Chapter One — All Thanks to the Unknown
"DAD!" Max shouts from across the living room, looking at his dad, the renowned (and retired) Mr. Thunderman, whom ate a bowl of mashed potatoes or two. They were the only ones in the living room; the twins were at the school playground, while the girls were shopping.
"Yes, son?" his dad asks him, momentarily looking up from his half-eaten (and half-massacred) bowl of mashed potatoes.
"There's a message from the Superhero Council," Max tells his dad, albeit he doesn't show it, he's half-frightened and half-excited. This meant another action-packed adventure. The Council only used this kind of messaging when it meant an adventure out of their village. He doesn't realize it, himself, but slowly, memories from the previous one creeps back to his mind.
The Green Ghoul.
The Halloween party.
The fight.
The girl.
He doesn't realize, too, that he's thinking about her — and for the first time in the three months they went back. He's thinking about how he held her hand and, strangely, felt nothing about it, at first. He's thinking about how she dragged him across the entire room. He's thinking about how she was scared when he fought. He's thinking about how her smile radiated. He's thinking about how he saved her relationship. He's thinking about how she smiled as she thanked him.
He's thinking about her.
But he doesn't even realize how he is doing so — or how it makes him smile so widely.
"What?" his dad asks, surprised, as he stands up, reluctanlty leaves the half-eaten bowl of mashed potato and approaches Max and the television. As he stands in front of it, he sees the notification. Quickly after seeing this, he does the secret code to unlocking it.
"Greetings, Thundermans, " the president spoke, strictly positioned on a white clear chair and looking through the camera. "I have no time to waste: the citizens of New Orleans are being haunted — unknowingly — by an Unknown," she says straight-forwardly.
Max's dad snorts, to which the president reacted with a surprised look. "Come on, it's a harmless Unknown; every town gets an Unknown everyday, how could this be any special?" he asks, confident that it was a misunderstanding.
Max doesn't want it to be a misunderstanding — but he doesn't realize that he doesn't want it to be a misunderstand because, of course, he's Max; he doesn't realize half of what he's feeling.
The president sighs and shakes her hair, directing a message of disapproval and disappointment. "How could this Unknown be special? Well, this Unknown, that you claim to be like the others, has ghostly powers — that's what makes it special."
This catches the two of them surprised.
An Unknown with ghostly powers?
"That-that's impossible!" his dad says, almost shouting.
"Is it?" The president gives them a look that says it all. "Remember the last time you went to New Orleans?"
Unknowingly, Max starts to space out; not realizing that it's because he is, again, thinking about her — with pretty brunette hair, hazel eyes and a wide smile. He doen't realize what she is doing to him.
"New Orleans is a place full of ghosts, Mr. Thunderman, I wouldn't be surprised if an Unknown finally — after years of roaming its grounds — attained ghostly powers," she says, trying to make them up and about New Orleans already.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other businesses to attend to," she says in addition to her straightforward message. In one quick second, she presses a button and completely disappears from the screen.
And still, Max's dad isn't over the matters.
"An Unknown with ghostly powers . . . " Slowly, he looks over to Max, whom he catches still spaced out. "Son," he starts, cutting his ties with the thoughts about her, "our worst nightmare has just manifested itself."
—
MAX thinks Phoebe, her insane — possibly crazed — twin, is, well, insane. For the past thirty minutes that they have arrived in New Orleans, she has but stopped smiling widely at him. He doesn't know why — or he just doesn't realize he does.
"Phoebs, stop, you're creeping me out," he says, backing away from his creepy twin sister.
But this does absolutely nothing except widen her smile.
"Why are you even smiling that wide?" he asks, confused at how his sister has been acting.
"Nothing, just waiting for the Hathaways with a big smile on my face!" she proclaims enthusiastically, which makes their parents look at them and butt in on what they are talking about.
"Oh, me too, Phoebe," their mom says, smiling widely — but not as widely as his sister. "It's too sad that the Hathaways had to attend a meeting, while the Prestons had to wait for Louie's exam results. But don't worry, kids, they will be here in ten minutes."
Max doesn't say out loud that he begins thinking about her again — nor is he smart enough to even realize that he is.
"That's great, right Max?" Phoebe responds to their mom, while looking excitedly at him.
He raises one of his eyebrows. "I don't even get you, Phoebe, why would it be especially great for me?"
Phoebe sighs and looks at her brother with disappointment in her eyes. She grabs Max by his arm — to which, he, again, remembers how she did this to him at the party, unknowingly, of — and drags him to the inside of the Hathaways' kitchen.
She lets go of his arm and closes the door of the kitchen. She, then, faces him and crosses her arms. "When are you gonna stop acting like you don't know what's going on?"
"Hmm, the time that I actually do?" he says in a fake unsure tone and heads out to open the door, but Phoebe stops him.
"Are you seriously gonna continue this, Max?"
Max sighs. "I don't know even know what you're talking about, Phoebs, so, if you'll excuse me—"
"No, I won't excuse you until you—" But, just as how Phoebe cut Max off, the arrival of the Hathaways and Prestons cut her off, making her unable to finish what she wanted to say.
Max doesn't mind, though he doesn't say it — nor realize it — he has been awaiting their arrival ever since they arrived. He's that excited. "Shut up, sis, they're here," he says to Phoebe whilst carrying the biggest smile Phoebe has ever seen him carry.
Max doesn't see the amusement in Phoebe's eyes — nor does he realize that he's smiling so wide — but, instead, he continues to open the door, unknowingly excited to see her. He doesn't close the door behind him — confident that Phoebe'll follow soon after — and walks towards them; her, in specific.
Then, he sees her, in a light pastel sweater, a light cover-up and faded white jeans. Her hair was in a ponytail, which made it easy to see her face. Max doesn't know it — he never does — but his smile just got wider and his heartbeats just got faster.
"Max!" she says, making the first acknowledgement.
Max is surprised at the mention of his name.
Was I staring? He asks himself, in doubt of whether he really was — but, at the very least, aware that he might be. Why would I be staring? That's ridiculous and crazy, right? He decides to shrug it off, like how he normally does, and snap back to reality — where he was called by her.
"Max?" she says, again, but this time, closer than she was.
"U-uh, hey?"
What is happening to you? Relax, Max, you're the Max; stop being so puny.
"Long time no see, Max," she remarks, stating the unfortunate fact.
"Yeah, long time no see, Taylor."
Hi, guys, I'm really excited about this story because this is my first story. Please give me feedback and hopefully, this will be a regular thing. I love you, guys!
~ figgment