Hey everyone!
I'm so, so sorry about the wait. Things have been kind of crazy and due to an injury it's extremely hard for me to type but I'm trying! That's my excuse for any mistakes in the next few chapters.
It's shorter and not that interesting (basically because it's just a filler chapter) but it'll be worth it in the end. I think. Anyway, the next chapter is the funeral (I am SO excited to write it) and this is setting it up!
Anyways, enjoy!
Goodbye? Goodbye? What was she talking about, goodbye? How did she know she was-?
How did she know she was going to die? I thought to myself, my hands starting to shake violently. I let out the deep breath I hadn't known I was holding. Fang put his clammy hand on my shoulder and I looked up at him. His eyes were filled with tears, along with mine. The suddenly streamed down his face and it looked as though he couldn't contain them to any further extent. He wasn't able to hold in his emotions any longer.
He placed his forehead on my shoulder and I looked over at him. He was still standing behind me so I slowly turned around, feeling his head fit perfectly right into my collar bone. I wrapped my arms around him in a comforting manner and I could feel his hot tears seeping through my tee shirt. I couldn't resist but cry myself.
I backed up slowly and sat on the edge of my bed, Fang walking along with me. I leaned back onto my pillows and Fang laid down with his head resting on my stomach so that we made a 'T'. He lifted himself up onto the bed and we just sat there in silence.
"I need to know," He said, looking over at my phone, which was still resting on my desk. "I need to know what she was thinking when she wrote that." He continued the tears in his eyes drying up and becoming forgotten.
Fang got up off my bed and I felt the weight from his head lift from my stomach. I sat up and watched him as he picked up my phone and hesitantly opened it up. He walked back over to the bed and sat cross-legged in front of me. He went into my inbox and I didn't even mind that he was going through it. He had an excuse and a damn good one at that.
His fingers paused and the clicking from the keys stopped. I looked over at him curiously and saw realization dawn on his face. I repositioned myself so that I would be able to see my phone also. I looked down at it. Underneath the test message, it said
Message received: November 27th, 2009; 1:52 PM
Message stored: November 28th, 2009; 5:36 PM
My heart constricted. School ended at 2:20 that day and Fang and I were in the office waiting for my mother to pick us up for the last forty minutes of class so that meant that we were waiting in the office from 1:40-2:20.
If I had gotten the text at 1:52 then that meant that Nudge was still alive when she sent it. It also meant that she had sent it from either the scene of the accident, or, while she was dying in the ambulance.
I looked up at Fang and he stared down at me with wide eyes. I was slightly confused to see such emotion on his face but it didn't matter. I put my head against Fang's and just thought. I didn't cry. I didn't sob. I didn't bawl. I just thought.
Nudge was practically on her deathbed when she had thought enough of us to steal her phone back from the EMT's and text us her final words farewell. She had given up the hope she had for herself to live and predicted what would happen by actually telling us that she would never be heard from again.
And then, there I was, sitting on the bed with my head against Fang's, trying not to break down yet again. Then, I realized that I, Maximum Ride, was holding in my hands with my best friend, Fang Keyes, the last words of one of the most influential people in my life. My best friend; Nudge Anderson-Keyes.
"Where are mom and Mr. Keyes?" I asked Ella as Fang and I walked into the living room from the stairs. Iggy was still at our house and he was sitting on the corner of the couch with Ella in his arms. She looked up to him as a big brother sometimes, although most of the time she looked at him with admiration and affection. He, on the other hand, just saw her as the younger sister he never had.
"They went to the hospital and the morgue," Iggy said in a quiet voice after Ella had tried and failed at telling us the answer. She was shaking all over and her voice kept stuttering as if she were a skipping CD.
"Oh," I said, getting kind of mad that they hadn't thought to tell us that but I let go of that anger quickly. They had a lot more things to deal with then we did. It wasn't their fault that they had forgotten something that wasn't completely important at the time. "When did they leave?" I asked.
"About an hour and a half ago," Iggy replied.
I glanced over at the clock and was slightly shocked. I hadn't realized that it was actually later than I had thought. It was already going on six o'clock. I shook my head and sighed, running my fingers through my hair hastily. I turned to Fang and caught his eye.
Something told me that we couldn't tell my mom and Fang's dad about the text. Although I really, really wanted to, I thought that it would be a little too much for them to handle. They were already going through too much as it was. Maybe it would be smarter to tell them after the funeral. That way, they had nothing to be preparing for and they could react to it anyway they pleased.
Fang and I both nodded in agreement. It was one of our silent conversations that only we could have. Instead of using our voices to communicate, we used our eyes and facial expressions. It was the perfect way to let the other know how feeling without anyone else around us knowing. It was like a super power we had and we wielded it well.
A small ringing sensation made its way up to my ears and I listened to it. I glanced over at the door and realized that someone had rung the doorbell. I shook my head slightly, clearing out all of the abstract thoughts I had, and walked across the room to the front door. I pulled it open and looked down, seeing two blonde children and a woman standing before me.
"Max," Mrs. Marlinton, Denise, said as she pushed past her children and gave me a hug. I gave her a quick smile and noticed that she too had tear stained cheeks. I gestured for her to come into the house but she just shook her head. "I just wanted to bring the kids over since they made you guys some cookies." I looked down at Lucas and Angela and saw that they both had large trays of tin foil-covered cookies. I tried to smile but it turned into more of a grimace.
"Thank you," I said, taking the trays out of the kid's hands. Iggy, Ella, and Fang came over and took them from my hands. Iggy and Fang immediately shoved a cookie into each of their mouths and Ella just glared at them with disgust. The four of us really had an unhealthy obsession with cookies.
"Oh, sweetie," Denise said, shaking her head dismissively. "It's the least we can do. Plus, Angela really thought it would cheer you four up." She said, nodding her head down at Angela's golden curls, then at the four of us who, by now, were all eating our second cookie each. Angela grinned cheekily and I reached over and patted her curls.
"I just like to eat the cookie dough!" Lucas exclaimed, looking over at me. I ruffled his hair and he hugged me, his arms flinging around my waist because of the height difference. I held him to me and let go when he shivered.
"You better get home," I said, taking note of how cold it was outside. "It's getting late- and cold."
"Ah, yes," Denise sighed, looking over at her kids as she backed down the icy stairs carefully. "It's best we get going." She added for more effect. Lucas followed his mom down off of the porch and to the driveway but Angela ran over to me for a hug.
"Are you going to come over again?" She mumbled into my shirt as her mother waited patiently for her.
"Anytime you want me too, sweetie," I stated, definitely ready to jump at the chance to babysit her- or just to take care of her. She was such a little, for lack of a better word, Angel.
"And Fang?" She added, breaking away from me and looking over at the dark figure looming behind me. He looked down at her and a small smile graced his lips.
"You don't even have to ask." He said, stepping next to me in the doorway. She grinned and hugged him quickly around the waist before turning and running back out to her mom and brother. I waved and watched them walk down the driveway for a minute and then closed the door, realizing how cold it was.
Fang walked into the kitchen, where Iggy and Ella now resided, and I smirked as I caught them all shoving cookies in their mouths. Fang still had a small smile on his lips and my heart tugged. Something about Angela really got to him. I didn't know what but it looked like he had a serious soft spot for her. Who wouldn't? She was just so sweet.
I took a cookie off of the tray and sat down on the stood to the island in the kitchen. Fang plopped down next to me and frowned as he lifted another freshly baked chocolate chip cookie to his mouth. His brows furrowed and his eyes got that far-away, glossy tint to them.
I looked over at him thoughtfully. It was times like these that I'd give anything to understand what was going on in his head. His thoughts must be so interesting since he was always wrapped up in them. Something told me that if he had Iggy's thought process instead of his own, Fang would be a lot more talkative since it wouldn't be as interesting but, it seems like Fang always as a year-long debate going on in his mind and sometimes, you just really want to be part of it.
"I should probably go," Iggy said as he stood up slowly. "Best be home before mom starts to worry," He muttered, looking around at us. Ella stayed seated but Fang and I both stood up. Iggy walked over and gave Fang a handshake and a 'man hug'. He turned to me after a second and wrapped me into a hug.
"Look after Fang," Iggy mumbled into my hair. I frowned. "You're the only person he needs, Max." He added, kissing me on the forehead. I smiled faintly at him and he returned my barely-there grin. He walked out of the room and into the next, grabbing his jacket before leaving the house.
"I'm going to bed," Ella muttered, getting up from the table abruptly and sliding the chair back noisily. She walked out of the room but I heard her pace pick up. She started running once she hit the stairs.
I felt sorry for her but nothing, nothing could match the remorse I felt for Fang. This had to be the hardest thing he would ever have to go through. I looked over at him and saw him staring after Ella also. I reached over to grab his hand but met his soft touch halfway there. He had been reaching for mine.
Our fingers felt like magnets as they clashed and laced together. I held his rough, callused hand tightly in my own and I felt him gently squeeze my fingers. His palm was warm against mine and it just felt- right.
The next few days, well, let me just say that the next few days were not any better than the last; especially the first day back to school after the--- incident.
Later Saturday night, Mr. Keyes and my mom came home and called Ella downstairs, telling us about all of the arrangements for the funeral. They had scheduled it for Tuesday, just to get it over with. That way, they would have all of the large ceremonies out of the way and then, they would be able to grieve in peace.
We were all relieved to find out that the parents had decided to do a proper burial instead of cremations. We didn't know why, but it put us at ease. Somehow, some of the weight was lifted off of everyone's shoulders. Everyone except for me. I was glad to see that things were looking up for Fang and his father. They were feeling a lot better than they had been the last few days but something in the pit of my stomach told me that this wasn't going to be over. Not for a long time.
Monday was filled with apologies for what had happened and flowers following Fang to each of his classes. Everyone understood that he needed his space so, they gave it to him. Even Lissa. I was the only person he talked to all day but he barely even talked to me. I didn't think that he was ready to be back in school yet. I guessed that was just me being paranoid but it felt way too soon.
Finally, Tuesday came. The day of the funeral. The day that I would look back on for the rest of my life. The day everything fell to pieces.
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