Max P.O.V

Though I can pretty much get all my meals for free over at the Swiz, I still need to keep food in my own apartment just in case. As much as I would love to, I couldn't completely live on flavorful oh so-good Italian foods. Then again, it wasn't exactly safe for me to live off of my own cooking. I could make a sandwich, bowl of cereal...actually the only thing I actually knew how to bake were cookies. I am very serious about my cookies.

I turned into the aisle where all the frozen food products were. I checked my watch: 12:30 AM on a Wednesday. I sighed and looked around. I was in the twenty four hour super market in town. I was grateful for this store because it gave me something else during my nightly journeys. I spent most of my nights at the Swiz doing homework or singing. If I wasn't then I was just strolling through the streets looking for something interesting to do or at here at the market to stock up with some food. If I made it home in time I'd fall asleep for an hour or two then go to school. I usually spent my afternoons sleeping then going to work. I wasn't exactly a day person. The other reason I didn't go out a lot during the day was because I didn't want to risk bumping into Jeb. I stayed in this town because I could switch schools without Jeb or social services finding. I was still legally underage. If anyone found out Jeb had kicked me out then he could go to jail, which I didn't mind a whole bunch, and I would have to go to some foster home, which I minded a lot.

As I trotted around from aisle to aisle my thoughts went from my history test on Friday to Fang. Funny how that can happen. Frowning at the scale as I measured the kiwis I place, I thought again why Nick and James would be at the Swiz late at night. They probably didn't want to get mobbed by a group of fan girls or the public. Yet, it seemed strange to me that they would choose the Swiz of all places. I thought that famous people liked publicity but then again who would? They were probably sick of it.

'Fine,' I decided contently putting back one kiwi. 'If that's what they want then that's what they are getting.' There would be no special treatment for them, especially from me. That was, if I ever did see them again.

"Hello, Max."

My elbow jerked backwards hitting someone hard in the gut. I swerved down and kicked whoever was behind me behind the legs making them fall backwards. I raised my head in time to see Fang fall with a few potatoes scattering beside him.

"Speak of the devil," I muttered even though technically I was only thinking about him. Okay, that sounded weird. Fang shook his head then glowered at me. "And he shall come." I returned the glare with one of my own.

"Okay, I definitely deserve an apology for that," Fang held his hand out at me as if expecting me to help him up.

Again, I repeat, no special treatment. I crossed my arms over my chest. "For what? Self-defense?"

"That's not self-defense," He mumbled getting himself up then picked up everything that had fallen out of his small basket. "Didn't even attack you."

"Bah!" I picked up the bag of kiwis I left on the scale, tied it and then threw it into my cart. "Could have fooled me. Didn't anyone ever teach you not to sneak up on people?"

"I didn't."

"Uh, yeah you did." I pushed my cart over to the strawberries. This was weird I had seemed him three times in less than a week. "This is creepy. Are you stalking me?" I asked voicing my thoughts.

"What?" Fang's face was incredulous. "No."

"Are you sure you're not stalking me? I swear you're stalking me."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Har, har." I looked at the strawberries wondering if I really wanted some.

Fang stayed silent for a while, big surprise, then said, "What are you doing here at past midnight?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I decided on taking just one package of strawberries. It was true, I could ask him what the heck he was doing in a supermarket but I already knew the answer to that. He wanted to avoid being swarmed by fans. But wouldn't they be staying at a hotel? No, it wouldn't be comfortable for a month. They were probably stuck living somewhere where they had to fend for themselves or had a cook. "You ran out of food?"

"Nothing good," He responded. "You?"

"Just stalking up," I said then picked up a can of whip cream near the strawberries. I placed it in the cart. What else do I need?

Fang looked into the cart. His eyes grew slightly. I had a couple of things from each aisle so it was pretty full. "How many people are in your family?"

I stiffened a little. "Just me and my dad," I said carefully looking away.

"You need all this for just the two of you."

Out of my few encounters with Fang, I wasn't quite used to him talking so much. "I eat a lot."

"I bet."

I shot him a glare then contemplated my cart. That seemed like everything.

"Sorry, didn't mean it that way," Fang picked up his own can of whip cream. He started looking for some other things.

"Aren't you going to get strawberries?"

"For what?"

I rolled my eyes. Celebrity of not, he was still some adolescent guy. "So, where's Iggy?"

"Sleeping?"

"That's nice." I started to wheel my car to the checkout line. Fang fell behind a bit as he was getting eggs then appeared behind me again. I emptied my cart then looked up to the person at the cash register. "How's it going, Mark?"

"Hey, Max," Mark greeted scanning my food. "Good, you? You're really gonna get me workin' tonight." He said referring to my food.

"Same ol', same ol'," I went to the baggage area. "Yeah, I know but that's me." I was prone to helping out Mark with my groceries. It seemed only fair.

"Heard your dad's going out of town," He remarked carefully. Mark was five years older than me and knew me since we were kids. He was also the only one that knew about my family. He had found me sleeping in the storage area two days after I was kicked out. He had asked me to stay with him and I accepted. I stayed a while until two weeks passed and my father had chosen to stop by. I had sneaked away in time. I didn't know what he would have done and I didn't want to. If he did anything I didn't want Mark around or else fight him. I wasn't ready for that.

"Yeah," My eyes flicked over to Fang then to Mark. Mark caught my eye then got the signal. Fang was carefully unloading his own groceries. His hoodie was up and you could barely make out his face, his hair covered his eyes.

"Going to New York," Mark ventured. It was the way he told me what was going on with Jeb. I wasn't completely oblivious to what Jeb.

My heart sped up and my paced quickened as I bagged my stuff. "Yeah, he's just going to visit some family. How did you hear?" Jeb had an affair with Sheridan Tenting a year after my mom died. She had gotten pregnant. Ari and she lived in New York. I had been protective of him for the one year they lived with us. I had been heartbroken when they left. Sheridan had wanted to take me but legally she couldn't. They had never gotten married.

"He came by here yesterday afternoon," Mark said. "I think he said he was leaving today. A few weeks." He scanned the rest of my things. "He's been looking good these couple of months." This translated into 'he's been getting sober.'

I smiled cheekily. "I bet." 'I wonder.' I paid then I slowly pushed my cart out of the store to the bike I brought with me tonight. I didn't drive, I couldn't without Jeb. It angered me to know how many of the things I could or couldn't do all depended on Jeb. He left today to go see Sheridan and Ari. He was going to be gone for a couple of weeks. This was at least was half of some good news. I couldn't be all that certain that he wasn't going to do anything bad. I had a tall cart like basket attached to my bike for groceries. I loaded them in. As a habit, I looked at the receipt. I froze in my place. Right at the bottom of the receipt was scrawled; He's getting married to Sheridan. I tried processing this but couldn't. How on Earth was he getting married to Sheridan? When did he talk to Sheridan? And what the hell did he tell her about me?

"Need a ride?"

I turned around to see Fang with his hood down standing a few feet away with groceries in his hands. "I would but I'm scared of you stealing my food." No, I just didn't want him to know where I lived.

He looked me up and down. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen, you?" Of course I already knew the answer to this.

"Eighteen." He looked at my bike then at me. "Sure you don't want a ride?"

"Sorry," I said climbing onto my bike. "I'm not allowed to get into cars with strangers."

He walked so quietly I didn't even notice Fang walk up to me. I turned my head and was startled to see him so close to me.

He put his mouth next to my ear and my breath quickened. "I'm not a stranger, Max," Fang pulled away smirked. My unsettling mood returned to normal. "You know me."

"But you don't know me," I turned my bike then pedaled away. When I was a safe distance away I pulled out my phone. I called Mark and waited for him to pick up. Yeah, I don't care if it's unsafe to talk and ride.

Mark answered, "Max?"

"How is that possible? What did he tell her?" I demanded.

"Look, I have no idea either," Mark said slightly defensive. "He just walks in, buys a bag of chips then he drops that big of news on me."

A car passed me and I could have sworn I saw Fang in it. "Yeah, but what did he tell her, about me?"

"Well, I asked him how you felt about this. I told him I've seen him a lot but I haven't seen you in years." I looked ahead of me. "You know, so I wouldn't give away that I've seen you. Then he said," He scoffed on the other line. "He said you were totally cool with it, the only reason I haven't seen you was that he sent you to boarding school."

It was my turn to scoff, "I wish."

"I know," He made a small pause then, "Hey, Max? Who was that guy behind you in the checkout line? He looked familiar."

"I'm sure he did," I muttered. "Look, I got to go, I'm riding on my bike and all."

"Sure, later. Take care."

"Yeah, you too." I slowed down a bit so I could carefully put back my phone. Then I started to speed up. The wind started to beat against my face. It was as if I were flying. I wish I could, I wished it with all that I was worth. The world had tumbled on to my shoulders again. Was Jeb really sobering up? Was he really marrying Sheridan? How was Ari? Why was I bumping into Fang everywhere?

I slowed down. This last question confused me. Why did I care anyway? I shook my head. So many things wrong with the world and I deemed that important?

I sped up my bike. I hoped if I went fast enough I would grow wings and fly up into the sky. I could escape my whole past.

I would just be flying.


So, this took a while to update because I refused to update this story until I updated my other story. So, yep. Short I know but I hope you all like it :)