The Runaways – Chapter 10

By MyNameIsCAL

-Fang's POV-

Max and I sat on the bed in what was now my room. We were doing homework. Well, in other words, I was copying Max's homework so I wouldn't have to sit here for hours doing all the work I missed in class. Just as Max was about to say something, my phone started to ring.

"Hello?" I answered, yawning.

"Fang?" It was Iggy.

"Ig, where the hell were you today?"

"Look, something came up," he told me. "Remember the old abandoned apartment you have keys to? Can you meet me there."

"Ig, I can't drive."

"Well get Max to bring you!" Iggy sounded frustrated. "I need your help!"

"Alright, I'll do my best," I frowned.

He hung up and Max gave me a questioning look.

"Can you drive me somewhere?" I asked.

"We don't have a car," Max reminded me.

I thought for a moment. "We still have my dad's car."

Max had to think for a minute. "Alright, let's go."

-Max's POV-

We ended up near one of the worst parts of town, but Fang seemed to be anxious to get where we were going, so I didn't ask any questions.

"Stop here," he murmured.

I pulled the car up to the curb and moved to his side quickly to help him out. It seemed like Fang had been here before. He led the way, struggling up a flight of stairs, and into a dark hallway. It was hot in here, sticky almost. It was some old apartment building, but the parking lot was empty and it seemed to be abandoned.

Fang went to a door that read Eleven and knocked twice. The door opened and Iggy let us in. There were two kids sitting on the couch and another kid who could be in high school. I didn't recognize any of them.

"Alright, this is Max," Iggy said, gesturing to me. It was strange though, considering he couldn't see. "And Nudge, this is Fang."

The older girl nodded.

"Max," Iggy motioned. "This is Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge."

"Out of all the people you ask for help, it's him?" the little boy, Gazzy, frowned.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Fang grit his teeth.

"Gazzy, shut up," Angel, the little girl, muttered, elbowing him.

Iggy interjected. "I know you don't like Fang, but you don't really have a choice."

"And I'm hungry," Gazzy protested.

"Alright, alright enough," Fang growled. He turned to me, his eyes softening a little. "Do you think you could run out and grab some food for them?"

"Sure," I agreed. "I'll be back soon."

He gave me a small smile before turning to the others. "Now tell me what happened."

And then I was off.

-Fang's POV-

Their stories came out in a rush, but it was clear they were connected. Nudge's parents were part of a drug ring. Gazzy and Angel's parents were going to sell them. Out of chance, I guess, they were being sold to Nudge's father. It made me wonder if my mother and father had any relations with their parents. The fact that we had all been touched by a problem stemming from the same source, drugs, was chilling.

There were more pressing problems though. The authorities would be looking for all of them. Or at least Iggy's parents would be looking for him. I had met them a few times and I had to say, they were some of the nicest people in the world.

"You can't stay here," I said, thinking out loud.

"Well, you see, that was the problem I came to," Iggy said in a hushed voice so the others couldn't here. "And I was thinking, maybe we could run away and get far from here where no one would ever find us. You know what they'll do to Gazzy and Angel and Nudge. They'll stick them in foster homes or places like that."

"Ig, I know you want to help them, but you're blind," I reminded him. "How are you going to take care of them?"

"That's where you come in," he responded.

I stared at him for a minute. It didn't seem like a bad idea though. I didn't have anything to lose running away with them. My mother was never really the mother I need, my father used us, and the chances I was going to have a successful future was pretty much down the drain since the day I was born. As bad as this was for them, this was the perfect chance for me to break away from everything, clean myself of ever being involved with Josh and the others.

"Alright, so we run. Then what?"

"Well, we'll just have to find figure out what comes next when we get there," he said. "Seriously, we need you to help us, Fang."

I had never heard Iggy sound so desperate before.

"I know," I promised him. "Just, we'll figure…"

And then Max walked in.

"We'll what?" Iggy waited expectantly.

Max…She'd be the one thing I would have to leave.

"We'll figure out something by the end of spring break, alright?" I said after a while. "I gotta go now, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Iggy nodded. "I'll see you later."

-Max's POV-

Fang seemed preoccupied as he insisted we leave right away. I followed him back to the car and he directed down the street.

"You can stay in the car," he told me.

"Where are we?"

"My mom's place." He opened the door.

I followed him.

A couple doors down from where we parked, he opened the door, leaning on his crutches heavily. As we made our way inside, he started to call out for his mother, but it was obvious she wasn't there. All over the place, there were these plastic bags, filled with, well, drugs.

"My father is still around," he murmured, reaching for a duffle bag in the corner of the room. "My mom can't afford this. He's using her."

And then he started to bag all the drugs.

"Fang, what are you doing?" I could hear my voice shake.

He didn't answer me.

"Fang!"

"We have one last stop to make before we go back to your house," he finally said.

If I knew any better, I would have left him here and walked away, but something deep down inside told me this had to do with what he had been discussing with Iggy when I walked in.

"Alright," I agreed reluctantly.

I helped him finish stuffing the duffle bag and we zipped it, hurrying back to the car.

-Fang's POV-

"Jesus, Fang, how did you get all of this?" Josh stared at me, gaping.

"Josh, Man, I'm leaving soon. I need money and that's all I could get for you," I told him.

He disappeared into the back room and came out with a brief case. It was filled with cash.

"I think that should cover everything," Josh said, handing it over. "But hey, if you ever come around, don't forget to stop by."

"Of course." But I was secretly hoping to never see Josh again.

Max waited in the car patiently for me. For the entire car ride back to her house, we said nothing to each other, even as she helped me into the house and back to bed. She sat at the end of it, starting with homework again. Her mom still wasn't home and Ella had been off somewhere else.

"I guess I owe you an explanation now," I finally spoke.

She looked up at me. "Yes, I think you do."

I told her about Nudge and Gazzy and Angel. She listened without saying anything until I told her about what Iggy wanted to do.

"There must be a better way than running," she said, moving to sit right next to me on the bed.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," I sighed. "I'm in no condition to be on the move with them. At least I can give them money. I mean, I told him we wouldn't do anything until break is over."

Max's eyes suddenly met mine. "I'll go with you if you go with them."

I shook my head. "You've done too much for me already."

And then Max leaned over and kissed me, changing how I saw everything.