Chapter Text
(by Emily)
The toy house that Momma had given him after he'd first came here was tucked into his backpack today. Max didn't want to leave home. He didn't want to get on that big yellow bus filled with all of the kids, and go to that thing called school. Even if his sister Izzy was coming too, he still didn't want to. He'd cried a little bit, as he and Izzy were standing outside of the house with Momma waiting for the bus to come. Izzy was clutching his hand, like she was scared too. So Momma had gone back inside, found his house, and brought it back out to him, telling him that he could bring home with him to school, at least for today.
He'd never been to school before. He and Izzy had tutoring at home, to catch up with the other kids... After they came out of that cave, even though they looked like how everyone else looked, there was a lot of stuff they didn't know. They couldn't talk, or eat, or do anything that kids their age should know how to do by then. They'd caught up pretty fast, because they were good learners, although it had still taken them two whole years to get up to speed. The doctors at the orphanage had guessed that they were about six years old when they were found. Six plus two was eight, Max knew now, and eight was how old they were. He and Izzy were going into the third grade today.
Had it really been two years since he'd seen the other boy last? The one with the hair sticking up all over his head and the flashing dark eyes, who'd defiantly stood up on a rock to get their attention once he was ready. Max felt sad whenever he thought about the boy. He knew Izzy still cried for him. Sometimes Max cried for him too, because he missed him. They all belonged together. But the boy hadn't wanted to come with them when they saw the car. And now he was lost.
Izzy was still squeezing his hand tightly as the bus bounced up and down through the streets of Roswell. He squeezed back, silently promising her that he wouldn't let go. He'd hold on as best as he could, because he knew she was scared that she might lose him too, just like they'd lost the boy on that night. He was her brother, and he had to protect her. The power of their mixed hands made them glow briefly, and they exchanged secret smiles. They could do things that other kids couldn't. They didn't know why, but they could.
They rode in silence, huddled up together in the green plastic seat. Max didn't like all of the kids yelling and laughing and screaming all around him. He wished that Momma had given them a ride to school in her car, instead of making them sit in this loud crazy bus. He wasn't too sure how he felt about other kids yet. Sometimes Momma would take Izzy and him to a playground nearby, because he knew she was worried that they spent too much time just with each other, but Max was too shy to play with anyone except for Izzy. Max sometimes thought that maybe Izzy might want to play with the other kids, but she wouldn't. She would stay with him instead, because that was just what sisters did with their brothers when they were feeling shy.
When the bus arrived at the big red brick building that everyone called school, Izzy curled up against his shoulder, sniffling fearfully. Momma had driven them here yesterday and walked around with them, showing them where everything was. It wasn't the same though. The schoolyard had been empty then, and all of the classrooms too. Out the window he could see that there were groups of kids everywhere. Max had never seen so many at once. They were like the stars in the sky. There were so many he couldn't even count them all.
He took out his toy house for a minute, and looked at it. He even showed it to Izzy, although it was his house, not hers. She hadn't needed a house like he had. Usually Izzy wasn't this scared though. "Remember what Momma said, Izzy?"
"She said we'd be home before you know it," Izzy answered. "But I miss Momma, Max. I wanna be home now."
"Me too," Max admitted. "But we gotta be brave for Momma and Daddy, and we gotta show them we're big enough now to be at school with all of the other kids so they won't worry anymore about us."
The bus came to a stop then, and waves of kids began to pour out of their seats, down the aisle, and off the bus. Izzy looked up at him, that determined look replacing her fear. She wiped the tears out of her eyes, and helped him to his feet. "I can be brave," she decided, and she pulled him down the aisle easily.
When he stepped off the bus, it was like stepping into another dimension. Like those old black and white Twilight Zone shows that Momma and Daddy watched together. It was the School Zone, with a nightmare troop of other kids running around everywhere, and even worse, they were in full color. He wanted to plant his foot in the last step, because he didn't want to go down there. But Izzy was tugging on him, and she was pretty strong for a girl her age. And anyway, if she could be brave for Momma and Daddy, then so could he. So he let himself be dragged, and resisted the urge to turn on his heel and beg the bus driver lady to please let him go back home. Now.
Izzy pulled him off the bus with a good yank, and he came reluctantly out into the sunny morning. Along the side of the bus they went, and then Max felt a tingly feeling down in his tummy. He looked across the playground, and his eyes locked with the most beautiful little girl he'd ever seen before. He stopped stubbornly, digging his feet into the dirt for a minute, wanting to catch another glimpse between the moving heads of all of the other kids. Izzy gave him a puzzled look, but he wasn't moving until he saw her again. He craned his neck, searching.
A break came in the crowd and he found her again. She was playing a hand game with another girl, a curly blonde who jumped all around like a bouncing rubber ball. She had long dark hair, that looked so soft and shiny. She had the sweetest smile he'd ever seen, even sweeter than Momma's, and she was smiling right at him. Her smile invited him home. All Max could do was stare, until a group of kids stood right in the way, blocking his view of her again.
"Max, c'mon! I wanna go!" Izzy growled impatiently, giving a tug that could've broken his arm.
So Max allowed himself to be led once again by his bossy sister. He threw one more glance over his shoulder at the pretty dark-haired girl. She was laughing, with her arms all wound around her friends. Suddenly Max didn't mind school so much, if she was gonna be here.
He thought back to the toy house in his backpack. Maybe he didn't need to take home with him after all. Momma said that home was where the heart was. Maybe home was where the girl was, because she was in his heart. And someday, maybe he'd be in her heart too.