Laugh Because You're Angry

Fang

"This is a check." I acknowledged, my fingers delicately holding onto the light blue piece of paper with a wild amount written on it. I'd never seen that much money on one piece of paper before- then again I normally didn't enter the money races.

"He can see! It's a miracle!" Iggy called out jokingly, and I rolled my eyes at the sarcasm, handing the check back.

"I don't want 's not an apology. Wait, how did you-" He didn't win.

"Look, Fang, we both know I'm a screw-up and that's all I'm ever going to be, but this is my best shot at sorry. Just take it, please." He added, as if begging would get him anywhere. I let out a deep breath, spinning on my heel and snatching the check out of his hand.

"Where did you get it?"

"I won."

"I'm not stupid, Iggy. No, you didn't."

"No, not the race. A slot-"

"You're not old enough to play slots!" I exclaimed, shoving the check back in his face. "That money is illegal."

"Oh calm down. My fake ID says I'm twenty-two." I laughed. I actually found it within me to laugh. Iggy had driven me to the brink of insanity, where joy was actually fury, It would have frightened me had I not been caught up in the whole insanity factor.

"It's fake, Iggy. Just. Like. You." I snarled, before turning on my heel to leave him alone for the second time in two days. Iggy grabbed my shoulder, squeezed tight. He wouldn't let me go again. Maybe the slap in the face from yesterday was still sore.

"Fang, come on. It's twenty-five thousand dollars. Why are you passing this up? Who cares how I got it? We're not gonna get caught."

"Halloween, eight years ago. You said the same thing."

"We didn't get caught then-"

"No, Iggy, you didn't get caught. I got dragged out of my house to the police station because you broke that window. My mother wouldn't even look at me for a whole week! I've been taking the credit for everything you've done wrong for the past seventeen years and I'm done with it. Take your illegal check and cash it, spend it, have a nice time. I'm sure it will get you farther than your friends ever could." I spat, storming straight into the kitchen. I expected Iggy to follow, to beg for forgiveness, to do something, but I didn't even hear his footsteps for the door. He was already gone.

I walked over to the island and pressed my fists against the cool countertop, sucking in a deep breath and counting to ten, then twenty, then as far as I could go until I absolutely had to breathe again. Max didn't say a single word. For a long time the only sound was the air conditioner turning on in the middle of the blistering day.

After I was sure I could speak without a growl, I turned back to the table, and joined Max for the rest of breakfast, letting my curiosity melt the last bits of rage I felt. "So how do you know Iggy?"

"Long story. Bad story. I don't like to talk about it." I huffed, frustrated with being left in the dark. The lightswitch was right in front of me but my arm seemed to be two inches too short to reach. I hated the dark.

"Well you're going to have to tell me before you leave," I decided, figuring I could make a game out of this if nothing else. Max raised an eyebrow in my direction, popping a piece of bacon in her mouth.

"How are you going to make me, Speedy?"

"Oh you'll see," I winked and stood up from the table, leaving Max alone to the kitchen while I headed back up to my room, bumping into Lupo on my way. "Well good morning, Sunshine," I cheered brightly.

"Did I hear Satan's voice?" She inquired, completely ignoring my sarcasm.

"You mean Iggy?"

"That would be Satan."

"Yeah, he was here but he's gone now." I explained.

"Too bad, I needed some more blood for my afternoon bath." She shrugged effortlessly, continuing down the stairs, and I bit my lip, unsure of if it was a joke or not. Maybe letting these two girls into my house was a horrible idea.

I headed over to Sam's, leaving the girls armed and dangerous with popcorn and comedies. I figured it would keep them from snooping too much if they had something to do. "I just don't get them, you know? They know Iggy for a bad reason but they won't tell me why," I complained, laying on Sam's bed and staring at his closet door as he shuffled summer assignments for his college courses around. He'd finished two of them already but he still had three to go and it was already July.

"Well does it really matter? We both know he's a jerk and he probably felt them up or something so just let it be. Neither of them want to talk about it." Sam spoke as if the answer was simple, but I wasn't so sure.

"If it's so simple then why are they so afraid to tell someone?"

"Fang, it's not your business. Don't let Iggy involve you in any more of his crap than he already has, okay?" Sam persisted, and I sighed but nodded. It was no use. The whole world was against me, pulling me farther and farther away from the switch. I was drowning in the dark and my air supply would never catch up to me at this point.

"Fine, fine. Hey, when we leave can we stop by Nudge's place? I wanted to check on-"

"Yes!" Sam literally yelled, his voice raising an octave and effectively cutting me off. I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to do with that reaction.

"You're quite enthusiastic about seeing your ex," I acknowledged.

"What? What are you talking about, I-"

"Sam, she cheated on you. You've been telling me not to get played by Iggy, well now you need to take your own advice with Nudge. Don't let her hurt you again." I said, and he nodded once, although he seemed anxious to leave. The poor guy was hopelessly in love. The only problem was she didn't feel the same way.

"Yeah, okay, I see what you're- oh look at that! Dylan just asked what was taking us so long. We better leave now." Sam rushed, heading for the door with phone in hand.

"It didn't even beep," I pointed out, although he was already halfway down the stairs. I groaned, reluctantly following after my friend and dragging myself into his Corvette- or rather, his dad's corvette that he drove. It was bright yellow just like his personality so I guess it worked alright. "You're taking this to show off,"

"I'm taking it purely for speed reasons."

"We both know Nudge drools over this corvette."

"No, she drools over me inside of the vette," Sam corrected, and I rolled my eyes but kept my arguments at a minimum. Just like I made my own mistakes with Iggy, Sam would have to make his own with Nudge. I only hoped it wouldn't drive him to the same level of insanity I was reaching towards.

Here's a little New Years present for you guys XD

And my resolutions are to finish the book I'm working on and update Motocross consistently. *Wild laughter in the distance*

Stay Majestic

VR