This chapter is going to have a cliff hanger ending because I haven't done a real cliff hanger in a while so this is one. Sorry it's cruel and mean but I couldn't resist. I didn't have to cut it off where I did but I chose to! ^.^ Sorry. But enjoy! ^.^
The next few weeks were so… surreal. My date with Zac had gone so well. Much better than my last date but that's really not an achievement, the achievement is that Zac made me enjoy that night as much as I enjoyed spending time with Fang. The play rehearsals were major, major fun and we all mucked around at the same time as working hard to get everything right.
I enjoyed the weeks especially because Fang and I got to spend a heap of time together on stage. I loved spending time with Zac and, unlike Fang, Iggy completely approved of my choice. Zac ate lunch with Iggy, me and- on the rare occasion he was there- Fang. Adrian came nowhere near me (Yay!) and Zac treated me with respect but still teased me playfully.
Was it safe to say I might be falling in love? Yeah I think so.
Hah had you going. I'm not falling in love with Zac just yet, too early for that, I'm falling in love with Les Mis. I love this musical. I never thought I would ever say that in my life but I have officially fallen for stage art.
Anyway things with Fang and I are kind of distant. He's majorly annoyed with me about my boyfriend (yes, Zac is my boyfriend and I am loving it) and he's having problems with Adrian.
"Talk to her," I urged.
"She'll yell at me," Fang hissed back. We were standing together in the rain- yes, the rain, it is raining very heavily right now, not something that happens very often and we were enjoying it- both of us were soaked through to the skin and I must say there is something incredibly sexy about a guy whose black hair is plastered in front of his eyes from the rain.
Did I seriously say that? Why yes, Max, you did, having a boyfriend is getting to your head.
Fang looked over at Adrian who was standing under an umbrella talking to the senior guy who was playing her character's father- and my character's foster father- in the musical. His name was Chase and he was one of Zac's friends. I didn't really like him that much but I wasn't going to tell Fang, it would tick him off even more.
"You look like a lost puppy, it won't get fixed if you don't talk to her," I hissed.
"Like you can talk pup-girl," Fang replied, flashing me a teasing grin. I rolled my eyes, cheeks flushing at my half-asleep conversation with Fang when I'd been staying at his house, sleeping in his bed- surprisingly, sleeping in the same bed as your male best friend is not awkward in the least.
Fang's face fell as Adrian laughed at something Chase was saying and smiled at him.
"Talk to her," I hissed again.
Fang shrugged. "Look, let's just go. Iggy, Steve and Damen already went," Fang said to me. I rolled my eyes and pushed some soaked hair out of my face and looked around through the rain. Fang groaned. "That's right, you haven't said goodbye to lover boy yet, have you?"
"Shut up," I replied, blushing again.
"Hello gorgeous," a voice behind me said. I turned around, my heart lifting and a smile spreading across my face as I saw Zac looking amazingly hot whilst rain soaked.
"Hi Zac!" I replied. I hugged me tightly and he kissed me gently on my forehead, then the tip of my nose and finally my lips, his arms wrapping around my waist. I kissed him back, tilting my head so I could kiss him better.
I heard Fang cough and we broke apart.
"Sorry to interrupt this lovely scene," Fang stated sarcastically. "But Max, we seriously have to go. Band practise, remember?"
Zac chuckled.
"Sorry, mate," Zac said. He kissed me gently one last time and released me. I felt kind of light-headed and my face was flushed but I couldn't help it. Hello? Rain! Kissing! Possibly the most romantic thing ever! Stupid Fang had to interrupt.
"I'm not your mate," Fang snapped, grabbing my arm and pulling me after him. I waved goodbye to Zac who waved back to me, slightly bewildered at Fang's dark mood. Fang usually tried to be nice to Zac so I let him off for being a jerk this time… sort of.
"You know, you don't have to take your relationship problems out on me and Zac," I stated, yanking my arm from Fang's grip. I tried not to be too harsh, Fang was upset. He shrugged but didn't reply. I squashed my sudden urge to slap Fang and tell him to snap out of it and put my arm around his waist instead and leant my head on his shoulder.
"Max, what are you doing?" Fang sounded amused.
"Being comforting," I replied, wrapping my other arm around the front of his waist so he couldn't escape from my hug. "Cheer up, please. I want my best friend back."
"Your old best friend or the one who's been around since he started dating Adrian?" Fang asked.
"Either one, though I would prefer the old one," I replied, closing my eyes, hoping Fang would stop me from tripping over anything. "As long as he isn't angry and upset all of the time."
Fang chuckled and put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. "He's always here for you no matter what."
"Good," I replied.
"And-" Fang stopped walking suddenly and I felt his body stiffen. I raised my head, my eyes open and looked around. We'd taken the back way from school, something we hadn't done since Jake had started being our bodyguard to protect us from G51 and we both realised just then that it was a mistake.
"Oh crap," Fang groaned. "Sorry Max."
"My fault too," I whispered. "Neither of us was thinking straight."
We were surrounded, again, by G51 and this time we weren't close enough to the road for Jake to help us. Damn it. We were such idiots.
"Stay behind me," Fang whispered as Joshua stepped forward. I didn't do as he said, I just let him go and felt adrenaline course through my body, ready for a fight. This time they weren't holding me back like a weak girl, I was going to fight with Fang.
"Ride, if you step away from the girl now we'll let you walk without touching you," Joshua told him. Fang snarled.
"Do you seriously think I'm that shallow?" he asked angrily.
"I'm serious Ride, leave now so we can deal with Max, and we won't touch you or your little sister."
"Stay away from Angel!" Fang and I shouted in unison.
Joshua laughed and so did a bunch of the other big, scary looking guys. They were all taller than me and probably three times as heavy. That meant a lot stronger but I wasn't going down without a fight. I remembered what G51 had done to Fang at the Spring Fling and fury ran through my blood.
"Alright, last chance Ride, leave or die?" Joshua asked, his voice laced with malice.
"I'm going to stay but I won't die," Fang snarled. He tensed up and I swung around to face the other direction. Gang members were behind us too. Where were the Bloods? Surely they realised we weren't on the main road and were searching for us desperately.
We were such idiots. Jake and his boss Carl had told us to stop from going in the back ways that they couldn't follow us inconspicuously on. Fang's back was against mine and we dropped our bags and were ready as some members advanced towards us.
"Stop," Joshua said. I eyed the guys in front of my and looked behind me, over Fang's shoulder. Joshua had a gun out, pointed right at Fang who was frozen with shock. "I told you to leave or die, Ride. Prepare for the latter."
"No!" I screamed and swung around pushing Fang away as Joshua fired the gun. Pain exploded on my side and my vision flickered. The last thing I remember is Fang staring at me in horror before I blacked out.
--
Fang caught Max before she could hit the ground and held her, fear pounding through his whole body. He was shaking, he felt cold and afraid. Max's blood was blossoming on her shirt and Fang quickly pulled it up and examined the wound on her side. He had no idea what kind of gunshot wounds were fatal and which ones weren't so he still felt deadly scared.
"You shot her," Fang stated, the steadiness of his voice surprising him. The only sound around them was the loud pattering of rain hitting everything and everyone.
"What's going on down there?" a voice shouted.
"Scram!" Joshua shouted. He stayed as he gang scattered and he looked up.
"Fang? Max?"
Fang looked up. Mr Callahan.
"Mr Callahan! Nine-one-one! Hurry! Max has been shot!" Fang cried, sinking down onto the ground so that he could check Max's wound properly. The bullet was still in her, embedded into her side right by her waist.
Mr Callahan ran down to them, already dialling.
"Yes," Mr Callahan said. "And Ambulance quickly. The alley behind George Street. A girl had been shot." Mr Callahan hung up and looked down at Fang. "You need to find something to stop the bleeding, put pressure on the wound… I think. Or not if there's a bullet! Oh I don't know!"
Mr Callahan dropped to his knees.
"I need to call Max's Mum," Fang said. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, not worried about the blood on his hands and he found Max's Mum's number and pressed the call button. Mr Callahan was ripping a strip of material from his shirt, wadding it up and pressing it down on Max's stomach while Fang held her head in his lap.
"Fang?" Dr Martinez asked.
"Doc, you gotta get to the hospital," Fang said. "Max has been shot and-" He could hear the sirens a few streets up. "The ambulance is nearly here but-"
"Shot? How? Has G51 come back to you?" Dr Martinez sounded hysterical.
"Calm down," Fang said, fear still pounding in his heart. He ran a hand over Max's hair, forgetting he had blood on his hand. "Just get to the hospital. Can you get Ella to call the rest of the Flock?"
"Sure. See you there." Dr Martinez sounded like she was crying. Fang's throat felt thick as he closed his phone. Max would be okay, he knew she would… or rather he hoped she would be.
No, Fang, don't think like that, he told himself. Max will be fine. She's Max, after all, she invincible Max. She will be fine. Say it now. She. Will. Be. Fine.
Fang looked down at Max's face. He couldn't lose her. If he lost Max he didn't know what he'd do. She was everything to him. The only person he trusted without reservation. His other half. His very best friend in the whole wide world.
So many emotions were gripping Fang's heart but he didn't have time to read them because people were running down. Fang recognised Jake and Matt with the paramedics as they carefully drove the ambulance down to them.
The paramedics strapped Max to a gurney and loaded her into the ambulance. Jake and Mat were staring at Fang as he climbed into the ambulance with Max. He watched the paramedics hook her up to machines as they started driving again.
Fang took Max's hand and held it as though it was his lifeline. He couldn't live without Max, he just couldn't. In almost a year of knowing her he'd come to care about her so deeply that if he lost her now he would lose himself and he would never be the same again.
"Please be okay," Fang whispered. He squeezed Max's hand, feeling the warmth fading out of it. Fang realised that he was dripping water on the floor but he really couldn't care less.
They reached the hospital and it was the hardest thing Fang had ever done to watch Max go through into the OR without him. He watched the doors until he heard Dr Martinez, Ella, Iggy, Nudge, Steve, Damen, Angel, Gazzy, his parents, Iggy's parents and Nudge's parents coming up behind him.
"Fang!" Ella shouted. Angel ran up and jumped into his arms, crying onto his chest.
"What happened?" Peter asked. But Fang looked at Dr Martinez, feeling really guilty. Jake and Matt were standing together just down the corridor, looking completely alike and Fang shuddered.
"We were stupid, we went down the back way instead of staying on the main road," Fang whispered, feeling angry, guilty, afraid, sad, hurt and alone. "G51 showed up and we didn't have Jake to rescue us. Joshua Skye pulled a gun on me and Max pushed me out of the way and Joshua's shot got her instead."
Fang was shocked when a tear rolled down his face.
If Max died it would be all his fault.
Right now he just wanted to sit down alone and actually cry. He hadn't cried for a long time but right now he really wanted to. Max was his whole world and-
Fang froze, a sense of realisation trickling down his spine as more tears rolling down his face. He stroked Angel's hair as everyone talked loudly, everybody was crying and Dr Martinez sank into a chair and Alice, Alicia and Mary (Nudge's mother) all sat with her, comforting her.
Jake and Matt went away and came back with coffee for all the adults and soda for the kids and teens and Matt looked at Fang.
"Has anyone called Zac?" he asked.
"I will," Iggy commented going to find the hospital phone. Damen was holding Nudge as she sobbed onto his chest.
"This isn't fair!" Fang shouted, feeling even more anger from his realisation. He felt even more alone now because he had just realised something very, very important.
He loved Max.
Not like a friend, or a sister or even his best friend in the whole world. He loved her, very dearly and he might have cost her, her life. Everyone was looking at Fang from his outburst. Steve came over and took Angel from him with a gentle look.
"Dude, go and find somewhere to get a hold on yourself," he murmured. "It's not your fault and you need to get a grip."
Fang took a deep breath, trying not to break down into a little ball. He didn't even know that he could feel so much at once and he hated it so much, especially the strong sense of love he now realised he felt. It made everything worse.
Fang walked away from the group and went to a bathroom where he splashed water onto his already soaked face to wash away the tears but he couldn't wash away the guilt. He had caused Max to be hurt and that guilt attacked his heart tenfold since his epiphany.
Everything made sense now though. All of his feelings, everything.
But that was the problem. He loved Max but she didn't love him. Urgh. And her boyfriend would be here soon and Fang would have to look at him knowing that Zac had everything he wanted and needed.
"This sucks," Fang whispered, looking down into the sink.
"Yeah, it does," Matt murmured from the doorway. Fang looked over at him and sighed.
"This is my fault. I should have realised that we were going the wrong way but I was too caught up thinking about Adrian and-"
"Chill, man," Matt sighed. "It isn't your fault, I swear."
"But…" Fang didn't continue, he just turned and leant on the sink and glared at the tiled floor.
"Come on back out, you need to be with everyone else," Matt told him. He took Fang by the shoulder and walked him out to the others. "She'll be fine, it wasn't that bad. You're lucky Mr Callahan showed up."
"I know." Fang sank into a seat beside Iggy who looked at him.
"I called Zac," he explained. "He's on his way. Are you okay, man?"
"No I'm not," Fang replied. Iggy put a hand on Fang's shoulder. The huge group was quiet. Zac showed up and a tearful Ella explained the whole thing to him because Fang didn't have it in him. Then the cops showed up with Mr Callahan and Fang had to relive the whole story again.
The cops took notes and then went to get coffee while they waited for the doctors like everybody else. It was tense and quiet except for a few whispered comforting words between several people and other people's shuddering sobs and sniffs.
Fang sat in tense silence wondering how he could possibly have fallen so deeply in love with his best friend and not have noticed. Somewhere along the line Max had shown him what it was like to have someone so incredibly wonderful that they become your whole life and he hadn't even realised it.
Now he might lose her and he just couldn't take it.