| A different life A different day She saw him walking out of his room, just as she was, on their way to breakfast. His dark untamed hair falling into his handsome face. His gray T-shirt half tucked in around his well built body. As he turned and saw her, his green eyes glimmered with mischief. He ran a well sculpted hand through the mass of curls on his head, and walked over to her. "Hey Maxie" Zane said. His full mouth was made to smile, and it took a special kind of woman to not melt when those soft pink lips curled up around perfect white teeth. Max noticed a small bruise standing out against his fair skin, and reached out a hand and touched it, "I'm guessing this was a battle scar?" she said frowning. Zane's smile disappeared for a moment at this remark, but then returned as he thought of a reply, "You should of seen the other guy" he said nodding. "I did" Max said, anger laced through her tone, "While I was walking the perimeter with him on an empty stomach" she glared at him for a moment, but soon cracked at his wounded face. Zane was one of those people who you could just never stay mad at, no matter how hard you tried. "So, what was this fight about?" she asked. "He's crazy Max, that's all I have to say" he said looking away. "I have a feeling you'll be more talkative in morning warm ups, your fighting me today" she said with a grin. she was relieved to not have to face Alec. "What day is it?" Zane asked. "Tuesday" Max replied, "Why" she asked curious. "Well, then we wont be talking at all. It's the second Tuesday of the month. Renfro or Lydecker will be watching" he said grimly. She knoded. Zane put his arm around her shoulders in a playful big brotherly way, "Now, let's get to our morning meal. I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse" he said. "That's a lovely image" Max said smiling at him. She cringed though as she realized what this day meant. Everything they did would be watched. She wouldn't be able to talk to Zack. Not really any ways. "Aren't you two standing a little close?" A small but strong female voice came from behind them. "Keep your distance. We're soldiers, not school kids". Max turned around to see the well known face of Eva. She stepped away from Zane. Eva was a small girl, but she held the strength of ten men in her tiny body. She stood two inches shorter then Max. Her Blue eyes sparkled with intelligence. Her thin lips were framed by a stiff jaw that covered up the otherwise soft features of her face, yet made her no less beautiful. Her thin blonde hair was pulled back in a tight pony tail, never a strand out of place. Eva was one to keep herself together. She was tough, less feeling then the others, or so she would have people to believe. She hid herself behind a stiff presence, but she was no less capable of love then the others. To Max, Eva was the female version of Zack. Max loved Eva as much as she loved Jondy, or Tinga, or any of them, but they had never been close. She always felt judged around her. Eva was the older sister that couldn't be pleased. "Well, you've caught us Eva, me and Max are secret lovers" Zane said, his voice thick with annoyed sarcasm. Max glared at him, then turned to Eva. "Seriously Max, you know what day it is. They'll be watching us all day." she said. Zane rolled his eyes, "then let them see" he said with his defined smile. But he didn't move towards her again. They began to walk back towards the dinning hall, the moment of happiness once again destroyed by the harsh reality of Manticore. Max hated this day. It was about as rotten as it got. What little privacy they got was taken away for twenty-four hours. Everything they did was watched. Their fights, their recreational time, and they were judged. And she had a very bad feeling about this day. Her stomach tightened with stress. "It's just one day Maxie" Zane said in his warm voice. "I'll let you win if ya want" he said, allowing a trace of cockiness into his voice. Max looked up at him and saw his arrogant grin. She thought it amusing that he and Alec held such hatred for each other. They were so much alike. "Let me win? Like you could ever beat me" she said raising an eyebrow at him. "Ask Jondy, I've gotten much better" he said. Zane usually fought Jondy in one on one. Max rolled her eyes. Every time she was about to fight him, he claimed that he had gotten better. But he never beat her. Max, Ben, Zack, and now Alec, were at the top of their class. They turned around the corner, exiting their hall of rooms. They entered the dinning hall, and Max's stomach made another flip at the scent of the food. It was oatmeal. Her least favorite meal. But she knew that she would need a breakfast to get her through the next few hours. So she stood in the line, and excepted the off white mush, and a tall glass of milk, then made her way over to the table. She took a seat next to Zack, who was pretending that he hadn't noticed her entrance. Max thought it almost cute that he thought he could fool her so easily. She had known him her entire life. She saw the way the mussels in his back tensed through his shirt as she walked over to the table. She put her lips close to his ear, "I need to talk to you" she said so quietly that only an X5 could hear. Unfortunately, she was sitting at a table full of X5s. Ben, who was sitting across from her, and Tinga, who was next to her, both lifted up their heads and looked at Max. She fiend innocence. "No we don't" Zack said, he didn't bother keeping his voice down, he wasn't foolish enough to think that the others wouldn't hear them. "Yes we do" Max said. Zack turned to her and crossed his arms. His eyes were full of CO, showing no signs of big brother or...... Or whatever else had been going o between them. If there was anything else at all. "Please?" Max said. She made her eyes large, and bit her lower lip. It was her oldest trick, and she felt bad for pulling it on Zack. She had found when she was young, that she could get most anything out of someone, Someone male that is, when she made this look. "Fine" Zack gave in. "But don't think it's because of that pathetic look. I'll assure you that I am quite amune to it" He said sternly. "Tonight, on top of the building., at the high place" he told her. Max smiled and nodded. She turned back to the slop that was her breakfast. She took three large bites, then downed her glass of milk in four gulps. Today would be a long day. A long unpleasant day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |