Disclaimer: Read previous chapters'
Thank you all for reviewing! And many thanks to ML fan for being my beta. You guys rock!
--------------------------
A/N: Italics are the thoughts of the characters.
-------------------------
Chapter 4 – A New Tomorrow
Max and Logan's hands remained entwined with one another as they continued to gaze into each other's eyes.
Alec, breaking their staring trance, appeared from the crowd. "Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?" He quipped as he gazed knowingly from Max to Logan then Logan to Max. The sexual tension between the two of them was more than evident.
Max and Logan both turned their attention to him. "Alec." They said in unison.
Almost abruptly, they let go of each other's hand. Logan stepped back. Max simply stared at Alec.
He strolled up to her. "What happened to your chin?" Alec said as he pointed at the tiny bruise on her sister's chin.
She frowned. "Nothing. Chill out, Alec."
Is Max his girlfriend? Nah. Can't be... I hope. "My fault. I accidentally bumped into her." Logan interrupted, as Alec was just about to make another one of his wisecracks.
Alec stepped right in front of Max, blocking her view. "Logan! What's up, buddy?" He did a special handshake with Logan, leaving a bewildered Max gazing openly at her brother's bare back. You've gotta be kidding me.
Logan half-hugged Alec. "Glad to see you here, man." Logan said as he slapped his friend on the back. Max, staring from behind, was shocked at Logan's easiness with her brother. In fact, Logan's easiness with Alec was making her slightly uncomfortable.
Alec pulled back. "So how'd you like this place?" He asked nonchalantly as he examined the noisy dance floor around them.
Logan looked around him to see couples making out, crazy teenagers dancing wildly to the music and drunken boys trying to score themselves a date for the night. "It's cool." He replied just the same.
Max, still hidden behind Alec, was quite amused at the exchange between the two boys.
"So, where are Bling and everyone?"
Logan laughed. "They're here...checking out all the ladies." His friends were teenage boys after all.
Alec smirked knowingly. "So, Logan, where's this new girlfriend of yours?" He raised his brow in curiosity. Logan's girlfriend, apparently, was the talk of the town. She was rich and incredibly attractive, as Alec was told.
Logan's thoughts went back to when he had left a fuming Asha alone on the dance floor. "Ah...um...she's..."
Max cleared her throat and coughed at the mention of Logan's girlfriend.
Alec turned his head around to look at Max, who had her hands folded across her chest, gazing angrily back at him. "Oh, Max. Sorry. I forgot all about you." Max raised an eyebrow.
Alec got the hint. "Ahem, Max.... this is Logan, who I think you've met already." He stood beside Logan, who was a few inches taller than him, and put his elbow on his friend's shoulders.
His hand motioned towards Max. "Logan, this is my sister, Max."
Max and Logan stared at each other apprehensively.
--------
Asha sat alone on the table Logan had saved for their group and absentmindedly sipped her lemonade. She had turned down multiple guys as they had tried to score a date with her as she was walking to her table. Deep thoughts ran through her mind as she pondered about her newly found relationship with Logan. Am I not good enough for Logan? I've always been there for him. I tried whatever I could to please him. Hell, we've been together for more than four months now but sometimes, I just don't feel like he likes me as much as I like him. God, what the hell am I doing wrong?
Bling and Sebastian, laughing uncontrollably, with beers in their hands, approached the table.
"Man, you should've seen that girl!"
Sebastian let out a snort. "She was all over you!"
Bling, still laughing, sat down at the table with a snickering Sebastian. Bling's attention slowly became fixated on a distressed-looking Asha. "Something wrong, Asha?" Sebastian's snickering turned into a frown.
Asha glanced over at Bling and then Sebastian. "Nothing." She said as she came back to reality.
Asha grabbed Bling's beer bottle from the table and gulped down the liquid. "It's about Logan, isn't it? There's trouble in paradise?" Bling asked a matter-of-factly.
She slammed down the empty beer bottle on the table at the mention of his name. "Where'd you get that from?" Asha snapped.
"Isn't it always about him?"
"Where is he anyway?" Sebastian interrupted.
Asha really didn't know what to say. She was frustrated yet confused. "He left."
"What do you mean, 'he left'?" Bling asked confusingly.
Asha's mind went back to when Logan had shook off her hand and ignored her pleas to come back to her. "He saw something, or someone and left." Asha said simply.
"That's Logan, always a mystery." Bling retorted.
"Well, he's still here, right?"
"Probably." Asha shrugged.
Sebastian grabbed Asha's hand and pulled her out of her chair.
Asha grabbed Sebastian's hand. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Finding him."
----------
Logan looked confusingly from Max to Alec then Alec to Max. Max gave Alec a look of warning - to be prepared.
After observing both Max and Alec carefully, Logan realized that they really had no physical resemblance to each other whatsoever. "You two are related?"
Alec was well prepared for the question. "We're steps." Alec said quickly, as he would do anytime anyone would bring up that subject.
Thank God. Logan nodded his head. "Oh."
"So, Max, found who you were looking for?" Alec asked swiftly in order to change the subject.
Logan glanced down at Max and raised an eyebrow. She was looking for someone, too?
"You were all worked up looking for this person. Who's the lucky guy? " Alec said with amusement as he winked at Max.
Max's mind was frantically searching for some sarcastic reply. Think, Max. Think! That you've found the person and it's Logan? That you lost sight of the person?
After coming up with nothing, Max lamely said, "It really is none of your business, Alec."
Alec merely shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Fine, Ms. Attitude."
Logan ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair as he saw Asha approaching them followed by Bling and Sebastian. He hated confrontations, especially when it dealt with girls.
Logan abruptly turned his back to them. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
As they followed Logan close behind, Alec and Max began bickering again.
Alec nudged Max on the ribs. "So are you gonna tell me who that guy was?"
"How do you know it wasn't a girl?" Max quipped.
"C'mon, Maxie. It's gotta be a guy.... unless you're a lesbian?"
"Oh, shut up."
Max ran ahead to catch up with Logan.
"Spoilsport."
"Alec, baby. Where were you? I was looking all over for you. " The girl said seductively as she leaned her chest onto him.
"Egh." Alec's shorts instantly became a little tighter than usual.
"Max, Logan! I'll see you guys later." Alec wrapped his arm around the blonde's waist and hurried off with the girl.
Logan smirked as he watched Alec scurry away with the blonde bimbo. "Gross!" Max said disapprovingly.
"Come on, Max. Your brother is a growing boy." Logan smirked again.
Max lightly punched Logan on the shoulder. "Logan! Not you, too!"
"It's just a phase. Ever heard of testosterone?" Logan punched Max back.
"Well, apparently, my brother has too much of it." Max said with a look of disgust.
Logan laughed at Max's sarcasm. "Is he always like that?"
"Hell yeah. Ever since he first stepped foot in this world."
Max's flashback went back to when twelve of her brothers and sisters, including Alec, had escaped Manticore eight years ago. Alec was ten then and she was only nine years old. A kind couple, whom had known about the horrific things they did to children in Manticore, found her and Alec on a deserted road after they had escaped and set them up with new identities. Mr. and Mrs. Guevara were generous enough to adopt them both and treat them as if they were their own children. Now, eight years had gone by as she and Alec continues to struggle to live a life in secret in a post-pulse world. Even though Alec was a pain in the ass at times, it beats not having a sibling at all. That, Max was thankful of.
Logan waved his hand over Max's dazed eyes. "Max! Earth to Max. You okay?"
Max quickly came back to reality. "Oh, hey." She smiled at the sight of Logan, who was looking as handsome as ever standing right in front of her.
"You scared me there. You were in your own little world right then." Logan continued walking.
"Yeah."
"Care to share?" Logan asked kindly.
"Nah. Maybe some other time." Max shook her head, smiling thoughtfully at him.
Yeah, some other time. "Okay. Whatever."
Logan stopped walking and stood in front of Max. "Wanna see something really beautiful?" he smiled widely at her, sending a shiver down Max's spine.
Why do you affect me that much? And I'm not even in heat! "Okay." She smiled back, this time sending a shiver down Logan.
Logan grabbed Max's hand. "Follow me."
Max stared down at their attached hands and grinned. This is gonna be a LONG night. She mentally sighed to herself.
In silence, Logan led Max to the shore. When they were there, Logan stood behind her and wrapped his hands around her eyes.
Max tried to peal his hands away. "What are you doing?!" she asked Logan confusingly.
"Calm down." Max sighed with defeat and let her hands fall down to her sides.
"Close your eyes. And don't peak!"
"I won't!" Logan smiled and took his hands off of Max.
Max was disappointed at the lost of his touch. "What exactly are you trying to do, Logan? It better be good. I don't just close my eyes for everyone, y'know."
Logan looked at his watch. "Well, don't I feel special?"
"You should!"
"I'll keep a note of that."
Max smiled. "Can I open my eyes now?"
"Not yet!"
"C'mon! I'm not exactly the most patient person on this planet." Max whined.
"It's obvious." Logan said, enjoying their banter.
"Hey!"
"Alright, Ms. Impatient. You can open your eyes now." Logan said as he sat down to enjoy the view.
"Finally." Max opened her eyes to the colorful arrays of the sunset.
The sunset illuminated the ocean with a splash of red and orange. The water was pure blue and green as the sun's rays outlined its amazing colors creating a silhouette from where Max was standing. The waves were calm as the sun settled into a new tomorrow. The bright sun dominated the dark sky as it settled gradually. Mother nature was at its best.
"Wow."
Logan pulled out a hand to motion Max to sit down next to him on the sand. "What'd you think? It's worth the wait, isn't it?" he grinned at Max, who was still amazed by the beautiful sight.
"Watching a sunset like this makes you forget all about the broken world we live in." He marvelled.
Max sat down next to Logan. "It's beautiful."
"...Like you." Logan blabbed out. Damn it, Logan. Why did you have to say that? Well, it's true, isn't it?
Max blushed and shyly glanced over at Logan's profile, whose eyes were trying to stay focused on the sunset instead of the beautiful girl sitting next to him. "Thanks."
Max and Logan watched the sunset in companionable silence for a few long minutes until the sun was completely out of sight. Logan wanted nothing more than to wrap his arm around Max. Max, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to scoot closer to Logan. They didn't know what to make of their newly found relationship. It was all too surreal for them.
Max reluctantly stood up first and adjusted her sarong.
"Thank you for bringing me here." Max held her hand up for him to shake.
"No problem." Logan stood up and shook her hand awkwardly.
Logan ran a hand through his hair, a sign that he was nervous. "Race you back?"
Max simply smiled and shook her head, knowing that it might expose her transgenic abilities and that Logan can never outrun her, even if he was a Varsity runner for his school's track team.
"C'mon, I won't bite." He punched her lightly on the shoulder.
"You sure about this? I hate to see grown men cry." Max bit her lip and positioned herself for the race.
"You're on, Max. You're going down!" Logan said mockingly.
Logan positioned himself next to Max. "Ready. Set."
"Go!" And they were off.
Not bad. Logan was merely a couple of feet behind her as Max ran towards the dance floor/ party area.
Logan, using all the training he underwent during his four years on the track and field team, sprinted towards Max, who was having no trouble at all outrunning him. Damn, she's good.
Max won the race and stopped, without needing to catch her breath. This is nothing compared to the drills we did back in good 'ol Manticore. Max smiled to herself and turned around to look at Logan.
Max took pity on him as he ran towards her with sweat beaming down from his dirty-blonde spiky hair to his face and then down to his white sleeveless T-shirt. Max mentally berated herself for enjoying the view.
A few minutes later, Logan reached her. He crouched down and used both of his hands to grab her waist to steady himself. "Damn. Why didn't you tell me you were this good? We could use someone like you on our track team!" Logan said, panting like a dog, trying to catch his breath.
Max giggled and grabbed both of his hands. "Didn't I just tell you, 'I hate to see grown men cry?'" Logan smiled and was opening his mouth to compliment her again when he heard a high-pitched voice scream his name.
"Logan Cale!"
Oh no. Logan hid behind Max as Max came face-to-face with a very angry blonde.
-------
A/N: Dun Dun Dun. What do you guys think of the story so far? I'm curious. I need some feedback!
- Jade