Spitfire and Spice and Everything Nice

Ella picked at the curling peels of paint on the wooden frame of the front door. A light breeze wafted through the doorway, into the house. Without turning to talk to Iggy, Ella stepped onto the porch and huffed, "Fine. Stay here and sulk."

Iggy leaned against the door frame. "I'm not sulking. I'm waiting to explain things to Max."

"C'mon, let's go," Angel signaled Gazzy and Nudge. They left their perches on the dilapidated porch railing and tromped down the uneven, broken walkway to the sidewalk.

Ella crossed her arms. "If you'd just trust me, I could explain it all to Max and she would get over it."

"Why do I need you to explain anything? I want to talk with Max and work this out the … the flock way." Iggy huffed.

"Oh, 'the Max kicking your balls' way?" Ella turned to him, hands on her hips.

Iggy cringed at the thought. "Just go away."

Ella's had a hurt expression on her face and her shoulders slumped forward just a little bit. Iggy's temper softened. "Max needs to spend time with you, Ell. She needs to see that I haven't done any damage." Iggy held out his arms for a hug.

Ella turned away. "I don't like you right now."

"Okay."

Ella stomped her foot on the porch. "You're not supposed to say, 'Oh, well, okay.'" She made her voice low and sing-songy. She didn't look up to see Iggy flinch slightly at her mockery.

Iggy was silent. Ella clenched her fists at her sides and let a frustrated "aghhhhhh" come out of her throat.

Clod, clod, clod, clod. Ella jumped off the porch. Thud. Clompity clompity, clomp, clomp.

Iggy wondered, Can't she be any quieter when she walks? Freakin' non-mutant.

Iggy felt for the doorknob and gave it a yank. Wreeeeeeeek. Slam!

Wait, what am I thinking? I'm glad Ella never had to put up with the crap of growing up in a lab. Iggy walked to the stairs, feeling the wall. He walked up the steps quietly. Creak, swish, creak, swish. At the top floor Iggy found his way to the bathroom, not bothering to close the door, and whizzed in the toilet. Whungle-wungle, wungle, ishhhhh. The toilet flushed and the bowl refilled with water.

Zip. Whiissssshhhh. He rubbed soap over his hands and rinsed them under the warm running water. Then he dried them on the back seat of his pants, walking to his room.

Thung. Thung. Thung. It was a vibration, not a sound, exactly. Iggy couldn't hear it, but the rhythm he felt in his feet seemed familiar. A breeze came through the open window. Mew. Mew. Mew. Kittens were underneath the porch.

Gazzy's voice traveled from half-way up the street. They must have been at Ella's porch by now. "Hey, you guys smell that?"

Sniff. Iggy didn't smell anything other than the normal stink of three and a half guys living together. The one-half guy was in the form of Jeb, since he never seemed to stay put long enough to actually live there.

Nudge's voice drifted through Iggy's window, with a high-nasally sound, like she was pinching her nose. "You didn't fart again, did you?"

Thung, thung, thung reverberated even more strongly now. It seemed familiar. Iggy tried to imagine what would make that sound.

Whuh, whuh, whuh, whuh, whuh. A helicopter was flying low through the neighborhood. It didn't bother Iggy this time. But the first time Iggy had heard it, he'd hit the floor and crawled toward the back door. Not just him, but Fang and Gazzy, too. Jeb had been in the living room with them that night and he had to explain that it was common for police helicopters to fly overhead. With a tremor in his voice, Gazzy had asked what the deal was with the spotlight. Jeb had no concern in his voice when he explained matter-of-factly that the police were probably looking for someone running on foot between houses in the neighborhood. The excitement had culminated in the screeching of paddy wagon tires and a booming male voice shouting, "SWAT! Come out with your hands up!" The boys peeked out the windows and told Iggy about SWAT officers in bullet proof vests, armed with large guns, surrounding the house across the street. "Drug dealers," Jeb had said in a bored tone.

Thung, thung, thumm, thump, thump, thump. Iggy recognized the sound of the basketball being dribbled on the sidewalk.

Gazzy's voice drifted in the window along with a slight smell of aftershave. "I know that smell! Remember playing basketball that night?"

"What smell?" Ella asked.

"You know, the tall guy. Camaraderie. Or Carousel." Gazzy paused, "No that's not the right name, either."

Ella's delighted voice: "Cameroon!"

Nudge added with excitement, "Oh! And Eve. She is so beautiful!"

Angel's asked, "You can smell his aftershave?"

"Yeah-huh."

"Well I can't smell anything."

Ella's voice burst out, "Let's go find them! Gazzy's nose knows the way!" She giggled.

Whuh, whuh, whuh, whuh, whuh. Iggy began to climb out the window. Are you insane? There's a police copter and you don't even care that some sleaze-ball is running loose through the neighborhood?

Thump, thump, thump, thump. The sounds of the basketball bouncing on the sidewalk were coming closer.

"Let's find 'em," Nudge cheered.

A stampede of bird-kid feet and Ella's clunkers came back toward Iggy's house. He realized that his window was on the back side of the house, and they wouldn't see him as they approached. He decided to pull a "Fang" and remain silent-hidden but ready to come to the rescue if the rest of them ended up face to face with danger.

The stampede passed by Iggy as he crouched on the roof. The sounds of the helo drifted off and Iggy breathed in a deep, fresh gulp of relief.

Thump, thump, thump. The basketball was getting closer. So was Cameroon's aftershave. Then the direction of the sound changed. The bounces of the ball were coming up the street now. Iggy realized the movement had been along a street perpendicular to his own street. But now it was coming right up the street toward the whole gang.

Ella's happy voice rang out, "Cameroon!" Thunka, thunka, thunka. Ella was running down the sidewalk.

"It's Eve!" Nudge cried. Patter, patter, patter, patter. "Your outfit is divine!" Squeeee! Iggy imagined the tight embrace Nudge had on Eve's waist.

"Yo, Captain!" Cameroon's voice cheered. "I been lookin' all over for you, girl. Don't be shy, Captain. Come close and show a brother the love."

Silence.

Fwoosh. Iggy was in the air. Whish, whish, whish, whish. Four powerful beats of his massive wings were all it took to reach Ella.

"Oh, shiiiii …" Cameroon's stunned voice gulped as he stumbled back.

Iggy landed next to Ella, who was now released from Cameroon's hug. Iggy draped his arm over Ella's shoulders. His breath came in shallow series of, huhh, huhh, huhh, huhh.

Angel screamed, "What the hell are you doing, Iggy?"

Gazzy glanced at Angel, surprised at her colorful vocabulary. Then he turned back to see Iggy's wings, still unfurled, and arching menacingly above him and Ella.

Nudge held on to Eve, who was clutching her chest. "It's okay, Eve. It's okay. He won't hurt you."

Ella's bottom lip hung down as she stared up at Iggy's angry, threatened face.

Gazzy whispered, "Iggy. Put your wings down. You're scaring them!"

"Good," Iggy grunted.

Ella glanced at Cameroon and saw that his face was ashen in fear. She put one hand on Iggy's chest. "Ig. It's okay. It's just Cameroon."

Cameroon straightened up, but his free hand was still shaking. The other hand held the basketball to his hip. His voice wavered, "How did you do that? I just about crapped my pants."

"I told you so," Eve nervously addressed Cameroon. "I told you that video wasn't a fake."

"Video?" Ella asked, her eyes shifting back and forth between Eve and Cameroon.

"Whew!" Eve said. "You just about gave me a heart attack! I wish I coulda' gotten that on video!" She pulled her phone out of her pocket and aimed it at Iggy.

Nudge asked sweetly, "What are you doing?"

"Just showing my friends how awesome your buddy looks. Damn, it looks so real."

Nudge clung to Eve's hands. "Please, Eve! Please don't show any pictures to your friends."

Eve looked at Nudge. "I posted it online already, honey. This pic is to die for. Wanna see it."

Nudge backed away in shock. Angel stepped forward. "I want to see it."

Cameroon laughed loudly, recovering from the fright. "That is some trick with those wings and all that. Are you sure you're blind, kid? Cuz I don't know anybody who could pull off a wire stunt like that, even with 20-20."

"Trick?" Iggy spit on the ground.

Cameroon wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Iggy shook out his wings. Ella clung to Iggy. "Ig. Please."

Iggy lowered his wings and leaned back. He tilted his head down to Ella. "Okay, Ell."

Angel looked up at Eve with round, innocent eyes. "Can you show me the video?"

"Sure thing, sugar bear," Eve smiled.

Cameroon chuckled. "Damn, didn't see you around for almost three weeks and this is how you show up? You guys should be in a circus or something."

Gazzy laughed and snorted.

Angel said in a serious tone, "Guys, you have to see this."

Nudge and Gazzy crowded around Angel and Eve.

Nudge gasped. "How did you get this? How did you get a video of Max flying?"

"It's viral, hon."

"Not again!" Gazzy whined.

Iggy lowered his wings completely. "Viral video, Gazz. Not a virus."

"Oh," Gazzy sheepishly shrugged.

Angel looked up to Eve. "Can you show this video to Ella's mom?"

"Why not?" Eve smiled.

Cameroon chuckled. "You all are real good at pranking."

"Yeah," Ella laughed nervously.

#####

Fang held a tall, plastic cup to Max's lips. She stood at the kitchen sink, holding onto his hand instead of the cup, and gulped down the water.

"All better?" Fang asked, putting the cup on the counter and leaning his forehead against Max's.

"It's quiet around here." Max said, looking away.

"I know," Fang said, guiding Max's face back to his. He bent his head down and kissed Max gently.

As soon as he drew back his head, Max said, "You'd think they would have come running when I knocked over the table."

Fang lifted a stray hair out of Max's face. "They're busy."

"Busy?"

"Have you forgotten the chick magnet thing already?" Fang asked, sliding his hands underneath Max's shirt.

"They're all taking Iggy's side?" Max pouted.

Fang caught Max's sagging lower lip in his mouth. He brushed his lips down her chin and kissed the side of her neck.

Max stood there passively. When Fang moved to the other side of her neck, she complained, "Don't you even care that they're picking Iggy over me?"

Fang stood up. His lips were full and red, swollen with desire for Max. But his eyes were hard and squinty. "Just forget about them. Here, let's go to your bed." He tried to lead Max out of the kitchen.

"No!" Max shoved him away. "You are really getting on my nerves."

Fang smirked and drew her close again. "I wish I was just getting on you."

Max pulled away. "What is with you?"

Fang pulled Max back to him. "You turn me on."

Max twisted out of Fang's arms. "You have a hand. Go use it."

Fang's smile faded. "That was harsh."

"You're being selfish."

"Selfish?" Fang breathed. "Pshh. I'm trying to help you Max."

Max's ground her teeth. "You're trying to have sex. Where's the help in that?"

Fang met her fierce eyes. "It'll help you deal with the stress."

"Oh, that's just great!" she huffed, throwing his arms off of her. "You think I can't deal with 'the stress'? I thought you knew me, Fang. I thought …"

Max turned away and rushed toward the kitchen door. Fang was faster and grabbed her arm. He reeled her in and took her face in his hands.

Hot tears spilled down Max's face onto Fang's strong hands. "Max," he whispered. "That's not what I meant."

Max choked out, "Then what do you mean?"

Fang took off his tee-shirt and wiped her face with it. He held her close and she pressed her face into the smooth skin of his bare chest. He stroked her hair, saying nothing.

Max's tears began to dry. She pressed the side of her head on Fang's chest and listened to his vitals. "Fang, I don't have an 'on-off' lever like you. I have to want to have sex."

Fang didn't say anything.

Max looked up. "Now that I want to talk, you're suddenly quiet."

Fang looked past Max's head. "If I say anything, you'll just get angry."

Max sighed. "So if you're ever having a really rotten day, you're saying that you'd want to go shag?"

"Pretty much."

"You're weird, Fang. Weird."

Fang pulled away.

Max looked up into his eyes. "How 'bout a rain check?"

Fang's eyes softened.

From the dining room, they heard Valencia's voice. "Your appendage is amazing, Jeb."

Max leaned into Fang's arms and they both cracked up. "Get a room," Fang called.

"Whaaat?" Valencia called back.

Jeb cleared his throat. "I'd better get my shirt back on. We still have some serious matters to discuss."