Author's notes: This story is dedicated to one of the best holidays: Halloween. I'm more or less following the original construct of the episode "Boo", but with a twist of Alec. Do you not think he would have made that episode all that much better? I reference to scenes in the show in my rewrite, but it would have taken forever to manually write in each and every scene, even if I could reproduce it word for word, so there's gonna be a few gaps. Since I'm assuming anyone that reads this is a fan of the show and has seen the episode this is based on, it should be fairly easy to navigate. I hope. I plan on posting it in small pieces, about seven or so chapters. My first chapter begins right after OC and Max convince Normal to close shop early and she has the date conversation with Rafer.
Music suggestions: 'Hard knock life (Ghetto Anthem)' by Jay-Z.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Cameron Eglee Productions and FOX. The original characters and plot are the property of the author (which is me, in this particular case). I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. (This is my "serious" disclaimer :D )
An Alternate Boo: Chapter One
After Normal's announcement and Rafer's unexpected proposal, Max headed towards her locker as OC made her way to Normal's perch to grab a few packages they planned on delivering before the early closing time. Spinning the combination into her lock, Alec appeared at Max's side, seemingly from thin air.
"Hey, Max. I've got something going down tonight. You want in?" Alec asked after leaning against the locker opposite Max.
Max slanted back past Alec's figure to catch OC's dubious gaze. OC shrugged off Alec's unexplained presence, communicating her plan silently from the dispatch post as she picked up a handful of packages and nudged her head in the direction of their bikes. Max nodded in agreement and stood back upright. Closing her eyes and huffing out a breath behind her locker door, she opened her eyes to face Alec before slamming her locker door shut.
"No, Alec. I already have plans." Max replied brusquely, checking him in the shoulder as she crossed his path, which was partially blocking hers.
"You don't even want to know the details? What I'm up to?" Alec queried as she passed him, rubbing his shoulder absently. His tone was laced with confusion, perhaps even a hint of disappointment.
Neither of which were her problem.
"You're a big boy, Alec. Do whatever you want." Max said absently, dismissing him.
"What's so important that you're passing up a chance to chastise me, to lecture me about making sure I don't get into trouble?" Alec questioned with a frown as he trailed along in Max's wake.
"You're kidding, right?" Max asked incredulously, sparing him a quick glance. "It's Halloween and I've got a date."
The date part might not be the complete truth, but it was close enough.
"Oh, so that's what all the pumpkins and morbid decorations are about." Alec stated with a burst of clarity, his eyebrows arching up as he nodded his head once curtly.
Max had trouble reading whether or not he was just yanking her chain.
"You seriously didn't know." Max said in a neutral tone to clarify.
"How could I?" Alec asked, the temperature of his tone dropping several degrees as his usually mischievous eyes turned guarded and emotionless. Without saying another word, he snatched a random package off the counter and stalked past her out of the building.
"Whatever." Max said dismissively, slightly unsettled at not seeing that one coming.
Sometimes, it was difficult to remember that, however well he may play it off, this world was just as new and unknown to Alec as any other Manticore escapee. Shrugging it off, she pasted on a smile as she crossed the room to OC. Taking the packages OC held out to her, Max stuffed them carelessly into her backpack and grabbed her handlebars. She had better things to do than try and navigate through Alec's past and the niggling suspicion that something about him wasn't right.
She was getting out of work early today. She could stop by Joshua's and drop off a few groceries, maybe even spend a few minutes with him before heading home. Most importantly, there was a bubble bath beckoning her home, her name written all over it.
The peculiar sense that something was off finally blossomed into detail. When did Alec start working here?
ooohoaooloo*ooooloowoo*oooeoooeoono*
Yeah. I realized, almost too late, that Alec doesn't start working at Jam Pony until the following episode "Two". But I really wanted to use this scene, and the Raising Hell challenge did state that we could do whatever we wanted...I tried very hard to make it believable, though. Thoughts? So, in between here and the next chapter, Max and OC have their costume discussion, deliver Joshua's groceries, argue about Joshua's only chance to blend in with the outside world, and Max falls asleep in her long awaited bubble bath. In the next chapter, Max wakes up in the bathtub.