Realize (PUBLISHED)

Realize (26)

It was December twenty-third.

Christmas was so close that you'd think the atmosphere would be better, but Maxine woke up with an uneasy feeling. She felt incomplete. She felt like something was wrong. Worst of all, for the first time in her life, she felt pain in her heart.

She tried to shake the feeling away but failed. So she just ignored it as she took a shower and got dressed.

She went downstairs and at last met James’ parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller. They looked incredibly nice and well-mannered. She didn't have the chance to meet them last night because she went to bed before having the chance to eat.

She was tired last night. Some of the ache that she was trying very hard to ignore seemed to be coming back to her. She aggressively shook her head as though to shake off the bad memory of last night.

James and his parents looked weirdly at Maxine, but they didn't say a word.

They led her to the dining room, which had a long rectangular table good for twelve people. However, there were only nine sets of plates.

There were lots of delicious foods settled on the table. Bacons, eggs, hotdogs, pancakes, bread, jam and butter, sausages, and pasta.

Maxine could feel her mouth water from the smell.

“You must be the famous Maxine, am I correct?” asked Mike Samuels lightly.

He arrived last night when all were already asleep. He was tall, in his mid-thirties, and he looked exactly like Todd, only older.

“Yes, Mr. Samuels,” replied Maxine quietly

“I’m glad to finally meet you in person,” said Mike, sitting beside Janice. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I hope they aren't bad,” she said, smiling weakly.

“Oh, they're misleading,” he said.

She gulped.

“You're more beautiful than Janice let on,” he chuckled.

“Oh, I'm not,” Maxine quickly replied. “I'm not as beautiful as . . .” She stopped herself before she could finish the sentence.

It was true, though. Maggie was way more beautiful than her.

“She's very modest, isn't she, darling?” laughed Janice.

Everyone took their seats and settled themselves to eat.

Mike was likable. He kept asking Todd and Maxine questions about school and kept telling James to study at Sky. Apparently, Mike and Janice, along with Natalie and Mrs. Fuller, went together at Sky International Academy.

“What, why didn’t you tell me this before?” demanded James to his Mom.

“You never asked,” said Mrs. Fuller simply.

“That’s because you never mentioned it,” pouted James, looking as though he have never been told of something really important.

“I remember the days when I was studying at Sky as if it was yesterday,” said Mike thoughtfully. And then he turned to Todd. “Did you know that your mother and I wouldn’t have been together if it wasn’t for Headmaster Sky?”

“What do you mean?” queried Todd, slightly confused.

Everyone on the table looked interested as they waited for Mike to continue his story.

“Well, you remember peer pressure back in the day,” said Mike to Janice, Natalie, and to Mr. and Mrs. Fuller. “Academic students never befriended the athletic players or any of our sort. I was an Athlete while Janice was a nerd —“