Maxwell's Story

Chapter 5

 Finally, the first break had arrived. They all sat down on blankets, and ate granola bars mixed with yogurt. For their drink they drank cold orange juice. Most of his classmates slept, but Max decided to play sticks with Alan. Three fingers plus two fingers; five fingers. Alan won.

"Rematch!" Max yelled.

"Could you be a little quieter please?" a fellow classmate named Hannah asked.

"Sorry Hannah," Alan said.

"You'd better be," Hannah said menacingly.

"Geez, what's her problem?" Alan whispered.

"I don't know. Maybe we disrupted her relaxation," Max also whispered.

"Brilliant observation," Alan jested back.

They sat in silence for the rest of the break. Then they got on the bus, and sat for another long ride. Alan couldn't resist not talking for so long.

"Hey Max,"

"Yeah?" Max replied.

"Do you think EastWorld is bad?" he questioned.

"What kind of a question is that?" Max answered. He knew that EastWorld didn't have as many freedoms as WestWorld. But Max never thought of EastWorld as a bad place.

"Well, are we bad?" Max said.

"Well, no," Alan replied. "Unless, you aren't counting Ms. Webb!"

They both laughed. Ms. Webb wasn't evil, but she wasn't very nice either. She's just a cranky old lady, he thought.

"Well, EastWorld doesn't have as many freedoms as WestWorld. But no I don't think EastWorld is bad."

"Oh," Alan replied sorrowfully.

"Are you okay Alan?"

"Um, not really," he said," I have something to tell you."

"What? Tell me!" Max exclaimed.

"My mom said that my family has to move to WestWorld." Alan said. Then, he broke down into a sob. He'd never seen Alan so sad before.

"What? Why?" Max said. He was almost yelling. Eventually he calmed down. "First Amber, now you. Soon, all of my friends are going to be gone."

"Promise me you won't tell anyone else until the time is right?" Alan pleaded.

"Sure, I won't tell anyone."

"I can't believe I have to go," Alan muttered. Max had been noticing that Alan has been looking a little sad lately.

"When do you have to go?" Max asked.

"Three months."

"Well, let's enjoy these three month's while it lasts," Max asserted. 

They sat in silence the rest of the ride.

**********

Finally the time had arrived. The bus bumped and jolted along the road. After a while Max saw the faint outline of the tall skyscrapers of Eastland. "Wake up Alan! Wake up!" yelled Max.

"What, are we there?" asked Alan groggily.

"Yes! We're finally here!"

Eastland inched closer and closer. The tallest building (obviously the High Superior's office) loomed over the other buildings. Max could see the glass walls reflecting the sun on the side of the building. The bus reached the front gate, and a static voice came out of the large speaker on the side of the gate, "State your business."