He didn't know why it started, he just knew as soon as he was done identifying his uncle's body that something inside him made him want to change. It was eye opening. The world was feeble, and people died. Obvious facts that Maddox knew but always took lightly. He spent his life not caring about what would happen tomorrow. It was all so carefree. He had the people he loved, and as long as things were good in that moment, that's all that mattered. It wasn't until he was in a relationship with Gigi that he realized that maybe tomorrow actually counted for something because for the first time in his life, he actually looked forward to what the future would bring. But as easily as it came, it went and it dawned on him once again that nothing lasts forever and that he should enjoy what he has now instead of looking into what would happen later. His uncle's death made him see otherwise. He was unprepared so once later came along, he had no idea how to handle it. Tomorrow obviously counted and he had nothing to account for anything in his life. His grades were mediocre, he had no ambitions as to what he wanted to do after high school, he had no job or money and now he no longer had a family. For a moment he had found a family in someone other than his uncle, but it wasn't what Maddox expected. Maddox's uncle taught him as much as he could, but not once did he ever lecture him on what he could or should do. He'd let him feel things out on his own and learn from experience. Jordan was different. He was protective and wanted what was best for Maddox, but it wasn't something Maddox was used to. It wasn't something he liked. After that last fight, Maddox had sort of given up on the idea of having a brother. It seemed for painful than beneficial, and the last thing he wanted was someone telling him what to do when no one had in the last 18 years.
Now he knew better. Jordan was right. He had to grow up because things weren't always as easy as some would like it to be. Something inside him snapped and changed him completely. He was no longer the carefree Maddox that would joke around and smile all day long. He was no longer naive and thought the better of people. There was no time for joking when there was so much time had to make up for. School became a priority, and seeing his friends took a back seat. He was serious and determined and slowly he became this different entity. Before it had always been his friends came before everything, even himself but that changed. It came down to him being selfish and realizing that he no longer wanted to be a pushover. It was himself who had to be a priority now. The only person who he had stayed somewhat normal around had been Lila, but that hadn't lasted long. He had put his wants before what was best for Lila and he'd hurt her in the process. It was a mixture of seeing the fear and sadness in Lila's face and Wren telling him he had a problem that finally woke him up from whatever trance he had been in. He had fucked things up and all for what? Things weren't getting any better. The only difference was that he was no longer failing and had a somewhat stable job, but at what cost was he willing to lose those closest to him? Going back to Nassau was his only answer to everything. Back to where he had been most himself. Where things had been simpler. Maybe then would he figure out who he had to be. The fun and carefree, Maddox or the responsible jackass, Maddox.
As soon as he got off the plane he felt so much more comfortable. He never second guessed how he should act when he was back on the island. It was home. A different home now that his uncle wasn't there, but a home nonetheless. He settled in back at he empty house and went for a walk, searching out all his old favorite places. His favorite music store, the cafe where his parents had met and his cave. People should have probably cleaned all his stuff out from in there, but people rarely came across it so when Maddox went back, all his stuff was there. It wasn't much; Blink posters, and old guitar, some cool shells he'd found and other junk. Mostly what some would consider trash, but it was Maddox's childhood. It hadn't been that long ago that he had spent a night there because he had been asked to stay away from the school beach party by the cool kids in school. Being there and remembering how things had been before made him realize how good he had it now. He had this amazing family in his friends and he had been willing to toss it all down the drain because of the pressure to be something he wasn't.
One week later, after spending his days alone going back and forth from town, the beach and his empty house, he walked over to the tattoo parlor and got his third tattoo: two bands wrapped around his arm. When the artist asked him why two bands and why one was thicker than the other he just told him it was personal. He didn't feel like sharing why he was getting what he was getting. His other tattoos had been spontaneous and somewhat superficial, but this one was important. It was late by the time he got out of there and aside from the noise heard from the tourist side, it was all calm in Nassau. The house was completely dark when he walked towards it. There was no reason to keep any lights on anymore. He was the only one who would be coming home. So naturally, when he got closer and saw light coming in from the house he was taken off guard. Maybe someone had broken in. There wasn't much to steal in there, just papers his uncle had left behind and furniture that was too big and heavy for a robber to easily take out. If anything, it was probably asshole kids trying to vandalize the place. An angry Maddox, grabbed his keys and opened the door to the house, walking in quietly and turning on the lights. The house was a mess of papers everywhere. Nothing seemed to be missing from the first floor but it was a mess. He was only reminded of the fact that whoever it was that had done this was still in there because he heard something break upstairs. Grabbing a lamp for protection, he walked up the stairs slowly and quietly. If it was kids he wasn't going to hurt them with the lamp, but he sure as hell was going to scare them. A little more respect should be had if not for him, for his uncle. He walked towards his uncle's study and turned on the light quickly after opening the door to find two men looking through his uncle's desk. It was a reflex that when one of them started walking towards Maddox, he swung the lamp and knocked him in the head, but before he could do anything else, the other had punched him in the gut. He doesn't from where, but three more men had come in. He tried to get up and fight back, but one of them held him back as the others took turns punching him. The last thing he remembered was seeing the guy he had knocked out get up from where had fallen and grab hold of the lamp, swinging it at Maddox's ribs repeatedly. After that, his body went numb and he no longer felt pain anywhere else except for the burning in his lungs. He dropped to the floor and tried his best to breathe, but the iron taste in his mouth made it so much more difficult. Whatever it was they had been looking for, he hoped they couldn't find it. As much as he attempted to, he couldn't even get his body to crawl to the phone or even a window. Hopefully someone would find him, but what were the odds. He was the orphan who was staying in the abandoned house at the end of the street.
