this is just another filler chapter but enjoy it anyway.
Chapter eight, part one
"Holy (insert-swear-word-of-your-choice-here)!" the Gasman screamed. He turned around and sprinted out the glass door.
"Gazzy!" I yelled after him, trying to pull myself up. I wanted to go after him. I wanted to see what was wrong. Fang came over to me and gave me a look that said 'sit down before you kill yourself'. He gently pushed me against the back of the chair.
"I'll get him." He said, jogging out of the room and turning in the hallway.
"What was that about?" Simone asked, feigning confusion and worry. She craned her neck, trying to see around the bend. "What happened with him?"
"You sold us!" Angel cried out. "We don't want you as a mom!"
"I-I sold you? What are you talking about, sweetie?" Simone stammered. Her eyes darted around cautiously.
"You sold us to the School! You sold Gazzy for ten thousand dollars!" Angel shrieked, tears streaming down her face, "I don't want to know how much you sold me for! You're not a good mom!"
I put my hand on her cheek as she climbed up on the bed next to me. I kissed her head and stroked her hair.
"I have no idea what you are talking about!" Simone half-shouted at Angel. "You just have an extremely over-active imagination."
Angel unburied her face from my shoulder and looked up at Simone through furious eyes. "Yes you do! You are thinking about the big fat check you got when you sold Gazzy!" Her enraged face, turning red. She concentrated on Simone and a look of mixed fury and hurt was wiped across her face. "You sold me. You sold me for twenty thousand dollars!"
I was suddenly enraged. It was bad enough that she sold two of my Flock, but she sold my baby, for twenty thousand dollars! She went too far. I bolted up in the bed, clenching my hands and gritting my teeth. I went to lunge at her before Iggy grabbed me around the waist.
"Max! Don't!" He grunted out as he tried to restrain me. I let him push me backwards onto the bed, ignoring the sharp pain racing up and down my spine.
I bit back a low growl and glared at Simone. "I think you'd better leave." I said in an icy tone. "Anyone who hurts part of my Flock, is not welcome. I don't ever want to see you again, and if I do, it won't end well. For you."
She looked at my mom, who gave her an emotionless glare. She grabbed her jacket and bag and stormed out of the room, slamming the door on her way out.
I looked down at Angel and kissed her hair. She curled up against my side and cried into my t-shirt. Nudge walked over to Angel's side and rubbed her back. I saw a few tears slide down her cheeks as well. I glanced over at Iggy, who was sitting in a chair across the room, leaning forward, head in his hands. I sighed and rubbed Angel's arms briskly. My mom was pacing, back and forth, biting her thumbnail. Ella just sat on the counter, staring at the floor.
I heard a creak as the door swung open revealing the Gasman's tear-streaked face, and Fang, standing behind Gazzy, holding his hand. Fang walked the Gasman over to Angel, where he dropped his hand. Gazzy pulled Angel into a hug, and they didn't let go.
I watched as Nudge went over to the chair Iggy was sitting in and knelt down in front of him, taking his hands in hers. Fang came over to my side and put his hand on my shoulder.
"Max," my mom said "I'm going to be able to take you home tomorrow. You have to spend the night to make sure your condition is stable."
"I think I'm stable enough." I said, climbing off of the bed. "We're going home right now. This place is freaking me out."
"Max," she started, but one look from me shut her up. I stood on my wobbly legs and watched as she ushered the kids out so I could change back into my jeans and t-shirt.
Five minutes later, I stepped into the hallway, trying not to think about the anti-septic smell. We started walking out towards the car and Angel grabbed my hand, tears still in her eyes. She looked up at me and gave me a weak smile. I stroked her hair and squeezed her hand.
We got into the car, and it became very cramped, very fast. I was sitting in the front seat next to my mom, Angel was sitting on Ella's lap in the back and Nudge was sitting next to them. In the back row, Iggy and Fang sat normally with the Gasman, much to their discomfort, sprawled out on top of them. The complaining lasted the whole trip.
"Max! Gazzy poked me!"
"Max! Nudge yelled at me!"
"Max! The Gasman farted on me!"
"Black!"
"Max! Angel is heavy!"
"Max! Ella's too hard!"
"Max! Gazzy poked me again!"
"Max! Nudge hit me!"
"Blue!"
"Max! Gazzy and Nudge are arguing!"
"Max! The Gasman is copying me!"
"Max! The Gasman is copying me!"
"Max! Angel read my mind!"
"Max! Fang told me to shut up in his mind!"
"Green!"
"Max! Nudge is being a magnet again!"
"Max! I am not!"
"Max! Iggy is feeling every color and yelling it!"
"Mocha?"
"Max! Iggy hit me in the face!"
"Max! Tell them to shut up!"
"Guys!" I shouted over their complaints. "Just shut up and ignore each other."
Throughout the rest of the ride, I only heard silent protests of the seating arrangements. Once we finally made it back to the house, we all sprinted out of the car. I followed my mom into the house and collapsed on the couch.
I tried to think about everything that was going on.
Topping the list of unanswered questions today were:
Who was that mystery second-in-command Eraser?
Who really was Angel and the Gasman's mother? Is she working for the school?
Why did she sell Angel and the Gasman?
What's with the new breeds of Erasers?
Is it safe here?
Some of the questions, I thought I would never know the answer too, but I spent the most time thinking about question number one. Who was the mystery second-in-command Eraser? He looked so familiar.
I closed my eyes and tried to think of where I've seen him before. His furry face was imprinted into my eyelids. His long jaw line was covered in dark brown hair. His short nose was the focal point of his face. His high cheekbones and temples were layered in thick fur.
I wracked my brain, trying to remember, but I couldn't. I reopened my eyes and saw Fang coming into the living room.
"Hey," He said quietly. "You feeling okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine, just thinking." I answered as he said as he sat down on the edge of the couch next to me.
He looked at me, intrigue hidden in his eyes, "About what?"
"Nothing." I said, looking down at my hands, he raised one eyebrow and looked at me knowingly. "Fine. I was thing about that Eraser. The one that punched Sam. He looked so familiar."
"So it wasn't just me." He mumbled, more to himself than to me.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"It's just that, he looked familiar to me too." He said quietly. "I don't know why though."
"Oh, okay." I said, almost let down that he didn't know who it was. "I don't think the kids noticed yet, or Iggy, so don't tell them until we're sure we've seen him before."
He simply nodded. I looked up at him and smiled. He leaned down, kissed me, and stood up, leaving the room. I sighed and looked at the ceiling. What is going on? My whole world is being turned upside down.
Chapter eight, part two
The rest of the week flew by fast, and before I knew it, I was pushing the Flock out the door. We all stood in front of my mom and Ella, hugging them one by one. By now, my back was almost completely healed. I just had some sensitive tissue around the scar.
I hugged my mom goodbye and turned to walk out towards the woods. I saw three Flock members in front of me, and one besides me, but one was still missing. I turned on one heel and looked back at the house. Iggy was standing there with Ella, hugging her goodbye, heartache written all over her face. When they pulled back, Iggy gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
I turned around, stifling laughs. Sweet innocent Ella, falling for bomb-loving pyromaniac Iggy. This really proved the phrase 'opposites attract' to be right. I looked over at Fang, who was standing next to me, still looking at Ella and Iggy. I smiled and dragged him along with me.
I let my wings out through the slits in my jacket and I took off, beating them hard to catch some air. I followed Fang up to where Angel and Nudge were having a staring contest and waited for Iggy. He flew up and I smiled mischievously.
"Hey lover boy." I said, "Glad you could join us."
Angel looked up at me, still not blinking, and said "Iggy is doing mean things to you in his head." She thought for a minute, "What's 'flipping someone off'?"
I looked at Iggy and gritted my teeth. I flew up behind him and smacked him upside the head. He groaned and held his hair.
"So, Iggy, you like my sister, huh?" I asked, obviously getting him increasingly mad.
"I totally do! Like oh my god! She is so pretty! I love seeing her! Except I can't. I like kissing her too. She's crazy! If you know what I mean." I looked over at him, mouth open in amazement. How could he say something like that about my sister! I grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him towards me, growling slightly.
I heard laughing behind me. "Ma-Ma-Max! It was me!" The Gasman choked out between laughs. I looked at him and groaned. Even without bombs, this kid always seems to get me mad.
I just flew on ahead of them.
Behind me, I heard arguing over who won the staring contest, and whether it's cheating to invade someone's mind and force them to blink. I think you can guess who was on each side. Iggy was flying down below me, still mad at the Gasman for getting me mad, therefore taking it out on him for liking my sister. Being the leader is so hard sometimes.
"Where are we going?" Fang called out from next to me.
"I, uh, have no idea." I said, truthfully, I looked down and something caught my eye. "Hey, does that guy look familiar to you?"
"Yeah. He does."
"I'm going down." I said, angling my wings towards the ground.
I flew closer to the ground and the face became more and more recognizable. Two people were standing with him, talking with him, discussing something fervently. I realized who it was.
It took me a second longer to make out the two faces besides him, but I knew them too. The woman handed the man something as the boy pulled a gun out of his pocket.
The man, standing on the ground, was Jeb.
The woman, handing Jeb a small brown package, was Simone.
The boy, loading the small handgun, was Sam.
yep, chapter eight. there was actually no real reason that I put in part one and part two… i was just bored.
so... if you want, review. i don't care if you flame. i take it as criticism.
