Alone
The next morning I woke up alone. I sat up quickly, not remembering where I was. Fang's jacket slid off and exposed my bare shoulders. The mossy ground was damp and the sun was beginning to shine through the leaves. A small smile graced my face as I remembered the events of the night before.
Fang's shirt was nowhere to be seen and his shoes were gone. Did it really happen?
"Fang," I called softly.
The leaves rustled and a twig snapped nearby, but Fang never appeared.
I stood up and unfurled my wings. I noticed that my clothes were piled up a short distance away and quickly pulled them on. I needed to get back to the flock and I needed to see Fang. I needed to ask him if he'd really told me he loved me and if we'd really done what I thought we did. I couldn't have dreamed the whole thing, could I?
No, Max, you couldn't, the voice whispered.
I carefully touched the back of my head. It was a bit tender, so hitting my head on the tree was definitely not a dream. In fact, there was a small bump where my head had made contact with the tree bark.
Snap. I jumped and spun around in a circle, desperately searching the surrounding trees for Fang's face or a glimpse of his black wings.
What are you jumping at? It's probably just a squirrel, I told myself.
I took a running start and jumped into the air, pushing my wings down and fighting against gravity to lift my body into the sky. I hovered over the trees for a moment, trying to remember the way Fang had lead me.
It didn't take long for my sense of direction to kick in, and then I was zooming across the pink and yellow sky. At this rate I would be back to the cabin before the hour was up.
It was peaceful, flying alone, and the sky was gorgeous. The birds began to wake up, twittering sweetly. There was only one person I wanted to share it with. And at the moment that person is MIA.
When I reached the two-bedroom cabin, I found the door unlocked and silently slipped into the house. To my surprise the lights were on and everyone was gathered around the kitchen table. Fang was among them.
"Max's back!" Angel yelled when she saw me. She was tall for a nine year old, but that wasn't unusual for a bird-girl.
"I went for an early fly," I told them, shooting daggers at Fang, who was putting food in a picnic basket. "The sunrise was beautiful."
"Iggy made pancakes this morning," Gazzy said, his mouth full of food.
"Well, enjoy your breakfast. I think I'll go take a shower," I said, walking into the bedroom that I was sharing with Nudge and Angel.
I closed the door behind me and looked around the room. Nudge's bed was rumpled and I could tell that Angel hadn't slept peacefully. Is it obvious that my bed wasn't slept in last night? I wondered as I grabbed my towel and a change of clothes.
I sat down on my bed and sighed, the reality sinking in. I had left the Flock unguarded to go off on a romantic escapade with someone who left me alone when morning came. How stupid could I have been? Erasers could have injured a member of my family and I wouldn't have been here to stop them. Angel could have been kidnapped again. And then the fact that I still had a microchip in my wrist didn't help any, either. Fang and I could have been ambushed when we were together.
And obviously the night meant nothing to Fang. He was just acting on the teenage hormones that had been raging through him lately. But then, so was I, and it had meant something to me. Those three words had melted my heart and waking up alone was causing it to dissolve.
I took a deep breath and crossed the hard-wood floor, opening the door. Fang stood in the doorway. He looked as if he was about to knock. I tried to push past him.
"Max, let me explain," he begged, grabbing my arm.
"What's there to explain? We're just two hormonal teenagers, right? It was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm just glad to know how you feel," I said.
I could tell that my words pierced him like my hand could have pierced his skin. He looked towards the ground and searched for something to say next.
"I love you," he said.
"No you don't. If you did, you would have been there for me when I woke up!" I exclaimed.
He released my arm and said, "I thought you wouldn't wake up as early as you did. I was going to come back, but…"
I slammed the bathroom door. I turned on the water and stepped out of my clothes. Then I stepped onto the cold tile and stood under the streaming, warm water. It loosened the muscles that I didn't remember tightening. It also allowed me to let go of the sob that had almost escaped.
I slid down the shower wall and curled up on the shower floor. I felt broken and dumb. Tears slid down my cheeks, mingling with the warmth that the shower head provided.
A/N: Some of you probably hate me right now, but don't worry, if you hang on for the ride better things will come. Please review!