Life's Full of Little Surprises
I HAST ARRIVED, AGAIN!
PrincessH- Writer's block is a very unnecessary evil, but I got through it! I truly hope you enjoy my next installment.
ZELINIA- Yes, polyester, but I'll survive. I enjoy many conversations of randomness with my own huddle of amigos, so I get A LOT of inspiration form them. I try to work in what I call the "cutie factor", so I am glad it worked. It's nice to know that my characters, and the past characters, are liked.
firexelement- I am more then ecstatic that you enjoyed my last chapter, considering I wasn't really inspired at that point. I hope this chapter is enjoyed as much.
pipsqweek91- Aww, you like the relationship (if you could call it that) between Adam and Dani, YEA. Thank you for complimenting my writing of sibling rivalry, I do try. Boys are evil. WOOT (I love that word)!
mickEmousina- I have broken my writer's block, I hope you have as well. I might have to try that "Rent" soundtrack thing next time (can't wait to see that movie). I don't think you are weird, but if you insist. Like I said before, Julie/Portman might end up somewhere.
Wise Old Owl- Thank you, I am happy that you find this story enjoyable.
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Oh joy! Dean was in his first class of Monday morning, and it was Geometry. Not only was it hard to concentrate on school on a Monday morning, but it was a math class, Dean's least favorite kind. The only upside to this class was that he had it with Fulton, so they could ignore their teacher, Mr. Etherton, together. The sound of Mr. Etherton's faux British accent talking about theorems and postulates and proofs that made no sense lulled Dean into a catatonic state that rarely could be broken. But little did Dean know that at the very moment that he was falling asleep in Geometry, Dean Buckley was walking an transfer student down the hall to his class; a transfer student whom hadn't seen Dean in a long time.
Knock, knock, knock. "Come in." Mr. Etherton's pompous fake British accent muttered. Dean Buckley opened the door and looked in the classroom, not fully obstructing a tall boy wearing all black and green, sunglasses, and a green and white bandana who was behind him from view.
"Hello, Mr. Etherton." Dean Buckley looked anxious to get away from the room. As everybody knew that Mr. Etherton thought the Mathematics department at Eden Hall was being neglected, they all knew why "I have a new student who will be joining your class today." He beckoned the boy to the doorway, "Everyone, this is Maxim Newmen, he has just transferred from Paris, France."
"It's just 'Max'." the boy said in a deep, mature, slightly apathetic voice. He blew a large bubble of gum and it popped, greatly irritating Mr. Etherton.
"Well, 'Just Max'," Mr. Etherton taunted as Dean Buckley closed the door and left and Max sat down two rows behind Dean, "I'll have you know that my rules are that no sunglasses are to be warn in this class." Max scoffed and removed his sunglasses, reviling fierce green eyes, "Nor are bandanas; that goes for you two as well." He added in Dean and Fulton's direction. Dean and Fulton took off their bandanas and watched Max remove his; he had a head of short, thick, wavy blond hair. "No gum either."
Max widened his eyes and took out his gum while he muttered to himself, "È questo un la scuola o una prigione?" (Italian: Is this a school or a prison?). Dean tried to stifle a laugh while the rest of the class looked confused.
"Is something funny, Mr. Portman?" Mr. Etherton said in a stern voice, the vein in his temple was growing and his face was turning a very bright red.
"No, sir." Dean lied. As Mr. Etherton turned away, Dean looked around and whispered, "Entrambi!" (Italian: Both!), Max had to stifle his laughter and Fulton hit Dean on the shoulder and gave him a confused look, Dean mouthed, 'I'll tell you later'.
"Gentlemen, if you don't mind, I would like to get on with class." Mr. Etherton said as he sat back down at the overhead projector. "Now as I saying…." He trailed off when he noticed that classes attention was on someone else but him, something he loathed. "So, Mr. Newmen, tell us about yourself." His voice was strained and an evil, insincere smile was crossing his face.
Max sighed, as if he was asked this all the time, "I was born in Reno, Nevada. My dad is in the Army, so I have lived in America, Romania, France, England, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and briefly in Germany and Japan. So I probably know all the languages that are offered here. Other then that, my life isn't that exciting."
"Lovely." Mr. Etherton seethed and looked around, "Alright everyone, POP QUIZ!" The class groaned as Mr. Etherton wrote the problems on the overhead projector.
Dean was horrified. He was really bad at math, it was a subject he never understood, and Geometry was the worst. He looked down at his paper and then to the overhead projector. He sighed and looked around the class, all of them looked scared, but they had started. As he looked back down at his paper he felt something hit his head, roll on his shoulder and then watched it fall onto his desk, it was a paper wad. Dean took it and opened the crumpled ball as quietly as he could.
DEAN
THINK HOCKEY!
By the way, I heard Dani made it to the Olympics
'Bout time if you ask me,
Our little girl is growing up so fast!
I'd like to talk to her again, mind helping me with that?
How was your summer?
Did you have to stick with your parental units?
Or was it more Alec and Cami make-out sessions?
MAX!
Dean smiled to himself, Max was right; there was Geometry in hockey. He and Dani had met Max two years ago when he and Cami and their parents had moved to Chicago; Dani then introduced Cami to Alec and the rest was history.
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With Max's advice, Dean was sure he had avoided failing his quiz, but he wasn't sure by how much. When the bell rang, Max rushed out of the class before Dean could have a chance to talk to him. Dean was upset to find out that he and Max didn't have any other classes together, nor did they see each other in the halls or at lunch.
But the day went on and Dean couldn't rest on the subject, because he had hockey practice. When he got the locker room, Fulton tried to get Dean to tell him about earlier that day, but Dean waved him off and said it was nothing.
When the team got to rink, their Coach wasn't there; as this had only happened once, the whole team was somewhat confused. Charlie suggested that the team warm-up and everyone else obliged.
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Everyone had been horsing around for about 15 minutes when they heard the all too familiar whistle; everyone went down on one knee and took off their masks as their coach approached them.
"Alright team, I have some news for you. Today we are getting a new player." Dean laughed to himself and muttered 'Max', "From what I hear, he's pretty good. So everyone, make him feel welcome."
The new player was skating up the group. He stopped right next to Coach Orion and right in front of Dean, sending a wave of shaved ice on to Dean's face. The team looked very shocked and ready for a fight to commence, but Dean merely stood up, wiped off his face, and sarcastically said, "Grazie. Ho avuto bisogno di un acquazzone freddo!" (Italian: Thanks. I needed a cold shower!).
The player took off his helmet and laughed, "Perchè quello non lo sorprese?" (Italian: Why does that not surprise me?).
"You're an idiot, Newmen." Dean said shaking his head.
"Or is that just you?" Max said with a half grin creeping up is face.
"Can someone tell me what is going on?" Coach Orion asked with his brow furrowed. He looked to Dean, then Max, back to Dean, and then back to Max.
"Ditto!" cried half the team, including Fulton.
Dean laughed a little and said, "Everyone, this is Max. Max this is everyone. I knew Max in Chicago."
"Wouldn't giving me names be a bit of a necessity?" Max asked. Dean sighed and told him everybody's names, and then said, "Call them what you will."
"PORTMAN!" Everyone yelled.
"I have an idea, let's wait for the idiot of the world to leave, and then you can tell me what you want to be called."
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The practice went well after that. Max showed off a few impressive moves and he worked well with the rest of the team. When they walked into the Ducks started to ask him a lot of questions.
"So Max," Connie asked, "How did you get here?"
Max was taking off pads when he answered, "My dad is in the Army, and he got transferred again. He said something like 'It's a very prodigious place, so you have to go there. And don't even think about getting in trouble, I don't like the influence those Portman's had on you.'" Max said in a high mocking voice. "I only came so that I could get away from him and my annoying stepmom."
"Your dad still hates us then?" Dean asked with a grin growing steadily on his face.
"Oh yeah." Max's green eyes light up, "At one point, I hinted that Alec and Cami were getting married."
The water Dean had been drinking sprayed out of his mouth, "Are you serious!" He was clutching his stomach and laughing almost uncontrollably. "I'm sure your dad loved that!"
"I think he was close to having an aneurysm, but it was pretty funny."
"Um, Alec and Cami?" Fulton asked.
"My older brother, Alec." Dean said
"My older sister Camilla, we call her 'Cami', they've been dating for a while." Max concluded.
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As the Ducks were leaving, they met up with their coach. As they walked out of the building they heard a small voice yell, "Hi, daddy!" and Coach Orion turned around, causing everyone to turn. A small girl in a wheelchair was coming up to the group.
"Becky, what are you doing here."
"I wanted to see Uncle Eric, so he came and got me from my Physical Therapy at the hospital. I like his team, they're nice." Becky smiled and flipped her hair behind her shoulder.
"Oh on," Dean groaned, "Dani has already gotten to her." He slapped his hand to his forehead.
"I heard that!" A voice screamed from across the room, and Dani came walking up to the group with her arms crossed across her chest. "Hi again, Becky."
"Hi again!"
Dani looked at Becky's face, she was looking somewhat sad and upset, "Becky?"
"Huh?"
"What did I tell you?" Dani had an eyebrow raised.
"Doctor's are humans and they make mistakes." Becky said, looking slightly happier.
"I don't think I put it that nicely, but essentially yes." Dani said looking down and tapped her right index finger to her forehead and over her heart. "By the way." Dani said changing the subject and looking at Dean, "Mom is still looking for you."
Dean sighed heavily, "Your mom is here?" Max asked, stunned.
"NEWMEN!" Dani asked, just realizing he was in the room, "What are you doing here?"
"Schooling." Max said simply.
Dani tried to say something, but she couldn't, she was actually speechless.
"I think that desperate is a good word here! It's just coffee, chill out!" Someone yelled from outside the door. Then a woman walked in the room, running her hand through her dark hair, "I swear, that man has never been on a date in his life."
"Coach?" Dani said looking at the door, "Probably not."
"Hi mom!" Max slipped in professionally.
"Max! What are you doing here?"
"Schooling."
"Very vague, isn't he." Dani whispered to her mother.
"She's my mom!" Dean scowled and the two proceeded to hit the other on the shoulder has hard as possible.
"Morons!" Dani groaned as she ran her hands through her hair. Just then Tammy and Gia walked in the room, "Is he gone yet."
"Yes." Tammy sighed as she sat down and rubbed her neck.
"It's about time," Becky spoke up, "He wouldn't have made, and first impressions are always important."
Dani looked down at her again, and raised her eyebrow, "Are you sure that you are ten?"
"Yep." Becky said and nodded in a matter-of-fact way (FYI, I don't remember if they said how old she was, so I am making her ten). "I know a lot. I read."
"That's good. Maybe if my brother did the same, he'd actually know something." Everyone on the team stifled laughter, "I guess we will never know." Dean looked ready to murder, and their mother gave her that look that all parents give when they don't like what their kids have said.
"Guys," Gia spoke up, "We need to get going. Coach said we are going to have to wake up early tomorrow morning."
"Fine." Dani sighed, "Bye Mom. See ya later, Becky. Bye all." She waved to the group and hugged Max goodbye, "Good to see you again, Newmen." They each gave the other a small peck on the cheek and Max could have sworn he saw Adams eyes look away.