Sins 32
They ran to the car when they realized just how cold it was out side. Max was shivering when Caleb finally got the door open. She climbed inside and closed the door quickly."Oh geez, that was close," said Max. Caleb climbed in at the same time and both doors slammed shut."Yeah no kidding" said Caleb "it's freezing outside" said Max "well what do you expect it's the fall," said Caleb. Max put her shirt on and then started to put her pants on over her swimsuit. "Isn't it still wet?" said Caleb. He had his shirt on and was trying to figure out how to put his pants on around the steering wheel.
Max buttoned hers and asked "do you want to trade places?' "No we should probably just go," said Caleb he started the car and turned on the heater. Backed out of the parking spot and drove down the driveway. "So I take it that was Tyler's mom?" said Max.
"Yeah and speaking of which do me a favor and grab my pants" said Caleb. Max looked at him funny. "My cell phone is in my pocket," he said. Max dug through the pockets until she found a small silver phone. "Now do me a favor and call Tyler and warn him," said Caleb. Max scrolled down his friends list, found Tyler's name and hit dial.
Tyler answered a second later "hey ty, it's Max, yeah I know its Caleb's phone, just wanted to give you the heads up we ran into your mom" said Max. A string of swear words greeted her news. Max was surprised he even knew some of those words.
"Wow don't say that around sailors they might be offended," said Max. Tyler stopped swearing to laugh a little. Then he asked her what his mom said "oh nothing other than giving us both harsh looks and throwing us out" said Max "yeah still in our swim wear" Caleb added from the drivers seat. Tyler started swearing again. "Geez man chill its cool, we're not mad" said Max.
"Tyler, ty, honey no you don't have to call her we're fine, its ok just chill" said Max. Caleb pulled into the parking lot of the school. Then he parked as close to the entrance as he could get to the dorms. He shut off the car and Max handed him the phone. "Yeah hold on I'll be right up, I'm using your room as a changing room" said Caleb "we'll talk about it then just chill" said Caleb. He hung up and looked at Max. "Ready?" he said. Max put her hand on the door handle. "Ready" said Max. Caleb opened his door and relocked it in one motion.
Then they both were running for the front door of the dorm building. Max reached it first and held the door for him. Caleb was shivering when he reached the door. He had his shirt on but it was unbuttoned and he only had swim trunks on his bottom half.
They headed up the stairs at almost a run. Max took her leave on her floor and told him to call her. She intended to get warmed up and maybe take a shower later.
He went up to the boy's floor to Tyler and Reid's dorm room.
Max opened the door to an empty room. Mercifully so to her. She stripped off her clothes, because she had dressed over a still wet swimsuit. She could imagine how cold Caleb had been. Grabbed a towel and dried herself and then slid into her blankets.
She was shivering, damn it was cold here. She had just gotten comfortable and semi warm when her phone rang. She groaned because it was sitting on her desk. She reached out her hand and used. The phone flew to her hand and she answered it."Yeah?" said Max
."Its Caleb we got a problem, Tyler's mom called mine" said Caleb "oh shit!" said Max sitting up in her bed "and?" said Max "it may mean nothing but she may cause problems and she knows you're here now" said Caleb. "Oh great like what kind of problems?" said Max. Her heart was sinking and her stomach clenched. She had a sinking feeling that Caleb's mom was going to be trouble. "I don't know, I'm going home now I'll keep you posted, just wanted to give you a heads up though" said Caleb. "Ok, thanks big brother" said Max he caught the worry in her voice "hey don't worry she can't do anything, just let me handle it ok?" said Caleb. "Ok," said Max.
Caleb hung up and she didn't hear from him for the rest of the night. That didn't stop her from worrying. Max was even tempted to call her mom and talk to her. Not that it would do her much good but she considered it. Reid called her later in the evening just to check on her. His tone was kind of subdued and she wondered if he had already heard from Caleb.
She didn't find out until the next morning. Caleb and the others were waiting for her at the front of the school. It was raining and yet they still waited for her. They all looked like they were about to attend a funeral. Max stopped in front of Caleb. "Well?" she said "we've decided to accelerate your training" said Caleb "and?" said Max.
Reid looked at her and shook his head no as if saying to her don't ask. "It didn't go well and I don't know how much time we have" said Caleb. "When do you turn eighteen?" said Pogue. "Two days before thanksgiving why?" said Max
"Shit!" Pogue swore. That was almost a month away. "Come on you guys are scaring me out with it" said Max "Max she's going to cut off your funding" said Caleb "whoa I thought she couldn't touch that" said Max "not your inheritance your funding, what's paying your tuition" said Tyler
Max's eyes went wide "she can't can she?" said Max. "Only if she finds the account information I've got hidden," said Caleb. "Which is only a matter of time with that woman" said Reid. He sounded pissed to her. He pulled Max into a hug and they all huddled near her.
"I know this is bad but can you make sure she forgets about it?" said Max "I wish," said Caleb. Reid looked at Max and then back at Caleb. "I could" said Max "yeah big problem explaining you in the first place" said Caleb "say I'm a friend of Sarah's" said Max. "That might work," said Reid.
Caleb crossed his arms across his chest "do you want to explain where you learned you could do this?" said Caleb Reid looked guiltily away and Caleb caught him doing it. "Reid, did you teach her to do it?" said Caleb "no!" he said "well?' said Caleb. Pogue and Tyler were watching her and Reid.
Tyler looked depressed about the whole thing. "He didn't have anything to do with it, I found it in the book" said Max. "Its in the book?' said Tyler "and so you just decided to try it?" said Caleb "no of course not it was an accident" said Max. A second later she wanted to kick herself. "Didn't you just tell me you were afraid of hurting someone?" said Caleb Max nodded yes, "is this why?' said Caleb.
"Kinda" answered max."What did you do?" said Caleb with a sigh. "I made jenny forget she ever dated Reid," said Max. She flinched back expecting to be yelled at. Caleb instead swore. "We can't do anything about that now" said Caleb "I already fixed it," said Max
"Be that as it may, I'm still checking," said Caleb. Max frowned at him, then backed off on it.
"Still the talent could be useful" said Pogue Caleb looked at him in irritation "stop encouraging her" said Caleb
"Well we've got to deal with this before it becomes a crisis," said Tyler. Caleb groaned and rubbed his hand through his hair. "Man he may be right, I know its your mom but she does drink a lot maybe you could use that to cover it" said Reid.
Caleb glared at him angrily but he stood his ground. "Fine we get her in the house she does her thing and we get her out" said Caleb. The bell rang and they cut the conversation short and headed inside. They Separated in the hallway and heading to their classes. They were all worried about Max.
So was she, jenny was easy to influence she was an airhead. In fourth period a student delivered a note summoning Max to the office. The boys were in this class with her and watched her walk out of the room with uneasy expressions on their faces. Max walked towards the office her stomach was tying itself in knots. She stopped at the door and took a deep breath and walked into the office.
She went up to the counter and talked to the secretary. It was the same woman who checked her in on her first day. She looked at Max with a look that plainly said she expected her in here sooner. The woman walked into the provost's office and came out a second later. "He'll see you now" said the woman smugly.
Max ignored the woman's pettiness and walked towards the office door. The provost glanced at her when she walked in. "please shut the door miss. Rhyde." Said the provost. Max did so and walked slowly towards the desk "sit" he ordered without any other politeness.
"Miss Rhyde this school has a low tolerance for bullies and those with violent tendencies" said the provost. Max frowned what was he talking about? "Confused Miss Rhyde?" said the provost "actually yes" said Max.
"I'm referring to a Mr. Abbot who along with Mr.'s Dean and Carlyle are in the hospital, you wouldn't happen to know why would you?" said the provost. He looked at her pointedly. Max's stomach stopped flipping, thank gawd it wasn't what she thought it was. "Of course I do sir, may I explain?" said Max
"Go ahead I'm listening" said the provost. "They attacked us when we got back from our date" said Max "us? Miss Rhyde?" said the provost "yes my date and I, Reid Garwin was my date" said Max
The provost grimaced and the said "I see, please continue" said the provost. "Reid got out of the car and was about to walk around and escort me to my door when Abbot and two football player sized guys attacked him" said Max
"And you did what?" said the provost "I incapacitated one with a car door "said Max "and where was Mr. Garwin during this altercation?" said The provost "he was being pounded on by Mr. Abbot, while one of Abbots' friends held Reid so he couldn't fight back" said Max
"I see," said the provost. He leaned forward and flipped a switch on an intercom."Ms Haversham please have Mr. Garwin come to the office," said the provost.
There was a tense silence while they waited for Reid to show up. A few minutes later he walked through the door. In this light his black eye was clearly visible. "Mr. Garwin please have a seat," said the provost. Reid sat down next to Max and looked at her quizzically.
"Mr. Garwin I just want you to verify something for me" said the provost. "Yeah sure" said Reid "Ms Rhyde here says that Mr. Abbot and his friends attacked you following a date, Mr. Abbot is claiming you two attacked him without provocation" said the provost. "She's telling the truth, we were on a date and they attacked us afterwards in the parking lot" said Reid. "Do you want to see the bruises to prove it?" said Reid "no that won't be necessary," said the provost.