Chapter 9: Class

FANG

Max adjusted her backpack and sighed. "Here we go, everyone," she said. "Time for purgatory. I mean, school."

She led us through the doors. "This is good for us," she assured the group. "This school was dedicated specially to us. We even have our own dormitory! First start to a normal life. No more hiding."

I couldn't help but feel like I'd rather be hiding. A few older girls were not bothering to hide the fact that they were checking me out. I gave them the meanest glare I could manage, but I think it may have looked a bit too sexy. I glanced at Max, and she noticed.

"What's that?" she asked. "Do you want confirmation or something?" She laughed. "Fang, I'm not your mother, all right? You can date. I don't mind."

I turned down the hall to my first class. But I found myself stopping. Voicing my thoughts wasn't a habit I tried to get into, but I had to do it now. I turned around.

"Max!" I called.

She turned. "Yeah?"

"I don't want to date, Max."

"What do you want, then?"

"I want you," I said bluntly.

Max looked around. A few of our new peers had noticed our long-distance discussion and were paying rapt attention.

"Fang, please... I..." She sighed and walked right up to me. "Fang, there's something you need to understand."

"What?"

She put her hand tightly on my shoulder and locked her big brown eyes deeply into mine. "I love you, Fang," she said with a slight laugh. "I love you so much. You're my rock. Okay? You're my whole world, my whole life. I don't know how I would ever survive if I didn't see you every single day of my life." She moved her hand from my shoulder to my lips, pressing them lightly with her fingers. "But don't take that to mean more than what it does. I could say the same of any member of this flock."

"Wow," I said.

She nodded. "Are we gonna rock and roll tonight?"

I sighed. "Yeah, we're gonna rock and roll tonight. I'll get the sound system set up before you get back."

"Good," she said. She squeezed my shoulder, and gave me one last smile before walking down the hall.