JPOV
This is starting to get interesting. Max is like a little fire cracker. When she was in the car with me I could sense that she was starting to give in to me but then she just… left. I never know what to expect with this girl and I love it. I am determined to have her now and once I do I am not going to let her go.
The only thing in my way is that boy. I thought for sure that after his mom was dead he would leave her but she lived! That bitch just wouldn't die so I finally gave up and left her. Still that should have been enough for him to leave Max but yet they are still together.
All I know is that Maximum Ride will be mine no matter what the cost.
FPOV
After spending a few hours with my mom she finally kicked me out and told me to "spend some time with my new girlfriend." It felt great to hear her say those words so I left and I am now heading towards Max's house.
Turning into her driveway, I notice that the car is gone. That must mean that Max is home alone. Heading up to the door I notice Max's drapes flutter closed. She sees that I'm here. I go to open the door since she knows I am here but the door is locked. That's strange, they never lock the door. After a minute of waiting for Max to answer the door I ring the doorbell. Maybe she didn't notice me here.
"Go away! I can't talk to you right now." Max yelled at me through the door. What is wrong with her? Her voice sounds pained and I don't understand what she means. This morning when she left she seemed almost happy. What had happened between then and now to make her act like this?
"Max? What's wrong? Let me in."
"No, Fang I just can't. Not now."
"Fine, I'll wait. I don't care how long it takes I won't leave until you open this door, Max."
I sat down on the porch step and waited. Finally, after about fifteen minutes Max opened the door and let me in. She is now leading me up the stairs to her room refusing to look at me. As we walk into the room I grab her hand and force her to turn around.
Max's eyes are bloodshot and puffy. Her makeup is running down her face, I didn't even know she wore makeup. She had been crying. As soon as I notice this my throat closes up. I grab her and pull her into a tight embrace which only makes her start to cry again but as she starts to pull away I refuse to let go.
I pet her hair and whisper into her ear, "Max, shhh. Tell me what's wrong. I can't stand to see you like this."
"I can't tell you, I don't know how. You will hate me."
"Max, I could never hate you. I love you just tell me, I swear I can take it."
"No you can't and you'll break up with me and never want to look at me again." What could she have to say that is so terrible?
That's when I remember it. I didn't think much of it at the time but now it all makes sense. At the hospital after Max left I remember looking out the window and seeing a black Mercedes pulling out of the parking lot.
"You didn't."
"Fang, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. He was just there and we were in his car and I'm sorry. I stopped it before it got too far." Max was balling now as I let go of her and begin to back away. I don't know what to think. I knew something was going on between them but I ignored it. What am I supposed to do now?
"I need to think. I have to go. Goodbye Max."
"Fang, no! Don't go, I'm so sorry. I know that you can't forgive me for this but I love you! I don't know what I would do without you. I need you so badly. You believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself. Just know that because of that I am so grateful and will always love you. Not James you. I don't know why I did what I did but you have to believe me when I say that I never want to do it again. I just want to be with you."
By the time she was done I was already walking out of her door. Can I really believe that she doesn't like James? I can't decide what to do and as I am walking toward the door I realize that I can't leave. I can't make myself open the door and walk out on her. I sit on the stairs and stay there. I just can't leave when I know that Max is upset even after what she has done to me, to us.
MPOV
He left. Fang left me and now I am all alone. I knew that this would happen but I still feel as if I am in shock. I never thought of myself as a cheater yet here I am. I meant everything that I said to Fang and he still left me.
I haven't left my room for two hours. Just lying here staring at the ceiling with tears rolling down the sides of my face feels like the most fitting scene for how my day has played out. Only the tears won't come. My eyes must have emptied themselves of all the water inside of me. That's when I realize how thirsty I am.
I get up and walk out of my room and head down the hallway to the staircase. As I start to descend I let out a yelp and trip. I soar down the stairs. Fang is still here, and now he is underneath me because of my skillful fall.
"Fang?"
"Yeah. Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" He wouldn't look me in the eyes but I could see his concern from his profile.
"No, I'm fine. What are you doing here? I thought you left hours ago. I thought you hated me." So Fang didn't leave me. Why would he stay if he hates me though? Fang is now standing me up and looking into my eyes for the first time since I told him what I did. I saw hurt so deep in his dark, midnight eyes that it made my soul hurt.
"I told you I could never hate you. I don't know why I stayed, I just couldn't go." The tears were openly falling from my eyes again. He doesn't hate me. I walk into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water from the fridge for me and a Dr. Pepper for Fang. When I went to hand it to him his eyes got big and he just looked at me.
"You know I like Dr. Pepper. You know me more than anyone else does, Max. I want to forgive you so badly but I just don't know how."
At his words I set the drinks on the island and moved toward him. I start running my fingers through his long black hair and then abruptly stop. Fang grabbed my waist and is now pulling me into a hug. "You have to promise never to do this to me again. I don't think I could take it."
"I promise, Fang I really do. I never wanted to hurt you I swear. But I know I did and I feel so terrible about it. I never want to hurt you again. Never. I'll never even look at James again." I could feel Fang tense up as I said his name so I pulled him closer to me and clung to him. "Please don't leave me."
"I could never leave you Max. Believe me I tried. I couldn't open the goddamn door."
I laughed and he backed away from me enough to look in my eyes. Fang reached his hand up and wiped away the tears from my eyes and I leaned into his hand. This is definitely where I belong. Right here with Fang. I tilted my head up to his and he laid his forehead on mine. We stood like that for about ten minutes and now Fang is leaning down and he lightly kisses the tip of my nose.
"Go brush your teeth. I can't kiss you until you do."
I laugh "I already scrubbed it clean, don't worry." At this, Fang lifts my chin up and pecks my lips. I reach up and entangle me hands in his hair and pull his face to mine. After a few minutes Fang lifts me up into the air and I wrap my legs around his waist. He then starts to carry me up the stairs and to my room. I am playfully nibbling on his ear when he backs drops me on my bed and gives me a crooked smile.
I cringe slightly at this but soon Fang is lying next to me and I quickly move past this. I take a moment to really notice Fang and like what I see. Fang is in his usual black shirt but it is tight fitted and I can see his muscles underneath. He is wearing dark, skinny jeans that compliment him very well. But even as I notice these things I also notice his posture. He looks comfortable, as if being with me is something that just comes naturally, but he also looks a little nervous and I understand why. I feel the same way. We both know where this night is headed and it is a first for us both.
"Can we just talk for a minute?" I say in an attempt to prolong the moment. Fang looks slightly confused but agrees. "Tell me something I don't know about you."
"Well, you know pretty much all there is to know about me already." At my questioning glance he seemed to think of something to tell me. "Alright, fine. Something you don't already know. You don't know how long I've been in love with you Max. You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this moment. Do you remember in middle school when that one kid called me gay because I had long hair?" I nodded. I remembered this day very clearly.
Fang is sitting all alone today at lunch. I always tell him to come and sit with me and Nudge but he refuses. I don't get him sometimes.
"Hey Nudge, I think I'm going to go sit with Fang today. You can join me if you want."
"No, that's okay. Mandi got this new coat that I really want to see. It has sequins all down the front and it is bright pink. I am so jealous. I saw one in Teen Vogue just like it and want it so badly. Everyone is wearing stuff like that now. It is so in. So I'm going to go find her and look at it. I don't see her though. Maybe she is at her locker. Or maybe she went home. Do you think she is sick? Oh I hope not I shared a coke with her this morning."
"Nudge, I get it. Go find Mandi and look at the coat. If you need me I will be over there." As soon as I start walking toward Fang, Cameron steps in front of me and walks right up to him.
Cameron is such a jerk. He is always making fun of people for absolutely no reason. I immediately sensed something was going to happen but decided against stopping it so that Fang wouldn't think I was babying him.
"Hey Fang what the hell is wrong with you. You are sitting at my table. Get the hell away."
"What are you talking about you never sit here, Cameron."
"Yeah well I am now so move."
"Why don't you make me." Fang said with a determined face. There was no way Fang was going to give in to Cameron. Not today.
"Listen here. Just because you wear your tight jeans and keep your hair long as a girl's doesn't mean you get to do what you want, fagot."
At this I could see Fang about to lose it. Lucky for him I lost it first. I walked right up Cameron and sent a right-hook straight at his jaw. I could feel the impact the second it happened. His head whipped around and he screamed. My hand was throbbing but that wouldn't stop me.
"Never talk to Fang that way again."
"Of course I remember. I got suspended for a week." Fang grins and turns on his back to stare at the ceiling.
"Right then I knew that I was in love with you. I thought that anyone that would stand up for me like that would be the one for me and you are. Now I want to know something about you and you have to promise to answer okay?"
Without even thinking about it I say, "Anything, I promise."
Fang then started to sit up and reaches for my stuffed animal dog, Rufus. "Who is this little guy?" When I started to refuse Fang reminded me that I promised and I couldn't say no.
"Fine, but you can't laugh. When I was five I was at this circus with my aunt. We got there and I read on a sign that they were letting people ride the elephants. I was so excited because they were my favorite animal. I begged my aunt to pay the fifteen dollars so that I could go on it and then she finally did. While waiting in line I noticed that there was a big puddle by the line so I went over and started jumping around in it, getting myself soaked in the process. It was only after my aunt grabbed me and pulled me away that I smelt the water. It was disgusting. My aunt then told me that it was elephant pee.
I started crying and she said that she would take me home so I could change but I would have to miss the circus. I was so upset on the drive home that she stopped and bought me this dog in order to calm me down. Ever since then I always feel better when I hold him. Are you happy now?"
Fang was laughing hysterically by the time I was done. Great, now he thinks I'm a loser. Fang finally stopped laughing and he is now looking at me, straight into my eyes.
"You are amazing, Max." Fang is sliding closer to me now and I can feel my breath quicken. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to."
"No, I do. I want you Fang." Fang then reaches out and grabs my waist, rolling me on top of him, kissing me until I feel like I'm about to faint. "I love you, Fang."
