and cleaned Angela's bottom, put a new diaper on her, and put her pants back on.

"Ok, good as new!" Max said, as he went to toss out Angela's soiled diapers.

***

After her diaper change, Angela settled in nicely at Max's place. Her and Victor were together most of the time. Watching TV, coloring her color books with crayons, and just horsing around (or, crabbing around in Victor's case). That allowed for Max to get some work done, as he was able to read and grade essays one of his classes did, while keeping an eye on them. After a quick bathroom break, Max went to check up on the two.

Upon seeing them, Max noticed an empty bag of chocolate BBs he kept stashed away just in case he needed a quick bite. He asked Victor, "Why is there an empty bag of BBs on the floor, Victor?"

"Oh, I gave it to Angela." Victor answered. "She was being such a good girl, I thought she should have some."

Max got livid. "YOU LUNCHSPREAD!!! Frida specifically told us not to give Angela anything sugary!" Max yelled at Victor.

"But chocolate's not a sweet, is it?" Victor asked.

"YES, IT IS A SWEET, SHELLFACE!!!" Max shot back.

"OOPS!" Victor replied. He continued. "Well, it's just a small bag. What harm can that..."

Just then, Max and Victor noticed Angela was starting to get antsy. Then she got up and started getting all hyper from the sugar rush the chocolate BBs gave her. And before long, Angela started running around all over Max's apartment, bouncing off walls and shelves. Max couldn't keep up chasing her, and spent more time picking up stuff Angela kept inadvertantly knocking off, until he finally had to put the valuables he had in the living room in his bedroom, so that Angela wouldn't knock them over.

When Max returned to the living room, he noticed the door to the outside open, and Angela missing. Max then went into full freakout mode.

"WHERE'S ANGELA, WHERE THE FUCK DID SHE GO?!!" Max screamed at Victor.

"I dunno, I was following ya to the bedroom to see you didn't lose anything." Victor answered.

"YOU MUTANT HOCKEY PUCK!!! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING HER!!! THIS IS THE LAST THING WE NEED HAPPENING, RIGHT NOW!!!" Max was screaming at Victor.

Max and Victor soon headed outside to see if Angela went far, but they couldn't find her. She had to have bolted out rather quickly. Max can't call anyone up at the bar because he doesn't want Frida to pick up that he and Victor lost her three year old daughter. At that point, Max's mind went into Defcon: HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!

So Max and Victor started searching around their area to see where Angela might have gone off to. They started around the northwest area of Barclay Davis, where they lived, believing she couldn't have gone that far. But there wasn't even so much as a small blonde strand of hair to be seen. Max and Victor started to get really panicky, as they emerged onto Davis Road, north of the apartment.

But soon, Max heard something from a distance. The sound of a little girl crying. It was coming from across the street. Max and Victor went to where the crying was coming from. It was coming from a back alley just north of Davis. When they got to where the crying was coming from, they saw Angela, sitting in the middle of the back of the alley, with her back turned, crying her eyes out.

Max and Victor rushed up to her, screaming her name. Angela turned to see them just in time for Max to go up to her and hold her tightly.

"Oh thank God I found you, Angela!" Max was saying, the sound of his voice filled with relief. "You're not hurt, are you? No one came to to touch you, did they?" Angela just shook her head as to say 'no.'

Max was relieved to hear that, and continued talking to Angela. "Oh Angela. You shouldn't have walked outside on your own at night, like that. It's far too dangerous for a little girl like you."

"I'm sowwy Max." Angela told him. "I din' mean dat. Am I bad fowa dooing dat?"

Max just sighed and said "No Angela, you're not bad. What you did was wrong. But that doesn't make you bad for doing that."

"My daddy wood cawl me bad." Angela told Max.

"Your daddy's the one who's bad." Max assured Angela. "I would never behave like that towards you." Angela smiled at Max when he told her that. Max then told her "Let's go home now."

Victor, who was on Max's shoulders the whole time, moved towards Angela and positioned himself between Max and Angela, giving her a big smile in the process. Angela hugged Victor tight. Max, holding on to both Angela and Victor, got up and started heading back to the apartment when Angela asked him "You not gonna tell my mommy bout this, are you Max?"

Max smiled and laughed a bit, assuring Angela, "Don't worry, Angela. I won't tell your mommy about this." Angela felt relieved hearing that.

As Max was walking out of the alley with Angela and Victor, he muttered, "No sense ALL of us getting in trouble with her."

***

Later at the apartment, the three of them were all napping. Max was asleep on the couch, while Victor and Angela were asleep on the chair next to the sofa, with Angela resting her head on the back of Victor's shell as a pillow. Suddenly, Max's intercom went off, which woke him. Max hurried over to answer. It was Frida, coming to pick Angela up.

Max got into a panic, and woke Victor up. They were both quickly straightening things up for Frida's arrival. Soon a knock was at Max's door, which Max said "COME!" When Frida opened the door to enter, She saw Max and Victor standing by the sofa with shit eating grins on their faces and Max holding a still sleeping Angela, with her head on his shoulder.

"Daaaw!" Frida said smilingly. "Don't you three look so adorable together? How'd everything go?"

"Great, super, wonderful, marvelous, couldn't be better!" Max told Frida, as she went to take Angela from him.

"Really?" Frida asked.

"Really!" Max assured her, but continued. "Well, she did have a little accident after you left. But we got her all cleaned up and everything!"

Frida had a big chuckle over that, saying to Max "My! I bet you were traumatized over that!"

"I'll live." Max told her. "But aside from that, no problems, no worries at all tonight."

"Yeah!" Victor chimed in. "Especially after Angela had just gotten..." Victor didn't finish his sentence when Max bonked him hard on the head, to get him to shut up about Angela's disappearing act earlier, which made Victor quickly go "Ok, I'll shut up now." Luckily, Frida didn't hear what Victor had said.

Angela then woke up to see Frida holding her. She was happy to see her as she said "Mommy!" to her, and hugged her tight.

Frida was taken by that and asked Angela "Did you have a good time with Max and Victor, sweetheart?"

"Uh-huh!" Angela told her. "I wubbed being wid Max an' Victor. We had fun tonight!"

Frida was so happy to hear that, she told him "Oh Max! Maybe I should get you to babysit Angela more."

Max assured Frida, "No need to, Frida. I wouldn't want to put Marie and Gerald out of a job. Once was enough."

Frida was about to leave and take Angela home with her, when Frida asked her, "What do we say to Max, sweetie?"

Angela turned to Max and said to him, "Tank yew, Max!" and held out her arms to hug her. Surprised, Max obliged and gave Angela a big hug. Victor, getting a little jealous, said "HEY! Don't I get a hug?"

Frida looked at Angela, and knelt a bit so that Angela could give Victor a big hug, which she did, and say to him "Tank yew Victor, I had fun wid yew t'nite!", which made Victor go "Daaaw!"

Then, Frida leaned down to give Victor a kiss, telling him "And thank you for all your help tonight, Victor." which made him blush through his shell. Frida then straightened up to look at Max and tell him, "And Max?" After seeing Frida kiss Victor, Max was intrigured by how she would thank him. But Frida stuck her hand out to get Max to shake it. Somewhat disappointed, Max obliges. But as Frida turned around to leave, she quickly turns back to Max to give him a big kiss on his cheek, which surprised Max.

Upon Frida and Angela leaving the apartment, Max and Victor both breathed huge sighs of relief, after a harder than expected job of looking after Angela. They both sit down on the sofa going through all the crazy stuff they endured and wondered how someone like Frida can raise a little blonde whirlwind, hold down two jobs, and come out looking so incredibly awesome.

***

Monday morning at Danforth. Max was in his classroom preparing to give his first class of the week before his students arrived. He had started writing something on his blackboard, when he was interrupted by a knocking sound coming from his door. Max turned to his right to see what it was.

Standing by the doorway, and striking a pose, was Frida, flashing a great big smile at Max.

Max was taken by Frida big smile. He put his chalk down by the blackboard, then took off his glasses he was wearing, put them down on his desk along with his teaching material, and went to Frida.

"FRIDA!" Max cheerfully shouted at her, as the two of them walked to each other behind Max's desk. "My, but you're looking extra super smiley for an early Monday morning! I take it all's well that ended well in regards to Angela this weekend?" Max asked.

"Things couldn't have been better, Max!" Frida happily told him. "Angela really enjoyed her time with you and Victor on Saturday. It's like she's never had so much fun before, not with anyone else."

Max was touched by what Frida told him, and felt rather humbled by it. "Well, that's good to know Angela had a good time." Max said to Frida. "I'm very happy!"

Frida then put her hands on Max's upper chest, leaned into him a bit and softly told him, "You want to hear something sweet and adorable Angela told me as I was putting her to bed, last night?" Max raised his eyebrows awaiting Frida's answer.

Frida's answer. "After we got her to her room, and I was tucking her in...she asked me if you could be her new daddy!"

Max was dumbstrucked by what Frida just told him. "She did?" was his response to her in a most confounded way. Max was heming and hawing, until he put his right hand on the back of his head and started nervously laughing to Frida, going "...Heh-heh-heh, yeah well, that IS rather sweet and adorable, and uh...somewhat awkward!" Max clears his throat and continues. "Of course, her mother would have to have a huge say in all this, and I have a...rather suspicious FEELING...that she..."

But before Max could utter another word, Frida wrapped her arms around Max's neck and hugged him tightly, crying, "OHHHHH. thank you SOOOO much for everything you did, Max!" Frida then loosened her arms around Max to look at him, as Max looked confused. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't..." Frida was saying, as her voice was cracking up at the end and her eyes started turning glassy.

Max had cupped his hands under Frida's elbows and was softly telling her. "Heeey, no problem! Like I said before. I'm more than happy and willing to help out a..."

But before Max could finish, his mouth got harpooned by Frida's long tongue as she started deep kissing Max, who's mind suddenly went haywire over it.

Frida then pulled Max closer to her, and Max, still confounded by Frida's kissing, was flapping his arms like a big crazy bird, until he grabbed the top of his chair with his right hand, and slammed the blackboard with the palm of his left. Max needed that support, as his knees were trembling beneath him due to the sensation Frida's kissing was giving him. Soon, Max's eyes were closed and was taking in Frida's tongue probing every square inch of Max's mouth. She finished by gently pulling his lower lip with her teeth.

Frida then slowly opened her eyes to seductively look at Max. Max, still with his eyes closed, quickly opened his to give Frida a huge bug-eyed stare at her.

Frida just stood there, giving Max her look, and a couple of blinks his way. Max didn't budge an inch. His eyes were still all bugged out. Soon, Frida turned to leave Max standing where he is and walk out. Before she leaves, she turns to look at Max to flash a huge smile his way. Then she walks out.

Max, having just stood there, bug-eyed and unmoved for what seemed like forever, started blinking his eyes. Then, he slowly pulled his chair out and positioned himself to it, until he plops down hard on its seat. Max, still bug-eyed and unmoved, continues blinking as he asks himself.....what the fuck just happened here?

Coming up: Barclay Davis - The Beautiful Truth, Part One Of Three