Max kept his eyes glued to the directions on his phone. Honestly, he still had no idea where he was even going. The streets and neighborhoods all looked the same to him, completely unfamiliar, like a maze with no exit.
The only good news was that enough time had passed since his fight and injury. If anyone had been looking for him, they'd probably given up by now. After all, there was still school tomorrow. And with how strict the government was about attendance, punishing parents with fines if their kids didn't show up, it wasn't easy to miss a day without a solid excuse.
Sure, some kids managed a day or two off here and there, but for a huge group like that? Not exactly easy to explain away. Which meant the streets were relatively safe for him, for now.
As Max walked, he moved his shoulder slightly, testing it, and immediately regretted it. He could feel the tight pull of the stitches holding his skin together.
