Until the World Ends – Chapter 1
By MyNameIsCAL
-Fang's POV-
The thing about being stronger than humans, being able to heal ten times faster than humans, well, it gives you a higher drug tolerance. You know, I haven't always been like this, but shit happens and suddenly life spins out of control, and then you're suddenly wishing you were still running from evil scientists and living out of cages.
Jeb did this to me though. He fucked me up on purpose so he could bring in Mr. Perfect and make Max fall in love with him instead of sticking with me. Oh yes, Dylan was everything I wasn't. He talked, he wasn't hooked on meth, and he was the opposite of me. The thing was, I didn't resent him because he took Max from me. I resented him because he stole Max from me. He was purposely keeping me away from her. Every time I tried to come around, it either ended with me losing the fight or Jeb dragging me off and drugging me up.
I couldn't win, and I knew Max wouldn't believe me without any proof. Dylan made her happy, but he was killing me slowly. Only Angel believed me. The only problem was that Jeb somehow made sure Angel couldn't read Dylan's mind. But if it weren't for Angel, I would have thrown myself off a cliff a long time ago. She was the one that checked up on me every now and then since Dylan had convinced Max that I hated her. I called every night, but Dylan had a way of blocking my number, and every now and then when Max managed to make contact with me, I went along with whatever Dylan had been telling her. It was easier not to upset the balance of what Max believed in, especially because if I spewed out the truth, she would think I was crazy.
Rehab, other drugs, cigarettes…I tried everything to kick my bad habit, but Dylan and Jeb had a way to get me right before I could ever come clean, and I always ended up worse off than before. I wanted to give up, I wanted to tell the cruel world that it had won, but Angel promised me we would find a way, she just needed time, and a little convincing of the others to help. Unfortunately, the rest of the flock had fallen in love with Dylan too. He was replacing me.
I closed my eyes. It was almost three in the morning. I had been up all night, shooting up. It was getting to the point where I had lost track of how much I had taken.
"One more time…then…I'll get a drink," I muttered to myself. "Liquor store…"
Things started to blur, but I pulled on my jacket anyway. The air was cool against my skin, and I stumbled down to the corner. I started across the street, and then that was when everything went dark.
The smell of the hospital filled my nose, things still blurred.
"Jeez, Fang, you're such an idiot!"
I looked to my right. Max.
"I'm…I'm sorry, Max."
She surprised me by taking my hand. "Look, Fang, I'm just glad you're okay."
I breathed out. Whatever drugs they had me on wasn't strong enough to hold back the pain.
"Fang…" She squeezed my hand. "Maybe you should come back, stay with the flock. We can get you back into rehab. Besides, you're going to need help, Fang. I know you want to prove you're stronger than we think, but you'll never be able to make it alone."
"Wh—why are you helping me, Max?" Is this what it took to see her? I was surprised Dylan and Jeb hadn't found a way to kill me yet.
"Because I still care about you, Fang, despite what you believe." She let out a sigh. "Please, Fang."
I gave her hand a weak squeeze. "Alright, Max."
"It's going to be okay." She tried to give me a smile.
If only she knew.
PAGE BREAK!
Max brought me back to her place. Well, it used to our place. The rest of the flock still stayed there, Dylan slowly replacing me. I wondered if they all hated me like Dylan had told me they did. Thankfully, none of them were home. They had all gone out to see Angel in her school play apparently. She had asked me to come to that, and I had meant to go if I was in a good enough state, but I guess you know, it didn't work out.
"Iggy's cooking dinner as usual." Max helped me onto my bed. "All your stuff's still here, Fang. I can bring you back to your apartment when you're feeling a little better to get all your stuff."
I wanted to tell her everything. This was the first time I had been alone with Max in years. Yet I knew I didn't have any proof, that I'd just sound like the addict I thought I was, crazed by my delusions Dylan claimed when I had accused him in front of Max.
"I'll have to wake you up in the middle of the night for your medication." She took a seat on the edge of my bed. "I have a few things to clean up around the house. Just holler if you need anything."
She smoothed out my hair, giving me a reassuring smile before rising off the bed and leaving me. At least she hadn't forgotten me. Dylan may have won her over, but I still had the upper hand because I knew if it came to choosing between what Dylan wanted and saving me from myself, she'd help me first.
Whatever the doctor had me on right now was working on keeping my withdrawal symptoms back. Still, I felt like crap. Max had tidied up my room, but everything seemed to be as was. There had been so many nights that Max and I had lay on my bed in here, talking about everything and nothing. I missed that a lot, and I wondered if Max ever did too.
She does, actually.
I looked up to see Angel enter the room. She was dragging a chair in, setting it right next to the side of my bed before taking a chair.
"Hi, Angel."
"Hey, Fang." I knew she was reading my thoughts. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Well, thanks."
"You know, you being here is going to make things complicated." Angel looked around the room. "But it's better. Dylan and Jeb won't be able to pull anything too extreme with Max checking up on you. Dylan's furious. He was on the phone last night with Jeb."
"The others don't hear him talking to Jeb?" I questioned.
Angel shook her head. "They think it's for work. It's only because I know better."
"So what do we do now?"
"Well, I know Max wants to put you into rehab, but if you leave, then you'll only find yourself worse off." Angel thought for a moment. "I'll think of a way to convince her. And I'll tell her to keep Dylan away from you too, that he makes your nervous or something."
"Alright."
"Dylan is bound to slip up now you're around. I'm going to see if I can convince the others. We're going to need their help. You're not the only one in danger, Fang. When the time comes, Dylan will get rid of us too." Angel let out a sigh.
"Why can't you just control my mind and make me not want drugs anymore?" I suggested.
"Because I'd have to spend every waking moment with you, and it would be tiring, and you'd only fall back again, except the want for the drug would be so bad, it would probably kill you, Fang. I already thought of that." She shook her head. "I'm really sorry, Fang."
"It's not your fault." I closed my eyes. "I'm sorry I missed your play."
"It's okay, Fang. It got Dylan out of the house. That was sort of the point actually because I had a feeling you'd end up here."
Angel and her premonitions. They scared me.
"Thanks, Angel."
"And Fang?"
"Yeah?"
"Max still loves you, but Dylan's charm is keeping her from realizing. I know you're angry, but you got keep your cool. She wants you to get better. She misses the old you, even though she'll never admit it to any of us." Angel rose off the chair. "Dylan's going to get what he deserves eventually. You just gotta hang in there."
I let out a deep breath. "Okay, Angel."
"Get some rest. Dinner will be ready soon." She patted my arm and I listened to her walk away.