Spy Games

Chapter 1

"-understand how he got through life with such horrible handwriting."

I just stared down at the clipboard my mother had handed me. "Well, he did live in a cage for the first few years of his life. You could cut him some slack."

"Well maybe, Max, Fang shouldn't volunteer himself for tasks that he can't do."

I just stared at her. "Are you really upset over this?"

She let out a long sigh before turning away from me, facing the counter where she had some lab equipment out. I had gone to the labs for my daily duties. Everyone over the age of ten had a set number of hours they had to work on the island, be it building huts, working in the labs, or some other duty, I didn't care. My boyfriend typically spent his hours working on huts, but he'd hurt his back the past week. I told him that gave him an out for his weekly duties until he was better, but he claimed he had to do something so people didn't think I was favoring him. So he went to work in the lab. And apparently he screwed it up. Surprise, surprise.

"No, Max," my mother sighed, shaking her head. "I'm just been in a really bad mood recently."

"Yeah, I've noticed."

"Max-"

"What's going on?" I grabbed a pen before going to sit on one of the stools.

I would have to copy the work Fang had written down on a new lab sheet, but that wouldn't be too hard. The hardest part, honestly, would be deciphering his writing. I mean, my word. If Fang had had to handwrite his blog, he'd have never gathered an army. Those poor fangirls, not being able to read his writing. What would they have done?

"It's just Ella," Mom finally said, glancing at me. "I'm just worried about her is all."

"What about her?"

"She's been really…distant recently. Nudge mentioned to me that it's probably about Iggy."

And here we go. I couldn't help the sigh that escaped my lips. I'm sorry, but me and my boyfriend are sharing a very confined space with the guy that I briefly was with in his absence. That's drama. And we handle it relatively well, I think. Ella and Iggy should be drama free, yet all they do is argue and fight. I'm serious. It's sickening.

"Mom, trust me, she's fine."

"I just don't know, Max. I'm worried. She's been in a down mood for days." Then, suddenly, she smiled brightly at me. "You can go check on her."

"Me?"

"Yes. The two of you can talk. Have a heart to heart of sorts."

"Mom-"

"You have to, Max. She doesn't talk to me anymore."

"What makes you think she'll talk to me?"

"You're her older sister," she reasoned. "She'll tell you what's wrong. She'll listen to your advice. That's how that kind of thing works."

"I'm not too good at giving advice."

I got a look for that. "Really now? You don't think you're good at giving advice?"

I frowned at her. "Mom-"

"Max, can you just talk to her at least? Listen to her some? Please?"

I took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Fine. I guess. After I finish my work here though."

"Of course." She smiled at me again. "Thank you, Max."

"Don't thank me yet," I warned her. I knew my sister. There was a good chance us having a 'talk' would only lead to disaster.


"Thanks, baby. I think I'll be able to move around again soon," Fang said as I gave him the piece of fruit. "I tried today, working in the labs. I had to go down there anyways, you know, for your mom to check out my back. I don't get it. I break a bone, I heal extremely fast. Why is my back still so screwed up?"

"Mom mentioned that you pulled something, but also your wings are-"

"What does she know?"

"Try a lot?"

Fang just shook his head, settling back on the blanket while taking a bite out of his apple. "So you gonna lay down with me or what?"

"Or what."

"Huh?"

I shook my head, staring down at him. He was up on the cliff he and I always slept on. It was secluded and overlooked the most frequented part of the island. My island.

"I have to go find my sister."

"Mmmm…no."

"Fang."

"Lay with me." He shifted slightly. "I hurt."

"I am hurt."

"You too?"

"I was correcting you, stupid."

"Don't make fun of the crippled, you big jerk."

"Don't call your girlfriend a big jerk, you idiot."

"Don't-"

"Stop." I held up my hand before staring at him. "I really do have to jet. I wanna go ahead and talk to her to get this over with."

"What are you gonna talk to her about?"

"Mom just wants me to talk to her. She thinks that Ella's acting different or something."

"I wouldn't know. Besides, what can be bothering her?"

"Your best friend."

"Max," Fang scolded. "Why do you pick on your sister?"

"I meant Iggy, stupid."

"Don't make fun of the crippled, you big j-"

"I don't have time for this."

Fang just smiled at me. "Well, get to it then, huh? So you can come back and nurse me to health?"

"I honestly think you're faking at this point, just so I have to baby you."

"You caught me, babe." He just stared up at me. "Punish me."

"Fang-"

"Come on. Do your worst."

I just kicked some dirt in his face before flying off. I played games with Fang a lot these days. We spent every day and nearly every night together. I figured he could use some alone time anyways. When we spent too much time together, we typically ended up fighting with one another. I just didn't feel like fighting with him again.

My sister wasn't hard to locate for once. Actually, it was rather simple. She was with Nudge, who I could always find in the same place around noon.

"Who caught you the squirrel?" I asked the other two girls as I came upon the fire they had set. "Iggy?"

We had a designated area on the island where you were allowed to make fires for dinner. Occasionally, I would grant permission for someone to start one elsewhere, but it was rare. I didn't want anyone setting the whole island ablaze, after all. The area I had set was close the ocean and away from the forest. Perfect.

"How dare you, Max," Nudge said, frowning at me. "You think I can't catch something on my own?"

"No, I just know that Fang usually-"

"Just because I'm a girl? Huh? Is that-"

"Dylan," Ella sighed. "Dylan caught an extra one and gave it to us."

I gave Nudge a look who just rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Well, I could have caught one, ya know."

Shaking my head, I sat down next to them. "So anyways, I was just wondering if you guys, you know, wanted to talk about anything."

Nudge was immediately suspicious. "Why? What have you heard?"

"Heard?"

"Whatever they've been telling you about me is-"

"I actually wanted to talk to my sister, Nudge."

I got a look this time. "Well then."

"We can talk later, sweetie," I told her before looking to Ella. "I've just noticed a change in you, Ella, and-"

"Mom sent you out here, didn't she?"

Was it that obvious that I didn't care much about my half-sister's feelings? Blinking, I thought about denying it, but then decided I didn't care about being caught either.

"Yeah. But I really am curious as to-"

"Do you really want to know?" she asked.

"I really want to know," Nudge butted in, taking a bite of squirrel.

"I think Iggy's cheating on me."

And I'm out.

"What?" Nudge looked at her in shock. "Really? With who?"

"I don't know. I just think-'

"Welp, I think we're done here," I said, standing.

"But Max-"

"Ella, if you really think he's cheating on you, fine. Break up with him. Don't be spreading gossip though."

"I think Fang's cheating on you too."

And I'm back in.

"What do you mean you think Fang's cheating on me?"

Nudge whistled. "Today might just be my favorite day."

"Shut up, Nudge," I said, making her frown again. "What do you mean, Ella?"

"I just mean that I might have seen Fang hanging around Jenna a lot."

"Jenna?"

Nudge offered up an answer. "That's that blonde girl that hangs out with Kris who hangs out with-"

"Thank you, Nudge," I cut her off before she gave me a headache. "So what if he's hanging out with this girl, Ella? Just because he's hanging out with her-"

"It's not her I think he's cheating with."

"Then who?"

"I personally think he's cheating with Blake."

I blinked. "Are you calling my boyfriend gay?"

"And the plot thickens."

"Shut up, Nudge," I repeated, almost growling it now. "What are you talking about, Ella?"

"Blake is a girl, Max. She lives on the island with us." She rolled her eyes. "God you're a bad leader. You don't even know the people on your island."

"Who is Blake? Since when is Blake a girl's name?"

"Since when is Max?"

Touché.

I let out a long breath, staring up at the sky. "Fang is not cheating me."

"Whatever you say."

"He's not. Why would he?"

"Well, you are kind of bitchy."

"Language, Nudge." I glared at her. "Or better yet, go. Leave And take your stupid squirrel with you."

"Fine. But then I won't tell you guys how we can find out if the guys are really cheating on you."

"Fang's not cheating me," I told her, but Ella just stared at her.

"How?"

"Easy. We spy on them."

"I don't need to spy on Fang. I trust him."

Ella just stared up at me. "Blake is a redhead."

I just stood there, watching her for a second. Then I looked off, kicking at the ground.

"Well…uh…I trust…"

"So Max is in." Nudge stood up, taking her squirrel on a stick with her. "Ella, put on the fire. We have spying to do."

"I don't need to spy on Fang," I insisted as my half-sister covered the fire with sand.

"Oh, whatever, Max."

"I don't."

"Redhead. Hmmm."

"Shut up, Nudge."

"You're a lot meaner to us these days," Ella mumbled.

Sending her a look, I said, "I really don't want to be a part of… What exactly is it you guys are going to do anyways, Nudge?"

"We're going to follow Iggy and Fang around the island, find out what they're doing, who they're hanging out with."

"Have you guys finished your duties for the week?"

"Max, please, this is serious."

"So am I."

Ella just held up her hand. "We've got bigger fish to fry right now."

Nudge's face lit up. "Ooh, Ella, next time we see Dylan, tell him we want a fish next time."

"That does sound good."

"Would the two of you focus?" I frowned at them. "If we're going to spy on the boys then we need to-"

"Thought you weren't going to get involved, Max?" Nudge asked as she walked away, taking another bite of squirrel as she went.

"Yeah," Ella sang, apparently happier when she was taunting me. "Thought you trusted Fang?"

"Shut up," I spit at them, following along behind regardless. "We're not spying on Fang. Just Iggy. Then, when you realize that he's not cheating on you, we can go about our days."

"No one's making you come along, you know," Nudge said. "In fact, we don't need your negative attitude."

"Yeah," Ella said. "Only serious attitudes."

I rolled my eyes. "Admit that you need my help not getting caught."

"Max, Max, Max, you should know by now that I happen to be very close with the master of recon himself," Nudge said, leading us through the forest. "He'll teach us everything we need to know."


And this is my new story. With it, I'm trying a new thing, or old thing, I guess. I'm going with short, choppier chapters instead of those long ones. It fits the flow of this story better, I think. It's kind of a silly story, you know, instead of serious like Catch and Release or Island Time.