Reintegration program - Elmax

Chapter 41 : The visit

It was finally Saturday. Max took her day, what Beverly told her made her realize something, and she needed to do something about it. She prepared herself her breakfast but didn't eat that much, she was too stressed! She quickly finished and prepared herself. She didn't know what she was supposed to wear, it was the first time for her! Nothing too weird, just casual, it wouldn't matter anyway. She took something neutral, cleaned herself and left her apartment. She waited the bus, one hour. There was only one bus to go there, she wanted to be sure to not miss it. After thirty minutes of wait in the cold, the bus finally arrived. The persons inside were not the kind of persons she was used to spend time with. She shyly sat in the middle of the bus, near the window, not feeling at her place. By luck, she took her headphones, isolating her from the others, and her phone with games on it. The travel was going to be long, three hours she saw on the internet.

The bus stopped, waking up the redhead. She apparently fell asleep, without knowing it, and was at the terminus now. She quickly grabbed her bag, seeing the other passengers leaving the bus, and stood to do the same. She put her feet on a dirt parking lot with only a few cars on it. It was the desert with only one building around. She followed the others to take the next bus. A blue bus this time with some people waiting next to it. She recognized one of them.

- Hey Jane, greeted shyly the redhead.

- What you do here!? replied the smoking girl.

- I'm seeing someone, certainly like you.

- I never saw you here before.

- It's the first time, I'm stressed as hell!

- Why!?

- I didn't see her since a while, she doesn't know I'm here, I'm...I'm scared she would reject me...confessed Max.

- You were hating each other? asked Jane.

- No, we were good but, it was eight years ago so...I don't know.

- Why you didn't see her before?

- You know, she became, um...the shame of the family, a garbage, and I was...you know, easily influenced by everyone around...I was stupid...

- Yeah, I know that...

- And you? Who are you seeing? asked Max.

- My sister.

The redhead nodded. She didn't insist, Jane didn't show any forms of sympathy, she was cold and had her serious face. The blue bus was going to leave so the two girls went inside, and sat next to each other. Twenty minutes of ride.

- Um, what will happen inside? asked shyly Max.

- They'll search on you and in your bag, then you'll follow a guard and he'll bring you to the meeting room where you'll wait at a table until they got her here, explained Jane, looking at the window.

- You come often?

- The most possible, I try to come every Saturdays but it's hard sometime.

- And-

- I don't wanna talk to you right now, cut sharply Jane.

Max felt a pinch in her heart. She looked away, knowing that nothing could change the past, Jane was hurt because of her, and she was feeling bad for it. The rest of the ride was quiet, no one was talking inside the bus. When they arrived, four cops escorted them until the entrance and let them entered only two by two. Even if Jane was mad at Max, she went inside with her, knowing she was stressing.

It happened like Jane told. A cop searched on her and took off all her stuff that she placed in a sort of metallic container with her bag next to it. Once ready, they followed two guards guiding them in the grey corridors. Well, Jane knew by heart the way, they were more guiding Max and keeping an eye on Jane. They arrived in front of a blue door, waited them to open to her and finally entered. There were tables with chairs a bit everywhere. It was a big room with a smaller space surrounded by railings, with guards behind and in front of them.