It came down to this. Our home experienced three visits from a social worker, although, in actuality it was two. We never saw the third one because they chose to interview our neighbors during that visit. Apparently, one of them reported that could hear a "loud verbal argument" coming from our house on more thanone occassion. Well, hello. Irony. It's the consequences of this whole mess with false accusations and child protective people snooping around that caused all the tension. I guess I already described some of the nasty notes we recieved on the first two visits. Of course, on the last visit a note was made about how we were low on milk and bread. The first time it was because my room and the house were messy. Sorry, it happens. Now that both of my parents work all day most clean up waits for the weekend. Fortunately (he said sarcastically) there seems to be some kind of no excuses policy during these visits. So, there you have it. Formal proceedings are now in order. My family is being destroyed by the whole thing. Thanks to the Yates family. We're not special, they've done it to others and they just continue to get away with it. My dad keeps saying it's the "Good 'ol boy" system. I guess I can figure out what it means.

You might remember me writing about my broken arm. Yeah, well it's still pretty messed up. Fingures are comfortable on the keyboard, though. That's about it. Joints, tendons, cartilidge, muscle tissue...all messed up. I haven't even mentioned this till now, but I was involved in very serious junior baseball until this happened. I was a pitcher. My league has produced pros and a lot of scholarship players. I was hoping that would be me. We'll see.

Max's world is changing, and not for the better. The world around him seems to have changed the rules and he sees his family hanging in the balance. This is quite a lot for a young man to absorb and accept. This is probably why he is unable to see larger forces at work. There are people and places he cannot imagine he is already connected to, yet they will soon become the very building blocks of his destiny. He will discover a key to a house's secrets and a dangerous connection to a man without conscious...

I found it at the library when I was studying and my dad was locking the doors. I don't know how to explain it, but there was something papered into the back cover. I was like a credit card or something, and for a minute, I'm not kidding, it was glowing a faint blue light under the paper. I would never tell my dad this, but I cut the paper to get it out. It's like a microchip but shaped like a credit card. I Kind of thought that maybe someone stole it from a software company or something and was using this book to hide it. Then again, I could have an overly active imagination.

I guess I need to learn from Syd because I know I don't want to end up like him. I mean, this guy had everything. He was regarded as one of our most brilliant scientists. People knew him and he had respect. He had money and a good job. Yet, he cracked. Now he's despised and people have died because of his betrayal. I have a doctor named R.J. Fletcher. Dr. Fletcher told me that Syd left behind his journals. The journals told the world everything they needed to know about the man and what made him mad. It was simple unforgiveness. He had pages and pages of little wrongs that his coworkers commited against him. Most of them probably meant nothing. He even made notes about people who seemed to be angry as they passed by him on the street. I try to remember that. Because when I think about Arnold I want revenge. I admit it. But then I see myself turning a hateful eye toward other people around me. I feel it do something to my mind when I think about my anger toward Arnold. I know what is right, but it is a daily struggle to keep doing it.

I haven't really talked much about school. I guess my studies are really the last thing on my mind. Here, the holidays are coming up and everyone is getting all happy and jolly and talking about gifts, and trips, and family meals. If I could really ask for one thing for Christmas, it would be peace. Not "peace on earth," or some other feel good rubbish, I mean peace in my own home, my own heart. It seems my Dad blames himself for not making more money, and my mom blames herself for going to a job interview the day she could have been home with me instead of sending me to school feeling under the weather. Well, people do both of those things all the time, and lightening doesn't strike them dead. However, in this particular case, it would appear as if it has struck close by. On top of the State of Tennessee being obsessed with the idea that my mom and dad are, "not fit parents," I really have no friends at school. Oh, I used to, I can't explain why, but over the summer when I was at my baseball camps, my friends seem to move on. I know there were an awful lot of pool parties and X-Box online going on at Arnold Yates' house, but other than that, this year just started off wrong. The only one who seems to give me a break is Brittany. I know, right...a girl. Whatever.