"This is for the ones who stood their ground –
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down."
"It's My Life"
Bon Jovi
"All right, then," Chibodee collapsed into the living room's leather armchair and sternly surveyed his gathered crew. "We've got some serious powwowing to do."
I feel like I've suddenly become part of the Brady Bunch, Max thought, eyeing the little group spread across the width of the sprawling living room.
"And we're gonna' start with you, Max," he draped his legs over the arm of the chair and pointed a finger straight at the startled girl.
"M-me?" she stuttered.
"You," he folded his hands calmly over his belt buckle. "How old are you?"
"Um…sixteen," Max replied slowly.
I'd better be careful about how I answer his questions – I'm sure Aunt Jo has an alert out for me and I don't want to give myself away.
"Where you from?"
"The Philadelphia sector," she blurted out immediately.
That's about as far from the Atlanta sector as I can manage. With the exception of here, that is.
"You got any family?"
"No, sir," Max hung her head and studied her fingernails.
That's practically the truth, since I didn't really know Aunt Jo and Uncle Jack that well. They were more like strangers than family…what little family have left deserted me.
She thought bitterly of her father and brother who had left her standing, bewildered and alone, at the head of her mother's grave. Chibodee's next business-like question quickly interrupted her reminiscing, however.
"So what's your story, kid? How'd you end up here in the NYC sector?"
"My mother died," Max replied softly, suddenly ashamed of the tears that started to prick at the corner of her eyes. "I-I just wandered about after that. I don't have any family – not here in the colony, anyway."
Now you've done it, dumb ass! Why'd you go and say that? She scolded herself for her slip-up. Now he'll want to know what family you have on Earth and send you packing. And Da'll only send me back to Aunt Jo…damn!
Max missed the sudden softening of Chibodee's features. He watched her quietly for a few minutes, as if remembering his own tragedy. His heart went out to her – he knew well what it was like to lose a mother.
"How come you're not with your family on Earth?" he continued his interrogation a bit more gently.
"Mom…didn't…get along with them well," Max began to fiddle with a loose string on the cuff of her worn-out sleeves, trying to blink away tears. "Her death was kinda' sudden, so…she didn't really have time to-to put me somewhere. I'd have probably gone to an orphanage, anyway…Da didn't really want me."
"'Da'? Your father?" Chibodee raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
"Hmmm…how do you know he doesn't want you?"
"Because he walked away and left me," Max whispered, tears coming for good this time around. "He left me at the funeral."
Everyone in the room stared at her in blank amazement.
Poor kid. She's really had a tough break, Chibodee frowned. I suppose if her father doesn't want her, then I won't be faced with any legal encroachments.
"How long ago was this?"
"Uh…five months," Max glanced up, as if to gauge Chibodee's opinion on the matter.
Of course, it's only been three, but fudging the truth won't hurt, I guess. I can't very well tell them three, 'cause that'll look suspicious if they see a 'missing persons' poster or a TV report.
Max wasn't afraid of her unlikely rescuer or his band of girls suspecting anything based on her appearance. She had let her hair grow long and had dyed it a dark purple. She knew she looked a far cry from the pampered rich kid she had once been – she blended in perfectly on the streets as a teenage punk. Included in her array was a battered, black leather jacket, a pair of old blue jeans, scuffed-up tennis shoes, and biker gloves. She had long ago sold what little jewelry she had taken with her and losing a considerable amount of weight virtually rendered her unrecognizable. Only a very close scrutiny of her pale, almost gaunt face would reveal her true identity – a scrutiny she didn't expect from Chibodee or any of his girls.
As long as I don't say anything dumb and give myself away, she reminded herself.
"You got any special skills – besides stealing wallets, that is?" Chibodee grinned kindly and Max risked a rather watery, wobbly smile of her own.
Uh-oh…I've gotta' be careful here. The last thing I need is for anyone to recognize my voice! Of course, I'm sure there's plenty of kids who can sing…
"Um…I'm sure I don't have any skills you all could really use," Max felt like melting into the cracks of the leather sofa.
"The girls and me can teach you what you need to know," Chibodee winked. "But I was asking just to get a feel for what kind of person you are. Surely you have some hobbies, or special interests, or somethin'."
"I write," Max felt incredibly silly telling that to a national hero and world-class boxing champion.
I'm going to sound like a real pansy, she winced inwardly.
"A writer, eh? What kind of stuff do ya' write?"
"Umm…short stories…poems…essays…y'know, stuff," Max shrugged uncomfortably.
"Anything else?"
"Um…I used to be part of the debate and speech clubs at my old school," Max offered lamely.
Please don't ask me where I went to school!
"And I did theater and…um…singing."
"Great!" Chibodee beamed. "You do any kind of sports?"
Max shook her head.
No…because I'm 'el geeko.' And I used to be a chubby tub of lard, too.
"Really?" the boxer sounded shocked. "You'd make a pretty good fighter, you ask me," his eyes crinkled in a smile. "Of course, they probably don't teach boxing at the average high school, huh?"
Max shook her head again.
They sure don't. That's something you learn on the streets, I guess. God knows I've been in plenty of scraps in the past three months. Not that that makes me an athlete or anything.
"Well," Chibodee shifted in his seat, sitting up right for a change. "Since you don't have anywhere else to go, you can now consider yourself an official part of the group," he waved toward Bunny and the others. "The girls'll teach you what you need to know as far as working on the Maxter and being a part o' my ring crew."
Max's eyes grew wide.
I'll get to work on the Gundam Maxter and help Chibodee Crocket with his boxing matches? I swear to God – this must be a dream!
"So, welcome aboard, Max Adrian," Chibodee stuck his hand out across the coffee table.
Max stared at his hand for a few seconds, then hesitantly reached out and the two solemnly shook hands.
"Now, I suppose introductions are in store," he looked pointedly at Shirley, who took her cue.
"I'm Shirley Laine," she smiled kindly at the young girl sitting beside her on the couch.
"She's the top-bitch around here – in more ways that one," Bunny smirked at her own wit.
"Bunny!" Shirley howled as Chibodee guffawed. "How could you?"
"I'm Bunny Higgins, by the way," the brunette pushed her glasses up on her nose and leaned against the opposite end of the couch, smiling winningly at the infuriated Shirley.
"I'm Cath Lonary," the rather nervous-looking, dark-skinned woman sitting on Max's left side cracked a weak smile, risking a haggard glance toward Chibodee, who didn't seem to notice.
"Last, but certainly not least – I'm Janet Smith," the pretty blond piped up from her seat on the floor, beside the gargantuan fireplace.
"And I need no introduction," Chibodee stated pompously, leaning back in his chair with a smug look; Shirley rolled her eyes and groaned.
"I'm warning you – the Boss has an ego the size of Texas," she shook her head in mock disapproval. "What he fails to realize is that he's a man of many faults."
"And it's our solemn duty to harass the hell out of him about them," Janet snickered.
"Though we usually just grin and bear it," Bunny added with a laugh. "And pop a few aspirin on the side."
"Anyone who knows him, does," Janet giggled, catching Chibodee's eye.
"Yeah, well…I have to walk on eggshells around here every month," Chibodee grumbled good-naturedly. "Seeing that there's four o' ya'."
Are they joking about what I think they're joking about? Max looked about her in slightly scandalized shock.
"Would you believe me if I told you that he keeps a chart?" Janet's eyes danced mischievously.
"No," Max stated bluntly.
"Well, he does," the blond nearly doubled over with laughter at the look on Max's face.
"Only so I know when to stay out of the damned house," Chibodee tried – unsuccessfully – to defend himself. "When one stops, the other starts – it's hell!"
"We're even nice enough to put a little colored dot on the kitchen calendar so he knows when and who to veer clear of," Shirley grinned broadly.
"Because, just like the women they are, they're never punctual," Chibodee gazed at Max with such a doleful look that she couldn't help but snicker. "Not that I need to be told, usually. I can generally tell without ever looking at the calendar," he began to point at each woman in turn. "Bunny starts to cry like a leaking faucet –"
"Chibodee! Now, that's not fair!" Bunny protested, but he ignored her and kept going.
"Janet starts to stomp about the house like hell's harpy. Shirley's liable to knock my lights out if I so much as look as her. And Cath hides with her hot water bottle and pillows."
"Just like a man, he's highly exaggerating the facts," Shirley stated loftily. "But it's the truth – after you've been here a while, you'll notice that there are certain days in the month when you won't see hide or hair of the Boss."
"You can usually find him in the gym, though," Janet amended.
"But you've got to go searching for him – with a map, a safari hat, and a net. He won't come into the main part of the house of his own volition," Shirley laughed.
"We have fun hunting him down, though," Bunny added.
"It's especially funny if you happen to be the one he's trying to hide from," Janet grinned wickedly in Chibodee's direction. "He gets this 'oh-hell-not-you' look on his face and then hides behind his punching bag, pretending to hit it."
Max couldn't stand it. She broke out into peels of laughter, trying to imagine the gung-ho champion of public image, cowering before and hiding from his own "girls."
They're crazy! And it's so weird to hear a guy joking about a woman's period! But it's hilarious – not like back home. There wasn't anything to laugh about there and Aunt Jo would have a conniption if she knew I was privy to conversation like this. I really think I'm going to like it here…
She missed the wink that passed between Chibodee, Bunny, Janet, and Shirley.
"Well…now that that's all out of the way," Chibodee cleared his throat. "You look tired."
Max wasn't about to deny it.
About time you brought that up!