Max  wakes up the next day in a strange place!  He looks around him. He does not recognize a thing!  Where on earth could he be?  He scratches his head in confusion. He hears someone say, "Come on time to prepare for today's competition!"   It is then it dawns on him that he is here in London for the nationals!

             Max gets up, and prepares for the day!  He then goes to eat breakfast.  He selects a piece of toast with grape jelly, and two scrambled eggs! He sure hopes a hearty breakfast will help make this day less stressful!  Wait, since when did he see this as something that involves stress!  What on earth?

           Max finishes the meal, and drinks a glass full of milk. He is more than happy to join the others now. He smiles as he follows his roommate out of the cafeteria to the huge room where all the contestants are to sit.  He cannot help,but wonder where on earth is the competition?  He also,thinks it strange there does not appear to be any people around to watch them!

        Meanwhile,in Paris,France Rose goes out on her own. She thinks it different than what she usually does.  It is like she has a choice though now that Max is out of the country!  Everyone else is busy!  Juleka is on a date with Ethan, Marinette is out with Adrien, Mylene is with Ivan, Nathaniel is with Chloe, Nino is with Alya, and so on!  She does not have anyone else at all to tell about her day.

         Rose plays two rounds of bowling alone!  Somehow, it is not as fun without Max there to tell her the odds of getting a strike, or to compete against her! She then, plays some archade games. She wins Wheel of Fortune, three times!  Then, she moves onto the crank machine!  Not that she will actually get a prize!  It is the challenge of the game that excites her though!  She is more than happy to see that the small  sheep that has a pink ribbon around its neck is still there!

       Rose moves the claw slowly over the sheep. She drops it.  As it grabs it, the claw she smiles,but just as she moves the handle to the outside of the machine up the sheep falls out of its grasp. She fusses and fumes once more!  Not that it does her any good anyway!  

       Justin can see that Rose is upset. He smiles. He thinks, she is pretty!  He decides to help her out.  He goes to her. He puts another coin into the machine. He looks at Rose, and says, "Look, I will be more than happy to help you!"

     "Oh,but it is not necessary." Rose says shyly.

      "Well that might be true, but it would be a pleasure." Justin says.

       Rose nods her head. She lets Justin assist her!  To her surprise the sheep finally falls to the bottom hole. She reaches in and grabs it!  She so happy! She hugs him!  Then, pulls away. She feels a tear fall down her cheek.

    "What is wrong?  Why should a pretty girl like you cry?"  Justin ask.

     "My friend, no best friend, Max he is not here!  Usually we met up here at this time. Only now he is busy with the Nationals!" Rose tells him.

     "Whoa, why did you not tell me?  I mean we could watch it you know!" Justin says. He drives to a place across from the bowling alley.

    Rose drives over there to meet up with him. She parks, goes inside and thinks, where are we exactly?
   

    "This is my father's  restaurant.  Oh, and look what is on the tv!" Justin says.

       Rose looks up to see what it has on it. She smiles a small smile. She can see him, she can see Max on it!  Wow, she thinks, Max looks worn out! She screams at the set, "Max, you can do it! I am counting on you."

      Justin overhears what she says, and responds, "Max, does not know what he is missing!"  He then, goes to the back room to help get ready for the customers.  He comes back out in his work clothes. He gets right to work serving people!

     Rose only orders a small glass of milk, and an appetizer!  She orders mozzarella cheese sticks for this.  She smiles, when the order is ready!  Who knew the appetizer meant 12 cheese sticks!  Goodness, she cannot possibly eat them all!  She sighs as she recalls how Max use to order extra cheese sticks on purpose so he could have an excuse to share them with her.

    Now, back to Max...

       Max gets the answer to first question he is given, right! Then its his roommates turn who does well too. The others take their turns.  Each does as well as the others if not better!  They go back and forth like this in rounds!  Finally, it is time for the competition to have a go at it!  

    The competition struggles big time!  The first guy, cannot seem remember how to answer the question he is given. The second one barely answers it,but gets it right! The others fail to get it right!  

    First round is won by the Team called Max's  Mathlethe's!   No surprise there this should be the name of his team!  Rose recalls how he told her this would be his pick for it someday!  Well, she thinks, way to go then, Max !   Way to go!

      The rest of the day remains the same!  Soon, the restaurant is about to close!  Rose goes to her car, and drives home. In all today was not as bad as she thought it would be!  Who knows, perhaps she did make a new friend after all.

     Rose arrives home!  She parks, goes inside and takes the toy sheep with her. She places it on her dresser.  She grabs up the toy bear, Max won for her months ago. She smiles. She sets it down on her bed. She prepares for bed, text Max a quick message to let him know she is cheering him on and soon falls asleep with the bear beside her.

     Max struggles to sleep that night. He writes to Rose as he said he would!  He smiles as he finishes the email message and hits that send button!  There, that ought to do it!  He falls asleep a  few hours later.

   *Author's Note:  What is store for Justin and Rose?  What about Max?

    to be continued in Chapter 3  Rose !