Max had climbed out of bed and got dressed the first time Kendra's alarm clock sounded. By the time she had padded into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee, it had sounded off five more times. By the seventh time, Max had heard a sigh and the sounds of Kendra getting out of bed. She poured two cups of coffee and held hers under her nose for a moment. It was certainly better than any coffee she'd experienced while in Canada's snowy outback.
"Morning," Kendra greeted as she walked into the room. Her voice was husky from sleep.
"Good morning," Max greeted, glad for the company.
"For me?" Kendra asked as she eyed the coffee cup.
"I don't see anyone else around here, do you?"
Kendra shrugged then took a generous gulp. "I thought you might've invited Cindy over… or maybe Logan."
Max took a drink of coffee to put off replying. Was she ready to see Logan? What would she even say?
"Nah, I figured I'd see OC when I go to work today and beg Normal to give me my job back," she replied, ignoring the subject of Logan entirely.
"Yeah, he fired your ass the first day you didn't show up," Kendra said with a chuckle.
"What are you up to today?" Max asked.
She was reminded of an espionage exercise from Manticore - controlling the conversation. If you asked enough questions at the right times, you could steer the conversation your way and thus control it. She needed to control the conversation with Kendra. She didn't want to think of Logan just yet - and that's where she knew Kendra would go.
Kendra shrugged and replied, "I'm doing some translating at a convention later tonight, but other than that my day's open. I might go see my mother."
"She still make those cheesecakes?" Max asked and licked her lips. When Kendra brought home a cheesecake from her mother, Max was always in a better mood.
"Yeah," Kendra told her, "but it's getting harder for her to find the ingredients."
"Maybe I can help her with that," Max said, a familiar mischievous twinkle in her eye. "So, any news on the dating front?"
"Mr. Multiples and I are doing it fine," Kendra replied with a devilish grin.
"Doing fine, you mean."
Kendra's grin widened. "I know what I said."
"While I'd love to hear all about your sexual exploits, Kendra," Max replied with a shake of her head, "I gotta bounce."
"Good luck," Kendra said and sipped on her coffee.
Max quickly grabbed her messenger bag and backpack from her room, then grabbed her bicycle and left the apartment. She rode the elevator to the ground floor, then hopped on her bike and pedaled away.
The ride to Jam Pony was short and uneventful. She stopped on the corner and looked at the building. When she saw a crowd of riders milling around the entrance, some of them popping wheelies and doing other tricks, she smiled brightly. She rode past them and into the building. She coasted down the ramp inside, ignoring Normal's "no bikes inside" policy and loving it.
She came to a stop in the middle of the room and called out, "Who's a girl gotta see about a job around here?"
Sketchy was the first to respond. He called out her name then went over to her and pulled her into a bear hug.
"Okay, Sketch, okay," she said and lightly patted him on the back.
"You're back," he said, grinning just as goofy as she remembered.
"That I am," she replied with a nod.
Herbal was the next to approach her. He gave her a hug and said simply, "Jah works everything out."
"Damn, you got quite the following, boo."
Max turned in the direction of the voice and smiled at her best friend. She felt another piece of her heart plant itself firmly in her chest. She couldn't think of what to say. She wanted to tell Original Cindy that she thought about her constantly in Canada. She wanted to admit how many times she wished she had her best friend to turn to and get the straight up truth. But she couldn't say any of it. Instead, she pulled Original Cindy in for a hug and whispered, "I missed you."
"Original Cindy missed you too," Cindy replied just as quietly. When they pulled apart, OC looked Max up and down. "You need to eat something. What, they don't got any decent food in Georgia?"
"Georgia, right," Max replied quietly with a nod. She knew she couldn't admit how much those words made her want to cry. "I was eating hospital food for two months."
"Well, good thing you're back now," OC said. "We can get some decent food in you, and maybe some beer. You up for Crash tonight?"
"I'm always up for Crash," Max replied and smiled.
"Original Cindy feels like a broken record, but… I'm glad you're home, boo."
Max smiled at her friend's words.
"I hate to break up this touching reunion," Normal's voice broke out, "but I don't pay you people because I enjoy your company! Bip, bip, bip!"
The small, assembled crowd gave a collective groan but went about their work.
Normal turned to Max and said, "And what do you think you're doing here, Missy-miss? You're about two months late for work and a lifetime short of opportunities."
"Normal, look, I was with my sick mother," Max lied.
"Yeah, I heard the excuses from your fellow hoodlums," he said.
"Can I have my job back?" she asked sweetly.
He rolled his eyes at her sugary tone. "Listen here, girly, you better give me 110 or you're out, you're gone, you're on the highway. Got me?"
"Gotcha," she replied with an obviously fake sweet smile.
"Get a package and get out of my sight," he grumbled and went back behind his desk.
She went in the back and opened her old locker. It was just as she had left it. She rummaged through the few belongings she kept in there and pulled out her bottle of tryptophan to check how she was on pills. There were only a few left - she'd have to make a pit-stop on her first run. She felt someone behind her and put the pills back in their place then shut the locker.
"Sorry ya got your job back," Original Cindy said. It wasn't a question but a condolence.
"It's not exactly my dream job, but it puts food on the table," Max replied with a shrug.
Original Cindy leaned against a row of lockers and crossed her arms. "I thought Logan put food on the table."
Max inwardly berated herself. Of course Cindy would be the one to just go in for the kill. She played it calm, cool. "I helped sometimes."
"Are you going to see him?"
Her mouth was suddenly dry. Why was it dry? She needed a drink. She kept up her act of playing it cool. She shrugged. "I was thinking about it."
"Thought so," OC replied quietly. She stared at the ground for a few moments before looking up at her best friend. "Max, I - I think there's something you should know - about Logan."
Max felt what little pieces of her heart she had regained drop to the floor. "Wh - What? He's not hurt, is he?"
"No, nothing like that," OC continued. "It's just… well, the last couple times he came to see me or Kendra at Crash… he… he wasn't alone."
Yeah, she definitely needed a drink. Her mouth was very dry.
"Wasn't… alone?"
Original Cindy nodded. "He was with a woman. Blonde, pretty. I half hoped she was playing for my team, but that's not the feeling I got. I don't know how serious it is, or maybe was, I don't know, but… sorry, boo."
"No, it's cool," she brushed it off, though her heart met with the floor and shattered. "We weren't even like that."
"Yeah," Cindy said quietly. "I think I better get to work."
"Okay," Max replied with a nod.
After Cindy had walked off, Max took a seat on the bench. Thoughts began assaulting her. She tried telling herself that she and Logan really weren't like that, and it didn't matter if he'd found someone else - someone blonde. She leaned down and rested her head on the bench. What had she expected? Logan thought she was gone for good - forever - why shouldn't he move on? Had he really moved on?
There was only one way to find out.
A/N: Okay, well, I am leaving for the UK on Saturday (tomorrow) and will not be able to update until I return on the 21st. I'll try to post another chapter tomorrow but I can't make any promises. I'll be very busy. As soon as I get back I will update, I promise!