Maxwell almost (almost) grinned at the sight of his sister's face as the woman patted her down. Of course, Liesel had no clue what the worker was doing. She wasn't at all used to the customs here. Thank God their father had informed Maxwell about the beeping archway and the metal detecting stick. Otherwise he might have strangled that female worker for molesting his precious little sister.

He touched Liesel's shoulder again, drawing her attention from her belt to him. " You set off the metal detector," he explained, hoping to put her mind at ease from the experience, however funny her face had been. "You set it off, probably the button on your jeans, and the woman had to pat you down to make sure you didn't have a knife or gun on your. They use the detectors to catch bad guys that are trying to smuggle weapons onto the plane."

He paused. Wrong wording. " Well, they don't always do it," he quickly threw in, wishing he could simply erase his last few words. "And nobody ever manages to sneak a gun onboard nowadays anyways! That's what the metal detector is for! So there's nothing to worry about."

He was the worst comforter ever.

Maxwell shook his head at himself and released his sister. " We need to find our gate now. A330." It was like teaching a child how to do something new. Step by step descriptions in a slow, soft voice. Sometimes Maxwell cursed his twin for being so shy and timid. "See look, that sign there says flights A300 to A400. We just need to follow it until we come to the seats in front of the loading dock."

Bad guys with knives and guns? What the f*** was Maxwell talking about? She wasn't sure if he was being overly dramatic to try to make her laugh or if it was truly the serious explanation for things. The way Maxwell seemed to be stumbling over his words lead her to believe the latter which only reassured her even more about the plane. It wasn't bad enough that they would by flying thousands and thousands of feet in the air but that there might be "bad guys" with knives or guns on board? What the hell were her parents thinking? Her one comfort lay in the fact that she doubted a knife or a gun would hurt her so bad that she wouldn't recover so she tried to push those thoughts aside for the time being. They had more important things to worry about, like finding the proper terminal for their flight.

Maxwell seemed to have already found the answer however when gestured towards a sign leading them in the right direction. They walked slowly down the hallway in search of gate A330. They hadn't walked all that far when Liesel spotted the number on a sign and tugged on Maxwell's sleeve to point in that direction. There were rows of chairs and behind them a large glass window behind which she could see all manner of aircraft. Liesel followed Maxwell into the waiting area and strayed a few feet away from him to claim the most secluded section of seats to sit down in. It seemed like they had been walking forever and she felt quite relieved to sit down and take a load off for a few minutes.

Maxwell set his briefcase and suitcase down on the seat beside him gently, just like before. The items inside were delicate, of course. Nothing like himself. He glanced at Liesel, who was sitting across from him in the row. She looked relieved to be off her feet. Probably away from those people too. Maxwell straightened his back and crossed his legs. Not as efficantly as a woman could, of course, but better than most men. It wasn't like it would ruin anything since he did regenerate. His mother often gave him a funny look when he sat this way. He wasn't exactly sure why. There was no reason for her to disapprove of it. He was being proper.

" If you're hungry you can buy yourself some food from the court," he told Liesel, indicating with his thumb to the direction of the small pastry stand. It was empty aside from the worker behind the counter. "We have about thirty minutes before we board."

He paused, searching his sister's face for some kind of sign. A sign that said she wanted to leave. A sign that gave him permission to yank her out of this bloody place. He really, really didn't want to go to this stupid school. Then again, once they passed through customs they couldn't turn back... He frowned and narrowed his dark eyes at his twin for a moment before looking around them and taking in the people that would accompany them on the flight.

There was a set of adult sitting together talking. A handful of kids that looked older than them all wearing casual clothes with matching bags. The school logo was on them. So they were students too. Older than Liesel and Maxwell though, since they were in their first year. Over to their right Maxwell spotted a head of auburn and the frame of black sunglasses. He groaned. That annoying brat kid was going to their school? Great. What else could go wrong?

So far there weren't many coming with them on their trip to... wherever. Maxwell looked at Liesel. " What was this school called again?"

Liesel just nodded absentmindedly when Maxwell indicated the food court to her and the length of time they would have to wait. Liesel wasn't really that hungry and even if she was she probably wouldn't have gone over to buy anything anyway. After a few moments she turned her head to look outside at the planes taxiing on the runways off in the distance. A few times she watched a plane lift off of the runway and each time she held her breath, afraid that it might come crashing back down at any moment. None of them did however and she felt only slightly relieved by that fact.

Catching Maxwell looking at her, Liesel turned her head and gave him a tiny smile that said that she was okay. After that he seemed to loose interest with her and looked around at the other people waiting with them. Liesel however kept her gaze fixed on the window until her twin spoke up again, wanting to know what the name of the school was. Slipping the notebook and pen out of her messenger bag and wrote in large scrawling letters across the first page "Chatelech" and held it up for Maxwell to see across from her. Chatelech wasn't the full title of the school but that was the only part that Liesel could actually remember at the moment. She didn't even know why Maxwell was asking her in the first place as he was the one who had the documents from the school filed away in his briefcase.

Right, Chatelech. Stupid name for a stupid school. Maxwell leaned back in his seat to gaze upwards at the ceiling, trying to somehow pass the time. He willed the minutes to go by faster. He wanted to climb on that plane and get this school year over and done with. He wanted to be home again. Not that 'home' was all that great. He preferred travelling to be honest. But not to a school like this. A school where it was full of freaks and losers and idiots and... and every kind of people he didn't like!

Good Lord this was going to be horrible.

" I'm getting a drink," he told his sister as he stood. He took a moment to straighten his shirt and cuffs, adjusting his belt a bit to straighten his pants properly. The pastry shop was beside a coffee stand and he had more than enough pocket money to buy himself something to fill his stomach. Not that it was empty. He just didn't feel like sitting in the chair doing absolutely nothing. Forcing a hot chocolate or coffee or whatever other crap they sold at the stand would be good for him. Maybe...

Maxwell ordered his caffeine drink and waited barely two minutes for it to enter his hand. A typical mocha. As he sipped the hot beverage and turned, stepping towards Liesel and his seat, there was a flurry of blonde to his right and the next thing the fourteen year old knew he was on his butt with hot chocolate coffee split all over his white dress shirt.

" No freaking way!" He yelled. He cried out in rage, staring at his now half empty cup. He heard the stumble of high heels then a high pitched 'Oh God!'.

" I'm like, so, so sorry!" Came a feminine voice.

Maxwell snarled and leaped to his feet, eyes narrowing into slits. The girl was average height with long golden curls for hair and the largest, brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen. At first he was shocked. She was pretty. Really pretty. There wasn't much curve to her body due to young age--close to his probably--but she was still very attractive to him.

Then his anger flared. His temper was more than enough to overcome his male hormones. Maxwell stomped his foot and seethed at the girl, who appeared startled at his rage. " You ran right into me you blonde bimbo! Look at my shirt now! You have no idea how expensive this was and now it's ruined!"

Liesel tried to get Maxwell's attention before he left to get a drink but he seemed to busy adjusting his clothing to take any notice. Sighing lightly she crossed her arms over her chest and slumped down in the seat a bit as if pouting. "Oh well..." she thought to herself, "Maybe he'll share..." She turned to watch him approach the coffee stand. She admired how simple it was for him to walk up and talk to a complete stranger, even if only to order a coffee. Such simple things were could be rather difficult for the overly shy teenager.

Rapid motion caught Liesel's eye and she foresaw the imminent collision. Standing up suddenly she shouted, "Max!" before her mind could catch up with what she was doing. By the time she realized what she was doing, her twin was already sprawled on the floor with a large chocolate-colored stain on his shirt. Liesel clamped her hand to her mouth, both as a reaction to what had happened and as an attempt to take back her shout. She could already sense people's gazes shifting in her direction and a bright red started to creep up the back of her neck and flush across her cheeks. Thankfully however Maxwell's shouting seemed to distract their attention.

Clarissa didn't need to use telepathy to tell how very pissed the boy was at her; this one pretty much said what he thought. Straightening up her height nearly matched his own given the heels she was wearing. "Listen, I said I was sorry, didn't I? There's like no need for the name calling, I'm sure this will compensate for your shit." The blonde hastily pressed a fifty into his hand and walked off before he could say anything else; the clicking of her heels on the concrete floor still audible even when she turned out of sight.

When the blonde clicked off out of sight, Liesel thought of going over to try to help Maxwell but decided against it. There were plenty of of people looking at him and she still felt too embarrassed after shouting earlier. Sitting back down in her seat, she laid eyes on his suitcase. Liesel debated getting a clean shirt out of the suitcase for her twin but decided against it in case he yelled at her for messing something up. As she waited for Maxwell to return to his seat she regretted that there was no longer enough coffee left to share.

Maxwell could only gape in shock at the fifty that now lay in his palm. As the blonde stormed off behind him the teenager spun on his heel and shrieked with the rage of a madman, "You--you--" However, he could not find the proper words to scream and instead threw his arms into the air. This only managed to slosh the coffee over the rim of the cup and fall straight on his shoulder. The scalding hot liquid made Maxwell yell again and swear even louder. He hated that girl. He hated the people staring at him too. He glared at them all, eyes narrowed into paper thin slits. "What are you looking at?" He hissed. He was almost frothing at the mouth. "Never seen a collision in an airport before? Never seen a stuffed up brat stalk off before? Never seen a guy get pissed off before?"

He stomped back over to his seat, thrusting the coffee out to his sister. "Hold it," he ordered. "Better yet, drink it. I don't want to touch that damn thing anymore." Yes, he was mad. Livid was the correct word. Enraged, bitter, ready to explode--whatever you wanted to say that was a horrible, hatred filled emotion, he felt it.

There were no bathrooms in sight. Maxwell remembered one near the stop they reached on the Airbus but that was at least ten minutes away. Too ticked off to care about being stared at, Maxwell sat down to avoid too much attention and unbuttoned his dress shirt. As he opened his suitcase and pulled out a perfectly folded one identical to the stained white he had in his hand, he changed his shirt quickly, standing again only to tuck the hem into his pants.

"I hate people," he was muttering over and over again. Other, ruder, things escaped his mouth but Maxwell couldn't care less if Liesel heard him curse. It wasn't like he didn't do it often. He was fourteen! He was allowed! "Better yet, I hate girls." He paused, staring at Liesel. "You don't count." Then he returned to ranting about blonde people and their self-centredness. "Now I need a bag to keep this in," he cried, shaking the stained shirt in his sister's face. "Worse, I might have to throw it out! Look, it'll never be the same again!" It was true. Coffee stains were the worst. Or was that cherry..?

Liesel slunk down lower in her chair when Maxwell started yelling some more. Her twin was often angry but not usually this angry. It kind of scared her when he got like that even though she didn't know quite why. It wasn't like he could really hurt her, or that he would ever try, but something about his anger made her nervous and she usually did her best to clam him down quickly.

She was only halfway thankful when her brother returned to his chair. She was glad that he had come back to her but at the same time nervous about all of the looks that the two of them were likely getting. She took the drink when ordered and guiltily sipped at it. It was what she wanted wasn't it? But she couldn't help but feel bad for Maxwell. It wasn't his fault for what happened really and it wasn't a great way to start off their trip.

She watched as he stripped off his shirt in the middle of the waiting room and replaced it with a new one, unable to believe he would do so in front of so many staring people. When Maxwell started ranting about hating girls however she threw a glance in his direction that showed her offense to the statement. Maxwell seemed to remember himself however and remedied his statement, but only slightly.

"Just throw it away Max..." she said quietly when he mentioned trying to hold onto the shirt, "You won't get that stain out. You can buy a new one." She lifted the Styrofoam cup to her lips and was about to take a drink when an announcement came over the loudspeaker saying that boarding would begin in ten minutes. Liesel jumped, not expecting the booming voice, and nearly dropped the coffee in her lap but just barely managed to catch it in time.

Maxwell stood when his sister practically jumped out of her seat in surprise. He didn't want his shirt to be ruined again and he was ready to leap onto the next chair to dodge the cursed liquid. Liesel somehow got the drink under control though and he relaxed. Slightly.

He didn't want to buy a new shirt. He really liked this one. The soft silkiness of it, the way it never crinkled or lost it's fitting shape. He was keen on keeping it until he grew too large since he, obviously, was going to grow. Or so he hoped. His parents weren't very tall and Liesel had no hope in getting past five foot three. All the women in their family were short. The men weren't any better. Five foot six was the tallest and that was Liesel and Maxwell's uncle on their father's side.

He scowled and stood, tossing the shirt into a nearby trashcan. His mood was officially the worst in the world. How could this day possibly get any worse? No, don't say that, he thought to himself, looking around wildly. What if another crazy snob comes running at you and knocks you over again? What if she ripped this shirt? Quickening his pace, Maxwell sat down again and closed his suitcase with a huff of air. "You should have your student card and ticket out," he told Liesel while bent over his carry on, searching for his own items. "We'll want to line up soon so we don't have annoying people in front of us." Especially annoying girls.

He sat straight in his seat after locating everything he needed and glanced around. Only about twelve people were boarding the flight. The two adults, some kids, more older folk who didn't know each other, and that was it. Why waste a plane for such a small amount of passengers? He wondered. "Strange there isn't that many people coming on the flight with us," he murmured to his twin. "You think the place we're going to is... haunted or something?" Cursed from the dying wishes of a scorned woman? Or a man who ran rampage on the campus killing students years ago? Maxwell shuddered. He hated scary stuff. It never sat well with him.

After getting her drink under control, Liesel slurped it up quickly and stood to toss the cup into the trash. She could tell the liquid substance was still making Maxwell nervous and it seemed they would be boarding shortly anyway. It was good while it lasted, Liesel wasn't accustomed to drinking coffee but occasionally had a sip of Maxwell's. She usually found the taste of if too strong for her liking but the chocolaty flavor of this one seemed to smooth it out a bit.

Student ID and ticket... Student ID--check. Ticket... Wait? Ticket? Liesel had a moment of sinking panic, "Do you have my ticket Max?" she whispered, almost afraid of what his answer would be. No one had ever given her her ticket that she could recall. What if she had left it at home? What if Maxwell got onto the plane and left her behind in the big scary airport all alone? Her throat started to close up in fear at the thought.

When Maxwell mentioned something about the lack of passengers she could merely shrug, still too busy trying to find her ticket. It wasn't in her bag anyway or in her notebook or in her book. Did Maxwell have all the papers in his folder? She sincerely hoped that was the case. He said something about the place being haunted and became exasperated that he was too busy thinking of ghosts to realize the panic she was experiencing, "My ticket Max!" she called out in frustration, speaking slightly louder than she would have normally but was still barely heard by the people around them.

Maxwell snapped out of his horror-like dream state at the sound of Liesel's frantic voice. He frowned. Hadn't their parents given her the ticket? No... Oh right, his father handed it to him instead, knowing that Maxwell would never misplace them. The older twin dug into his briefcase and--as thought--there sat Liesel's ticket. "It's right here," he told her, handing it over. He closed his briefcase with a snap as he heard the attendant on the speaker beside them saying how they were going to board now. "Are you all ready?"

He was slightly annoyed about the shirt incident still, and as he stood, gathering up his cases, he noticed out of the corner of his eye a bright figure rise from nearby. His jaw almost dropped. Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. That bratty girl was not going on the same plane as them. She was not going to the same school as them. What if she had some kind of life-shortening power? What if she cursed Maxwell by making him touch that fifty dollar bill? She had to have some kind of freak ability if she was going their way.

Maxwell quickly pulled the dollar bill out of his pocket and thrusted it to Liesel. "Take it." It wasn't an offer, it was an order.

Clarissa, the genius that she was, had stalked off after her encounter with Maxwell without exactly thinking. Little did she know that the terminal she was looking for had been right in front of her the whole time. So after clicking around on her heels for a good extra ten minutes or so, found herself back at the scene of the coffee incident. She had taken the first seat she came to, which was a good distance away from the jerk with the coffee, and busied herself with a magazine. The front page suggested such things as "beauty tips and tricks" and "fall fashion" as its contents. When the announcement was made, she read for a moment longer, presumably to finish an article about how best to curl eyelashes or something similar, and stood to collect her things.

Liesel took the ticket from him, trying not to glare. His bad mood was starting to rub off on her. That and her nerves were beginning to act up. Neither of the twins had ever flown before and she couldn't help but feel at least moderately frightened at the prospect. She reminded herself gently that none of the planes she had watched had come crashing back down onto the runway but that didn't seem to reassure her. The idea of also being stuck in an enclosed area with so many strangers for an extended period of time also didn't seem appealing. Maxwell had mentioned something about not a lot of people boarding though and that gave her hope. Maybe the passengers would spread out and she wouldn't have anyone across from or behind her to make her feel nervous.

With these hopes she nodded that she was ready and stood to gather her bags. She had just looped her bag over her shoulder when Maxwell thrust a fifty at her. She looked up at him, bewildered but did as he said. He had a rather frightening look on his face and she wasn't about to argue. Stuffing the money into her pocket, she followed him into the slowly moving line, steeling herself to face what would likely be hours of hell far worse than the hour car ride had been to the airport. Up ahead of them she caught sight of the blonde that had bumped into Maxwell and cringed slightly. So that explained why he was thrusting the money on her...

The line moved quickly and smoothly. Maxwell noticed the blonde a few paces ahead of them and he diverted his eyes. He would not look at her. He would not give her the satisfaction that she had scared him crapless. It was completely normal to be fearful of people who had abnormal powers! You never knew what they might do to you!

There was a large man in front of Maxwell. He was bulging with muscle and when he laughed it made the ground vibrate. His head was bald and he had only a small backpack over his shoulder. Beside him was a short, plump woman with a head of short, curly brown hair. Her eyes were a pale green, and she stood profile to Maxwell, although she wasn't looking at him. Her attention was on the muscle man who kept talking in a high and mighty voice.

"You should see his beautiful face! It's almost as good looking as mine!" Jenkin's boasted, hands on his hips. The person in front of him was ushered through by the woman behind the checking counter. Jenkin's flashed a brilliant smile at the meek looking airport worker. She looked away very quickly and took his ticket, punching it into the computer. As his paperwork was being checked over, Jenkins turned back to the woman he was standing with, Cecile Carington, the school healer. "I told my baby sister her child would have my amazing genetics, and now it's proof! She kept saying the kid would be like his father, but I knew my god-like DNA would be far more powerful than that man's! Say, what seat do you have? We should sit together! It would be a blessing on your part to be beside me this whole flight!"

Maxwell wanted to slap his hand over his face. Good Lord, this guy was an idiot! And he was flying on the same plane as them? All these annoying people. The girl, this buff moron, that obnoxious sunglasses kid--wait, why did Maxwell not like him again? Oh, right, he talked loud on his phone--this plane ride was going to be the worst. At least Liesel was with him. Maybe she'd come out of her shell if their seats weren't so close to these crazy folks.

At last their turn to be checked in came. Maxwell hardly bothered to look at the woman working behind the counter. He was passed through without a problem, and the boy stood at the entrance of the tunnel that led into the plane, waiting for his sister. Maybe it wouldn't be that hard for Liesel if it was this woman talking to her and not some freaky man like that muscle-headed dumbass.

Cecile did her best to nod and smile at the correct moments. The woman had the patience of a saint but Jenkins' self-assuredness could get on anyone's nerves. The good-natured woman was thankful when the moment came to give her ticket as it gave her a moment to think up an excuse to dodge sitting next to the PE teacher. She didn't mind conversing with hulking muscle man but six hours with the man was an experience she didn't relish.

Taking her ticket back from the woman behind the counter, Ceclie thanked her and turned to Jenkins to respond to his question at last, "It seems I'm stuck in the back but don't worry, I'm sure some other young thing would love the chance to sit with you." And with that she boarded the plane and headed straight to the back. She hoped that some other young girl would attract his attention and distract him from following her to her seat. Once there, Ceclie installed herself comfortably in the window seat.

Liesel stiffened as the muscular hunk ahead of them began to speak in a booming voice and for the first time seemed to consider the people around her. Where exactly was this plane headed? Could it really be possible that all of the people present were headed to the same school as her? She sincerely hoped the hulking figure a few feet away wasn't but couldn't be so sure about that fact.

She followed her older twin past the ticket counter, pausing only a moment to have her paper scanned, before stepping out onto a sort of ramp that seemed to lead down into the plane. Liesel walked with Maxwell down the ramp and stepped onto a plane for the first time in her life. Her skin began to crawl immediately when she noticed all of the seats were facing in her direction as it seemed like each and every passenger was staring at her. Stalking behind Maxwell in an attempt to hide herself she whispered, "Not by that guy." She was sure he'd know who she was talking about.

Jenkin's frown was so deep on his face it almost looked like it had been engraved in stone. Then suddenly it was gone and he was grinning ear to ear, practically blinding the poor healer. "Ha-ha-ha! No need to worry! I'll find myself a classy lady to be my partner for the trip!" Then he winked and strutted down the aisle to a seat in the middle. He took the window and beamed at everyone that passed by, waiting for some lovely young woman--or a blossoming teenager, wouldn't that be great!--to take a seat near him. After all, who wouldn't want to be his flying partner? He was the most amazing person in the world!

Maxwell nodded, sending a wary glare towards the obnoxious man, and checked their tickets. 7A and 7B. Window and middle seat. He showed his ticket to the lady standing at the entrance of the plane and she pointed down through first-class into the beginning of coach class where they would sit. Maxwell thanked her under his breath then touched Liesel's arm and motioned for her to walk down the row. "He's down in the teen numbers," he murmured to his twin, consoling her worries. "I don't think anyone else is going to sit near us either. But just in case, do you want the window seat?"

((I half expected Jenkins to grab Liesel as his flight buddy. LOL!))

Liesel hadn't realized that their seats were assigned but was immensely grateful that they weren't stuck next to the crazy body builder. She thought she might die if that was the case. As they reached their assigned seats, Liesel glanced around quickly at the heads sticking up from the seats nearby and realized that Maxwell was right--there really weren't too many people sitting near them. The younger twin hoped it would remain that way as there had still been a few more people to board behind them.

In answer to her older twin's question, Liesel slid into the window seat,. She would much rather be squeezed between Maxwell and the wall than Maxwell and some random stranger. Sitting on the inside also prevented her from seeing down the length of the aisle and catching glimpses of the other passengers. Her only concern would be the need for a bathroom break as the small girl's bladder wouldn't likely hold out the entire trip. Liesel decided to face that barrier when it came; there was no use worrying about it at the moment. Besides, there were other more important things to think about, like willing the plane not to crash upon takeoff.

[LOL, I was thinking that! But then I thought, 'Nah, Maxwell would go ape-shit and probably get them kicked off the plane'.]

Maxwell shrugged at his sister's response. Figures she'd steal the best seat. However, he wasn't picky. Maxwell was a prude, yes, and could be a total ass sometimes (most of the time...) but he did care about his sister. A lot. A lot more than most people would think. She was everything to him, and even if they seemed to have a strained relationship, he really was the only person who could deal with her quietness about other people, and she was the only person who could deal with his I-hate-the-world-and-everyone-in-it quirk. So if she wanted the window seat he wasn't going to complain.

Okay, maybe a little, but that was his nature!

Placing their carry-on's into the luggage compartment above their seats, Maxwell was just finishing adjusting his suitcase when he was bumped by a small body. He turned, glaring, and opened his mouth to snarl at whoever it was that hit him, but stopped short at the sight of the sunglasses kid. The brat was standing there, hand on his backpack strap, the other deep in his thick jacket's pocket.

"Watch it," Maxwell snapped, glaring.

The boy gazed right back (although his eyes could have been closed for all Maxwell knew. Those glasses were darker than any he'd ever seen before!). "S'a little hard when you're takin' up the while aisle, Bub." His tone was light, as if he made everything a joke, and his lips twisted into a crooked smile. It seemed mocking.

Bub? Who did this brat think he was, Wolverine? Maxwell opened his mouth to retort in a sharp tone, but the attendant behind the boy narrowed her gaze and he instead quietly took his spot. The attendant was helping the boy to his seat, guiding him as if he were blind to everything around him. Maxwell muttered and cursed to himself, leaning on his palm and leering at the seat in front of him. "This plane better get up and into the air soon or else I'm gonna be pissed." He didn't want to see that brat and the muscle man and the blonde bimbo anymore. He just wanted to go back to sleep.

Liesel had left her bag forgotten in the aisle before scooching in to the window seat. Thankfully Maxwell took care of it, lifting her heavy bag up into the overhead compartment. When she noticed him doing this she also handed him her carry-on without thinking. She instantly regretted it, wondering if she'd want anything out of it later but didn't ask for it back. It would be out of the way for now and she could always as Maxwell to pull it down later.

Her twin was just latching down the compartment when Liesel hear a soft thump of body against body. Looking up sheepishly she noticed a kid about their age sporting a pair of dark glasses. Something gave her the feeling that this kid would be accompanying them to Chatelech. It was just a hunch so she couldn't be sure, he just had that sort of vibe to him. Maxwell, still in his slightly-grumpier-than-normal mood immediately snapped at the kid.

Not wanting her twin to make another scene she reached a hand up and gently tugged on his sleeve as if to ask him to sit back down before causing any more trouble. The way the other kid responded to Max's statement however seemed likely to set him off given his already less-than-stellar mood but fortunately her twin manage to keep himself in check and sat down without further comment. The appearance of a flight attendant seemed to help and Liesel could only wonder at the way the woman in uniform seemed to be guiding the boy along as if he were a child.

She didn't think much more of it however as she was faced with Maxwell's grumpy mood. She couldn't blame him though. Their day was hardly beginning and they had already experienced a number of annoying situations. "I'm sure we'll be leaving soon..." she said quietly, leaning in so he could hear her better. And sure enough no sooner than she had said so did a voice come on over the loudspeaker announcing that the plane was about to depart and that they would need to fasten their seat belts to prepare for takeoff.

Maxwell buckled his seat belt with a click and leaned his head back. He wondered, randomly, if he and Liesel would be sharing the same room. All their information was in the folder in his briefcase, but the attendants that were moving up and down the aisles would probably nag him to put it away. So he ignored the urge to know the answer to his question, and simply closed his eyes. He wanted this trip to be over. He wanted to have his feet on the new grounds of their school and he wanted to get the next ten months of freak hell over and done with.

The plane was pushed out of the loading gate by little tow-trucks below and brought to the runway. Behind them, on the wings, the engines kicked into gear, their powerful motors whirling, ready to carry them off into the sky. To settle his sister's nerves that he knew would be jumping soon, Maxwell reached out and touched her wrist, his silent way of soothing her. His fingers wrapped around the thin limb, and he held it as the plane rolled down the runway and started its take off.

They hit the air with a bump and Maxwell opened his eyes again. Things were rattling as they pushed against the wind that tried forcing them down into the ground. He worried for the safety of his suitcase, but ignored the thought as he managed a glance out the window. "Oh, Lord," he squeaked. The city below was becoming nothing but a colony of speckled ants. There was no way to see humans anymore they were already this high. Nobody told him flying was this terrifying! Nobody said a damn word about it! Maxwell looked to the back of the chair in front of him and squeezed his eyes shut again, gripping his sister's hand now. "I hate my life, I hate my life, I hate my life, I hate my life..." he chanted over and over again.

Liesel buckled herself in and watched with anticipation as the flight attendants bustled around, making sure everything was ready for takeoff. When she turned her attention to the window, she noticed little trucks pulling their plane out onto the runway. She wasn't prepared for the noise of the engines when then kicked into gear and began to whine loudly. They sat stationary for a few moments as the engines warmed up and then began moving when the plane started to taxi slowly down the length of the runway.

Liesel could feel her heart beginning to race and was slightly comforted when Maxwell gently laid his hand on her wrist. It seemed to take forever for them to reach the end of the runway and the longer it took the more tense the younger twin became with anticipation. She watched out the window as they turned the corner and then without warning began rocketing down the narrow strip of pavement.

Liesel's body was thrown back against the seat from the force of their speed and she gripped at the armrest frantically. They bumped up and down a few times before suddenly lifting off of the ground. Liesel closed her eyes as the plane shuddered all around them. "Don't crash... Don't crash... Don't crash..." she willed silently in her head until Maxwell's squeak broke her concentration.

The younger twin involuntarily looked out the window and immediately regretted it as the view made her feel queasy. She snapped her gaze away from the window but it was too late, the damage had already been done. All of the color drained from her face and the last thing Liesel noticed was Maxwell grasping at her hand before her body went limp and slumped sideways against her twin.

Maxwell snapped his head sideways to stare at his sister. She was... unconscious? No way! "Liesel!" He hissed, nudging her, trying to get the younger of the two to wake. "Liesel, sit up!" He didn't care that his sister was leaning on him, but what if someone saw the sudden collapsing? Would they grow worried? Scared? What if something was wrong with her? Should he call for an assistant? Didn't they have an oxygen mask for these kinds of things?

All his questions vanished when his inner voice spoke. You regenerate, moron.

Oh. Right. They couldn't die. Maxwell relaxed himself only slightly and glanced worriedly at Liesel a final time. Maybe it
was best if she slept through the whole flight. Her fear would drive her up the wall otherwise. So instead of waking her, Maxwell shifted himself into a comfortable position--or as comfy as it could get in an air plane seat--and opened up his briefcase to read the files he had on the school. In the top left corner of one of the first papers read the stats of the plane. It was three hours long. Not bad. He had no idea where this school was located though. He knew it was somewhere up North but no matter how much he searched it was impossible to figure out its exact location.

The files had a map of the campus and pictures of inside some of the classrooms. A list of the staff and classes that were available to take, and tucked nice and neatly away between the pages were Maxwell and his sister's time tables. He was completely prepared for this freak school. Aside from the whole being stuck in it part. Maxwell wanted to know exactly what was going to happen and when and how and where so that when Liesel asked he could tell her. He hated feeling useless and not knowing what was going on. It was the worst.

After reading through the papers, Maxwell slipped the folder back into his briefcase and pulled out his novel, cracking it open to the page he bookmarked. Leaning his head against Liesel's, the older twin read for the rest of the plane ride, completely content with the thick silence that hung in the cabin (even the muscle man wasn't talking. Either everyone was sleeping or they just didn't have anyone to chat with).

The first things Liesel felt when she awoke was the weight of her twin's head resting atop her own and the constraints of a seat belt. She almost expected to hear her mother bursting into sobs for the millionth as they rode to the airport. Cracking her eyes open, Liesel's sluggish mind tried to comprehend the seat in front of her. That wasn't the right color of her father's car's upholstery...

And then everything came back to her in a rush. Being crammed into the small train car, getting felt up by the security woman, Maxwell and the coffee, the body builder... Liesel sat bolt upright, upsetting Maxwell's book in the process. Not seeming to take notice, the younger twin glanced around her only to realize that her twin was the only one nearby.

Somewhat more at ease once she realized they were alone, Liesel brushed some fallen strands of hair away from her face and snuggled back down against her brother. The plane seemed eerily quiet... "How much longer?" she whispered, closing her eyes again. She was thirsty and longed to get up and walk around. Landing couldn't be any worse than taking off, could it? Either way, Liesel would be happy when her feet could touch land again. Next time she would suggest that father get them train tickets... The trip would likely take twice as long but it would definitely be less frightening.

Maxwell felt Liesel stir, but hardly bothered to move too much. He turned a page in his book, eyes pausing at the beginning of the sentence to speak. "Not too long. Maybe ten minutes." After he read half-way through his page, the older twin decided to shift his position and moved around in his seat a little. He crossed his legs as best he could (yet again being careful. Men weren't built for such a position), all the while trying to keep Liesel comfy. In the end he was forced to unbuckle his seat belt and push his sister's head off his shoulder.

"My back hurts," he grumbled, wriggling around until he had his head on her shoulder instead of the other way around. He was slightly slanted in his seat to do such a thing since his twin was shorter than him. Maxwell cracked open his book again and resumed his reading without another word.

Roughly five minutes later the pilot came on the speakers above to tell them about their landing. Maxwell straightening in his seat and re-buckled his seat belt. He slipped his book back into his briefcase and as the attendants took to their own chairs and the plane began to jiggle, Maxwell took Liesel's hand, being the proper older brother he was, and tried to reassure her by stroking her thumb with his own. Landing didn't take nearly as long as take off and it was far less terrifying. Aside from the fact the nose of the aircraft was heading straight for the ground of course.

As Maxwell dared a glance outside the window all he saw were trees. It was September and the air was cold but no snow fell from the sky yet. How could an airport be in the middle of nowhere? Not that the plane was very big. It held maybe one hundred seats, and as they landed the plane jerked and seemed to want to break in half. Maxwell closed his eyes and held his breath. God he hated flying. He'd never do it again. Never ever, ever.

Liesel lay quietly and contentedly against Maxwell's shoulder until he shoved her off with some sort of excuse. Moments later the roles were reversed and it was the older twin who was leaning up against the younger one. Liesel didn't protest but simply allowed him to do it. She was used to it. Their relationship was a constant flow of give and take.

She spent the remaining time of their flight reading Maxwell's book over his shoulder. It wasn't long until the loudspeakers announced that they would soon be landing and Maxwell had to sit up again to buckle himself in. Liesel, never having actually realized she could undo her buckle didn't have to trouble herself with that, or any of the other landing procedures.

Liesel gave cautious glances out the window as the plane descended through the clouds. Through the sparse bits of white she could see trees. Lots of trees. She continued to watch until the plane started to get dangerously close to the Earth with no sign of slowing down or pulling up. Liesel felt Maxwell's hand against hers and squeezed it tightly, looking away from the window.

Her heard beat wildly as the plane shuddered down through the last remnant of sky before the wheels hit pavement and the immediate application of the breaks slammed her forward. Thankful for her seat belt, Liesel let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and strained to push herself back against the seat. Finally succeeding as the plane slowed down to a sufficient speed, the younger twin closed her eyes and did her best to enjoy the last few minutes of relative peace before they would have to disembark.

((Sorry it took me so long to reply, I got super distracted by looking up iPhone wallpapers. T_T))

The attendants began moving. Everyone was moving. Maxwell heard the booming laughter of the muscle man in the back and unbuckled himself, standing. His briefcase lay on his seat, ready to be grabbed as soon as all their luggage was down from the compartments. "Here, hold this," Maxwell ordered Liesel, handing her the small carry-on of hers. He took the rest of their bags out from the overhead cabinet... thing and moved slightly out of the way so Liesel could wiggle out from the seats. He gave her all her stuff and picked up his own briefcase. The girl with the blonde hair was at the front of the line to get off. She had been sitting in first class, not surprisingly. Eugene glared at her, imagining the annoying girl tripping and breaking her oh-so perfect nose.

Behind him he was bumped. He looked over his shoulder and glared. That sunglasses kid again! Twice he had run into Maxwell! It had to be on purpose, especially with that damn attitude of his. "Are you blind, you idiot? Stop crashing into me!"

The boy was standing in front of a flight attendant whose hands were resting gently on his shoulders. She shot Maxwell a dirty look, but the boy just cracked a goofy smile. "Golly, if I had a nickle for every time I heard that I'd be even richer! Seriously, you have no clue how much people say it until it happens."

Until what happened? Maxwell turned back around though both because the line was moving and the attendant looked ready to charge him. What was with that kid? He had protection or something. Was he handicapped? Probably. Maxwell snorted. Only a moron would run into people so often and say 'golly'. Not to mention that slow drawl the brat spoke in. God, he was annoying!

As he and Liesel, along with the rest of the passengers, stepped out of the plane, Maxwell was shocked to see they didn't leave out of a loading gate. Instead they took a flight of stairs. Like the president or prime minister did when they visited another country. At the bottom of the stairs was an average height man with short dark hair streaked with grey. He had sharp eyes and wore glasses. When he stared at them his gaze slid over each and every figure, sizing them all up.

The muscle man and a few others passed right by the hawk-like person with a nod or hello. Although the obnoxious behemoth (muscle man) barely turned towards the figure. Instead he stalked past, blabbing loudly to anyone who cared to listen about his vacation and his sister's new child.

"First year students stay here," the hawk-man said. His voice was cold and expressionless. Maxwell instantly didn't like him. Aside from the regenerating twins, the blonde girl and sunglasses kid hovered nearby. Any other teenagers walked past, obviously in the higher grades. "I will be bringing you to the school."


[lol, it's okay.]