Max crawled through her medium sized window, barely fitting. She slipped down and glanced around. Night had fallen.
The girl scampered behind a bush when she heard a door open. Peeking through the leaves, she saw her neighbor across the street in the doorway, picking something up. When the neighbor retreated, Max stepped out from her hiding place. She ran to Fang's house and went around the back.
Judging by the window, the lights were off.
Determined, Max took out a ladder; it was the same one she'd been using to visit Fang. Of course, nobody knew except them.
Max rested the ladder as quietly as she could against the wall. Earlier, she'd seen Cassie's car. If Fang's sister ever found her out, she'd be in trouble, and Fang would be teased mercilessly.
As quickly as she can, she climbed the ladder. When she got to the top, she knocked on the window. She thought she heard a groan and something getting hit against the wall. She instantly tensed up. Cassie sometimes beat Fang up. And by 'beating up,' that meant getting a black eye or a fractured wrist.
Max rapped on the window again. This time, there was no answer.
So, Max jiggled the window open, slid in, and closed the window behind her.
"Max?" Fang's voice was small and scared.
"Fang?" Max flipped on the light switch. Fang was a lump under the covers, and Max could hear him sobbing.
Her heart thudded painfully against her chest. Was he hurt?
"F-fang?" She tentatively reached out.
Fang didn't answer; he sobbed softly into his pillow. Max gently sat down beside him.
"Fang." She stroked his hair until he turned to her. His face was tear streaked, a darkening bruise on his left cheek.
"Ssh." Max pulled herself up against the headboard and hugged Fang against her chest. "Did she hurt you?"
Fang was silent for a moment. "S-she was drunk and she punched me. Max, it hurts." His voice cracked.
Max soothingly ran her hands through his black hair, murmuring words of comfort as she did so.
How am I going to tell him now? She thought miserably.
"I'm sorry," Fang said after a long silence.
"About what?" Max looked down curiously at him.
"For earlier," Fang said.
"I didn't mean to storm away like that, either," Max told him.
"Why did you, then?" Fang locked eyes with her.
I can't tell him, Max thought. He's already had enough for tonight with his sister.
Max shook her head and said to Fang, "I don't know."
The two stayed like that, Fang's head in Max's lap. Fang looked blankly up at Max, idly playing with her hair.
"Stop that," Max said, pushing his hand away.
Fang grinned unexpectedly. "Why?"
Max rolled her eyes. "You know why."
"What's going on in your head?" Fang wondered out loud.
"Why do you want to know?" Max stuck her tongue out at him.
Fang shrugged. "I don't know. I tell you everything." After a pause, he added, "Well, actually, not everything."
Max feigned hurt. "What? Is there something I don't know?"
Fang chuckled. "Not yet."
A few more seconds of silence passed.
"Is your cheek feeling better?" Max asked, outlining the bruise with her finger.
Fang winced. "No."
And that was when Max leaned down and kissed his cheek. "How about now?"
Fang didn't answer.
~~~::~~~
Next Morning
"Jeb?!" Max stared in shock through the window. "Mommy! Jeb is here!"
She'd stopped calling him 'daddy' a while ago.
"Mommy!" She repeated, louder this time. Dr. M hurried down the stairs.
"What, honey?"
"Look! It's him!" She said 'him' like it was some soft of disease.
"Go upstairs. Keep Angel and Gazzy with you." Her mom pushed her forward, and Max did as she was told.
When she arrived upstairs, Gazzy was in the bathroom, his shirt off, about to take a bath.
"Gaz!" Max pulled him into her room. "Stay," She commanded, and went to get Angel from her mom's room. She carefully picked Angel out of her crib; she was capable of holding the baby already.
"Shut the door," She told her younger brother and he did.
"Is that daddy?" There was excitement and hope in the Gasman's voice when he looked out the window. Max set Angel down onto her bed and pulled him back harshly.
"Yes," She muttered. She closed the curtains, gathered Angel in her arms again, and sat on her bed with Gazzy.
"Are they going to fight again?" Gazzy asked, almost to no one in particular. With her free hand, Max pulled Gazzy to her.
"No, don't worry," She whispered.
"But I can hear them," Gazzy protested.
"Just try not to listen," Max told him.
~~~::~~~
About twenty long minutes, Max crept downstairs. She knew that Jeb was still here; she had a feeling.
"Max." Jeb turned to her.
Hatred filled Max's eyes as she stared him down. "What?"
"We're going. Come on." He sauntered towards her, and Max took a step back.
"No," She said firmly. "I'm not leaving my mom, Fang, or anyone else."
He pulled on her arm. "Maximum."
"Jeb."
They locked gazes, and Max narrowed her eyes at him.
"No," She repeated forcefully. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
Jeb put on a stern face.
"Mommy!" Max shrieked as Jeb threw her over his shoulders. "Mommy!" She pounded on the man's back, but it did little effect.
"I'm sorry, Max," She heard her mother say, "I love you. Be strong."
She screamed louder; was her mom going to let him take her away?!
When they were out the door, Max caught sight of Fang's house. Fang! She couldn't leave him!
"Fang!" Max screamed. Tears were now rolling down her cheeks. "Fang."
Jeb put her in his car, strapped on her seat belt, and drove out of there. Max pulled on her seat belt.
"I don't want to go!" She yelled, punching at her 'dad'.
"Max!"
Max was thrown hard into the door when Jeb turned left sharply. "Stop."
"I didn't even get to say good bye to Fang," She whispered. Her small but lethal fists clenched. "Jeb! Take me back!"
"Maximum, be quiet," Jeb breathed in deeply. "W-we'll be home in a few minutes."
"No!" Max growled, throwing herself at him. Jeb pushed her back, managing to drive while he was at it.
"Max, shut up or I'll drop you out of this car. And you'll never see that Fang of yours again." Something in his tone made Max go quiet.
She shrank as far as she could from him. Her father.
Her eyes blurred with tears, and she wished Fang were here, so she could curl up in his chest and cry.
