Maximus Thatcher Page 10

Before Chris could reply, Dozer yelled out instructions for one of the partners to attack and the other to defend for five minutes.

  In that time, Chris made no attempt to force Max to the ground, only providing him with blows that he could easily block.

  “You’re a very hard person to read,” complained Max.

  “I have to be, don’t I?” replied Chris softly.

  “But why? Are you afraid?” asked Max eyeing at him with curiosity.

  “Would you girls stop gossiping and have a two-on-two with Kevin and John over there,” yelled Dozer.

  “Yes, Sir,” replied both boys, hurrying over to where the other two stood.

  They were a funny pair: Kevin as skinny as a twig and John who stood high and strong. Neither of them acknowledged Max or his partner; they just smirked as they walked towards them with both their swords held high.

  Dozer handed over two swords and walked off around the class checking the students’ techniques, giving them advice on what they needed to do to improve.

  Wood clashed with wood and Max tried desperately not to lose his grip during the pounding that John gave him. Sweat poured down Max’s face and that, coupled with the heat of the sun, took a toll on his energy. His thoughts flipped in and out as quick reactions took priority.

  At last, he swiftly ripped his sword free from the endless bashing. It seemed he was spending more time trying to defend himself than disarming the pair of them. Before John could smash his sword once again into Max’s, Chris quickly came to his aid in an effort to beat off both of his attackers.

  After two rounds of three minutes each, both Kevin and John were unsuccessful at taking Max down, and Dozer could see the frustration in the boys’ faces. He just smiled and admired the teamwork of Max and his companion.

  When the lesson came to an end Max let out a sigh of relief that he was undefeated. He was in need of a refreshing shower to wash off the copious sweat created during the long class. There wasn’t much time to spare, however, as his next class was fast approaching.

  Feeling much cleaner and fresher, he walked to his history class in the hope that it wouldn’t bore him like the Nons’ history had. If this history class could provide some sort of insight into where his power came from, he was all up for it.

  The classroom wasn’t hard to find, level one, room five, taking him less than twenty seconds to spot once he was around the first corner. He looked through the glass in the door and saw that half of the desks were occupied.

  He entered, walking through half a dozen students without a word being spoken. He wasted no time in taking a seat in the closest unoccupied chair he could find.

  The room was average-sized, with maps of every country in Europe. A large whiteboard and a desk were positioned for the teacher at the front of the room. His observations were broken when one of the students tapped him on the shoulder, pointing to another desk. He stood, looking around, and saw the girl he had met out on the path waving him over.

  “Hey, Max,” said the girl with a small grin.

  “Hi,” replied Max, wriggling in his seat, trying to get comfortable.

  “Don’t think I introduced myself. I’m Rachel.” Her voice was soft and her blonde hair draped like a curtain over her shoulders.

  Miss Fig tapped the whiteboard with her ruler for silence as she began the roll call. She didn’t introduce Max, rather handed him a textbook and told the class to open to page 102.

  Max’s eyes followed the page numbers until he stopped at the correct page.

  “Ancient Historical Symbols,” Max read to himself.

  “Exciting,” he commented to Rachel, with more than a hint of sarcasm.

  He felt comfortable already around some of the students who helped him feel like he was at home. The class came to an end before Max had even got through half of his work. He looked to his left at Rachel’s work and it appeared that she had got through the whole chapter and more.

  “You must really like this class,” Max said with half a smile.

  “It’s interesting,” she replied, closing her book and packing her belongings.

  Max pulled out his notes, trying to work out what was next, but Rachel beat him to it, asking him if he would keep her company during the break. Usually, Max would sit alone and keep to himself, but it now occurred to him that making friends wasn’t a bad idea, so he accepted Rachel’s invitation with a smile.

  They walked side-by-side to the dining area, grabbing a bread roll and sitting outside on one of the benches to enjoy the sun.

  “How are you finding the school?” Rachel asked, observing Max.

  “My body is sore after Dozer,” he smirked.

  “Not one of my favourite classes,” she shrugged. “But then again, anything without a book isn’t.”

  “You’re a bit of a nerd aren’t you?” he grinned.

  Max couldn’t help but notice that she was similar to Hilary. Apart from her book fetish, she was just as beautiful but less shy. Max imagined both girls on a set of scales; one was popular and the other a bookworm.

  “I would prefer to say ‘educated’,” she laughed.

  “What do you think of the school?” asked Max.

  “Well, it is the best Elementrix school in the district.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Elementrix are schools for all Element Users,” she explained, now grabbing his attention. “Simply put, the Pillar school is very diverse and scenic,” said Rachel.

  “What if you have a different power than an element?” he asked.

  “All other Power Users are put in bigger schools around the world.”

  “So let me guess: Water?” he grinned.

  “Wood,” she smiled.

  “How did you obtain yours?” asked Max, continuing to pump her for information.

  “I was five when I first used my power. An earthquake had torn our house apart, leaving my family stuck under the table. Everything was falling so quick. I only had seconds to run to my family before the roof collapsed. If it wasn’t for my power, we would all be dead. The fire service went through our house and cut us out of a wood cocoon created by me. All the floorboards and the wooden walls were formed into a support structure to stop the roof from falling. Many in London died that day.”

  “Heavy,” he replied, “I remember my uncle telling me about those aftershocks. I live only a couple of hours away.”

  The break passed surprisingly quickly as their conversation continued and too soon Rachel left for her next class. As she walked away, she was delighted that she had finally got some information out of him. It had taken a few awkward minutes of silence before he was open to questions. As she re-joined her group of friends, she gave one last glance back at Maximus, sitting alone.

  The fitness training came rather easily to Max, as his Uncle Jade had always pushed both him and his cousin in the same manner.

  Then it was time for the 4th period lesson of government. He wasn’t into politics and he fidgeted through the forty-five minute lesson. The best thing about the class was the fact that it was right before lunch.

  Once the teacher signalled that they could leave, Max was one of the first out, having already packed up his books five minutes earlier. Pasta with hot bread sticks was on the menu, with a small carton of milk and a platter of exotic fruits, some of which Max had never seen before. He grabbed a couple out of curiosity, unsure how good or bad they might be.

  Max sat alone on one of the back benches and didn’t notice that someone had sat next to him until she grabbed his attention.

  “So, how’s your first day going?” said Hilary smoothly, gazing into his big brown eyes. Max’s body tightened with surprise; how had he not noticed her presence straight away? He thanked the Gods that she was no assassin. Her wavy hair and sparkling eyes made his throat burn red hot and he had to swallow before he could talk, swiftly pulling himself together. He didn’t want to act like a fool in front of the girl he couldn’t get out of his head. Every time he laid his
eyes on her his heart would skip a beat and the room suddenly felt like a sauna.

  “Sorry,” Max replied. “Pasta stuck.”

  He coughed a few times to clear his throat before carrying on. Hilary knew that stuck pasta wasn’t the reason for his lack of composure, because she also felt that same burning. She couldn’t tell if it was the spark that she remembered all too clearly on the first day they met or if it was his strong personality that drew her in.

  She blushed, and as those first couple of awkward seconds passed, they both loosened up.

  “The day has been good, thanks. So glad government’s over.”

  “I dropped that after the first year. What do you have next?” asked Hilary, interested in his schedule.

  Max was still not familiar with it, so he pulled it out and put it into her hands to look.

  “Training as usual on first, third and sixth, history, government and English. Looks like you have one class with me,” Hilary smiled.

  “What one?”

  “English. You wouldn’t mind if I snagged one of those grapes would you?”

  “That’s fine, go ahead,” Max said, pushing his tray closer to Hilary.

  He was surprised that the conversation was going so well; the words came more easily than the first time he had laid eyes on her.

  “So, how long have you been here?”

  Hilary finished her mouthful of grapes before replying. “Three years, five months and eleven days.”

  Max’s eyes widened. “That’s a pretty long time,” he replied.

  “When you’re having fun time goes a lot quicker.”

  “What made you come to this school?” Max questioned.

  “I spent a little time over at the sister school in Japan, but couldn’t speak the language at all. Alex ended up recruiting me from the sister school Head Master.”

  “And here you are,” said Max, smiling “How about your family?” he asked.

  “My family all live around Sweden.”

  “I can’t hear an accent.”

  “I was brought up by my older brother in England, only really see my parents a couple of times a year. Where’s yours?”

  “My parents died when I was young, and the rest of my family just passed away recently,” he explained.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she replied, grabbing his hand.

  In that moment, Max let his family go, feeding off Hilary’s energy, feeling it cleansing him.

  Hilary felt the whole room blur and disappear around her as she gazed into Max’s eyes, pulling into her memory every detail. Her hands were soft and fragile, and Max found himself suddenly speechless.

  Before he could stammer out a reply someone leaned on his shoulder, tucking his legs under the table right beside him.

  “Hey, Max, how’s your first day? Did you beat anyone in the morning training? I heard you were sparring with Dozer. Was he mean to you?”

  “Jimmy!” barked Max. “One question at a time!” Hilary let go of his hand and he suddenly felt bereft.

  “I think that’s my cue to go.”

  With another big smile, Hilary departed as gracefully as she had arrived.

  “Thanks, Jimmy. Moment spoiled,” said Max in frustration.

  “I’m sorry, Max.” Jimmy’s expression was glum and Max regretted his harsh words; Jimmy was only trying to be nice.

  “No, I’m sorry, Jimmy, you were only being friendly. Thank you,” said Max, patting him on the shoulder.

  “I have some good news for you. I found out that Hilary has a bit of a crush on you.”

  “Is that right? And how do you know this?” Max whispered so only Jimmy could hear.

  “Trick of the trade. You know, people leak good information when they think no one is listening…”

  Max sat motionless, trying to figure out what this could mean for him.

  “Must have been that spark,” he whispered.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing.”

  The lunch period quickly passed and as he walked to his English class he felt butterflies at the thought of seeing Hilary again and spending another hour in her presence.

  Miss Avery made Max sit in the only available seat, which was right at the front. He didn’t mind English/geography or where he sat, as this was his only class with Hilary.

  He couldn’t understand why he was feeling this way about her. Was it love, he questioned, or was it some sort of an illusion or game? He had to hold back repeated urges to turn around and look at her and the one time he failed, Hilary grinned as their eyes met.

  Once finished with his last martial arts training session, Max was free to do what he wished. The first day had taken a toll on his body and mind, but that wasn’t going to prevent him from training on his own.

  He went to the very edge of the cliff and swung himself over, gripping onto the cliff’s edge with all his might.

  He began the process of climbing down, taking forty minutes to touch the sandy surface. It was nice to have some time alone. The sand was still hot from the day of scorching sun. It was four-fifty in the afternoon and all Max had to worry about for the rest of the day was climbing back up the pillar before dinner was served.

  Chapter 9

  Elementrix Main

  Wood chips flew in every direction as the swords clashed harder and harder against each other. Max tightened his grip as he prepared his defence.

  “You have improved, but you are still no closer to knocking my sword down,” said Dozer.

  Max didn’t believe this; he dashed at him, feeling a furious desire to strike him down. Closer and closer he stalked, filling his lungs with air, which he blew out at each strike of the sword. Unthinkingly, he placed his leg behind Dozer’s, putting his left hand on his muscular chest, pushing with all his might.

  Dozer tumbled to the wooden floor, falling on his back. Shock filled both men’s faces.

  “Good strike,” Dozer smiled. “Now go on,” he indicated.

  Max left with a buzz, almost skipping his way out of the training area.

  A week had passed and Max was beginning to feel more at home than ever. Classes went by quickly and his body had begun to adapt to the climate and the training he received from Dozer.

  The training was brutal; stretches and salt every night were needed to prevent his body from cramping up. Apart from training, the food had surpassed Max’s expectations, the people were warm and friendly and the classes had kept him occupied. The only downside to the week was not seeing Hilary’s smile; not during lunch, dinner or evening breaks.

  It brightened his day to see her glossy lips spread into a smile, her clear crystal blue eyes gazing at him. It was unfair for Max not to see her beauty for a whole week. He had got past the awkward stage, and their conversations now went much more smoothly. The last thing he wanted was for time to unravel all his hard work of getting to know her.

  His brain clicked back into the present when the break bell rang and he was dismissed from history. The rush of students piling out of the door was like a stampede of gazelles running away from an approaching lion pack. He waited until the majority of the students had disappeared before rushing to his usual canteen seat, hoping to salvage some time alone.

  He managed to get through his potato chips and apple before Jimmy sat down next to him, instantly beginning his non-stop chatter.

  “Hey, Max,” said Jimmy, slamming his tray onto the table.

  “Hi. Do you know where Hilary’s been?” He knew Jimmy was the best informed in the whole school and that it was his little side job to eavesdrop on everyone’s conversations.

  “Think she’s on a mission; the perks of the Elite class.”

  “Sounds fun,” said Max.

  “I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not but I’m only a couple of doors down from you and it has been brought to my attention that you’re not there most of the time. The point I’m getting at is if you are doing any extra training I want to be a part of it.”

  Max finished
his mouthful of apple, chewing it slowly to give him time to think of a reply.

  “You’re a very smart kid for your age, has anyone ever told you that?” said Max, spinning a little cheekiness into his reply.

  “Oh, okay then,” sniffed Jimmy, wiping his nose with one of his sleeves.

  “Why do you want extra training with me, anyway? Doesn’t the school give you enough?”

  “I want to be stronger for when the Assessments come. You see, I want to be in the Elites,” said Jimmy looking at the ground and waiting for Max to laugh at him like the other students did. They liked being bullies. It was a well-known fact that Jimmy had not many friends: he was different, spending a portion of time with both Dozer and Alexander. The students took notice and envy grew from the fact that they didn’t get the same attention. Jimmy took refuge in the small friendship he had with Maximus.

  Max kept a straight face.

  “Yes, I forgot about those Assessments, but what makes you so sure you can keep up?” questioned Max, looking down at Jimmy to read his expression.

  “In my life I have been called a loser, a punk or a failure and all of the people dearest to me have died. Wouldn’t I call myself a coward to say I didn’t believe in anything? I believe that there are certain steps to be taken to change one’s destiny. The first step for me is to take any opportunities I can,” Jimmy replied with no hint of humour in his voice.

  His answer had taken Max by surprise; it seemed that Jimmy had some will power hidden deep down.

  “Wow. You’re really smart and insightful for your age. So, how long do you practice that every night, kid?” said Max, half-laughing.

  A tear ran down Jimmy’s face, and Max instantly regretted his tone. It was true. Jimmy was an orphan just like Maximus. Something in his heart took to the boy, and his cold look made Max suddenly look away in shame. The kid was crying properly now and Max passed him a tissue from the table.

  “Okay, but only because I see a part of me in you,” said Max.

  Jimmy yelled at the top of his lungs, wiping his tears and grinning madly, causing the conversations around the hall to stop dead.

  Once the noise level returned to normal, Max tugged on Jimmy’s arm, pulling him back into his seat.