The Set Up
Summary: On one perfectly good Saturday, Maximum Ride is stuck taking care of her best friend, Iggy, because he's sick. She decided that it was alright for him to bring his other friend, who just happened to be sick as well. It's too bad that Iggy also decided to play matchmaker for the day…
The Set Up
Max sat up in bed, yanking her cell phone from its charging cord.
"What?" she groaned loudly through the receiver.
It was 3 in the morning, and she had just gotten a call.
She could hear the person on the other side sighing disapprovingly, as if she was supposed to be awake at this time in the day. "Someone sounds happy," she heard Iggy, her best friend, say.
"What. Do. You. Want?" she asked through gritted teeth.
Iggy had called at least four times before Max had actually bothered to pick it up.
"Well you finally picked up," Iggy muttered. "About time."
Max groaned in frustration and hung her head back. "James Griffith, I swear, I will hang up – "
"Anyways," Iggy said, effectively cutting her off, "I just wanted to say that I was sick."
If Max was a cartoon character, her face would be beet red in anger, her head about to pop off, steam blowing out of her ears. "What?"
"I'm sick," Iggy said simply. She could feel him smirking.
Her eyebrows scrunched together in annoyance, her eyes squinted, and her neck stuck out, as if that was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard. "Why in the world would you call me at 3 in the freaking morning to tell me that?"
"I just thought you should know, since I'm awake."
"I care why?"
"I threw up."
"Again, I don't care."
"You should."
"I'm going back to bed," Max mumbled tiredly, finally hanging up on him.
She was just relieved it was a Saturday.
Max forced her crusty eyelids open as she yawned and stretched. She blinked a couple of times before she was fully awake, aware of her current situation.
Iggy leaned over her face, his tongue lolled out and his eyes were crossed.
Max screamed, before slapping Iggy on the cheek.
"Ow!" Iggy said, holding his cheek and stumbling backwards. Once he caught his balance, he grumbled, "I was trying to surprise you."
Max rolled her eyes and ran downstairs. She was back up in her room in less than 30 seconds, where Iggy still stood, grasping his cheek.
She handed him an ice pack. When he didn't take it, she slapped it on his face, forcing him to hold it against his cheek.
"So why are you here?" she asked, a hand on her hip.
Iggy scowled and looked away. "A simple 'Good Morning' would have done."
Max smiled. "Good morning, Igs. Now why are you here?"
"Your mom said that you'd be happy to take care of me since my parents are out."
Max froze, wide-eyed. "She said what?"
Iggy grinned. "We get to spend the Saturday together!" he squealed, jumping up and down like a little girl.
Max had to laugh at the sight of that, but once she stopped laughing, she said, "Can't you take care of yourself?"
Iggy shook his head.
Max had to nod in agreement with that.
"I brought a friend," Iggy blurted as soon as Max had finished eating her cereal.
Nobody else was home except for her, since her mom went to work on Saturdays too, like Iggy's parents. Her older brother moved out last week, and her father moved out way before that.
Max blinked and looked at Iggy. "Well did you invite him in?" she asked blatantly.
He nodded, and pointed to the front room. The kitchen walls had surrounded the front room on all sides except for one, which led to the front door of the house, so it was hard to tell if anyone or anything was in the front room from where Max was sitting.
Max sighed and dumped her bowl into the kitchen sink, wiping her hands on her striped pajama pants.
She gestured for Iggy to lead the way, which he did.
Iggy's friend was sitting on the couch with his back facing Max and Iggy when they arrived in the room.
Iggy cleared his throat and the guy stood up and turned around.
Max gasped.
"You brought Fang?!"
"Now he knows where I live!" Max whispered loudly and angrily to Iggy.
He grinned. "You're welcome."
"I never said thank you!" she screamed at him, storming off, causing Fang to look questioningly at the both of them.
Iggy shrugged and looked at Fang. "You get used to it," he said, sighing.
Fang nodded. "So how does this work?"
"What, the plan?" Fang nodded again. "Well, you see, we make her think we're both sick, and she'll be forced to spend time with us. I'll pretend I'm asleep, because that's what sick people do, they sleep. Anyways, I'll pretend and you strike up a conversation with her. She'll realize how awesome you are and then she'll go out with you."
Fang's hopeful look dropped and his shoulder sagged. "That escalated quickly," he said, mimicking the popular phrase used in school. "Really, Iggy? That was your plan?"
Iggy nodded. "I'll convince her too. It'll all work out by the end of the day, sir, just you wait and see."
"He's creepy," Max mumbled under her breath to Iggy, who just nodded.
Iggy looked around, to make sure Fang wasn't around. "He's creepy for you," he muttered, and then cackled.
Max looked at him, concerned. "I don't know why I associate myself with you, Iggy," she said, patting his shoulder.
Iggy shrugged. "I dunno either. But you should associate yourself with Fang. Maybe get to know him?"
Max shook her head. "Nah."
"Max, he's not as bad as you think, alright?" Iggy said, sighing. "Now go make me a sandwich."
Max hit him hard, in the chest. "You're funny," she grumbled angrily.
Iggy choked out a, "Thanks. I try."
Fang silently came around and sat down in a single rocking chair, across from Iggy and Max, who were on the couch.
"Hey Fang," Iggy rasped. He cleared his throat before saying, "You didn't miss much."
Fang nodded. "I didn't expect to," he said, his voice deep.
"You talk?" Max blurted.
Fang's eyebrows rose, amused with what Max had just said. He nodded. "When I feel like it."
"Uh huh," Max said slowly, nodding. "Anyways," she muttered, getting up from the couch and walking towards the TV, "here you guys are." Next to the TV was a basket that had multiple blankets. Grabbing two, she chucked them at Iggy and Fang's faces, and then grabbed one for herself.
She plopped down on another empty rocking chair, the chair rocking backwards as she sat down. She yelped, and then got ahold of herself and smiled sheepishly. "Nothing to worry about here, kiddos."
She grabbed the TV remotes and clicked it on.
"Can you mute it?" Iggy asked. "I think I wanna take a nap."
"Can't you go inside?" Max retorted.
Iggy shook his head. "I like sleeping on couches."
"Iggy, go to the guest bedroom."
"No. I like couches."
"Please?"
"Couches are comfy."
"Come on, Igs."
"Comfy comfy couches! Oh how they fulfill my needs for comfort!" Iggy sang out loudly, as Max face-palmed.
Fang's shoulders were shaking, as laughter rang out from him. "You're so stupid, Igs," Fang finally said, as soon as he could catch his breath.
Max looked at Fang weirdly. She thought that listening to his laugh was actually…pleasant, but she wouldn't dare ask him to laugh once again, just so she could enjoy it.
She cleared her throat and looked away, pretending that she was paying attention to the TV.
Fang and Iggy now quarreled, about Iggy sleeping in the guest room.
"YOU"RE SIDING WITH HER?!" Iggy finally screamed, causing Max to jump in her chair.
Fang looked at Max, before saying, "Yeah, I am. Now go, shoo."
Iggy stroked the couch awkwardly. "I liiiikkkkeee iiiiittttt thhoooouuuuggghhh."
Max snickered. Fang smirked. They looked at each other, and with a single nod, they knew what the final decision was.
"Fine, Iggy, you can take a nap here," Max said, smirking. She muted the TV, as if to go along with Iggy.
Iggy was out cold in about 10 minutes, and as soon as he was asleep, Max and Fang made eye contact again, and then grabbed Iggy.
Fang grabbed him by his arms, and Max grabbed his feet.
They started carrying him up the stairs.
It wasn't until they reached the guest room when Iggy realized that he wasn't on the couch anymore.
"Woah!" he yelled, while Max and Fang were still carrying him. "What the hell are you guys doing?!"
Max shrugged, while Fang smirked again. "Nothing," Fang replied simply.
They nodded at each other, and swung him on the bed.
Iggy winced. "Ouch," he feebly said.
Max smiled at him and told him to have a good nap, and shut the door. As she and Fang were walking down the stairs, they could hear him snoring.
Once they got down, Max held up her hand for a high-five. Fang raised his eyebrows and tapped her hand, surprised with the gesture. "Good plan," Max mumbled.
Fang nodded in agreement, taking a seat on the couch. Max sat in the single chair opposite from him, and clicked on the TV.
"So, Max," Fang said awkwardly, "how'd you become friends with Iggy?"
Max scrunched her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side. "Um, our parents our friends, so we've known each other since we were young. What about you?"
"School," Fang blatantly said, making Max smirk a little.
Max rolled her eyes and sunk back in her seat. "How pleasant," she said sarcastically.
Fang's eyes lit up. "You know it."
Max let out a small laugh. When Fang's attention turned to the television, Max let herself scrutinize him, until she finally decided that he wasn't all that bad.
Fang was knocked out in less than an hour.
Max sighed and shook her hair out of her ponytail, combing her hair through it with her hands before tying it back up. She got up from her chair, and noticed that Fang was basically rolled up into the fetal position.
Rolling her brown eyes, she grabbed a blanket and slowly draped it over him. He shivered slightly, and Max sighed to go a grab another blanket.
After putting it on top of him, she didn't know what to do.
She went upstairs, to go check on Iggy.
She found him rolling around in the bed.
"Igs," she said. "What are you doing?"
He looked up at her from an angle, and in a strained voice, managed out a, "Having fun, since I'm bored."
"I thought you were asleep," she muttered.
Iggy shot straight up. "Yeah, I just woke up," he chirped awkwardly, fiddling with his fingers. "Anyways," he rushed out, "whatdya think of Fangles?"
Max's eyebrows raised. "Why do you wanna know?"
"Just asking," he said suspiciously, averting his eyes to the walls.
"Uh huh."
Max stared at him for a while, until he cracked. "He's not actually sick," Iggy said quickly. "I just brought him here…because I think you guys would look nice together."
Iggy didn't want to rat Fang out, which resulted in a lot of yelling and teasing from Max.
"It's none of your business anyways!" Max finally yelled at him, panting.
Iggy held his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry!" he screamed.
"Sure you are," Max snapped. Just as she turned around to leave the room, she collided into Fang.
"SO THIS WAS ALL A SET UP?!"
Fang sighed. "Welcome to the present, Max. It's time you finally caught on anyways."
Max's eyes narrowed at him.
He smirked and shrugged. "So yeah, the point is, I kinda like you."
"Well maybe I can't say the same," Max huffed, crossing her arms and looking away. After minutes of silence she said, "You're not so bad yourself, I guess."
Iggy jumped up from the couch just as Max started coughing.
"Iggy, were you actually sick?"
Iggy looked at her as if she was stupid. "Of course I was, silly."
Max's eyes bulged out. "Was it contagious?" she asked slowly.
"Pretty sure."
Max closed her eyes and slammed her head on the coffee table in front of her. "Absolutely great," she mumbled.
"Iggy!" Max croaked from the couch. "Soup!"
She heard Iggy sigh loudly, and something clink and clatter.
"What did you drop now?" Fang asked.
Iggy's head popped into Max's view. "Nothing," he said meekly. "Spoons."
It was a week later after Max and Fang got together and the both of them were lying down on the couches in Max's house, sick because of Iggy.
"Karma, Igs," Max said, smiling at Fang.
Fang smiled back. "I guess it turned out for the better on one side."
Back in the kitchen, they could hear Iggy groaning, and they laughed, content with Iggy's "set-up."
Okay, I'll be honest with you all. This has a lot to do with the flu epidemic and stuff that happened a while ago (and still going around in my area). I know…lame…I got an idea for a one-shot from how everybody's getting sick…
And to all of my followers/readers, I apologize so so much about me not posting. The school year is wrapping up and I really needed to maintain my grades and such, so I really do hope you all forgive me. I promise I'll be posting more often now!
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed, and please, keep yourselves safe and healthy!
Please review!
Thanks so much for reading!
~Bubbles