Sins 31
"Great, we did a lot of stuff together" said Caleb "like what?' asked Max "he took me fishing once, and he's the one who taught me to swim" said Caleb. His voice had gone soft, filled with longing and memories. Ones that were all he had left of his dad. "He used to go out of his way to spend time with me." Said Caleb. Max just sat there listening to him talk. She could almost picture father and son out on a lake somewhere. Both wearing identical ugly hats while the elder of the two taught a little raven-haired boy how to bait a hook.
"That's cool wish I had been around to see it," said Max. "He would have loved you so much, and he would have spoiled you rotten" said Caleb. Max giggled "yeah but at least he would have spent time with me" said Max. "You miss that don't you?" said Caleb.
"Can't miss what you never had" said Max. "You should have" said Caleb. "We all should have had dads like that," said Max
Caleb looked at his lap and took a sip of the soda in his hand. "Do you resent me?" said Caleb. "No, envy maybe but not resent, I just wish I would have had time to make those kinds of memories with him" said Max. She sounded sad and Caleb reached out his hand and touched her shoulder. "Hey I knew he loved you and I bet you didn't know he had pictures," said Caleb.
She sniffled and looked up at him "he did?" said Max "yeah and more than what you sent him, Gorman showed me" said Caleb "why did Gorman show you pictures of me?" said Max.
"Cause I asked what he knew of you" said Caleb "what did he say?" said Max. "Well at first he was reluctant to share something that he thought was between you and dad" said Caleb. Max was leaning forward intent on what he was saying. "And?" she said, "He finally relented when I told him I had the right to know about my sister," said Caleb "and? Your still not answering me" said Max. Caleb grinned at her and she answered it with a frown
"He had an entire box of pictures and awards, things you wrote, all kinds of stuff," said Caleb. "Where did he get all of it?" said Max "and there better not be any of them with me nude" said Max. Caleb grinned at her and she smacked his arm. He started laughing until she hit him harder "ok, enough ouch, no your clothed in all of them" said Caleb
"So where did he get them all?" said Max. "Apparently he was buying copies of your school pictures even when your mother wouldn't" said Caleb "well that explains some of them but a box worth?" said Max "he also had some of you at recitals and stuff" said Caleb.
"How the heck did he get those?" said Max "apparently he hired someone to do so" said Caleb. "Gorman?" said Max. "No he was needed here, could have been another covenant member though" said Caleb. "I thought the old covenant members were dead?' said Max. "No only two are now, our dad and Tyler's " said Caleb "what about Pogue and Reid's?" said Max "Well Pogue's dad never used that much, and he still looks fairly young" said Caleb
"And so why isn't he around?" said Max "come to think of it now that you mention it, he was into Photography, he even married a model" said Caleb. "So he could have taken the pictures" said Max "yeah and he probably did, he was taking a lot of business trips" said Caleb.
"What about Reid's dad?" said Max "Reid's dad is a bit of a workaholic, and Reid hardly sees him" said Caleb "what's he do?" said Max "oh he's some high powered attorney" said Caleb "matter in fact he drew up dad's will" said Caleb. Max chuckled "so he knows about me too" said Max
"Oh I think they all knew, the only one in the dark was my mom" said Caleb "what did Tyler's dad die of, if you don't mind me asking?" said Max Caleb shrugged "they say it was a heart attack but personally I think it was a broken heart" said Caleb "why do you say that?" said Max
"Because it was no secret she was sleeping around on him" said Caleb "how sad" said Max "how's Tyler dealing with it?" said Max "he's been quieter than usual and won't talk to his mom when she calls" said Caleb "I don't blame him" said Max
"But he's changed since you got here, he's come out of his shell more" said Caleb "really?" said Max "yeah that concert really helped him" said Caleb "hey that was Reid's idea, I just went" said Max. "Yeah well I suppose Reid does have his moments," said Caleb "you don't like him all that much do you?" said Max
"I do don't get me wrong, its just sometimes he gets on my nerves" said Caleb. "It's just his way of telling you to lighten up bro, and sometimes you do take yourself just a little too seriously" said Max
"Yeah I know but I'm trying not too, Sarah said that too" said Caleb.
"Its all right you just have a lot on your shoulders, its cool, just don't let it crush you, flat brothers are no fun" said Max. Caleb looked at her funny and noticed she was grinning at him goofily and started laughing "flat brothers I get it very funny" said Caleb.
"At the risk of getting you all serious again, can I ask you something?" said Max. He looked at the expression on her face and instantly sobered "yes go ahead" said Caleb "What really happened to dad?" said Max. Caleb ran his hand down his face and sighed.
"I was fighting a boy named Chase, who wanted my power and was going to kill me to get it" said Caleb "he would have killed us all if dad hadn't willed his power to me" said Caleb "and once you will it away you die?" said Max "yeah so don't even joke about it, ok" said Caleb "got you, but why did he do it?" said Max "probably because mom asked him too, he was old Max very old and he wasn't going to have much time left anyways" said Caleb "but you wish he hadn't" said Max
"I do and I don't" said Caleb "I do because it helped me to defeat Chase, I don't because it's twice the temptation" said Caleb "yeah but if what that prophecy says is true then will it really matter if you use" said Max. "True we won't have the side effects but the power itself is addicting, you have to understand that" said Caleb
"Oh I do, I know it is, that's why it scares me" said Max "it shouldn't scare you" said Caleb "it does, mostly because I'm afraid I might hurt someone" said Max "with some training you should be able to prevent that" said Caleb "yeah well I haven't had any of that" said Max "we'll make sure you do and soon" said Caleb
"Can I ask you something?' said Caleb "yeah of course" said Max "why do you think you would hurt people" said Caleb Max shrugged, "because I have a temper I guess" said Max "we all do" said Caleb. "I know but mines really bad" said Max "we'll help you gain control of it" said Caleb "well then you have your work cut out for you," said Max.
"Ah who knows it might be fun," said Caleb. "Besides I have a bad temper too, guess its something of a family trait" said Caleb. Max looked at him like he was crazy.
"Well we should get back now, the other's will be wondering what's taking so long" said Caleb "yeah we should go before they think you drowned me" said Max "hey I would never do that" said Caleb. Max laughed at him "really not even if I do this?" said Max. She stole his shades off the table and put them on. Before she ran for the door laughing at him. Caleb gave chase and caught her in the lobby. He started tickling her unmercifully when his glasses vanished from her grip.
"All right where are they give them back" he said between laughs as he searched for them on her person. He finally found them and held them up in triumph. Max was on her back on the floor with Caleb straddling her waist. She was still wearing a bikini top and bottoms.
Some one cleared her throat behind them and Caleb turned, the laughter frozen on his lips."Ah hi Mrs. Sims, didn't know you were in town" said Caleb "yes well I am, who are you?" said the woman. "Ah Max, Max Rhyde" said Max extending her hand to the woman. The woman regarded her out stretched hand with distain. She looked Max up and down with a look that was plainly meant to put her down "yes how nice to meet you" she drawled.
Then she turned towards Caleb "Mr. Danvers if you are through using our pool and wrestling your girlfriend on our floor, you may leave now" said Mrs. Sims "yes of course Mrs. Sims, just give us time to grab our clothes and we'll be gone" said Caleb. Max took that as her cue and made a beeline for the library and scooped her clothes up off the floor. Caleb. Headed down the hall as soon as Mrs. Sims told him to make it quick. Caleb just scooped up his clothes and headed for the door. Max was close behind him.