Disclaimers: Do we really have to go through this again?
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When Josh got home, he immeadiatly went into the house to look for Mindy. It didn't take long to find her. She was sitting at the table. She was wearing a robe and her wet hair was hanging down her back. She was the picture of calmness, sitting there reading a magazine. However, she had an ice pack resting on her right hand. She must have hurt herself when she was fighting those guys off, he realized.
She looked up as he entered. "Hi."
"Hey. How was your day?" Of course, he already knew what had gone on, but he wanted to see how she explained it to him.
"How was my day?" She looked him staight in the eye. "Well, let's see. I was almost kidnapped by three goons in clown suits, who incidently happened to know who I am, only to be rescued by a guy who I'm beginning to think is some kind of guardian angel. Kind of like a Del Oro version of Batman. How was your day?" she asked smiling sweetly at him.
"Say that again." He acted totally bewildered by her story.
"Let me ask you something. What's the point of making me carry around this radio thing if you don't even keep yours on?"
"Huh?" He wasn't acting this time. He was really confused.
"I was half expecting *you* to come to my rescue. I had the thing on the whole time I was being attacked. You didn't even notice. If you'd had the damned thing on, you would've heard everything." Seeing the look on his face, she instantly felt bad for her choice of words and her tone. It had sounded like she was upset with him. "Josh, I'm sorry. That came out wrong. It's not like you could have done anything if you'd heard, but if I have to keep mine on and on me, I think you should do the same."
"I accidentally switched it off. I'm sorry. Are you alright?" He was all concern now.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured him. "I've just got a bruise. And my knuckles are a little sore."
A smile played on his lips. "Then I'm gonna asume you put up a pretty good fight."
"I guess. But who knows what would've happened if Max hadn't shown up. He probably saved my life."
Josh tried not to look proud. Not just what she said about Max, but at the fight she'd given those guys. He'd had to report back to N'Tek and checked on their condition. She hadn't just broken that guy's nose, she'd shattered it! The guy was going to need plastic surgery if he didn't want a crooked nose the rest of his life. And he seriously doubted the other guy would be reproducing anytime soon, even if he wasn't going to prison. The third guy, the one he'd stopped from hitting Mindy, was the only one she hadn't done a lot of damage to. But she *had* managed to give him a nasty cut on his ear. And the other two were pretty pissed off at him. Some of the things they'd been heard mumbling were, "'We won't need the helmets,' he said. 'She's just a little girl,' he said," and, "'How much trouble can she be? That's the last time I listen to your dumb ass!".
"You should've seen it Josh. He took out all three guys by himself. Then this black van shows up, a bunch of people get out and haul these guys away. It was like something out of the movies. And him, he's like a fighting machine or something."
"I noticed that, too."
"When?" she asked, more than a little confused.
"At the ice rink."
She gave him a strange look. "How did you know it was the same guy from the ice rink?"
He groaned inwardly. That is the *last* time I play along to give myself an ego boost, he vowed. Now he was going to have to try and explain how he knew. He couldn't think of anything that would sound right to her.
"I never said it was the same guy. How did you know?" she pressed.
"Uh, well..."
The phone rang. Saved by the bell, he thought. He picked up. "Hello?"
"I was watching. Thought you could use a hand, hermano."
Josh walked up to his room. "Bro, you are a lifesaver. Maybe you can come up with an excuse for why I knew that. And tell me how I could be dumb enough to make a mistake like that."
"Is there any chance she'll let the subject drop?"
"About as much of a chance as snow along the equator. This is Morgan we're talking about. She's not going to forget that."
"Well, then you're very screwed hermano. I have no idea how to explain it." They were both silent for a minute of so. "Wait a second, would she let it drop if she was pre-occupied or something?"
"For a while, yeah, but then she'd ask again."
"Well, then what if her new hero was to ask her to let it drop?"
"What are you talking about?"
Berto began to explain what he had in mind.
The sun had just gone down. Mindy waited for her cousin to come back downstairs. He still hadn't answered her question. A few minutes after he went up, she heard the shower going. Fine, she could wait. She went into her room and changed into a pair of old, worn-out jeans and a loose t- shirt. There was a knock at the door as she finished combing out her hair. Josh was still in the shower, so she went to answer it. She hadn't known who to expect, but it certainly wasn't who she found behind the door.
Max took in her shocked expression. He wasn't sure this would work, but it wasn't like he had a bunch of options. "Hello, Mindy," he said. She didn't answer, just gaped. "Can I come in?" He walked in as Mindy stood aside for him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. She was completely confused.
"I wanted to see if you were okay after what happened."
"How-how did you know where I'm staying?"
"Uh, I've been here before. I know your cousin." He said the first thing that came to his mind. "It's been a while since I've been here, though. But he told me all about you and I figured you'd be staying with him."
"Josh never mentioned knowing you."
Damn her memory! She had to notice every little thing wrong with his story. "Well, it was back in high school," he explained. "And the last time I saw him was at the Del Oro Extreme awhile back."
That was it! That was where she knew him from! He'd competed in the Del Oro Extreme Competition the same year Josh had. Josh had dropped out for some reason he didn't want to talk about. But Max had been one of the most incredible athletes she had ever seen. Had Josh stayed in, Max would've given him a run for his money, but no one was better than her cousin as far as she was concerned.
As for him knowing Josh without her knowledge, it was possible. After all, they'd had very little contact during the last few years. If Josh and Max didn't hang out together much anymore, he would probably see no reason to bring it up. She hadn't really told Josh much about people who used to be her friends that she didn't associate with anymore. Why would he tell her?
She nodded, indicating she accepted his explaination. Max relaxed a bit. So far, so good.
Mindy curled up on the couch while Max took a chair. "Did you contact the police about what happened earlier?" he inquired.
"What good would that do? I don't have any evidence. The cops would think I was either insane or on something."
He nodded. "Well, in case you were wondering, the three who attacked you are in a high security prison now."
"Who were they?"
This was what he wasn't looking forward to. He knew he would have to explain a few things, but he wasn't sure how much to tell her.
"You're going to have to tell her a few basics, hermano," advised Berto. He was monitering the conversation just in case Max needed some help. "But, don't go into details."
Max took a deep breath. "They are part of a..." There was no other way to say it. He and Berto both knew it. "A terrorist organization."
Mindy snapped her eyes to his face. A WHAT?! A look at his eyes told her that he wasn't lying. What in god's name would a terrorist organization want with her?
After giving her a moment to let what he'd just told her sink in, he continued. "I'm part of a top secret organization that protects people from terrorists. Now, I can't tell you anything about that, but you have to believe me when I say that I'm going to do everything I can to make sure they don't get their hands on you."
Mindy was absolutley speechless. Now she really did feel like she was trapped in a spy movie. A terrorist organization was after her. There was some kind of secret agent telling her he was going to protect her. It was like a bad dream.
There was a minute or two of silence. Max waited patiently for a reaction. And for the inevitable question to be asked. He wished she didn't have to be involved in any of this, but Dread had made her a part of this. Whether she knew it or not, and whether he liked it or not, she was in up to her eyeballs. Just because she was related to him. It wasn't fair.
"Max," she said quietly, looking up at him. "Why me? Why do they want me?"
There was that inevitable, impossible for him to honestly answer question. "I really can't say."
"You can't or you won't?"
"I'm not sure exactly what they want you for." That, at least, was the truth. He didn't know for sure what their plan was. "But it can't be anything good. Until we figure out what their plan is, you shouldn't go anywhere alone. If you have to go into town, make sure people know where you're going and how long you should be gone. And, this is important, you can't tell anyone what's going on. It could compromise the agency I work for."
"But, I can't not tell Josh," she protested. "We tell each other basically everything. I can't keep something like this from him. Besides, if I'm in danger, and I'm staying with him, isn't he in danger too?"
Max felt a stab of guilt at her words. She'd just been told a terrorist group was after her and she was worried about her cousin being in danger. But what really ate at him was her informing him that she and Josh told each other everything. That had been true once. Once again, Max Steel was complicating Josh McGrath's life.
"Well, I guess it would be okay to tell him. I know Josh can keep a secret, and you do have a point. But just him, no one else."
"Alright. You have my word. I won't tell anyone but Josh." She glanced at the stairs, an impatient look on her face. "What is keeping him anyway?" She stood and walked to the foot of the stairs. "Yo, Josh," she called, "whatever it is you're doing in that shower, will you hurry it up and get down here? We need to talk."
Max paled. He should have realized she'd want Josh to be a part of this conversation. He had to get out of here. Abruptly, he stood. "I have to go now."
"Now? But, didn't you want to see Josh? Maybe you can explain what's going on better than I could."
"Hermano, you still need an excuse for why Josh knew that Max was the guy who helped her out today," Berto reminded him.
"By the way," Max said, "I told Josh that you could be in some kind of danger. I asked him to keep a close watch on you. And I asked him not to tell you that he knew until I got a chance to talk to you. All he knows is that I helped you today. He doesn't know all the details I told you. You can fill him in on all that."
"Well, that explains why he wasn't too surprised when I told him I was almost kidnapped. It also explains how he knew the guy from the ice rink was the same guy who saved me today. I was wondering about that. Are you sure you don't want to stay and talk to him?"
"I would, but I have to report back to headquarters."
There was something off about his story. Mindy could feel it. At the same time, every instinct in her body told her that she should trust Max Steel. So she didn't question him. She *never* trusted anyone so easily. It didn't make much sense to trust someone you knew next to nothing about so much, no matter what they had done for you. But she did.
"You'll probably be seeing me again," he assured her. Then he left.
Mindy locked the ddor behind him. After that, she collapsed onto the sofa. This couldn't be happening. This kind of thing just didn't happen in the real world. She closed her eyes and leaned back, just praying that she would wake up and find out that today was just a dream.
Max srambled in through the bathroom window. As soon as he had his feet on the floor, he began to undress. He had to look like he'd been in the shower. Berto had switched off the link when Max was on his way up to the bathroom, neither boy being to keen on the idea of him seeing Josh in the shower. Max hit a button on his bio-link before stepping under the hot spray. In an instant, he was Josh again. He washed as fast as he could and turned the shower off. He quickly dried himself and pulled on the clothes he'd brought in the bathroom before he'd gone out the window and to the front door, knowing he wouldn't have too much time between appearances as both Max and Josh before Mindy got suspicious about what was taking him so long. As soon as he was done, he went downstairs.
Mindy was still sitting on the couch. She had already assured herself that this was no dream by pinching herself. She had begun to rethink her current plans for college. She could no longer put off telling Josh what she'd been avoiding telling him at least until she found a place of her own. She turned as she heard footsteps on the stairs. "Hi."
"Hi," he replied. "I thought I heard someone at the door a couple of minutes ago."
"Yeah. Yeah, you did. Max Steel dropped by."
"Max? Well, what did he want?"
She sighed heavily. "I think you'd better sit."
Josh sat and she explained as much as Max had told her to him. He did his best to act like he had no prior knowledge of anything she said. "Wow," he said when she finally finished. "I'd swear this had to be some kind of joke if I didn't know Max."
"So, this Max guy, he can be trusted right?"
He looked at her, surprised at the thought that she wasn't sure if she trusted Max. He'd saved her hide twice now. "Yeah, he can be trusted. Why, do you not believe him or something?"
"I don't know." Mindy stood and began pacing. "Well, I guess I do, it's just... My life has just been turned upside down for some reason I can't figure out. What am I supposed to think?"
He nodded. If he were in her shoes, he wouldn't be sure who to trust either.
"And on top of everything, the timing for this is just perfect," she added sarcastically.
"What about the timing?" he asked curiously.
She took a deep breath and sat so that she was facing him. "Josh, I didn't just come here to visit you." There was a pause as she saw his confused expression. "I'm moving to Del Oro." His eyes widened. "That's where I've been going everyday, I've been trying to find a place to live. I applied at Del Oro University and I got accepted. I applied for financial aid and I was given a grant. Not a big grant, but enough to pay most of my tuition for the year. If I do a good job this year, they'll consider giving me financial aid for as long as I attend. I start this fall. And I didn't tell you," she answered his question before it was asked, "because when I first applied, I wasn't sure I would be accepted. And after that, I knew you and Uncle Jeff would want to help me find a place and a job and everything. I wanted to do that on my own. So I didn't want to tell you until I had everything sorted out. I *could* live in the dorms, but I would get assigned a roommate that I don't know and I wouldn't have any privacy. If I can find a place before classes start, I can tell them to give the room to someone else."
"You should've told me before."
"I know. I kind of wanted it to be a surprise." She gave him a sheepish grin.
Josh couldn't help but smile back. Under normal circumstances, he would be thrilled that she was moving here. However, his life was made of anything but normal circumstances. Because of Max Steel, it would mean one more person he cared about would be there for his enemies to target.
Her smile faded and she looked down. "But now, with all these wierdos running around and..." She ran a hand over her face. "I don't know if it's such a great idea. It's too late to apply anywhere else and I already paid tuition for this semester. I really don't have a great choice now. I either move here, go to college, be with my favorite guy on the planet," she gestured towards him, "and have to worry about terrorists kiddnapping me, or I stay with my mom and miss college for a while, but not have to worry about this kind of thing."
She shook her head despairingly. "I just don't understand why all this is happening. I don't have anything they could possibly want."
He didn't know what to tell her. He loved the idea of being able to see her all the time. And if she really wanted to go to college here, that was her choice. What he didn't love was that if she did decide to go ahead with the move she would constantly be in danger. And he would have to keep lying to her so that she wouldn't find out about his job. She didn't seem to like the idea of changing her plans, and he didn't want her to be unhappy. Whatever she decided would have to be her decision. He wouldn't be able to advise her on this one.
"Well, I got some time to think about it. So," she said, changing moods faster than he could change into Max, "did you get anything to give to Laura when her plane get's in?"
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Boy, he dodged a bullet there. I'm sorry if the chapter stinks. I'm getting a case of writer's block. (What else is new?) If I'm getting boring, please let me know. Reviews help me think :o]
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When Josh got home, he immeadiatly went into the house to look for Mindy. It didn't take long to find her. She was sitting at the table. She was wearing a robe and her wet hair was hanging down her back. She was the picture of calmness, sitting there reading a magazine. However, she had an ice pack resting on her right hand. She must have hurt herself when she was fighting those guys off, he realized.
She looked up as he entered. "Hi."
"Hey. How was your day?" Of course, he already knew what had gone on, but he wanted to see how she explained it to him.
"How was my day?" She looked him staight in the eye. "Well, let's see. I was almost kidnapped by three goons in clown suits, who incidently happened to know who I am, only to be rescued by a guy who I'm beginning to think is some kind of guardian angel. Kind of like a Del Oro version of Batman. How was your day?" she asked smiling sweetly at him.
"Say that again." He acted totally bewildered by her story.
"Let me ask you something. What's the point of making me carry around this radio thing if you don't even keep yours on?"
"Huh?" He wasn't acting this time. He was really confused.
"I was half expecting *you* to come to my rescue. I had the thing on the whole time I was being attacked. You didn't even notice. If you'd had the damned thing on, you would've heard everything." Seeing the look on his face, she instantly felt bad for her choice of words and her tone. It had sounded like she was upset with him. "Josh, I'm sorry. That came out wrong. It's not like you could have done anything if you'd heard, but if I have to keep mine on and on me, I think you should do the same."
"I accidentally switched it off. I'm sorry. Are you alright?" He was all concern now.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured him. "I've just got a bruise. And my knuckles are a little sore."
A smile played on his lips. "Then I'm gonna asume you put up a pretty good fight."
"I guess. But who knows what would've happened if Max hadn't shown up. He probably saved my life."
Josh tried not to look proud. Not just what she said about Max, but at the fight she'd given those guys. He'd had to report back to N'Tek and checked on their condition. She hadn't just broken that guy's nose, she'd shattered it! The guy was going to need plastic surgery if he didn't want a crooked nose the rest of his life. And he seriously doubted the other guy would be reproducing anytime soon, even if he wasn't going to prison. The third guy, the one he'd stopped from hitting Mindy, was the only one she hadn't done a lot of damage to. But she *had* managed to give him a nasty cut on his ear. And the other two were pretty pissed off at him. Some of the things they'd been heard mumbling were, "'We won't need the helmets,' he said. 'She's just a little girl,' he said," and, "'How much trouble can she be? That's the last time I listen to your dumb ass!".
"You should've seen it Josh. He took out all three guys by himself. Then this black van shows up, a bunch of people get out and haul these guys away. It was like something out of the movies. And him, he's like a fighting machine or something."
"I noticed that, too."
"When?" she asked, more than a little confused.
"At the ice rink."
She gave him a strange look. "How did you know it was the same guy from the ice rink?"
He groaned inwardly. That is the *last* time I play along to give myself an ego boost, he vowed. Now he was going to have to try and explain how he knew. He couldn't think of anything that would sound right to her.
"I never said it was the same guy. How did you know?" she pressed.
"Uh, well..."
The phone rang. Saved by the bell, he thought. He picked up. "Hello?"
"I was watching. Thought you could use a hand, hermano."
Josh walked up to his room. "Bro, you are a lifesaver. Maybe you can come up with an excuse for why I knew that. And tell me how I could be dumb enough to make a mistake like that."
"Is there any chance she'll let the subject drop?"
"About as much of a chance as snow along the equator. This is Morgan we're talking about. She's not going to forget that."
"Well, then you're very screwed hermano. I have no idea how to explain it." They were both silent for a minute of so. "Wait a second, would she let it drop if she was pre-occupied or something?"
"For a while, yeah, but then she'd ask again."
"Well, then what if her new hero was to ask her to let it drop?"
"What are you talking about?"
Berto began to explain what he had in mind.
The sun had just gone down. Mindy waited for her cousin to come back downstairs. He still hadn't answered her question. A few minutes after he went up, she heard the shower going. Fine, she could wait. She went into her room and changed into a pair of old, worn-out jeans and a loose t- shirt. There was a knock at the door as she finished combing out her hair. Josh was still in the shower, so she went to answer it. She hadn't known who to expect, but it certainly wasn't who she found behind the door.
Max took in her shocked expression. He wasn't sure this would work, but it wasn't like he had a bunch of options. "Hello, Mindy," he said. She didn't answer, just gaped. "Can I come in?" He walked in as Mindy stood aside for him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. She was completely confused.
"I wanted to see if you were okay after what happened."
"How-how did you know where I'm staying?"
"Uh, I've been here before. I know your cousin." He said the first thing that came to his mind. "It's been a while since I've been here, though. But he told me all about you and I figured you'd be staying with him."
"Josh never mentioned knowing you."
Damn her memory! She had to notice every little thing wrong with his story. "Well, it was back in high school," he explained. "And the last time I saw him was at the Del Oro Extreme awhile back."
That was it! That was where she knew him from! He'd competed in the Del Oro Extreme Competition the same year Josh had. Josh had dropped out for some reason he didn't want to talk about. But Max had been one of the most incredible athletes she had ever seen. Had Josh stayed in, Max would've given him a run for his money, but no one was better than her cousin as far as she was concerned.
As for him knowing Josh without her knowledge, it was possible. After all, they'd had very little contact during the last few years. If Josh and Max didn't hang out together much anymore, he would probably see no reason to bring it up. She hadn't really told Josh much about people who used to be her friends that she didn't associate with anymore. Why would he tell her?
She nodded, indicating she accepted his explaination. Max relaxed a bit. So far, so good.
Mindy curled up on the couch while Max took a chair. "Did you contact the police about what happened earlier?" he inquired.
"What good would that do? I don't have any evidence. The cops would think I was either insane or on something."
He nodded. "Well, in case you were wondering, the three who attacked you are in a high security prison now."
"Who were they?"
This was what he wasn't looking forward to. He knew he would have to explain a few things, but he wasn't sure how much to tell her.
"You're going to have to tell her a few basics, hermano," advised Berto. He was monitering the conversation just in case Max needed some help. "But, don't go into details."
Max took a deep breath. "They are part of a..." There was no other way to say it. He and Berto both knew it. "A terrorist organization."
Mindy snapped her eyes to his face. A WHAT?! A look at his eyes told her that he wasn't lying. What in god's name would a terrorist organization want with her?
After giving her a moment to let what he'd just told her sink in, he continued. "I'm part of a top secret organization that protects people from terrorists. Now, I can't tell you anything about that, but you have to believe me when I say that I'm going to do everything I can to make sure they don't get their hands on you."
Mindy was absolutley speechless. Now she really did feel like she was trapped in a spy movie. A terrorist organization was after her. There was some kind of secret agent telling her he was going to protect her. It was like a bad dream.
There was a minute or two of silence. Max waited patiently for a reaction. And for the inevitable question to be asked. He wished she didn't have to be involved in any of this, but Dread had made her a part of this. Whether she knew it or not, and whether he liked it or not, she was in up to her eyeballs. Just because she was related to him. It wasn't fair.
"Max," she said quietly, looking up at him. "Why me? Why do they want me?"
There was that inevitable, impossible for him to honestly answer question. "I really can't say."
"You can't or you won't?"
"I'm not sure exactly what they want you for." That, at least, was the truth. He didn't know for sure what their plan was. "But it can't be anything good. Until we figure out what their plan is, you shouldn't go anywhere alone. If you have to go into town, make sure people know where you're going and how long you should be gone. And, this is important, you can't tell anyone what's going on. It could compromise the agency I work for."
"But, I can't not tell Josh," she protested. "We tell each other basically everything. I can't keep something like this from him. Besides, if I'm in danger, and I'm staying with him, isn't he in danger too?"
Max felt a stab of guilt at her words. She'd just been told a terrorist group was after her and she was worried about her cousin being in danger. But what really ate at him was her informing him that she and Josh told each other everything. That had been true once. Once again, Max Steel was complicating Josh McGrath's life.
"Well, I guess it would be okay to tell him. I know Josh can keep a secret, and you do have a point. But just him, no one else."
"Alright. You have my word. I won't tell anyone but Josh." She glanced at the stairs, an impatient look on her face. "What is keeping him anyway?" She stood and walked to the foot of the stairs. "Yo, Josh," she called, "whatever it is you're doing in that shower, will you hurry it up and get down here? We need to talk."
Max paled. He should have realized she'd want Josh to be a part of this conversation. He had to get out of here. Abruptly, he stood. "I have to go now."
"Now? But, didn't you want to see Josh? Maybe you can explain what's going on better than I could."
"Hermano, you still need an excuse for why Josh knew that Max was the guy who helped her out today," Berto reminded him.
"By the way," Max said, "I told Josh that you could be in some kind of danger. I asked him to keep a close watch on you. And I asked him not to tell you that he knew until I got a chance to talk to you. All he knows is that I helped you today. He doesn't know all the details I told you. You can fill him in on all that."
"Well, that explains why he wasn't too surprised when I told him I was almost kidnapped. It also explains how he knew the guy from the ice rink was the same guy who saved me today. I was wondering about that. Are you sure you don't want to stay and talk to him?"
"I would, but I have to report back to headquarters."
There was something off about his story. Mindy could feel it. At the same time, every instinct in her body told her that she should trust Max Steel. So she didn't question him. She *never* trusted anyone so easily. It didn't make much sense to trust someone you knew next to nothing about so much, no matter what they had done for you. But she did.
"You'll probably be seeing me again," he assured her. Then he left.
Mindy locked the ddor behind him. After that, she collapsed onto the sofa. This couldn't be happening. This kind of thing just didn't happen in the real world. She closed her eyes and leaned back, just praying that she would wake up and find out that today was just a dream.
Max srambled in through the bathroom window. As soon as he had his feet on the floor, he began to undress. He had to look like he'd been in the shower. Berto had switched off the link when Max was on his way up to the bathroom, neither boy being to keen on the idea of him seeing Josh in the shower. Max hit a button on his bio-link before stepping under the hot spray. In an instant, he was Josh again. He washed as fast as he could and turned the shower off. He quickly dried himself and pulled on the clothes he'd brought in the bathroom before he'd gone out the window and to the front door, knowing he wouldn't have too much time between appearances as both Max and Josh before Mindy got suspicious about what was taking him so long. As soon as he was done, he went downstairs.
Mindy was still sitting on the couch. She had already assured herself that this was no dream by pinching herself. She had begun to rethink her current plans for college. She could no longer put off telling Josh what she'd been avoiding telling him at least until she found a place of her own. She turned as she heard footsteps on the stairs. "Hi."
"Hi," he replied. "I thought I heard someone at the door a couple of minutes ago."
"Yeah. Yeah, you did. Max Steel dropped by."
"Max? Well, what did he want?"
She sighed heavily. "I think you'd better sit."
Josh sat and she explained as much as Max had told her to him. He did his best to act like he had no prior knowledge of anything she said. "Wow," he said when she finally finished. "I'd swear this had to be some kind of joke if I didn't know Max."
"So, this Max guy, he can be trusted right?"
He looked at her, surprised at the thought that she wasn't sure if she trusted Max. He'd saved her hide twice now. "Yeah, he can be trusted. Why, do you not believe him or something?"
"I don't know." Mindy stood and began pacing. "Well, I guess I do, it's just... My life has just been turned upside down for some reason I can't figure out. What am I supposed to think?"
He nodded. If he were in her shoes, he wouldn't be sure who to trust either.
"And on top of everything, the timing for this is just perfect," she added sarcastically.
"What about the timing?" he asked curiously.
She took a deep breath and sat so that she was facing him. "Josh, I didn't just come here to visit you." There was a pause as she saw his confused expression. "I'm moving to Del Oro." His eyes widened. "That's where I've been going everyday, I've been trying to find a place to live. I applied at Del Oro University and I got accepted. I applied for financial aid and I was given a grant. Not a big grant, but enough to pay most of my tuition for the year. If I do a good job this year, they'll consider giving me financial aid for as long as I attend. I start this fall. And I didn't tell you," she answered his question before it was asked, "because when I first applied, I wasn't sure I would be accepted. And after that, I knew you and Uncle Jeff would want to help me find a place and a job and everything. I wanted to do that on my own. So I didn't want to tell you until I had everything sorted out. I *could* live in the dorms, but I would get assigned a roommate that I don't know and I wouldn't have any privacy. If I can find a place before classes start, I can tell them to give the room to someone else."
"You should've told me before."
"I know. I kind of wanted it to be a surprise." She gave him a sheepish grin.
Josh couldn't help but smile back. Under normal circumstances, he would be thrilled that she was moving here. However, his life was made of anything but normal circumstances. Because of Max Steel, it would mean one more person he cared about would be there for his enemies to target.
Her smile faded and she looked down. "But now, with all these wierdos running around and..." She ran a hand over her face. "I don't know if it's such a great idea. It's too late to apply anywhere else and I already paid tuition for this semester. I really don't have a great choice now. I either move here, go to college, be with my favorite guy on the planet," she gestured towards him, "and have to worry about terrorists kiddnapping me, or I stay with my mom and miss college for a while, but not have to worry about this kind of thing."
She shook her head despairingly. "I just don't understand why all this is happening. I don't have anything they could possibly want."
He didn't know what to tell her. He loved the idea of being able to see her all the time. And if she really wanted to go to college here, that was her choice. What he didn't love was that if she did decide to go ahead with the move she would constantly be in danger. And he would have to keep lying to her so that she wouldn't find out about his job. She didn't seem to like the idea of changing her plans, and he didn't want her to be unhappy. Whatever she decided would have to be her decision. He wouldn't be able to advise her on this one.
"Well, I got some time to think about it. So," she said, changing moods faster than he could change into Max, "did you get anything to give to Laura when her plane get's in?"
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Boy, he dodged a bullet there. I'm sorry if the chapter stinks. I'm getting a case of writer's block. (What else is new?) If I'm getting boring, please let me know. Reviews help me think :o]