"Max!" Angel yelled. I rolled my eyes and stood up. I walked into the living room.
"Where the hell is Fang?" I asked blankly. She shrugged.
"I don't know. Him and Iggy just said they'd be back soon," she said sweetly.
Damn. Here I was, really hungry, and tired, and seven months pregnant, and no one knows where my fiancée is. I nodded and walked into Ella's room.
Ten bucks says if when Ella and me were walking on the street and you asked someone if we were pregnant, they'd say no. We barely got fat. Like, we could still wear all of our old clothes. That rules out twins for the both of us.
I have been married
before. This is going to sound weird, but I married the man who made
me. Like I said, weird. No. I didn't marry my father. Jeb. Now, I
could live with him. Good, because I had to. Mom decided it would be
a good idea if he moved in with us. Fun, right?
No. He
constantly gave Fang the evil eyes. He hated the fact I was going to
get married to Fang in June or July, and he really hated the fact I
was having Fang's baby. In other words, Jeb really hates Fang.
No matter how many times Jeb apologizes or explains his story, he will never be fully forgiven. He will never earn the right to be called my dad. Well, maybe later. But for now, no.
"Where's Ig?" Ella asked as I shut her door. I shrugged.
"Him and Fang are probably off somewhere doing something else for us for their stupid competition," I muttered. She sighed and nodded.
"Probably. We have got to do something about this," she said shaking her head. "Soon, they'll be literally trying to kill each other. Yesterday, they almost started fighting, for real. All the playfulness they usually had in their voices was gone. They were being dead serious." I nodded, and sat beside her. I put my hand on my stomach and smiled. I could feel it kicking.
The phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Allison!" my friend Lucy said on the other end. I frowned.
"Hey Lu." I
liked her. I mean, yeah she's okay, but she got so annoying
sometimes. She's cool and awesome, but everyone can get on your
nerves at some point. But you still love him. Like Fang. He was
pissing me off right now, but I still love him. Ella grinned.
"Tell Lucy I said hi," she said after putting her hand on her own
stomach.
"Ella says hi,"
I said before letting out a deep breath. I heard the front door
open.
"Yeah right. Like he could!" I heard Fang exclaimed.
"I know!" Iggy.
I smiled. Saved!
"Sorry Lu, but I can't really talk right
now. See you tomorrow at school," I said apologetically. I hung up
the phone before she could say anything. Someone knocked on Ella's
door.
"Come in!" Ella answered. I laid back on her bed. Iggy walked in.
"Fang, she's in
here!" Fang ran into the room and smiled.
"Hello," he
said sweetly. I rolled my eyes and stood up.
"Where the hell did you two go?" Ella asked after pulling back from Iggy's kiss. They grinned.
"We had some business to take care of," Fang said simply. I stared at them. Ella grinned, so she knew what they were talking about.
But of course, everyone leaves me out.
"Guys, what is tomorrow?" I asked dropping the last hint I was going to about what tomorrow was.
No one remembered it was my birthday. I mean it's okay because we never had to worry about it, but my own mother!
"The thirteenth of January," Fang said giving me a curious look. "Why?"
"Oh my God!" Ella exclaimed. Yes! "Today's Thursday, meaning tomorrow is Friday the thirteenth! Thanks for reminding me Max." I just stared at them, and then walked out. They're such idiots.
"Max, make sure to avoid ladders and black cats tomorrow," Mom said as I was walking in mine and Fang's room. We shared because he said it was easier to take care of me. In June or July we would be married anyway.
I laid down and he followed me. I pouted.
"Tomorrow's not anything special?" I asked giving him one more shot. He nodded. I smiled and sat up. "What?"
"Friday the thirteenth is special, because everyone gets all freaked out and superstitious." I sighed. I laid my head back on my pillow.
"Do you need anything?" he asked, as he walked over beside me. I shook my head.
"Nope. Just sleep," I answered honestly. And people to remember what tomorrow is! He nodded.
"See you in the morning," he whispered. I nodded, and he turned out the lights. He sat on the bed. I closed my eyes, and my breathing slowed. He kissed my cheek.
"Good night love," he said quietly. He stood up and walked out. Where was he going? I opened my eyes and sat up.
"She's asleep. Let's go," Fang said in a really quiet voice.
"She's going to love this!" Ella squealed quietly.
"Yes. She is. Now be quiet," Iggy said shushing Ella.
"Okay." The next thing I heard was a door shutting. What were they doing?
I knew only time would tell. I laid down and actually went to sleep.
"Max, you have to come see this!" Angel said in a worried tone. She was shaking me gently but urgently. I sat up and followed her. Fang and Iggy were in the living room. Iggy punched Fang, really hard, on the nose. Fang kneed him in the stomach and slung him to the floor.
"You don't know who's going to be a better father!" Fang hissed. Tears rolled down my cheeks. This had definitely gone too far. Iggy stood up.
"Maybe not, but I know it won't be you!" He shoved Fang into the wall. Ella started crying too.
"Guys, stop!" I shrieked. They both froze and looked at us. Their eyes opened wide. This was not a good birthday so far. Ella nodded.
"Fighting is not going to prove who's the best father!" she screamed. I walked out and into our room. Someone knocked on the door.
"Max," Fang said quietly. I scowled.
"Go away!" I shouted. He sighed.
"I kind of have to get ready for school," he reminded me. I opened the door, and he shut it right behind him. "Max, I'm sorry. I seriously don't know what got over me." I didn't look up at him.
"Max, please talk to me." I took a deep breath and looked in his eyes. My vision was blurry from the tears. He hugged me. "I really am sorry. I'll prove it to you. The competition ends now. I will not compete with Iggy anymore." I nodded.
"Okay." He smiled and hugged me again.
"You do know I love you," he whispered onto my hair. I nodded.
"Yes. And I love you too." He smiled.
"I know, still don't know why, but I know." I closed my eyes and just rested in his arms. He kissed the top of my head.
"We should get ready," I whispered. He nodded and took off my pajama shirt.
"Yes we should." I smiled, and walked over to the closet.
"Max, we have to go!" Nudge shouted. I pulled back and stood up. Fang stood up too, and he grabbed my hand.
"So, this has been an interesting Friday the thirteenth," he muttered. "Starts out shitty, but now its perfect." I sighed and nodded.
"Almost," I barely even said. I was basically mouthing it. He glanced at me for a second.
"What's wrong Max?" I sighed and shook my head.
"Nothing. My stomach hurts really bad," I answered half honest, half lie. That was true, but that's not what was wrong.
No one remembered it was my birthday. My own mother!!
I slowly walked in the school building. Fang grabbed my hand. I looked at him and smiled. Him and Ig were like they hadn't even had that fight. Yeah, they had bruises to prove they had, but they let it go.
"Happy birthday!" Lucy squealed. I smiled. Someone! Fang froze dead in his tracks.
"Oh shit," he muttered. I shrugged.
"Austin, what do you think, 'Tomorrow's not anything special?' or, 'What's tomorrow?' was about?" He opened his mouth, and then sighed.
"I'm so sorry," he said apologetically. I shrugged.
"It's okay. If I really cared if you remembered or not, I would have just told you," I said
"Well, I'll see you after second," I said as I was walking with Iggy and Ella to first. He nodded.
"See you." Him and Lu had first and second together. That was it. I had third, fourth, five, sixth, and seventh with him. My fiancée.
"So, are you going to miss him?" Ella teased. I grinned.
"Nah. Not really." Iggy smirked. I had every period with him and Ella.
"So Lindsey," Iggy said referring to Ella. Yeah. Remember, fake names.
"Yes Justin?" Ha! That was all my idea.
"We should go to the movies this weekend," he said grabbing her hand. She nodded.
"Yes we should." She put her hand on her stomach and smiled. Iggy raised an eyebrow.
"Kicking?" he asked. She nodded.
"Yeah," she mumbled. I nodded.
"Mine was this morning," I informed her. She smiled.
"At least we know we're not having twins," she said enthusiastically.
"Yeah. We have to talk to Mom about the four of us getting a house. Fang's parents even agreed to give us one of their many ones. It's only like five minutes from home." They both nodded.
"Normally I would say should we wait until after, but by the time we get everything moved in, and settled down, it will either be after, or right on time," Iggy said, babbling on about how excited he was, and all that junk. I rolled my eyes and walked into the classroom.
"You need to quit hanging out with Nudge so much," I teased. He grinned.
School is so boring! I won't even torture you with details.
"I have to go find Austin," I said after second. Iggy nodded. It was so hard remembering to use fake names.
We had a ten-minute break between second and third period.
"Hey, have you seen Austin?" I asked my friend Mark. He looked at me and shook his head.
"Nope. Sorry. If I see him, I'll tell him you're looking for him," he said enthusiastically. I smiled.
"Thanks." I walked into an empty hallway. No one was in here. I almost turned and left until I heard someone.
"How's my heart rate?" I heard Fang faintly say. I walked sown the hallway.
"Very, very fast," Lucy muttered. I walked by where they were.
They were holding hands, making out! I felt the pain of Lissa coming back, and then what was happening now. Tears started streaming down my cheeks.
"You bastard!" I shrieked before running off. I heard someone slam into the wall, and running.
"Max!" Fang
screamed behind me. He grabbed my arms, and he pulled me close to
him. We were in a crowded hallway now.
"You jerk!" I
exclaimed, shoving him down, hard. I was clutching my stomach
bawling. This really hurt. Lucy ran up the hallways. "You're the
best friend I've ever had!" She could hear the sarcasm and hurt
dripping off of my voice. She sighed.
"Allison, you don't know what happened," she insisted. "He kissed me!" Fang stood up.
"You lying little bitch! You kissed me!" I didn't look up.
"I hope you two are happy together," I spat as I pulled off his ring. I threw it at him and started to walk off. Fang looked at me with pain in his eyes.
"Max, I swear, I wasn't kissing her!" he said urgently.
"Save it Fang! Save it for someone who will actually believe your lies!" I shouted as I ran off. I slammed into Iggy, who was with Ella.
"Ally, what's
wrong?" Ella asked sadly. She looked up.
"Max!" Fang
exclaimed behind me.
"Shut up and leave me the hell alone!" I yelled as I shoved him into a wall. Iggy and Ella were staring at us.
"What's going on?" Iggy asked, looking between us. I burst into tears and clutched my stomach. I slid to the floor.
"That—bastard's—cheating—on—me," I managed to choke out. Fang knelt beside me.
"M…Ally, I swear on my life, I'm not! In health, our teacher—" I stood up quickly.
"Oh, so making out
was a health project?" I asked in my I-believe-you-now tone. It was
part if my being sarcastic. I ran off and into the girl's bathroom
with him following me. Well, until he couldn't. Ella ran in.
"Max!" she exclaimed. She hugged me. I hugged her back, still
crying.
"We should get to class," I mumbled. She nodded.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I guess our perfect lives we had all planned out are changed after all." I nodded, and we walked out. Tears were still rolling down my cheeks, and Fang was waiting on me. Iggy was glaring silently at him.
"Come on," Ella
said pulling on my arm.
"Please just let me explain!" he
pleaded. I ignored him, and walked into the classroom.
Please! You know me. I would never cheat on you Max. I love you. Please believe me!
I erased it and didn't respond. Why must he insist on making it worse? Saying he loved me, when clearly, he didn't. Saying he would never cheat on me, when, hello? What the hell would you call that, buddy? Saying I knew him. You know, I thought I did. I thought I knew Fang. Guess I was wrong.
My best friend, right wing, right hand man, my love. How could he do this to me? If he doesn't love me, why would he go into depression for six months? The only answer as to why would be he loves me, but if he loves me, he has a really weird way of showing it. I…had…to…move on. No! I can't. This baby needs a daddy, and I can't be with anyone else. I am too in love with him for anyone's own good. But I have to. Maybe take Shane up on his offer.
Maybe he was telling the truth, or maybe she was. Maybe they were both lying. If I had to choose one to believe, I would choose Fang. He could be telling the truth. Why can't I bring myself to believe him? I want to…I should. No. I will never believe him. But I would never be able to love someone, or even like him as more than a friend. That was the only thing I was absolutely certain of.
