Chapter 9

We didn't exactly feel like going inside our house, in silent fear that we'd see something that will remind us of Angel. In short, we waited for Max so that we all walked in together. About an hour later, she dropped down our house and silently lead us inside. We sat there in silence while I went to work on bandaging my still bleeding hand, cursing the Erasers under my finally started to move when Max suddenly tensed up, and I realized she was staring at Angel's empty breakfast plate.

I leaned on the nearest wall, crossing my arms. Countless thoughts swirled in my head but only one kept echoing back in my head.

How could we let this happen?

Sure everyone was upset about this, how could we not? But being second oldest, I couldn't help but feel guilty that this was all my fault. I guess this was why I knew how Max felt all the time. So many emotions, thoughts, and feelings at the same time welled up inside me and I didn't know how I'll be able to contain it at all. I was this close from going over the edge.

Somehow on cue, something hard hit the side of my head and I looked down to see a broken mug on the ground. As if my head wasn't ringing enough. I was frustrated and sick and tired and it all just needed to freaking end. Yeah, yeah, yeah call me a whiny baby. Shut up. Like you knew how it felt. Something inside me chose to boil up at that moment. Before I knew it, my head snapped up, complete aggravation flaring in my eyes.

"Watch it, idiot!" I yelled and it took me a moment to realize that I was yelling at Iggy. Realizing what I said, I clenched my teeth, looked back at Max, rolling my eyes. And it hit me, finally that Max, was crying.

Max never cried.

None of us ever do. She returned my glare, knowing that I knew that she was crying and moved away from her position to take care of the younger ones. My eyes went back to glaring at Iggy.

"You watch it!" he yelled back. "What happened? I mean, you guys can see, can't you? Why couldn't you get Angel?"

"They had a chopper! And guns! We're not bulletproof!" Gaz shouted, taking the words right out of mind. He wriggled out of Max's reach and crossed his arms.

"Guys, guys! We're all upset. But we're not the enemy! They're the enemy!" Max cut in, sticking a Band-Aid on one of Gazzy's many cuts. "Just-be quiet for a minute so I can think."

Iggy moved away and went to comfort Nudge. But my stomach had different ideas as it growled. Quietly, I walked across the kitchen to the cupboard and grabbed the first can in sight, which happened to be ravioli. I clumsily stabbed a fork in it with my bandaged hand and shoved it in my mouth. I guess fights to death really take it out on ya.

"You know, if they just wanted to kill her, or kill all of us, they could have," Nudge chirped, sitting upright. "They had guns. They wanted Angel alive for some reason. And they didn't care if we were alive or not. I mean, they didn't go out of their way to make sure we were dead, is what I'm saying. So that makes me think we have time to go after Angel again."

Thinking about it, Nudge may actually be up to something. Hm.

"But they were in a chopper," the Gasman reasoned. "They're way gone. They could be anywhere. Like China or something."

And then, it hit me.

Tensing up, I slowly turned around to face everyone. Max went over and ruffled Gazzy's hair. "I don't think they took her to China, Gazzy," she said calmly. Calmer than she should have. There was nothing calm about where they took her. Not at all.

"We know where they took her," I said seemingly calm, but really I felt stiff and annoyed that I knew. Still in my hands, I scraped the bottom of the can of ravioli with my fork.

"Where's that?" Iggy asked, making me sigh, because I really didn't want to answer it and face the truth. His eyes were bloodshot, on the brink of tears. Saying it aloud will make it more of a reality.

"The School," Max and I said in unison. But the reality is here and it's happening now. I took a deep breath.

Might as well face it.


A/N: There you go! Another chapter! I know, I know, I said I'd update on Friday but it was my birthday and turns out this weekend was busier than I thought. Family party and a christening which were superbly long. Sorry again! And right now, I'm even in a hurry, too.