So so so sorry for the wait. I hope this fulfills your wished. I have a bit f fax in there, but only a bit. Happy reading!
I lead Fang out to the courtyard, pushing open the doors, the cool October wind blowing in my face. I didn't actually look behind me to confirm that he was there, but I could hear his pursuit. I stopped at a bench on the borderline of the school and sat down, my eyes watching Fang as he sat on the one across from me. We were silent for a while, and just watched each other, before he spoke up.
"Hey."
"Hi." I muttered, staring down at my boots.
"You, ah- you look really pretty." He said, blushing. Fang, blushing? Oh, God cue the awkward silence.
"Thanks." I said, my cheeks, flushing, matching his.
"Look, Max, I don't want us to be like this."
"Like what Fang? I asked, raising my head, looking at him straight on.
He ignored my question. "I'm sorry. And I've said that before. What is so confusing about that?"
I gaped at him. "What's confusing is the fact that now all of a sudden, you're sorry. You've ignored me since that day, and now you're sorry? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
He sighed. "It's a long story."
I gave him a look, but didn't say anything.
"Fine," he stood up, "How do you feel about ditching school?"
"So, what are we supposed to be doing again?" I asked Fang, as we walked down the street to the bus stop.
Fang gave me an incredulous look. "We, m'darling, are skipping school."
"Alright."
Fang stopped abruptly. "You've never skipped school have you?"
"Uh, nope." I said, embarrassed.
Fang didn't say anything for minutes, but when I looked at him he was grinning, like, his whole face was effected by that stupid grin he had on.
"What?" I snapped.
"I've taken away your virginity."
"What the fuck? Are you high?"
He chuckled, "Naw; just happy that I'm discovering the real side of Maximum Ride."
"Fuck you."
This time, he full out laughed, slinging an arm around my shoulders and smacking a kiss on the top of my head. I ducked my head in mortification, my cheeks flaming.
"So, the first rule of skipping school is that you have to enjoy it." He said after a moment of silence.
"Whoa. The hell- there are rules?"
"Duh. Now, the second rule-"
"There's more than one?"
"Can I finish?" He asked, annoyed.
"Yeah, yeah." I waved my hands motioning for him to go on.
"Anyways, as I was saying, the second rule is that you can't have a plan for skipping school, or it becomes boring."
"Huh, alright." I nodded, as we reached the bus stop.
The bus ride was silent; Fang was on his phone the whole time and I plugged into my I-Pod. Music was always the best distraction from this hell-hole I call life, but this time it didn't seem to be working. The only thing my brain was focused o n was the fact that Fang was sitting right next to my, his thigh touching mine. I could feel his heat radiating off of him onto me, and I couldn't help but feel a little smug that Fang was here with me, and not with Liss, his toy, or Brigid, his 'girlfriend'.
My mind was whirling with all these emotions I hadn't actually felt before. My dad was back, Gazzy was going to fight in the fucking army, and Fang was being- nice? - to me. And now I'm skipping school with him. Fang Martinez, the one boy Gazzy hates. He keeps saying he's sorry, but I'm confused as to why I should believe him. Getting hurt is not something I want to do again.
"Max. This is our stop." I looked up at Fang and nodded, getting off the bus with him. I looked around us, surprised to find out that we were downtown.
"Why here?" I asked him, turning to face him.
"Don't know. Come on." He grinned down at me, and tugged me towards the mall.
"Oh no. Nudge is already taking me after school." I pretested, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Eh, go with me now, and then you don't have to go again with Nudge."
I warily glanced at him. "You still haven't given me a good reason to forgive you."
He grinned, pulling me towards the mall again. "I know. But I was hoping that today could be like, my rendition."
"Well, in that case you're going to have to work really hard."
He turned and winked at me, "Eh, you're worth it."
And just like that, my heart stopped working.
"Alright, so far, you've bought me clothes, taken me for sushi and gotten my ice cream. Is the day over yet?" I asked Fang, while I took another lick of my ice cream cone. We were walking down the street to his place, my arms loaded with shopping bags. We'd been together all afternoon, and he'd been making it harder for me to hate him, I'll admit.
"Nope."
"I still hate you, you know. You still have to work harder than that. Buying me artificial stuff like that won't work on me."
"Yeah, I figured that, which is why I am going to teach you how to play Halo."
I snorted. "Halo? Really Fang?"
"Yup." He said, opening the gate to his massive house, and leading me around the back.
"Back to one worded answers I see."
He chuckled lightly, and opened the door for me. I stepped into the house, dropping my bags, and taking off my shoes.
"Come in to the kitchen." Fang called from somewhere in the house.
"Uh, yeah sure." I replied, walking out of the pantry. The kitchen wasn't actually that hard to find, it seems, and Fang had already grabbed two bags of chips and was reaching into the fridge for something to drink. I hopped onto the counter and watched and he lobbed a can of coke at me. I smiled in appreciation, and opened it, taking a long sip.
"In to my bedroom!" Fang cheered, turning so his back was to me.
"Uh, what?" I asked, confused.
"Get on my back, I'll take you to my room, then we can play in private."
"Fang, there's no one else in the house." I pointed out.
"God, fine! Just walk up for all I care."
I laughed, and hopped onto his back, winding my arms around his neck.
The proximity scared me a bit, I hadn't actually been this close to anyone in a long time, let alone a boy, but Fang played it off as if it was no big deal so I let it go.
"Well, this was a bad idea."
I laughed, "You're just sad because I won."
"Fuck you," Fang retorted, and my grin grew.
"Alright, so what's next?" I asked, sprawling myself out on his bed.
"We could always just make-out."
"Uh, nope."
"Come on! Please?"
"Dude, you so want me." I said, turning my head to look at him.
"I can see your tummy." He murmured, his eyes fixated on the piece of skin showing between my leggings and shirt.
"Tummy?" I smirked, "Isn't that what three year olds say?"
"Shut up," He said, snapping out his trance. "Let's make food."
"I have no problem with that idea," I grinned, jumping our his bed, and running down to he kitchen.
"Is pizza alright?" Fang asked when he got down.
"Cheese?"
He opened the freezer, "Yeah."
"Ooh! Can we make floats?" I asked, coming up beside him.
He smirked, "who's the three year old now huh?"
I scrunched my nose up, "Shut it."
Fang laughed, and took the pizza out if the freezer, and preheated the oven. I walked over to the pantry, where I left my purse, and took my phone out, giving my house a call. Gazzy picked up on the first ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Gaz, it's me."
"Hey, Max." He said awkwardly. We hadn't talked since last night, and there was the obvious tension between us.
"I'm just at a friend's house; I'll probably be here 'till nine okay?"
"You're not with Nudge though." He pointed out.
"Believe it or not, Gaz, I have more friends that just Nudge." I snapped.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry, okay? I'm just, high strung."
I sighed, and pinched the bridge of my nose. "It's alright, just tell mom okay?"
"Yeah, okay bye."
Bye," I said, hanging up.
I walked back to the kitchen, surprised to find Fang already making the floats.
"Hey," He turned to me and grinned, "I was thinking maybe we could watch a move while we eat?"
I smiled at him, and walked over, sliding the pizza into the oven, "Yeah, yeah I'd like that."
We decided to watch 'The Strangers'. It was a horror movie, and probably not the best idea on my part. It was my second or third horror movie ever, and I didn't remember until we'd started it how much I hated them. Once I'd finished my pizza and float, I curled up under the afghan Fang had got for the both of us. I was prey good at hiding my fear, but with all the motion shit that had been going on in the past week or so, I was pretty soft. The first time a whimper escaped my lips, Fang ignored it, but by the third time, he pause the movie and looked at me.
"Do you want me to stop it?" He asked, genuine concern seeping into his expression.
"No! No, no, I'll be fine, don't worry," I assured him.
"Aright," He said, then pressed play. What happened next, I can safely say I am ashamed to say I did. And never in a million years had I thought I would actually do it. But just as the friend on the screen died, I lost it, and pressed my face into his, rock hard chest, practically sitting on his lap.
"Uh-" Fang said awkwardly.
"Sorry," I muttered.
"No, it's alright, just, different."
"Fang?" I whispered.
"Yeah," He asked, his eyes still glued to the screen.
"Why do you hate me?"
He sighed, and paused the movie again. "I used to have a sister."
"What?"
"Yeah. Her name was Maya, and you reminded me of her. She died when we were in grade five. She was in grade eight at the time."
"Fang," I said softly.
"That day on the playground, I just, you reminded me of her, and I got mad. Because she left us, she left me. And I didn't want to believe it." Then, something wet hit my cheek. My eyes widened, and I looked up at his face, surprised to find that Fang was crying.
I place a hand on his cheek, and wiped away the tears using my thumb. I didn't know what to say to him, so I was just there. I felt his tears as the ones that I didn't manage to sweep away, hit my cheek. I felt his arm wind around my waist, and I felt him bury his head in my neck, and sob.
We sat there, for a long time, long after Fang stopped crying, but neither of us made a move to free ourselves from the other's embrace. Finally Fang lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had tear stains down his cheeks. I smiled when I looked at his hair, and gently rand my fingers through it, smoothing it out.
"Thanks." Was all he said; I knew that there was a whole speech behind that one word, but for the first time ever, I knew what he meant.
Fang cut the engine and walked over to my side of his car, and pulled my shopping bags out, then reached and hand out, and helped me out of the car. We walked up to my door in silence, and he waited patiently as I dug though my purse for my keys.
I turned to Fang once I found them. "Hey, I just wanted to say thank you. For today, and well everything. I surprisingly had a lot of fun."
He grinned and I could see his pearly teeth sine in the moonlight. "Yeah, so did I. We should do it again sometime."
I smiled in return, "For sure."
"Well, here." He placed my bags on the ground next to me, and stepped back.
"Bye," I said softly.
"What? Don't I get a hug?" He teased.
I laughed lightly, and stepped into his warm embrace. The moment would of been perfect, if it wasn't for at that second Gazzy opened the door.
"Max?" He asked.
My eyes widened, and I stepped away from Fang, and turned to face my seething brother.
"Gazzy, hi."
I could see his jaw lock. "Max, what have I told you about him?"
"Gaz, you can't determine who I'm friends with and not."
"Anyone but him, Max, anyone but him." He begged.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Fang cut me off. "I was actually just leavin, I'll see you tomorrow Max."
I turned to him, with a soft smile on my face, "Bye."
I watched him walk to the car and drive away, before facing Gazzy.
"I'm going to bed. If you want to apologize, you had ten seconds to do so."
He raised his eyebrows. "I'm not apologizing."
"Fine," I said, grabbing my bags, and storming up to my room, pausing only to kiss my mom on the cheek. I slammed my door, and dumped the bags on the floor, and climbed into bed, my clothes still on. As I drifted off, I could smell Fang on me, and blame it on my drowsiness- but I actually liked it.
Ok! Here it is! I hope you liked it! Don't forget to REVIEW!
