I've been thinking I need something new to do for the chapters.
I think like recommendations sounds pretty cool. Like at the beginning of the chapter I tell you guys either a movie, food or something I've really liked, let you check it out and tell me things you've been into and one chosen review that says something really cool or interesting, will get an excerpt.
Tell me what you guys think of that.
NOTICE: I took the AN down but Kevin still is a douche-canoe (Define Douche-canoe: exceeding the limits of being a douchebag.)
By habit, I was awake before the sun started to rise behind the trees. It was the latest I've slept-in in four months. Max was still lying across me, drooling slightly on my shoulder. Normally I would find the puddle gross but I found it pretty funny.
After a while of watching her, she moved. Well moved is an understatement of solidly smacking me in the face while stretching.
"Oh, shit. I'm sorry Nick." I held my face. Ugh, that horrible tingly feeling when you may have a nosebleed. "Let me see."
She pried away my hand to examine it. After a few seconds, she flicked my nose.
"It's fine. It's time to get up and get some food." She jumped up, grabbing her shirt and pulling it over her messy blonde head. I watched silently as she pulled on her clothes and ran fingers through her tangles. "Come on Nick, get up. It's already 7:30."
She threw my jeans at my lap. I got up, looking around for my shirt also. I was careful to tilt my head down a little because the ceiling was about half an inch too short for a 6'3 guy. Not to mention how small the space is now that we're grown and not little kids running around.
I turned my head slightly; see in the corner of my eye as Max stared at me. I pulled my jeans up slowly, followed by my shirt. Slow for show. I couldn't contain my laughs at her facial expression. I plopped back down onto the blankets. She started blushing furiously, rubbing the smeared eyeliner from beneath her eyes.
"You're a jerk… 'Fang'" she read my dog tags and threw them at me.
I fingered the ring around the chain, pulling it off. I got up, walking to her.
"Here," I held it out but she just glanced at it then back at her boots.
"Keep it." she smiled up at me. I put it back on the chain and pulled it over my head. "So… I was thinking… breakfast at my house… bacon, eggs, hash browns… ketchup." She twined her hands around my waist. "Sounds like you like the sound of that. Let's go before Nudge gets up and takes over the kitchen."
In that second, I had an epiphany. I would have to face her parents. More fearful out of the two was her father, a retired General that ran Winston base. When I was younger he told me about going to Africa, what he saw there. But what scares me is what he did. As if reading my mind, Max pulled away, looking up at me.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine. He's gone at a meeting. It'll just be you and me… and technically my mother and Nudge."
"As good as it does sound, I really can't. We hit the road in half an hour and then there's the whole 'I disregarded all orders and went missing all night' thing to explain to my Lieutenant." I made her look at me. "If I could, I would Max."
"I know." She mumbled. "Well then rebel; let's get a move on it. See what else I can get you in trouble for." She winked, letting go and grabbing one of my boots from the floor, pushing it into my hands.
"I see what your master plan is now…"
"Yep, I'm pretty devious." She kissed me quickly, pressing hands to my abs to stand on her tippy toes. They lingered there, and then moved to try to fix my hair. Very unsuccessfully let me tell you that. "You have some crazy hair."
"You too." She laughed, smoothing it down again and pulling up her hood. I grabbed her hand, leading her down the ladder.
The night had glazed the grass with dew making all the spider webs visible across the ground. I stepped over tree roots on the forest floor, Max trailing after me. Her hand never left my back.
If only I knew how good this felt, being with her like this, simply touching my back, I would have told her a long time ago. Being in this situation sucks. Not only do I have to leave in an hour, I'm going to be in a handful of trouble. Lt. Pierre's going to be all over me about not being in at all last night. We ran across the drive to the Visitor Lodge.
Men were busying around in the rooms, shoving the yesterday's clothes back into bags and eating cold cereal.
"Stay here. I'll be right back." I left Max behind, going to the main room that watched over the door. I knocked firmly on the door.
"Yes?" Lt. Pierre opened the door, noticing me. His face fell. "Lefebvre."
"Lt. Pierre, I'm here to apologize about-"
"You disobeyed strict orders. Out of all my men…" he hissed.
"Sir, I'm sorry. Can I explain?"
"You better have one hell of a reason." He stared menacingly at me.
"Hi." Max popped up from behind me smiling at Lt. Pierre.
"Who's this?" Lt. Pierre asked unbelievingly.
"I'm Max. He's Nick. You're… some guy. Great we all know each other formally... well I guess just me and you because I'm sure both of us know Nick." I rolled my eyes at Max's small talk. "You see, I stole him. That's why he didn't show up last night."
"You… stole him?" If there's something Pierre wasn't used to, it was the nonsense Max could spit out. Whether she wanted to confuse or just distract you.
"Yeah chained and everything." She secretly grabbed my butt, getting a slight yelp from me.
"And how do you guys..." he scratched his head. Way to go Max. "I'm just really confused."
"You see, Nick and I are best friends. We grew up here together. Well, he did. I've only lived here about 7 years. But still."
"Uh…"
"And last night you know, I just had to spend it with Nick and I know drugging him was a little extensive because he would have willingly chained himself up… but it felt authentic."
"Okay, Max that's enough." I laughed. Lt. Pierre looked at me oddly because I never openly laugh. I stopped, going serious. "But seriously Lt. Pierre, I will accept any punishment for my negligence of orders."
"Just… get ready to go. We'll talk about this later." He shut the door in my face.
"Way to make that really awkward…"
"Admit it, I helped." She smirked and messed up my hair even more.
"Yeah you did, but in a really awkward way."
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes, leaving me behind to go upstairs. I followed, making sure everyone kept eyes off her. She went straight up to the room my duffle bag was in. She opened the door, stopping dead in her tracks. My father sat on the small bed, face full of anger.
"Maximum, leave." He ordered her. She quickly took her leave, shutting the door behind her. "I can't believe you Nicolas." He broke the ice. "My dinner got interrupted last night by your Lieutenant asking if anyone had seen one of his men wandering around. How can you be so stupid? Did you just figure because you were back for one night, you'll be able to mess around? With Max of all people. How many times have I told you that she is no good. Funny how I'm always right."
"Dad, please stop." I muttered, wishing for him to hold his tongue and try to understand.
"No, not when my only son is willing to throw his life away on a girl that has no respect for any man and never will. Truth is Nick, Max isn't the right material."
"What is the right material father? A cookie cutter, kitchen wife who will eventually hate me and divorce me just like mom? She never loved you. She was just a possession of yours." I growled, turning my face to glare at him. "I don't want something pointless, so don't tell me all that shit because you don't know what the hell you're talking about."
His face was bright red with anger and his fists clutched at his sides. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.
"It's a woman's job, despite the fact your mother left us. Do you really think Maximum Ride will understand her place? Not at all."
"There's nothing for her to understand." He shook his head. His dark hair stiff from the close haircut he had. "And mom didn't leave us. She left you. She wanted me to come with her but I stayed. But not for you. She. Left. YOU."
"Putting it all aside for now, you need to go check in with your Lieutenant right away." He shook his head, taking his leave. I didn't feel great about hurting his feelings and saying those things but there's a line that he crossed.
I took a few deep breaths, trying to brush all the anger off. Max came in a few seconds later.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." I breathed. But truth be told, I didn't feel so okay.
"I'm sorry I cause problems." She whispered. "I know he hasn't ever liked me."
"There's no problem Max. Just a misunderstanding."She was silent for a moment.
"Then this is a good time to come out and tell you my father hates your guts?" Again… Scary father + hatred for me= really scared me. "God, I'm joking Nick. Relax. My dad loves you."
"Really…" I rolled my eyes. Thinking about what a disaster running into him would be… disaster… wait. Where's the smoke and explosions? Where's Iggy? Oh well. Where ever he is, it appears he's staying out of trouble… for once.
"What's this?" she asked, pulling out one of my issued daggers wrapped in cloth.
"Nothing." I tried to take it back from her but she pulled away and unwrapped it.
"Wow… they taught you how to use this?" she examined the serrated hilt, built to go in smooth but cause serious damage after that. She fit her fingers around the worn leather bound handle. She looked at it for a second before wrapping it back up and handing it to me. "Got anymore?"
"A few." I tucked it away into my boot. I unstrapped my bag, pulling a dark sweatshirt out.
"What no shower?"
"Nope." I smiled, slinging it over my shoulder. "No time."
"Load-her up!" I heard someone yell out the window.
"Come on," I pulled her out of the untouched room and out of the house. She insisted on carrying my heavy bag, dragging it off the porch. I saw a familiar strawberry blonde head coming out of Max's house with a foil covered paper plate… please just kill me now.
He smiled and waved, hurrying over to me. All I could think was 'please tell me you didn't blow anything up… please…'
"What where you doing there?" I
"Well, that's a funny story. I was looking for you last night, so I knocked at this fine establishment. Lovely Mrs. Nudge opened the door and we started to talk. Turns out she knows you and offered to make me dinner. What a wonderful cook, I could learn a lot from her. She said you and Max would be back for breakfast and I couldn't pass up a home cooked meal. I brought you some. So… not really funny, just really yummy." He sighed happily, looking at something far away, and then snapping back to reality. "So I'm taking it that this is Max, you have wonderful silverware."
"Hi." She smiled a little. I would feel weird if there had been a stranger in my house, playing with my silverware. Max was slightly showing her discomfort.
"Max, this is James. Iggy, Max."
"I figured Fang over here wanted to keep you his little secret. I don't blame him, the guys here are pigs." He shoved his hands into his pockets. I blushed slightly. Max seemed to notice because she laughed. "Well, nice to meet you Max. I gotta go get my stuff."
"Bye." Max grabbed my bag again, pulling it along to the truck.
"Here, I'll take it." I grabbed it from her and tossed it up into the bed.
"What do you have in there? Rocks?" I rolled my eyes at her.
"Start loading in!" Lt. Pierre called somewhere. Neither of us said anything for a few seconds.
"You're really going to leave again?" she asked like she had been hoping I wouldn't.
"Yeah." She nodded, looking up into my eyes.
"Well... don't get yourself hurt. Don't do anything stupid Nick. I swear you better come back." she warned me with a firm tone.
"If it takes forever."
"I'm not really happy with 'forever' how about tomorrow?"
"Sounds good." I chuckled.
"Hurry up Fang!" Sam yelled out the window. He smirked at me, and then pulled his head back into the window. I felt a growl threaten my throat but stopped it. I looked back at Max and pulled her into a hug.
"God Max…" I whispered into her hair. She gripped me tighter. After a while, she pulled back and pressed kisses to my jaw. This was too hard. I trapped her lips, hoping to get every ounce of her but all too soon, she needed to pull away for air. I detangled my hands from her. "I'm sorry."
"I love you." she whispered her voice cracking. The earlier will she had melted. "Please don't go."
"I'm sorry." I repeated. "I love you too but this is my duty. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise Max." I saw her lips quivered a bit but she didn't cry.
"You should probably go." She stepped back from me. "Bye Nick."
"Yeah. Bye Max. Take care of yourself." I leaned my forehead against her's. "I'll be back. I swear Max." I kissed her one last time and then walked away onto the bus. I took my spot next to Iggy and looked out the window at Max standing there. She watched as the bus pulled away.
"Awe… sad." Iggy pouted. "Honeymoon's over."
I just gave him a look, buckled up and reclined my seat as the greyhound took off of the gravel road to concrete.
"Yeah, I noticed. I could tell before you liked Max. Now I'm just really happy she wasn't actually a guy. The only thing you really have to worry about is that you're banging the daughter of the most kick ass retired guy in all France AND Britain and-"
"God Iggy, do you really have to use those exact words?"
"Yah…" he rolled his eyes. "Back to what I was saying before you so rudely interrupted… you should probably do what Paul Walker's theme music says, I suppose you should 'watch your back, watch your, watch your, watch your back.'"
"Thanks for that. It's really helpful." I said sarcastically. "Who's Paul Walker?"
"Really?" He looked like I just slapped him with a piece of pizza, thus getting marinara sauce up his nose. "He's… I can't believe- urg. He's an American actor. Here's your firetrucking food."
He set the plate in my lap, turning away from me. Sheesh. If I knew that would offend him, I wouldn't have said it. Not my fault he apparently is a fan of American actors. The only English movies I've seen are some British Indies that Max likes and some cartoons.
I really don't care. All I wanted was to be left alone.
Okay, so I know it's almost been a month. But to make up, this is a really long chapter. more than 2,600. I wouldn't be hopeful on the next chapter because I'm currently working on Chapter… 15 and I've had to go back and change things so I'm going to hold onto it for a little bit longer.
I NEEEEEDDDD TO KNOW! Do any of you guys know a really good blogging place? I've been wanting to create my own blog and do like drawings and articles for it. So, please tell me if you do.