Chapter 1

'Now all our memories they're haunted, we were always meant to say goodbye.'

Fang.

I made my way through the crowd towards the person I knew and loved most in the world. Max. She was looking totally un-max-like in an elegant, satiny dress, with her hair pulled back into a smooth ponytail, jigging to the music and grinning from ear to ear. I glanced quickly around and surveyed the big hall where the reception party was being held and saw all the faces that I recognized as the people that I loved and knew cared about me.

All the people I was about to leave.

Nudge was tripping ungracefully over her feet and swaying slightly as she waved ecstatically at me from across the dance floor. I wondered if she was slightly drunk from the champagne that Max's Mom had kindly provided. Gazzy and Iggy certainly were and both were now dancing ridiculously to a new pop song that was blaring out on the tall speakers stacked in the corners of the hall.

Total was practically glued to Akila's side, with a toothy smile plastered to his face which was currently covered in the frosting from his wedding cake. Despite all the odds, Akila and Total had stuck together and were now a happy little couple; I envied them for it. I didn't think Max and I would be quite so lucky. And Angel was talking quietly to Max's Mom and I wondered briefly if she knew of my intentions.

I reached Max and she smiled up at me as I stood next to her and my heart turned cold as I thought about what I was about to do. She looked so happy and so free. A woman had come to our house and done all our hair and (for the girls) makeup and the flock all looked gorgeous. I, myself was wearing a smart dark suit and had had my hair cut.

"You staying much longer?" I asked, raising my voice a bit to be heard over the music.

Max laughed and said "Hey, don't ruin it! I'm having fun for once!"

I held up my hands, gave a false smile and said "Okay, its fine with me if you stay but I might head back. Partying and wedding dances aren't really my style. I'll see you when you get back" A lie.

She brushed past my statement of seeing her later thinking nothing of it and said, "Well wedding dresses aren't exactly my style either, but I'm the one having to wear one!"

"Yeah…Well, anyway, Goodbye", I said awkwardly not exactly knowing quite what to do. I wanted to kiss her, for the last time, but knowing it would just complicate things and make both of us feel worse, I settled for wrapping my arms around her instead and gave another false smile.

This couldn't be any harder.

I flew back to our house my mind blazing. Too many thoughts clamored to be heard at once and my heart was pounding, so by the time I landed on our familiar balcony I was shaking with adrenaline and nerves at the cruel stunt I was about to pull off: my disappearing act.

Because that was my skill, right? Some of us got to read minds or fly at super-speed; whilst I got to cause pain to the people I loved, by being Mr. Invisible.

I'd already left her once. Twice. And now I had to do it again.

I swayed a little and had a fleeting thought that perhaps I had been the one to drink too much at the reception. I made my way down the hall trying not to think hard about what would happen next. Trying not to think at all. I pushed my bedroom door roughly and it snapped open with a bang and I clattered about, grabbing a pen and paper. I knew I was being noisy but could barely hear myself; I was concentrating too hard on the paper on the desk and the pen in my hand. What do I write? How on earth can express this feeling?

I ignored the thoughts about how angry Max would be- how hurt and lost, how lost I'd be without her, how the last time I kissed her seemed so long ago. I ignored all memories of Max, good and bad, all my thoughts on her, my hopes, my dreams – I shut down my brain and tried to make my mind as blank as the page in front of me.

I began to write.