Solace: Chapter Twelve - Liberty (Fang's POV)

While Max was in the bathroom, I decided to check the bread situation in my pocket. I knew she was getting suspicious as to why I keep looking in my pocket, but I couldn't just tell her. She would be royally pissed off…

I reached in and pulled out half a piece of bread, which was all that was left.

The bathroom door started to open. Crap, I thought, while I shoved the roll back into the pocket.

I wasn't quick enough, though. She saw me do it.

Max had a cup of water in one hand and some pills in the other as she walked over to me.

"What do you have in there?" she asked me, raising an eyebrow and eyeing up my coat pocket.

"Nothing," I said, trying to sound oblivious. She held out the water and pills to me and I sucked it all down without a thought. I really didn't care what she gave me, as long as the splitting headache went away.

She was still staring at my pocket, so I tried to pull her attention away by summoning up my sweetest tone. "Thank you, Max," I said, letting a small, innocent smile play on my lips.

She didn't let it fool her. She stuck her hand out in front of me with an open palm.

"Give me it," she said calmly.

"What?" I asked, continuing to look as though I had no clue about what she wanted. She saw right through the act, as usual.

"I know you're hiding something that you don't want me to know about. Let me see," she said, waving her hand at my pocket.

I didn't know what else to say, so I just sat there and stared at her.

She waited a moment, but she must have figured I wasn't giving in, so she reached into my coat pocket herself… I felt something wiggle around and watched as Max's eyes widened.

"Fang!" she yelled. I thought she was going to hit me, to be honest.

Max pulled out the little white rat and gaped at me.

"All day you've had it in there?" she asked, her nose wrinkling a little.

"What else was I supposed to do with her?" That kid kicked her cage as she was cringing in the corner, afraid for her life. It reminded me too much of the School. Even a rat doesn't deserve that. I think Max was thinking the same thing. Her expression was softening as she stared at the rat.

"I told everyone 'no more pets,' you know…" she said quietly, but sternly.

Her eyes flicked from the rat, sitting calmly in her hand, back to me, sitting expressionless on her bed. I expected to hear, 'Take it back,' or, 'Bring it outside.' But she didn't say anything at first, just stared at me. She was thinking about what to say; I knew that. Perhaps she would ask me to choose between her and the rat. I laughed inwardly at the thought. Of course I would choose Max over the rat. Always Max.

I was pulled from my thoughts when she sighed loudly. "What are we going to name her?" she asked, sounding exasperated, as if making the decision had left her physically exhausted.

A grin crept over my lips when I realized that she meant we were keeping the rat. Not that I'm a rat-fanatic or anything… I was just glad she wasn't going to make me bring the little animal back to the pet store to be caged and harassed again.

"I saved her. You should name her," I said.

"No. You gave her freedom. You give her a name," she said, putting the rat in my hand, as she sat down next to me on the bed.

I didn't even have a second to think of a name before she spoke again. "Actually, wait... I think we should call her Liberty."

I nodded slowly, eyes locked on the little, white rodent in my hand. I turned to Max and said, "Libby." She nodded back with a small smile.


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