Revolt: New Haven

XI. Saturday Morning

Max blinked awake, the vibration of his phone waking him up.
The dorm room was dark, with only moonlight pouring in through the window. He rolled on his side to get to his phone, only to become face to face with Dai.
Max blushed and sat up, startled and flustered.
He realized he and Dai had slept on the floor by the door, with borrowed pillows.

Calming down, he checked his phone, and saw his alarm for four a.m. had activated.
He took a look around. Everyone else was sound asleep in the darkness. Getting up carefully, he pocketed his phone, and made his way towards the door.

"Hey," he heard a whisper.
Max looked down to see Dai looking up at him, his eyes riddled with sleepiness.
"It's four already?" Dai whispered.
Max nodded.
"Dang."
Dai then carefully got up, and stepped over to Max.
He opened his mouth to speak, but remembered his sleeping friends and siblings.
Pondering a moment, an idea came to him that made him visibly nervous.
Nonetheless, he awkwardly made a "come here" motion with his hand.
Max, perplexed, did so, both boys now very close.

Dai then leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I know this is weird... but, I wanted to tell you I'm glad you came tonight."
Max blushed and became even more flustered.
"I'm trying not to wake the others by... doing this," Dai continued, "So... sorry."
He then stood up straight once more and noticed Max smiling excitedly at him.
Not able to contain himself, Max went in for a tight hug, burying his face in the taller boy's chest.
Dai stood still for a moment, unsure how to react, until he finally wrapped his arms around the shorter nature Gifted, returning the hug.

Max turned his head so his cheek was now pressed against Dai's chest, a happy smile on his face as he gazed around at the others.
Pulling away, he looked up at Dai, who smiled down at him.
He waved 'goodbye' silently and carefully crept open the door to the room, checking to see if anyone was in the hall, then stepping out. Dai watched him close the door behind him with a smile on his face. The smile faded, though, as worry began to fill within him.

🥀

Max silently tiptoed down to the bottom floor of the dorm, passing through the dark lobby and common area. He smiled as he made his way down the hall, thinking about his night, and how it just ended with a hug.

Still feeling happy, he approached his dorm room, pulled out his key from the pocket of his shorts, and opened the door as quietly as possible.
He quickly slipped inside and turned the knob as he closed the door back.
Once he did, he got startled by a light turning on.
Fumbling around, he formed one of his leaf knives in his hand and held it out, finding Matthew standing by the lamp near his bed, arms crossed.
"I can't believe you," he said, a disappointment in his voice.
Max lowered the knife, it wilting away, dissipating.
"M-Matthew, I-" he started.
"Sneaking out? You serious?!"

He stepped slightly closer to his younger brother.
"You know, I woke up to a call from Martha, telling me how she caught three students trying to sneak out of campus," he ranted, "Then discovered my own brother snuck off, too. You're supposed to be the example to these idiots."
Max said nothing, not having the energy.
Matthew took an irritated breath.
"When Mom hears about this in the morning, you're dead," Matthew warned, "Go to sleep."
Max just silently set his keys on his end table and got in his bed, pulling the covers up over his head.
Matthew stared for a moment before angrily going back to his own bed, shutting the lamp off.

🥀

The following morning, Jace and Lena had gone and gotten breakfast together. Joining each other at a table outside close to the courtyard, they got settled.

"So," Lena spoke, "How did you sleep last night?"
"...It was a little better," Jace smiled, "It was still a little tough getting to sleep... but I didn't have any bad dreams."
"That's good," Lena smiled, "I'm glad."
"I think I'm more amazed by the fact that we weren't caught," he added.
"Yeah," Lena agreed, "Good thing, too."

Just then, they saw Kendra Charmaine leave the first dorm, quite far off. She was speaking to some security officers, as none other than Hunter, Mary-Ann, and Anna exited after her, bags packed.

"Woah," Lena observed, "What's going on?"
"I'm... not sure," Jace admitted, "Though... I'm not sure I want to know either."
"True," Lena agreed, but her thought process was interrupted by Melany, who joined them.
"Morning, you two," she greeted, an urgency in her eyes, "Have you heard?"
"Heard... what?" Jace asked.
"Hunter and those two friends of his over there? Tried sneaking off campus last night close to curfew."
"What?!" Jace exclaimed.
"Eh," Lena shrugged, "It's not that shocking."
"Right?" Melany agreed, "Anyway, they got suspended."
"...Suspended?" Lena asked, "You can get suspended here?"
"Yeah," Jace answered, "You're basically evicted from the island for a certain amount of time if you're suspended."

Lena stared at him, then returned her attention to Melany.
"But... that seems like such a punishment for one offense," she said, "When Jace and I first... met... fought... whatever, he got in trouble and basically had to become a janitor."
"Apparently," Melany sighed, "Charmaine's 'no nonsense' mindset is brutal. I don't know how long they're suspended for, but it will be a bit."
"Jeez," Jace sat back in his chair, "I mean... I don't like Hunter at the moment... but being forced to leave a great place and school like this?"
"Yeah," Lena agreed, "I don't like it. You said it was for trying to sneak out?"
Melany nodded, "Imagine if they succeeded."

Lena then remembered Raina saying something about how Charmaine would expel Gifted students easily.
"Yikes," Lena sighed.
"Anyway," Melany said, "Jace, it's really good to see you again! I don't think I properly said 'hello' yet."
"No, you hadn't," Jace smiled, chuckling, "It's nice to see you too, Mel."

As the two began a pleasant conversation, Lena just watched as Hunter and his two friends were escorted by security and Charmaine to the docks to board the next ferry.