Chapter Nine
Original Cindy watched Max all throughout dinner. She was sitting, staring down at her plate, and quietly pushing her food from side to side with the side of her fork. Whenever anyone would ask her a question, she would look up, answer it politely and then quickly look down at her plate again.
Cindy didn't know if she was the only one who had noticed how Max was isolating herself from the group. She was barely eating, and Cindy knew that the Cajun blackened chicken, Caesar salad, and steamed broccoli were some of her favorite foods. Yet, she had barely eaten three bites, and barely drank the glass of wine, that even Cindy, who wasn't an expert, recognized as a very good vintage.
So as conversation ebbed and flowed around her, Max sat solemnly listening to conversation, feeling extremely out of place. They were all talking about inside jokes, relating little stories, all of which Max had no idea about. She didn't know anything about the current economy, knew nothing about working at Jam Pony, and knew nothing about the latest Eyes-Only broadcast. She didn't even know what Eyes-Only was.
So when she helped everyone carry dishes into the kitchen for Logan to load into the dishwasher, she was surprised when Cindy pulled her aside. "Hey Boo, you alright?"
Max smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine."
"You're awfully quiet. Anything wrong." She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm fine." Max repeated. She turned and walked from the room, dropping the dishes in the kitchen. She walked out and past Cindy, mumbling something about being tired.
Cindy stared after her, deeply concerned for her closest friend. Cindy had known it would be hard for Max to regain her memories, or start over if need be, but it seemed as if Max was all but pushing them away.
Logan knocked on Max's closed bedroom door a half hour later. When he heard her muttered reply, he opened to door to see her sitting on the windowsill looking out over the open window. He watched her for a moment, thinking of how she used to spend hours sitting on top of the space needle, he imagined sitting just like she was now.
"Hey," He began finally tearing his eyes away from her back. "How about that game of chess?"
Max didn't answer for a moment; so long that Logan thought she hadn't heard him. "Uh, no thanks, I'm kind of tired." She said in a far away voice.
Logan stood in the doorway a moment more, heart sinking. "Ok, well…let me know if you need anything."
"Ok." Max replied, never turning away from the window.
Logan backed out of the room, shutting the door behind him, shutting out the coolness of Max's replies like the bitter wind that was whipping through the open windows.
Original Cindy watched Max all throughout dinner. She was sitting, staring down at her plate, and quietly pushing her food from side to side with the side of her fork. Whenever anyone would ask her a question, she would look up, answer it politely and then quickly look down at her plate again.
Cindy didn't know if she was the only one who had noticed how Max was isolating herself from the group. She was barely eating, and Cindy knew that the Cajun blackened chicken, Caesar salad, and steamed broccoli were some of her favorite foods. Yet, she had barely eaten three bites, and barely drank the glass of wine, that even Cindy, who wasn't an expert, recognized as a very good vintage.
So as conversation ebbed and flowed around her, Max sat solemnly listening to conversation, feeling extremely out of place. They were all talking about inside jokes, relating little stories, all of which Max had no idea about. She didn't know anything about the current economy, knew nothing about working at Jam Pony, and knew nothing about the latest Eyes-Only broadcast. She didn't even know what Eyes-Only was.
So when she helped everyone carry dishes into the kitchen for Logan to load into the dishwasher, she was surprised when Cindy pulled her aside. "Hey Boo, you alright?"
Max smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine."
"You're awfully quiet. Anything wrong." She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm fine." Max repeated. She turned and walked from the room, dropping the dishes in the kitchen. She walked out and past Cindy, mumbling something about being tired.
Cindy stared after her, deeply concerned for her closest friend. Cindy had known it would be hard for Max to regain her memories, or start over if need be, but it seemed as if Max was all but pushing them away.
Logan knocked on Max's closed bedroom door a half hour later. When he heard her muttered reply, he opened to door to see her sitting on the windowsill looking out over the open window. He watched her for a moment, thinking of how she used to spend hours sitting on top of the space needle, he imagined sitting just like she was now.
"Hey," He began finally tearing his eyes away from her back. "How about that game of chess?"
Max didn't answer for a moment; so long that Logan thought she hadn't heard him. "Uh, no thanks, I'm kind of tired." She said in a far away voice.
Logan stood in the doorway a moment more, heart sinking. "Ok, well…let me know if you need anything."
"Ok." Max replied, never turning away from the window.
Logan backed out of the room, shutting the door behind him, shutting out the coolness of Max's replies like the bitter wind that was whipping through the open windows.