It's been awhile.
"Hi, Max."
I looked up. "Hey!" Corliss smiled a little half-smile.
"What's up?" She let her bag slide off her arm, and it made a thunking noise as it hit the floor, echoing throughout the library.
"Not my grades," I muttered. "I just found out from Sam that we have a Spanish test tomorrow, and…well, I just found out about it, so you get the picture." Cory groaned as she slid into a wooden chair opposite me. The library was nearly empty, and her voice sounded extra loud. It was 6:16 pm and I was nowhere near being done with my homework. Monday seemed to be the workload free-for-all for my teachers. I was waiting for Ella, who was talking to the cheer coach about tryouts. "Have you seen Ella?"
"Yeah, I just ran into her. She's talking to the coach." What could they possibly have left to talk about? I wondered. Were they going over the entire history of cheer, or something? I thunked my head down on the table.
"Long wait, huh?"
"You can say that again," I said into my arm. I raised my head, remembering something. "Hey, how's your sister? Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she's fine," Corliss said, flipping through my history textbook. "She's got a hard head." I noticed she was avoiding my eyes.
"Is she coming back to school soon?" I asked. "I mean, if you don't mind me asking." Maeve hadn't been in Algebra today.
"Tomorrow, I think. She's actually fine right now, but our mom's kind of a freak with these things. She made Mave have a brain scan and everything."
"Wow." I thought about my own mom. She could get pretty worried, but if Ella or I could walk straight after a blow to the head, she probably wouldn't sweat it that much. "So, what are you doing here?"
"I'm waiting for soccer practice to be over," she said, rolling her eyes. Then she seemed to remember that I played soccer and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oop! Sorry, Max," she giggled. "It's just that waiting is pretty boring." But I was focused on something else.
"Soccer practice?"
"Well, It's more like conditioning. I think. The season hasn't started yet, not even close. Mave's just watching today, because her coach is crazy and makes everyone come no matter what." I couldn't really focus on what Corliss was saying, because I had just been shaken by a tremor of fear. Had I missed tryouts?
"Don't worry, you haven't missed tryouts."
And there was Maeve, standing in the ornate wooden arch that led out from the library to the hall. She had answered my unasked question without hesitation…how? She looked pretty glum, nodding a hello to her sister. I guessed I would too, though, if I had been restricted from playing.
"My…coach heard you played. I don't know how. He wants you to come down and watch the rest of practice."
"Right now?" I asked stupidly. Maeve sighed impatiently.
"Yeah."
I stood up. "Um, It's just…I have to wait for my sister…" I turned to Corliss, about to ask if she would wait for Ell and tell her where I was.
"You got it," she said cheerfully, giving me a thumbs-up before the words could leave my mouth. "I have some homework to get done anyways."
I nodded slowly. "Okay…thanks." These guys were…odd.
"No problem." Corliss cracked open my history textbook. "I'm using your textbook, though. You can leave your stuff here."
I nodded again, and trotted after Maeve, who was already halfway out the door. Soon we were striding down the empty 2nd floor hall.
Until we weren't.
Maeve doubled over, clutching at her head and sinking to the ground.
"Oh, my God!" I said, panicked. I knelt quickly to the ground next to her. And it was over as soon as it had started.
"Ugghhh…" Maeve slowly got to her feet, using the wall as support. I grabbed her forearms and helped to gently haul her up.
"Are you okay?"
She didn't answer.
"…Maeve?"
She turned to look at me, and her dark eyes met mine. "We need to get to the practice field." She whispered.
"What?"
"Now." And she took off. I sped after her. This was not a good idea. I needed to catch her, make sure she was actually okay. But she was quick. I only caught up to her when she had reached the bottom of the 1st floor staircase, and grabbed her shoulder. She spun around.
"Listen," I started, panting lightly. "I know you're in a hurry, but I really need to make sure you're o—"
"That's not what this is about!" She snapped. "You don't get it!"
"No, I don't." I replied calmly. "But what I do understand is that you need to take two minutes out of your extremely busy schedule, and let me help you. It'll just take a minute. Please. My mom's a doctor, I know what to do."
"Yeah, well, so's mine! And I don't care if your mom's the freaking president! I need to get down there!" She raced down the few remaining steps and out the double doors that led to the courtyards. I followed her, weaving around freshly varnished picnic tables until we reached the steps that led down to the practice field. Maeve sped onto the field. I was just a few steps behind when she stopped and looked around. She seemed…confused.
"Maven! Are you serious right now? You're not supposed to be running!" The coach was jogging towards us, managing to look anxious and angry at the same time.
"Where's Fiona?" Maeve asked, looking around frantically.
"Fiona? She's sitting out for a bit. Nasty fall. She'll be fine. Just a bad bump on the leg." Maeve finally located her teammate sitting on a bench across the field. She was wincing a little from the pain, but otherwise looked perfectly fine to me. Fiona waved. Maeve turned back to her coach.
"But I thought…"
"You thought you could try and convince me you were fine by running down here. I'll have you know, Eberhardt, I won't be swayed." The coach waved a hand towards the bench Fiona was sitting on. "Now go sit."
Maeve looked like me in Algebra class, confused as hell and willing to just do what she was told, since she wasn't getting anywhere anyway. She sat, frowning deeply. Even her freckles frowned. The coach looked at me for the first time. "You must be Maximum!"
"Just Max," I told him, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you."
"And you!" he said enthusiastically. "You're going to try out, I hope?"
"Oh, definitely." I assured him.
"Good, good. I've heard good things about you, Miss Max. Will you be able to show up after school Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for conditioning? We go from 3:30 till—" He checked his watch and raised his eyebrows. "—Now." He blew his whistle out across the wide practice field, where a dozen or so girls were engaged in some intricate passing drill. "Everybody in! Time's up!" To my surprise (and pleasure) the girls, though their faces were tomato-red from exertion, didn't jog in to meet their coach. They sprinted, as hard and fast as they could. Maeve and Fiona were walking slowly over to join us.
"Good practice. Nice job out there, Maggie. You too, Sage." He nodded to a brunette with a white brace wrapped around her knee and a tall redhead with neon green cleats that clashed magnificently with her hair. A few of the girls had noticed my presence and smiled at me. Sage grinned and wiped sweat from her brow. "Remember, no practice Wednesday. They're doing construction around the field." The coach looked at me. "Forgot to tell you that, newbie. You got it?"
"Got it, coach," I replied, to the light snickering of a few of the girls that were silenced by the coach with his next comment:
"I like your attitude, Maximum. Okay, girls, let's break and hit the showers."
The girls stuck their hands in, grabbing the forearm of the person whose arm was to the right of theirs, until it was a web of arms. I stuck my arm in for good measure, and was weaved into the web. I felt a rush of something just then, and I still can't tell you what it was, not exactly. It was a feeling I could imagine getting if I were ever able to fly.
"TEMPEST ON THREE!" One girl yelled, startling me out of my thoughts. She was one of the tallest of the gathering, and the arm she held was enclosed in a pair of black goalie gloves. "ONE! TWO! THREE!"
"TEMPEST!" The girls and I chorused. And for the first time since moving to L.A. I felt at home.
Finally! I was starting to wonder if I'd ever write another chapter again! Yay. I am sorry, though. I've just had a ton going on.
This chapter isn't super important, per se, but it's here. It's filler, I suppose. Yes, let's just go with that. :)
In other news, I've been thinking about doing another story alongside this one (they have nothing to do with each other; I just like to multitask) that brings the worlds of MR and Jane Austen together. Sounds bizarre, no? Yes. Yes it does. But listen.
Pride and Pejudice. Maximum Ride.
RIDE AND PREJUDICE! MAXIMUM PRIDE!
Anyway, just wanted to know what you guys think of this. I think only one story that's sorta like this is out right now, but I want to put my own spin on it. I have all the characters planned out and it's crazy; it's like these worlds were made for each other. Except they weren't. Not even close. Are any of you interested? Let me know!
And I'm totally still doing this story. The new one will just be on the side. RIDE AND PREJUDICE FOR THE WIN! (Also, please please please don't copy the name. I've been trying to make this project work so I really don't want to have the idea stolen straightaway.)
Thanks for reading, and for any time you may take to review! Much loveee 3
YOUR FEEDBACK IS MY FUEL,
Maro