CHAPTER EIGHT
The following morning, Seb Jnr found his mother's cousin in the café drinking a cup of coffee and writing in a notepad.
" Uh…excuse me…Mr. Sutherland?" Seb tapped him on the shoulder and the older man looked up.
" Hello Seb," Max greeted the kid. It was like looking at Seb Snr 14 years earlier.
" Um, I just wanted to say sorry about being rude to you yesterday." Seb smiled ruefully, " I'm not usually rude."
" That's okay Seb. I just caught you on a bad day right?" Max asked him and Seb paused.
" It wasn't really a bad day, I was just upset over my mother."
" Sit down," Max invited, " And don't call me Mr Sutherland-we're family. Call me Max."
Seb grinned and joined him, " Nice to meet you Max. Mum told me all about you. You left the Bay when you graduated from high school."
Max nodded, " I left to find my first girlfriend Tamara and I married her. I didn't want to wait any longer."
Seb smiled wistfully, " She must be an awesome girl to wait for."
" She is," Max, said, " I've had other girlfriends of course, but none like Tamara. We have a daughter now."
" Mum also says you're a famous writer." Seb said, " I've never read any of your books because they're mostly historical fiction and it isn't my favourite type of reading. Why don't you try and write a sci-fi novel?"
Max laughed, " Sci-fi has never been my favourites. I've got an idea for a new series."
" Really?" Seb asked.
" Yup. It'll be based on the lives and loves of residents in a small seaside community-much like this one. The series will contain everything from romance to mystery. A little bit of everything for everyone."
" Sounds cool. Will I be in it?"
" The series will be loosely based on the people of Summer Bay…so names will be changed but you'll recognise a few characters. And it also means I'll have to stay here for awhile for research."
" But that means being away from your family."
" Not necessarily. Tam and Joanna are coming up to stay with me. It'll be like an extended holiday."
" That's cool." Seb glanced at his watch and jumped up hurriedly, " Flamin' heck…gotta go to school or I'll be late."
To Seb's surprise, Max burst out laughing and Seb stared at the older man wondering if he's flipped.
" Flamin' heck…I haven't heard that phrase in a long time. It was Alf Stewart's saying."
Seb grinned, " I know…Grandad said it once and I thought it was funny. I find myself saying it often."
" Fisher never said flamin' heck," Max remembered scratching his head confused.
" I know, but it slipped out one day when Grandad accidentally broke a plate while doing the dishes." Seb explained and Max's confused expression cleared.
" Anyway, better go or Ms. Fletcher will have my head." Seb said picking up his bag.
" Ms Fletcher? Are you talking about Sally Fletcher?" Max asked.
" Sure. Do you know her?"
" She was my teacher at Summer Bay High then went on as Deputy Principal. Its nice to hear she's still there."
" She's Principal now." Seb told him.
" I'll give you a lift to school." Max offered, " I'd like to say hello to Sally." He stood up and followed Seb out of the café and to his car.
" Wow! Cool car," Seb admired the red convertible, " Must have cost a fortune."
" Actually I got it second hand. I just spruced her up a bit." Max grinned and opened the door, " Hop in."
* * *
" It hasn't changed," Max, commented once they pulled up in front of the school, " not in 20 years."
Seb grinned and led up the steps and into the school. The hallways were empty and a tall brunette was making her way towards a classroom when she spotted Seb with a stranger.
" You're late young man," she greeted Seb sternly.
" Sorry Ms. Fletcher, but I got held up at the café-"
" I'll have none of your excuses. See me after your first class." Sally Fletcher said before Seb waved goodbye to the stranger and hurried off.
" It was my fault Sally, I held Seb up." Max apologised to the Principal.
" And who might you be?" Sally demanded, running a hand through her long brown hair-that almost reached to waist now. She had a few grey streaks in it, but on her it looked distinguished. She had gotten taller and her figure was filled out in all the right places.
" It's Max Sutherland." Max smiled at the look of astonishment on her face.
" Max?"
" Yeah. Nice to see you again Sally."
" You've gotten so tall!" Sally exclaimed, " No wonder I didn't recognize you."
" Well, you've gotten tall too," Max replied, " but I recognised you straight away Sally."
" You can call me Ms. Fletcher," Sally said sternly then smiled, " Come into my office and we'll catch up." She led the way and Max followed her.
The following morning, Seb Jnr found his mother's cousin in the café drinking a cup of coffee and writing in a notepad.
" Uh…excuse me…Mr. Sutherland?" Seb tapped him on the shoulder and the older man looked up.
" Hello Seb," Max greeted the kid. It was like looking at Seb Snr 14 years earlier.
" Um, I just wanted to say sorry about being rude to you yesterday." Seb smiled ruefully, " I'm not usually rude."
" That's okay Seb. I just caught you on a bad day right?" Max asked him and Seb paused.
" It wasn't really a bad day, I was just upset over my mother."
" Sit down," Max invited, " And don't call me Mr Sutherland-we're family. Call me Max."
Seb grinned and joined him, " Nice to meet you Max. Mum told me all about you. You left the Bay when you graduated from high school."
Max nodded, " I left to find my first girlfriend Tamara and I married her. I didn't want to wait any longer."
Seb smiled wistfully, " She must be an awesome girl to wait for."
" She is," Max, said, " I've had other girlfriends of course, but none like Tamara. We have a daughter now."
" Mum also says you're a famous writer." Seb said, " I've never read any of your books because they're mostly historical fiction and it isn't my favourite type of reading. Why don't you try and write a sci-fi novel?"
Max laughed, " Sci-fi has never been my favourites. I've got an idea for a new series."
" Really?" Seb asked.
" Yup. It'll be based on the lives and loves of residents in a small seaside community-much like this one. The series will contain everything from romance to mystery. A little bit of everything for everyone."
" Sounds cool. Will I be in it?"
" The series will be loosely based on the people of Summer Bay…so names will be changed but you'll recognise a few characters. And it also means I'll have to stay here for awhile for research."
" But that means being away from your family."
" Not necessarily. Tam and Joanna are coming up to stay with me. It'll be like an extended holiday."
" That's cool." Seb glanced at his watch and jumped up hurriedly, " Flamin' heck…gotta go to school or I'll be late."
To Seb's surprise, Max burst out laughing and Seb stared at the older man wondering if he's flipped.
" Flamin' heck…I haven't heard that phrase in a long time. It was Alf Stewart's saying."
Seb grinned, " I know…Grandad said it once and I thought it was funny. I find myself saying it often."
" Fisher never said flamin' heck," Max remembered scratching his head confused.
" I know, but it slipped out one day when Grandad accidentally broke a plate while doing the dishes." Seb explained and Max's confused expression cleared.
" Anyway, better go or Ms. Fletcher will have my head." Seb said picking up his bag.
" Ms Fletcher? Are you talking about Sally Fletcher?" Max asked.
" Sure. Do you know her?"
" She was my teacher at Summer Bay High then went on as Deputy Principal. Its nice to hear she's still there."
" She's Principal now." Seb told him.
" I'll give you a lift to school." Max offered, " I'd like to say hello to Sally." He stood up and followed Seb out of the café and to his car.
" Wow! Cool car," Seb admired the red convertible, " Must have cost a fortune."
" Actually I got it second hand. I just spruced her up a bit." Max grinned and opened the door, " Hop in."
* * *
" It hasn't changed," Max, commented once they pulled up in front of the school, " not in 20 years."
Seb grinned and led up the steps and into the school. The hallways were empty and a tall brunette was making her way towards a classroom when she spotted Seb with a stranger.
" You're late young man," she greeted Seb sternly.
" Sorry Ms. Fletcher, but I got held up at the café-"
" I'll have none of your excuses. See me after your first class." Sally Fletcher said before Seb waved goodbye to the stranger and hurried off.
" It was my fault Sally, I held Seb up." Max apologised to the Principal.
" And who might you be?" Sally demanded, running a hand through her long brown hair-that almost reached to waist now. She had a few grey streaks in it, but on her it looked distinguished. She had gotten taller and her figure was filled out in all the right places.
" It's Max Sutherland." Max smiled at the look of astonishment on her face.
" Max?"
" Yeah. Nice to see you again Sally."
" You've gotten so tall!" Sally exclaimed, " No wonder I didn't recognize you."
" Well, you've gotten tall too," Max replied, " but I recognised you straight away Sally."
" You can call me Ms. Fletcher," Sally said sternly then smiled, " Come into my office and we'll catch up." She led the way and Max followed her.