I'm speed posting here. Its up, kind of quickly. First Fang POV. YAY! This is longer. not a filler, finally. Big thanks to Meepisms. I love you reviewers and such.
Enjoy!!!!
Max POV:
I groaned as the scalding hot water burned away all the worries of the day. I just wanted to forget. Just for one minute, I wanted an outer body experience. One where all my frustrations would just disappear.
It had been two weeks since the cast list posted. Rehearsals always ran in a similar pattern. And each day I've been rehearsing the exact same scene with the exact same outcome.
There I would be, facing Fang, who at the time would be three people.
Fang was DD's (director dictator for those of us who have short-term memory) favorite.
He walks in late?
'Oh that's ok dear, take a seat.'
He misses a line?
'Have you not been memorizing, you little rascal?'
He brings a girl to rehearsal?
'Well, we could use the feedback...'
It was the epitome of unfair. I walk in barely a minute late and she has my head. My only consolation was that DD also let Fang bring in food. Meaning he brings cookies and shares. Gotta find that silver lining sometime, right?
Next, he was Mercutio. The same guy Tybalt (me) was supposed to be running a sword through. Very moody, too. Tybalt would stand there, sword poised as Romeo held Mercutio, he would go in for the kill and, that's it. The sword would pause right in front of his heart.
Which leads me to identity number three, Fang as Fang. The guy who apparently has a thing for me, who annoys the hell out of me, who can also be kind of swee—er, tolerable, and I would begrudgingly admit is one of my best friends. This, of course opens up a whole new jar of cookies since I would have no qualms stabbing Ig.
Therefore, each day the same thing would happen. We'd start rehearsal, I'd freeze up for some unknown reason, get yelled at, and couldn't kill Fang.
It was not a fun picture. Fortunately—or unfortunately—Saturday changed everything. (this my good readers is a hyperbole added for dramatic effect, it only changed almost everything).
I collapsed into my seat next to Viv bright and early on Saturday morning.
"All who think seven is to early, say I," I called out tiredly.
A chorus of I's from my cast mates rang back to me.
See, I am always right.
Fang came sauntering in not a minute later. I groaned.
"Viv, what am I going to do?" I whispered, slumping in my seat at the thought of another failed rehearsal.
She stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"Why don't you just imagine Ari's head on his body?" she whispered back.
"Oh," I said feeling stupid. "I hadn't thought of that."
"Thank me after it works," she said. I grinned at her.
We watched the flurry of movement on stage as the preliminary sets were arranged.
Iggy waved at us as he set up a card table. Nudge had roped him into working back stage. Secretly, I think he was thrilled at the chance to spy on Viv and Paul. Not that he'd ever admit it or anything.
Speaking of the pretentious ass, I spotted Paul lounging in a corner with his friends Lord Capulet and one of the servants.
Lissa was sitting on the stairs with the other understudies. She was sulking—not a new development. She'd been doing it ever since rehearsal numero un.
During the midst of my observations, a box of Girl Scout Cookies landed in my lap. "Hope you like Tag Alongs," Fang said, plopping down next to me.
I gave him a smile while opening the box. The best way to wake up in the morning? Pure sugary goodness. It's a fact.
I chomped down on the chocolaty bits of heaven and sighed, "I love these." I handed a cookie over to Viv.
"Can I get a thank you?" Fang asked with a smirk.
"Sure you can," I mumbled through another cookie.
"How about a kiss?"
I laugh. Fang's flirting was one of those things you just ended up getting used to.
"Nice try," I told him, reaching into the box again.
"But you can get a cookie," I added. I pulled out a Tag Along and popped it into his mouth.
I heard Viv snicker beside me.
She also stole another cookie. "I swear Girl Scout Cookies are the best invention since the Beatles."
"Here, here," I tack on, feeling in such a good mood that I blew Iggy a kiss. I'd never seen him look so weirded out.
I caught him mouthing 'is she high?' to Viv.
I saw her nod.
Who knew a people could get high off cookies?
Okay, so maybe it was just me
__________
I clamped my hand over my ears in an attempt to block out the heinous noise. It was about ten in the morning and I was hanging back stage with Nudge and Ig while Viv and pretentious ass worked on one of their scenes.
"Nudge, I love you, I really do, but I swear to God if you do not stop singing I will go find some duct tape and it will completely clash with your outfit."
Nudge only smiled and continued singing while she worked on a costume. Ever since I met up with her ten minutes ago, it had been non-stop singing. At movie night, we watched Wizard of Oz and now she was singing any songs that came to mind.
At the moment, it was the Lollipop Guild.
We really needed to stop watching musicals.
I turned to Iggy for some sympathy only to find the traitor humming along.
I muttered, "Oh the fucking humanity," before jumping up in search of refuge. Don't get me wrong, the Wizard of Oz is a great movie, but hearing repeatedly: "We are members of the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild. And as the members of the Lollipop Guild. We'd like to welcome you to Munchkin Land." Pair this with Nudge's not so great singing voice and it's enough to send anyone off their rocker. And don't even get me started on Iggy's humming. That boy couldn't carry a tune if it killed him.
Rubbing my ears to return feeling, I made my way up to the lighting booth. A senior called J.J. ran the lights and he was thankfully silent.
He gave me a nod as I sat down next to him. I'd been up there several times over the past couple weeks.
My attention was on the stage where Fang was now acting. I sighed. Just watching him sent shivers down my spine. Normally, I'd blame it all on hormones, but the excuse is sounding old even to me.
I was starting to find thick cracks in my unbreakable wall. Suddenly, I wasn't so sure hormones were the only things at work.
It was tricky stuff and, truthfully, it scared the crap out of me.
I took a deep breath. The stage was set, the time was right, and all I had to do was stab him. Run him trough with my plastic sword. Today, Mercutio would die.
I closed my eyes, superimposing Ari's face on Fang's body.
He was sneering at me with his blonde hair falling down into his cold eyes.
A fiery hatred spread through me. I could practically feel my healed bruises throbbing in remembrance.
I could faintly hear the calls of DD cueing me. One: jab, two: thrust, three: parry, and four: die.
The cheap practice prop entered the crook of Fang's arm, and DD called cut. I gave a very un-Max like squeal and jumped Fang.
"I did it!" I screeched before grabbing him in a hug. The smile plastered on my face bordered maniacal, and I could feel Fang's deep chuckles through his chest. Over his shoulder, I saw Nudge with her jaw agape, and a snickering Iggy.
That's when it hit me.
I just hugged Fang.
Voluntarily.
I jerked backward. In the process of running off stage, I tripped, fell, got back up, and finally high tailed it back up to the lighting booth. Basically, The Odyssey was reenacted in a matter of seconds. You could hear the fictional gods laughing.
I mimed banging my head against the control desk several times. J.J. probably thought he was housing a cuckoo in his lair. Maybe he'd be right. I didn't even know what I was doing when I hugged Fang. It was instinctual, spawned from my euphoria at getting the scene right for once. And the worst part is that I threw out the pure hormones excuse. Ah, woe is me, a cookie is needed.
At that moment I really wished we hadn't eaten all the Tag Alongs.
Damn it.
Fang POV:
I watched Max stomp around the stage firing off lines left and right. Her hair was flying around in a chaotic halo. God, I'm a wuss. If I could, I would kick my own ass. To my chagrin that's impossible, as is getting rid of these…
Feelings.
I shuddered just thinking about it. Let's get something cleared up right now: Fang never had feelings before. Not for his other girlfriends. Not once.
But like some bad fairytale, along comes Max and all that hard work goes down the shitter.
It's pathetic.
And stupid.
And hopeless.
Max is horrible and sadistic and hot and stubborn and made me feel every emotion humanly possible.
Every fucking one. You would think that's the type of thing to take a toll on a guy. I told myself those words, picturing myself jumping out of a window from the toll. But that's not it.
That's not it because every time she's around I smile.
It's because I can't stop thinking about her.
It's because all I want is for her to be mine.
It's because I think I'm falling in love with her.
Max.
I think I'm falling in love with Max.
I'm so screwed.
Iggy fell into the seat next to me, snapping me out of my inner musings.
"Can't keep the ladies off you, can you?" Iggy shot off, grinning.
I gave a humorless chuckle.
He was talking about the hug. Sure, she hugged me. So what? It wasn't enough. This "friends" thing would never be enough.
Why couldn't she just fucking see that?
"You're a regular Edward Cullen."
"Twilight reference, really?" I said, eyebrow raised.
"I was curious," Ig said with a shrug.
"I'm sure."
"Besides," I added in a louder voice. "I think the nickname's Mr. Darcy."
Ig's smirk grew even wider. I thought his face would split in two.
"Do you really want me using Max's pet name for you?"
"It's not a pet name." I said quickly. I didn't need anyone getting my hopes up.
Iggy gave me a pitying look. The bastard. Thinks he's so knowledgeable just because he has the girl he wants.
"I hope you thank God that Vivian has such low standards," I told him, my eyes back on Max.
I saw him smile wistfully out of the corner of my eyes. "Every day."
Max was now off to the side on her cell phone. I couldn't see her face but her shoulders were tense. I wanted nothing more than to go over and help her relax.
There was only silence for a few minutes.
"Don't worry, she'll come around," Iggy said knowingly.
I smiled a little wistfully, too.
Max POV:
Gazzy's voice on the phone kept running rampant through my head, like a broken record.
"Max you need to come home now. Hurry, please."
"Max you need to come home now. Hurry, please."
"Max you need to come home now. Hurry, please."
Something was wrong. Something was scaring my siblings.
If I were an animal, I would have growled.
I immediately left rehearsal. DD reminded me of a black widow with the look she gave me when I asked to go. It took every ounce of my self-restraint not to snap her head off.
God bless Viv and Nudge for interference.
The second I slammed open those auditorium doors autopilot switched on.
Open doors.
Jump steps.
Run home.
I didn't even have enough time to obsess over the fact that the first things my mind jumped to were death, blood, and Ari.
I wasn't too far off.
"Ariel! Gazzy!" I yelled, slamming the house door shut and locking it.
I looked around frantically.
Two small blonde heads peeked around the corner.
"Oh thank freaking God." I caught them up in a hug.
"What happened?" I asked pulling back and looking at them.
Ariel had tear tracks down her cheeks.
She started whispering quickly.
"Slow down sweetie. I need people speak," I said softly, kneeling on the floor in front of her.
Ariel nudged Gazzy with her elbow and he took over.
"Mom went to the store. But she said me and Ariel could play at the park if we wanted as long as we stayed together," he paused.
"And?" I prompted.
How much could happen at a tiny playground across the street?
The answer's a lot.
"That's when she saw him."
"Who?" When did kids get so cryptic?
"Ari," Ariel interjected, taking a swipe at her nose. "He was just there staring at us with that scary wolf smile. H-he scared me."
More tears started to trickle down. I wrapped her in another hug. The girl's only six. She shouldn't have to go through this. I should have protected her. I should have protected them.
I was stupid. I grew complacent about Ari.
That was a mistake I shouldn't have made.
Fifteen minutes later, I stepped into my scalding hot shower. For ten minutes, I succeeded in forgetting.
It was the best experience since cookies. But even cookies had to end, and the thoughts came back.
Both of them were guys. Care to guess whom?
What ya think? Reviews are loved! Should be writing a bunch this weekend. Now I must go dress shopping! Again. Review!!!
P.S. Winners for the Mr Awards are posted go check them out.