Disclaimer: I own nothing all Maximum Ride rights go to James Patterson.
Iggy yawned slightly and stretched as he rummaged through the overhead bins. Opposite him in the aisle, Fang was stretching as well. When Fang was done, he winked dramatically at the flight attendant. Iggy didn't bother hiding his prominent eye roll. For the past hour and a half he'd been stuck listening to Fang flirt with every flight attendant on the plane. It was disgusting and it took everything Iggy had not to throw up.
Before he and Fang had been up in the air on a nonstop flight into Grand Rapids, they had been bombarded nonstop by adoring fans in the Minneapolis airport during their layover. While normally Iggy was always willing to sign anything and everything that a fan would give him, he drew the line at a girl asking him to sign her boobs. And Iggy's breaking point had been reached multiple times in the airport.
After the fourth request, Iggy had given up and hid in the bathroom until he and Fang's plane was set to leave. At the appointed time, Iggy had snuck out of the bathroom and crept to the departing gate. He'd been completely successful in sneaking past the hordes of screaming fan girls as they shouted at an impassive Fang. Fang was very good at ignoring the screaming girls. He didn't blink twice when they tried to attack him, or grab him, or kiss him, or do other miscellaneous crazy obsessive person things. Frankly Iggy wasn't quite sure what they did.
As Iggy exited the plane after dragging Fang away from the flight attendant, he took a deep breath and exhaled dramatically. "Smell that Fangy-poo?" he addressed the black-clad boy standing to his left. "Do you smell that delicious Michigan air?"
"It's airport air Iggy," Fang said bluntly, checking his phone and flicking through the texts he'd received while up in the air. "I'm pretty sure it's recycled."
"Shut up," Iggy said in good nature. He was excited to be home, it had been far too long.
"Why didn't you just stay in California and get a tan like a normal person?" Fang griped.
Iggy shot Fang an incredulous look before gesturing at himself. "I'm pale as an Irish albino Fang. How in the heck am I supposed to get a tan?" Iggy teased. Fang rolled his eyes and Iggy grinned back widely. The airport at Grand Rapids was big, but it wasn't nearly as packed as LAX had been, so neither Iggy nor Fang was too concerned with concealing their faces. They nodded to the few fans that recognized them and signed a few sheets of paper. Luckily, Iggy wasn't asked to sign any boobs, so he was happy to oblige the star struck girls.
A couple of sandwiches from the airport Subway, a couple bags picked up at the bag carousel, a handful of autographs, and a rental car later, and Fang and Iggy were cruising down the Michigan highway. Iggy threw his hands up in the air and let out a whoop as the wind whooshed past them, tossing his hair to and fro in a strawberry blond rat's nest.
"Two hands on the wheel," Fang spat tightly, his hand gripping the door handle with white knuckles. Iggy looked at Fang and roared with laughter. Fang had changed in many ways when they'd become famous, but his driving habits were habitually the same. He drove exactly the speed limit, turn signal at all times, eyes straight ahead unless checking mirrors, and hands at exactly ten and two. No exceptions. And it drove him nuts with how cavalier Iggy was behind the wheel. "And did you have to get a convertible?"
Iggy laughed again. "You always say that I need to spend my money," he said with a cheeky grin. "I choose to use it for a bright yellow convertible. Deal with it."
Fang rolled his eyes and smirked at his best friend. "Man, why aren't you more excited to be back home?" Iggy asked curiously.
Fang glared at the rolling green Michigan country side and asked, "Well why are you so excited to be here Iggy?"
"Nuh uh," Iggy shook his head childishly. "I asked first."
Fang was quiet for a few moments, trying to think of a suitable comeback that Iggy was sure he wouldn't come up with. "We spent so many years trying to get out of this town and now we're going back for our vacation? Seems a little twisted to me," Fang finally said. Well. Iggy certainly hadn't been expecting that.
It made sense of course. Fang, Iggy, Gazzy, and Dylan had grown up together in a small Michigan town of Stone Creek. Iggy had loved Stone Creek. He loved the small family owned shops and the quaint feel of knowing everyone in town. Fang hadn't. He loved LA where nobody knew anyone and he was just a face in the crowd.
Iggy was brought out of his memories by Fang snapping his fingers in Iggy's face. "Hey man, snap out of it," Fang said sharply. Iggy shook his head once for good measure and stuck his tongue out at Fang. "Don't look at me like that," Fang said, leaning back in his car seat with his eyes closed. "You're about to miss the exit."
Iggy looked up and realized that his irate best friend was quite right. Immediately to the right was the exit sign that led into Stone Creek. Iggy barely managed to get out a, "Hold on!" before he yanked on the steering wheel hard. The car jerked to the right and Fang and Iggy slid to the left.
"You idiot!" Fang shrieked as the car practically skidded while Iggy slammed on the breaks. Finally the car slowed down on the exit ramp and Iggy stopped at a stop sign. Fang was breathing hard, grasping the door handle with both hands in a death grip and his face contorted. In between haggard breaths, he gasped out, "Where… the hell… did you… learn to drive?"
"I'm not sure what you mean," Iggy wrinkled his forehead in faux confusion. "That move works all the time in Mario Kart."
"Mario Kart?" Fang let out a sound that sounded far too close to a girlish shriek for Iggy's comfort.
Iggy winced slightly and said, "Do me a favor and never make that sound again." Fang smirked at Iggy and the rest of the ride was spent bickering back and forth between the two best friends. Some people (AKA paparazzi and crazy, obsessed fan girls) might marvel and question what Iggy had done with the real Fang, but Iggy knew the truth. Around his friends, Fang was just as chatty as everyone else. It was around people who were just trying to get closer to them for the band's publicity or use him when Fang clammed up and glared.
"Oh, lunch break," Fang said, pointing to a McDonald's they drove past.
"Nuh uh," Iggy shook his head. "There's no way I'm eating greasy fast food that I could've gotten back in California. Nope. We're getting greasy food at the diner we used to hang out in during middle school."
"The old Ride Diner?" Fang asked in surprise. "That place is still open?"
"Last time I checked," Iggy responded with a shrug as he took the first left into town. Heads turned as Iggy drove down the narrow streets in his bright yellow convertible, one arm thrown haphazardly out the window. Iggy smiled to himself as they passed the familiar stores and restaurants of Iggy's childhood. A few new places had opened up, but much of it stayed the same and Iggy was glad.
Over on that corner was the ice cream and candy shop, Powder's, that he and his group of friends used to go every Saturday to get their sugar fixes. Over there was the sporting good's store, the Score Board, that sold anything and everything related to sports where they used to go mock the employees. Iggy remembered the horrible tacky uniforms they had to wear, the referee shirts with black and white strips that made them look like zebras. And over there on that comer with the old fashioned lamp posts was where Iggy broke his arm skateboarding when he was eleven in the most epic skateboarding crash ever known to the sleepy town of Stone Creek with his two best friends.
Thinking back to those times made something in Iggy's heart pinch. Back then, there had been absolutely no pressure. They weren't trying to produce a number one hit. They weren't trying to meet creative deadlines for their publicist. They were just a couple of kids with hand-me-down-garage-sale-worthy instruments banging out half-decent tunes in Iggy's garage. Iggy missed those times, not that he didn't love where he was at now. It was just… different. Not a good different or a bad different, just different.
"Where are we staying," Fang's voice broke through Iggy's thoughts yet again.
"Mom's house," Iggy responded shortly as he neatly pulled in front of the diner into a parking space.
"You're really going to spend your summer in the middle of nowhere in your parents' house?" Fang snorted in derision. Iggy shot Fang a glare as he turned the car off and stepped out of the car.
"Shut up and let's go get some hamburger that'll probably clog my arteries and give me a heart attack while I wait for the bill," Iggy said with a grin as he rubbed his hands together gleefully. Fang shook his head at Iggy, but followed him into the old time diner nonetheless. As they swung open the door, a bell tinkled loudly, announcing their arrival. There were very few people in the diner; they must have just missed the lunch rush, so Fang and Iggy had their choice of tables. Slipping into the booth in the back corner, Fang and Iggy said nothing to each other as they just observed how little the diner had challenged. There was the same peeling vinyl, the same music playing softly, and the same menus.
"This place hasn't changed at all," Fang stated the obvious as he scanned the menu.
"Why would they change?" Iggy asked with a snort.
Fang glanced at Iggy quickly before saying, "I would think that the whole health craze would have reached this part of the country."
Iggy rolled his eyes and muttered, "Why fix what isn't broken?" Fang didn't respond and the rest of the time waiting was spent refamiliarizing themselves with the menu. Finally, a girl that Iggy recognized immediately came out.
She was shouting at some guy named Mario in the back about how "If he wants to apologize, tell him to come say it to my face the little coward!" With her eyes closed in frustration, she turned around and faced the table, smacking her gum loudly and her hands on her cocked hips. "Hello my name is Monique and I will be your server today. Can I start you off with something to drink?" she repeated in a bored tone.
"Wow Nudge," Iggy said sarcastically. "I love the enthusiasm." Nudge's eyes flew open wide and she looked at Fang and Iggy in absolute shock. Her mouth was open wide and Iggy had the disgusting pleasure of seeing her wad of gum wedge in the corner behind her teeth. "Nudge?" Iggy asked in concern when she just stood there gaping. "Nudge?"
"Dude, I think you broke her," Fang chuckled. Fang's laugh seemed to bring Nudge out of her reprieve and she let out a loud shriek. She sprung forward, ending up half in Iggy's lap, and squeezed the living daylights out of him.
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" she shouted, her words streaming together in a never ending flood. "I can't believe you guys are really here! Ohmygosh!"
"Good to see you too Nudge," Iggy wheezed as the younger girl had yet to release him from her death grip. "Do you think you could-"
"How have you been? How's being famous? Why haven't you come home earlier? How's Los Angeles? How long have you been in town? Who else have you talked too? Have you seen the new-"
"Nudge!" now it was Fang's turn to cut Nudge off. "One question at a time! And let go of Iggy, he's starting to turn a little blue."
"What?" Nudge looked towards the pale boy in confusion and saw that he was indeed starting to turn a peculiar shade of blue. "Oh gosh Iggy, sorry!" Nudge jumped off of Iggy and watched sheepishly as he sucked in a few deep breaths.
"It's okay," he coughed. "How've you been Nudge?"
"Same old same old," Nudge waved her hand flippantly in the air. "It doesn't matter! What matters is how the two stars of Stone Creek are doing?"
Iggy's face darkened for just a moment before he brightened up with a grin once again and he said happily, "It's been really cool Nudge. You wouldn't believe some of the things we've done."
"No I wouldn't," Nudge said with an odd facial expression. For the next hour, Iggy, Nudge, and Fang caught up with each other, swapping their current going on's. Iggy and Fang told Nudge all about Los Angeles, what being in a band was like, what it was like to have screaming fans, and everything in between. Nudge's edge of the conversation was noticeably shorter. She kept it basic, who was looking pretty serious, who had graduated top of their year in high school since Iggy and Fang had left when they were still juniors, and who had moved away years ago. After eating two greasy cheeseburgers that were cooked exactly how Iggy remembered them, Iggy started looking around.
"Where's Jeb?" he asked eagerly. Iggy noticed Fang perk up at the mention of Jeb Batchelder. Jeb had been like a father to them when they'd lived out here. He gave girl advice, helped them with homework, and let them stay past closing attempting to cook a birthday cake for their best friend that ended in a spectacular mess all over the kitchen. If there was one more person that Iggy wanted to share his success with, it was Jeb.
At the mention of the restaurant proprietor, Nudge's face fell. "You two don't know?" she whispered.
Iggy's eyes narrowed in confusion and he asked, "Know what Nudge?"
At Nudge's look, Fang repeated Iggy's sentiments slightly more urgently, "Nudge. What don't we know?"
Nudge gripped her hands tightly together and said, "Guys, Jeb passed away two years ago." Iggy felt something stop in his chest.
"Jeb's dead," he parroted numbly. He felt like his heart had dropped to his stomach and that his mouth had gone dry as he repeated the information robotically. Neither man said anything as they waited to regain their senses.
"How?" Fang finally managed to croak out.
"Cancer," Nudge said shortly. "He never said anything but Jeb was pretty sick for a really long time."
"Oh," Iggy said softly, looking down at his clasped hands resting in his lap. "Oh."
"I'm sorry guys," Nudge said gently, resting one hand on each of the guys' shoulders. "I'll be right back." She got up and left Fang and Iggy alone for a moment.
They sat in stunned silence for a few moments before Fang finally mumbled, "I can't believe Jeb's gone."
"Me neither," Iggy said softly.
"I always sort of thought he'd be there forever," Fang admitted. Iggy nodded mutely and they said nothing else until Nudge came back, two milkshakes in her hands.
"Here you go guys," she set them down and withdrew three straws from her apron pocket. "Strawberry for Iggy and chocolate with two straws for Fang," she smiled at them. Iggy grinned weakly at Nudge for remembering what they used to order all the time when they were kids hanging out at the counter with their feet dangling off the stools. She even remembered Fang's two straws. "How long are you guys in town for?" Nudge asked, trying to take their minds of the hard news she'd just delivered.
"All summer," Iggy answered in between sips of milkshake with his eyes closed in bliss. There was no other place that made milkshakes like Jeb's and Iggy had missed the strawberry goodness.
Nudge smiled happily and chirped, "Great!"
"Hey Nudge, where is everyone?" Fang asked curiously.
"School silly," Nudge giggled. "They don't go on break for another week."
"Oh," Iggy and Fang said together, drawing the word out. That made sense.
Nudge laughed again, "Which means you have a solid five days until you're swarmed by hormonal teenaged girls. Have fun!"
The bell above the door tinkled and a woman shouted from the back, "Monique! Table 7! Chop chop!"
"Sorry guys," Nudge said apologetically.
Iggy waved his hand in the air and said, "Don't worry about it Nudge. Hey, we'll catch up with you later okay?"
Nudge nodded enthusiastically as she moved to go help the new customer. "See you guys later," she called out over her shoulder as Fang and Iggy left, their dinner money on the table and a sizeable tip as well. The car drive over to Iggy's parents' house was silent as both Iggy and Fang reflected on their thoughts. Finally, they pulled up in front of the normal looking house with blue shudders. Iggy grinned giddily, practically bouncing up and down in his car seat in anticipation. Fang was noticeably more calm than his compatriot.
"You did remember to call and let your parents know we're going to be staying with them right?" Fang asked as he started to get out of the car. Iggy froze mid-bounce and winced. He knew he'd forgotten something. Fang froze. "Oh please tell me you're kidding me here Ig."
Iggy smiled pathetically and said, "Whoops?"
"You're killing me Iggy," Fang groaned. "Well, let's go surprise your parents." Iggy nodded and was back to his enthusiastic self.
"I'm sure they'll be happy to see us," Iggy said firmly with a nod to himself. "Besides it's not like they can say no to their own flesh and blood."
"ABSOLUTLEY NOT!" Well. Apparently they could. Fang groaned and looked at Iggy. Iggy gave a half-hearted shrug. How was he supposed to know that his parents were leaving for a month long vacation to Florida this very day? Really, that was just rotten timing.
"Well, Plan B time," Fang said scathingly.
"Yup," Iggy agreed. However, Iggy didn't elaborate and just stood there, looking around.
"Iggy," Fang said, deceptively calm. "Out of curiosity what IS Plan B?" Iggy stood there for a moment before shrugging helplessly. "You're kidding me right?" Fang said through clenched teeth.
"Of course I am," Iggy said disdainfully. "I've totally got a plan." Iggy totally needed a plan.
And that's a wrap! Alright, so what do you guys think Iggy and Fang are going to do? I want to know! Anyway, you all know the drill. Review and let me know what's going on, okay?
Also, did anyone else find Nevermore really out there? Like it hurt my head. What's going through JP's mind I wonder? Cause that book was... interesting.