Chapter 12 "...because she's my sister"
A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up
*****
ENTRANCE OF JAM PONY
Cree came back inside slowly /Please let him not be here anymore/ When she saw that it was "all clear" she wheeled her bike back through to her locker
"You got a bad attitude," Normal's voice called out to her "But gotta admit your attitude at least keeps on the time clock" he paused "Where the fire trucks is Max?" he looked at his watch.
Cindy turned at that remark, covering her hand over the payphone receiver she was talking on "Max
went home. Wasn't feeling good"
"For the love of Mike" Normal muttered under his breath "She'd better bring back that bike or be prepared to face charges of stealing"
"Who would want one of these?" Sketchy kicked his stationary bike, observing all the dust that spewed out as a result.
"I didn't ask for your input" Normal responded sharply. He tossed him a box "Derard St. Make me remember why I hired you" he looked over at Cree just standing idle "Move it, this isn't a line at the Sector stop"
"I just got back," Cree complained
"Sell it to someone else Cree. Since Max called in "sick" someone's gotta pick up the slack" he threw her a large box, which she caught.
"He's always like this isn't he?" Cree asked this question to no one in particular
"Unless aliens have colonized the planet and gave us a new boss," Sketchy answered her remark "One who doesn't have something shoved up wind" he paused "If he's ridin' ya, means he you still have a job"
"Yea" Cree said in mock cheer "Makes me feel so loved"
*****
SECTOR SIX
Back of Black Market Head Shop
"What the hell happened?" a nameless black haired man touched the sharp edges of plastic in the radiator left there from the impact of Max's fist.
"Some whacked out bitch" Jack told him angrily, looking at the busted up radiator "Must've been on a big load of shit. She could've made good money too"
The man turned to him "Good?"
Jack smiled "Oh yeah, makes all those you have look like dawgs, didn't see where she took off to-"
"Forget her" the man interrupted "If we cross paths again, I'll have more bling bling. Right I want my number 17. If she spills to anyone bout this it could shut down my whole operation"
"Why don't you just waste her with the cyanide like your buddy did to those Malaysian chicks?"
"'Cause if I go off killing my girls, I won't have any services to provide shit" the man spat back in Jack's face. "No, I brought you here to find her. You're getting' more then a fair cut, so find her-" he pulled out a black Sig Sauer "before this finds you" he looked once again under the hood of the car "I can get this patched by tomorrow. But I want you back on the street tonight. And if you run into anymore whacked bitches-" he hit him on the stomach, also slapping at a revolver tucked in holster "one swipe, and I'll see if their worth anything"
"Need transportation for that Ty" Jack informed him "Can't just walk around Seattle. Chicks dig a guy with wheels"
Ty threw him a set of keys "Take choppy over there" he made reference to a 1999 Camero that had been fitted with stolen parts from about fifteen different cars that Ty had jacked. "The women man" he gave a leering smile "Can't go wrong with a Camero. Should go find yourself a new honey. Think it's time"
Jack smiled too "Ready to move on from the last make-I mean date" he laughed, high-fiving Ty "Aiight bro I'm out. Take care of my wheels. Gotta go meet me some women man"
*****
Foggle Towers
Max had slept for the better part of 45 minutes, a record with her. Logan really didn't want to wake her up. She looked so worn out from her seizure, but he knew that she wanted to get down to work to see Cree, and she'd kick his ass from here to Mexico if he let her sleep late.
"Hey" he shook her shoulder "Time to go to class Maxie" he made a light joke out of the words his mother greeted him with in the morning when he was still in grade school
"Zack just let me lie here for a little while longer." Max's voice was soft and far away sounding "It hurts"
Logan's face fell when he heard that. /Smooth move shit, make her relive painful memories from Manticore/ "Max" he shook her a little harder, wanting to bring her out of her memory.
Her eyes opened "How long was I out?" was her first remark
"Little less then an hour" he told her watching her stretch her arms over her head "Guess you should get going back to work" he really wished she would stay longer, she still didn't look completely together, but he knew that she wouldn't let a seizure get her down.
"Yeah" Max agreed around a stretch "Thanks for letting me crash" her eyes looked up into his. She climbed off the couch in one motion, slipping on her jacket that Logan had removed while she slept.
"Not a problem" Logan told her "Should get those checked out," he gestured to her injured hand and sprained quads. "By a real doctor I mean"
Max shrugged off his look "Manticore soldiers heal fast Logan. They'll be a distant memory in two days" she told him straight up "Gotta blaze" she turned to leave.
"Max-" his words stopped her.
She turned back around to face him
"You know you're always welcome here," he paused briefly "anytime"
She gave him a rare smile "Nice to know"
There was a moment of comfortable silence between them
"You should go-"
"Better head out" Max agreed, speaking over top of him. They both shared a laugh "I'm out" Max stated
"Yeah" Logan agreed "Bye"
"C-ya" Max said in a goodbye, heading out.
Logan watched her leave through the front door, not being able to take his eyes off her until the door closed
*****
"Hey" Max spotted Cree heading inside Jam Pony
"Max" Cree stopped wheeling in her bike "Didn't you call in?" she looked at her slightly pale complexion "You should've stayed home, you don't look good"
"I have this nero condition," she told Cree honestly, "Causes me to have seizures."
"Sorry" Cree said, but didn't want Max to get the impression that she pitied her "I mean I didn't know-"
"Have meds for it" Max broke in "Not greatest thing in the world, but I've lived with them all my life. Staying at home won't change a thing, just has to run its course" she paused "Sides if Normal found out, I'd be fired. He's scared shitless of workers comp"
"I'll keep it DL Max" Cree caught was she was saying "Hey if Normal knew I ran from the slave whore house before I came here, I'd be out too"
"Actually that's why I came here" Max said, "Logan found out there were some guys around Seattle looking for you-"
"Was he blonde?" Cree broke in thinking back to Jack
"He didn't find out" Max stated honestly "But there was this looser that followed me out of here a few hours ago-"
"Jack" Cree interrupted "Jack Warren, son-of-a-bitch ex who sold me off. He was the one who came in here."
"Did he see you?" Max asked
"He catcalled," Cree told her "But the last time we saw each other I was fourteen, he didn't recognize me." she laughed dryly "Guess I 'grew up' like he always wanted"
"Not about what he wants," Max said straight up "I'll watch your back. No bad ass is gonna mess with you on my watch."
"Thanks for that" Cree told her "But this is my problem, don't wade in my shit"
"We look out for each other here" Max told her "And since you came here, I'm offering the same service. How I do things"
"Cree!" Normal broke in their conversation "Get moving, you don't get paid for standing still" he spotted Max beside her "And you, next time I catch you lying you're outta here."
"Better get moving" Cree said, "If you feel up for it, Cindy invited me to Crash again. Bring Logan, he looks like he could use a day off"
"I'll be there," Max told her "Don't know bout Logan, he's kind of a slave to his work-"
"Use bribery then" Cree said with a smile
"He's just a friend" Max interrupted
"Max don't lie" Cree informed, "I've only just met you two, but can see what's going on. Don't play that friends game and wind up falling for some ass hole like I did. You've got a good thing with him"
/Didn't even know I HAD a thing/ "I'll see what I can swing"
*****
LOS ANGELOS, CALFORNIA
PARKER HIGH SCHOOL
"Hey Jade!" someone called in the hall
The fourteen and a half year old freshman turned, shifting her black backpack higher on her shoulder
The boy, a junior with a badass attitude approached her "Heard from the whore yet?"
"Shut up Rick!" Jade spat back "My sister was kidnapped. She's not a whore!" there was anger in her voice, and an underlying tone of sadness. /Is she still even alive? What if-no, I would've felt something/
Rick wouldn't let it go "I heard Jack fucked her brains out cause she told him to and she's a dancer by day, and an head giving street slut at night-" he was cut off when Jade turned on him and slammed him into the nearest locker
"Don't you talk EVER talk way about Cree you ass hole!" she punched him across the face.
"Jade Amston stop!" Ms. Mirton the Vice Principal saw what she did. She headed over to the two kids "Now what is going on here?"
"Nothing," Jade lied
"Doesn't look like it young lady" Mirton answered "If the two of you aren't in my office in five minutes I'll expel you both from school"
Once inside the Vice Principals office, Jade let out her anger "He was talking about Cree ma'am," Jade told her, pacing around her desk
"Didn't say anything that wasn't true-" Rick interrupted
"Enough!" Mirton interrupted, she looked at Jade "Now I know you've had a hard time these last few years Jade. We all miss Cree, and I know it's hard, but acting out isn't the answer. It won't bring her back" her voice had gotten softer on that last part.
"With all do respect ma'am" Jade told her "You don't get it. How could you understand what it's like for some shit to take your sister away somewhere and torture her-"
"You don't know that Jade-"
"I DO!" Jade screamed
Mirton looked over at Rick "You get out, you're serving two weeks detention starting today for this"
After Rick left in an angry rage Mirton addressed Jade again "I don't know where Cree is Jade, and I can't say whether or not she's safe, but you have to believe that she's okay"
"How can I?" Jade whipped her head up from it's lowered position, brown eyes on fire with passion "She's not okay, or else she would be here. It's been THREE years since I last saw her, and it still hurts like the first day, for all of us" she stood up from the chair, facing the VP behind her desk
"Whatever punishment I'm getting I'll do, but I'm not apologizing to Rick after what he said, because Cree's still my sister" she slammed the door to the office, not hard, but enough to make a fairly loud noise.
Once outside the door, Jade ducked under the second floor stairs. Her hands found an old picture of her and Cree taken three weeks before Cree disappeared. /Why did he do this?/ She touched the picture "She has to be alive" Her eyes welled up and she cried silently.
*****
I will have a time where Cree and Jade get to meet up again, just wanted to introduce her. I know this was a late update, but my "Choices" chapter took up a lot of time, plus I had to do stuff in classes. But after I get through with finals this week I'll be free from college for three months! whoo-hoo! I will also go deeper with my M/L thing. This is my world so I get to ignore Cameron, so there!
R/R please, and I'll keep it up.
A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up
*****
ENTRANCE OF JAM PONY
Cree came back inside slowly /Please let him not be here anymore/ When she saw that it was "all clear" she wheeled her bike back through to her locker
"You got a bad attitude," Normal's voice called out to her "But gotta admit your attitude at least keeps on the time clock" he paused "Where the fire trucks is Max?" he looked at his watch.
Cindy turned at that remark, covering her hand over the payphone receiver she was talking on "Max
went home. Wasn't feeling good"
"For the love of Mike" Normal muttered under his breath "She'd better bring back that bike or be prepared to face charges of stealing"
"Who would want one of these?" Sketchy kicked his stationary bike, observing all the dust that spewed out as a result.
"I didn't ask for your input" Normal responded sharply. He tossed him a box "Derard St. Make me remember why I hired you" he looked over at Cree just standing idle "Move it, this isn't a line at the Sector stop"
"I just got back," Cree complained
"Sell it to someone else Cree. Since Max called in "sick" someone's gotta pick up the slack" he threw her a large box, which she caught.
"He's always like this isn't he?" Cree asked this question to no one in particular
"Unless aliens have colonized the planet and gave us a new boss," Sketchy answered her remark "One who doesn't have something shoved up wind" he paused "If he's ridin' ya, means he you still have a job"
"Yea" Cree said in mock cheer "Makes me feel so loved"
*****
SECTOR SIX
Back of Black Market Head Shop
"What the hell happened?" a nameless black haired man touched the sharp edges of plastic in the radiator left there from the impact of Max's fist.
"Some whacked out bitch" Jack told him angrily, looking at the busted up radiator "Must've been on a big load of shit. She could've made good money too"
The man turned to him "Good?"
Jack smiled "Oh yeah, makes all those you have look like dawgs, didn't see where she took off to-"
"Forget her" the man interrupted "If we cross paths again, I'll have more bling bling. Right I want my number 17. If she spills to anyone bout this it could shut down my whole operation"
"Why don't you just waste her with the cyanide like your buddy did to those Malaysian chicks?"
"'Cause if I go off killing my girls, I won't have any services to provide shit" the man spat back in Jack's face. "No, I brought you here to find her. You're getting' more then a fair cut, so find her-" he pulled out a black Sig Sauer "before this finds you" he looked once again under the hood of the car "I can get this patched by tomorrow. But I want you back on the street tonight. And if you run into anymore whacked bitches-" he hit him on the stomach, also slapping at a revolver tucked in holster "one swipe, and I'll see if their worth anything"
"Need transportation for that Ty" Jack informed him "Can't just walk around Seattle. Chicks dig a guy with wheels"
Ty threw him a set of keys "Take choppy over there" he made reference to a 1999 Camero that had been fitted with stolen parts from about fifteen different cars that Ty had jacked. "The women man" he gave a leering smile "Can't go wrong with a Camero. Should go find yourself a new honey. Think it's time"
Jack smiled too "Ready to move on from the last make-I mean date" he laughed, high-fiving Ty "Aiight bro I'm out. Take care of my wheels. Gotta go meet me some women man"
*****
Foggle Towers
Max had slept for the better part of 45 minutes, a record with her. Logan really didn't want to wake her up. She looked so worn out from her seizure, but he knew that she wanted to get down to work to see Cree, and she'd kick his ass from here to Mexico if he let her sleep late.
"Hey" he shook her shoulder "Time to go to class Maxie" he made a light joke out of the words his mother greeted him with in the morning when he was still in grade school
"Zack just let me lie here for a little while longer." Max's voice was soft and far away sounding "It hurts"
Logan's face fell when he heard that. /Smooth move shit, make her relive painful memories from Manticore/ "Max" he shook her a little harder, wanting to bring her out of her memory.
Her eyes opened "How long was I out?" was her first remark
"Little less then an hour" he told her watching her stretch her arms over her head "Guess you should get going back to work" he really wished she would stay longer, she still didn't look completely together, but he knew that she wouldn't let a seizure get her down.
"Yeah" Max agreed around a stretch "Thanks for letting me crash" her eyes looked up into his. She climbed off the couch in one motion, slipping on her jacket that Logan had removed while she slept.
"Not a problem" Logan told her "Should get those checked out," he gestured to her injured hand and sprained quads. "By a real doctor I mean"
Max shrugged off his look "Manticore soldiers heal fast Logan. They'll be a distant memory in two days" she told him straight up "Gotta blaze" she turned to leave.
"Max-" his words stopped her.
She turned back around to face him
"You know you're always welcome here," he paused briefly "anytime"
She gave him a rare smile "Nice to know"
There was a moment of comfortable silence between them
"You should go-"
"Better head out" Max agreed, speaking over top of him. They both shared a laugh "I'm out" Max stated
"Yeah" Logan agreed "Bye"
"C-ya" Max said in a goodbye, heading out.
Logan watched her leave through the front door, not being able to take his eyes off her until the door closed
*****
"Hey" Max spotted Cree heading inside Jam Pony
"Max" Cree stopped wheeling in her bike "Didn't you call in?" she looked at her slightly pale complexion "You should've stayed home, you don't look good"
"I have this nero condition," she told Cree honestly, "Causes me to have seizures."
"Sorry" Cree said, but didn't want Max to get the impression that she pitied her "I mean I didn't know-"
"Have meds for it" Max broke in "Not greatest thing in the world, but I've lived with them all my life. Staying at home won't change a thing, just has to run its course" she paused "Sides if Normal found out, I'd be fired. He's scared shitless of workers comp"
"I'll keep it DL Max" Cree caught was she was saying "Hey if Normal knew I ran from the slave whore house before I came here, I'd be out too"
"Actually that's why I came here" Max said, "Logan found out there were some guys around Seattle looking for you-"
"Was he blonde?" Cree broke in thinking back to Jack
"He didn't find out" Max stated honestly "But there was this looser that followed me out of here a few hours ago-"
"Jack" Cree interrupted "Jack Warren, son-of-a-bitch ex who sold me off. He was the one who came in here."
"Did he see you?" Max asked
"He catcalled," Cree told her "But the last time we saw each other I was fourteen, he didn't recognize me." she laughed dryly "Guess I 'grew up' like he always wanted"
"Not about what he wants," Max said straight up "I'll watch your back. No bad ass is gonna mess with you on my watch."
"Thanks for that" Cree told her "But this is my problem, don't wade in my shit"
"We look out for each other here" Max told her "And since you came here, I'm offering the same service. How I do things"
"Cree!" Normal broke in their conversation "Get moving, you don't get paid for standing still" he spotted Max beside her "And you, next time I catch you lying you're outta here."
"Better get moving" Cree said, "If you feel up for it, Cindy invited me to Crash again. Bring Logan, he looks like he could use a day off"
"I'll be there," Max told her "Don't know bout Logan, he's kind of a slave to his work-"
"Use bribery then" Cree said with a smile
"He's just a friend" Max interrupted
"Max don't lie" Cree informed, "I've only just met you two, but can see what's going on. Don't play that friends game and wind up falling for some ass hole like I did. You've got a good thing with him"
/Didn't even know I HAD a thing/ "I'll see what I can swing"
*****
LOS ANGELOS, CALFORNIA
PARKER HIGH SCHOOL
"Hey Jade!" someone called in the hall
The fourteen and a half year old freshman turned, shifting her black backpack higher on her shoulder
The boy, a junior with a badass attitude approached her "Heard from the whore yet?"
"Shut up Rick!" Jade spat back "My sister was kidnapped. She's not a whore!" there was anger in her voice, and an underlying tone of sadness. /Is she still even alive? What if-no, I would've felt something/
Rick wouldn't let it go "I heard Jack fucked her brains out cause she told him to and she's a dancer by day, and an head giving street slut at night-" he was cut off when Jade turned on him and slammed him into the nearest locker
"Don't you talk EVER talk way about Cree you ass hole!" she punched him across the face.
"Jade Amston stop!" Ms. Mirton the Vice Principal saw what she did. She headed over to the two kids "Now what is going on here?"
"Nothing," Jade lied
"Doesn't look like it young lady" Mirton answered "If the two of you aren't in my office in five minutes I'll expel you both from school"
Once inside the Vice Principals office, Jade let out her anger "He was talking about Cree ma'am," Jade told her, pacing around her desk
"Didn't say anything that wasn't true-" Rick interrupted
"Enough!" Mirton interrupted, she looked at Jade "Now I know you've had a hard time these last few years Jade. We all miss Cree, and I know it's hard, but acting out isn't the answer. It won't bring her back" her voice had gotten softer on that last part.
"With all do respect ma'am" Jade told her "You don't get it. How could you understand what it's like for some shit to take your sister away somewhere and torture her-"
"You don't know that Jade-"
"I DO!" Jade screamed
Mirton looked over at Rick "You get out, you're serving two weeks detention starting today for this"
After Rick left in an angry rage Mirton addressed Jade again "I don't know where Cree is Jade, and I can't say whether or not she's safe, but you have to believe that she's okay"
"How can I?" Jade whipped her head up from it's lowered position, brown eyes on fire with passion "She's not okay, or else she would be here. It's been THREE years since I last saw her, and it still hurts like the first day, for all of us" she stood up from the chair, facing the VP behind her desk
"Whatever punishment I'm getting I'll do, but I'm not apologizing to Rick after what he said, because Cree's still my sister" she slammed the door to the office, not hard, but enough to make a fairly loud noise.
Once outside the door, Jade ducked under the second floor stairs. Her hands found an old picture of her and Cree taken three weeks before Cree disappeared. /Why did he do this?/ She touched the picture "She has to be alive" Her eyes welled up and she cried silently.
*****
I will have a time where Cree and Jade get to meet up again, just wanted to introduce her. I know this was a late update, but my "Choices" chapter took up a lot of time, plus I had to do stuff in classes. But after I get through with finals this week I'll be free from college for three months! whoo-hoo! I will also go deeper with my M/L thing. This is my world so I get to ignore Cameron, so there!
R/R please, and I'll keep it up.