Random Quote of the Week: "I want you to know that it's our time, you and me bleed the same light, I want you to know that I'm all yours, you and me run the same course," -Zedd feat. Selena Gomez in "I Want You To Know"
COUNTDOWN TO 1000: 28
I wish I could've updated sooner! The feedback from last chapter was amazing, it was the. Alas, I was out skiing yesterday with my friends and trying not to embarrass myself too badly. It was lots of fun though!
Question time! If you're not in the mood for some Q&A with your favorite author, feel free to skip to the line break where the chapter begins.
Lexysharvey: What's the most embarrassing/awkward moment/situation you've had with a guy you had a crush on? What's you're biggest fear?
I'm a straight male (I'm not offended, don't worry!), so I've never had a crush on a guy. Most embarrassing moment I've had with a girl I've had a crush on? Um...nothing really embarrassing but this one was humiliating. In 6th grade I spent forever getting up the courage to ask my crush (and later girlfriend) to a dance, and I was so excited when she said yes. I was really psyched for the dance, but that was until I got there...she was cuddling in a corner with another guy...I was like "WAIT WHAT WHY DOES LIFE HATE ME SO MUCH?".
My biggest fear? Probably claustrophobia.
fang2ooo: Are you hopelessly in love with someone?
Not right now. Four months ago, though, definitely.
BiteMeBro552: Who and when did you have your first kiss (with)?
Haven't had it yet, so nobody.
ALICEMAXLANA: WHAT'S THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING U EVER DID!?
Hmm...I can't really think of one super embarrassing moment. I'll give you two semi-embarrassing moments though:
1) Two years ago, my class and I were on a camping trip and we were preparing dinner. Our teacher asked who wanted to prepare lemonade and I raised my hand quickly and yelled "ME!". Everyone probably expected me to be a gourmet lemonade chef...turns out I can't even prepare it right. I used way too much powder so it tasted really strong, and I mixed it with HOT WATER. How was I supposed to know not to?! I'm terrible at cooking. So I walked to the table where my class was patiently waiting and made a show of entering with a huge pitcher of lemonade and poured a cup for my friend. He tasted it and pretty much gagged a sip down and said something like, "Did you seriously use hot water?" I nodded and said something like, "Just enjoy it." I wasn't really embarrassed, but everyone laughed at me. Good times.
2) In kindergarten, I threw up in the swimming pool during summer camp. They had to shut the pool down and clean it up and stuff. I was really embarrassed, but thankfully nobody knew it was me. Some people asked me, and I was like, "Nope! Not me!" Ahahahahaha.
Hermionehp135: Which artist is your guilty pleasure? Who are you most embarrassed about listening to?
Ummmmmmmmm...I'll deny I ever said this but *stage whispering now* One Direction has some addicting songs. My friends would laugh at me if I said this, but Live While We're Young and Night Changes are epic songs.
Montana89 and crazydasiy-in-tha-house: Are you a virgin?
Haha, I had a feeling someone was going to ask this. In case you weren't kidding, I am a virgin and plan to be for the forseeable future. I'm a kid, and will be legally underage for a few more years.
iluviggyhesthebest: How much do you weigh?
Haha Kaykay, I thought you were going to find a worse question to ask. This one isn't bad. I weigh about 130 pounds.
Guest: Are you dragging this story (if there is any) so you could get 1000 "reviews"?
Haha, I must admit that review amused me. No, I am not dragging the story to run up the review count . I'm "dragging it on" (it doesn't really feel like dragging on to me, but reading through I can understand where readers are coming from) because I wanted to work on a long-term writing project that feels somewhat realistic. Trust me, I would absolutely not continue something I didn't enjoy doing just to see my name on a leaderboard. I'll be the first to say that's stupid. And if you don't like this story, I'd honestly be very happy to recommend some books or fanfics to you that you may enjoy more! Just ask, and ye shall receive. If you have any particular criticisms for ANB that you'd like to share, I'd be happy to listen and grateful for the help. And I'm not sure why you keep blatantly insulting me without giving me a reason why, it's a bit confusing (albeit amusing). Sorry if I sounded disrespectful or anything - I was just a bit confused by your comment.
Graceless0ne: Are you freaking insane in the head?
Probably.
MaximumNotMaxine: Have you ever accidentally gone into the girls' restroom/locker room? If so, did a girl see you? Where do you live?
Nope! Knowing how klutzy I am, I'm really surprised I haven't done that. That would be embarrassing though...
I live in the U.S. in the Eastern time zone. Not gonna go more specific than that.
DntlessAnnabeth: Have you ever pulled a great prank?
Um, not really. But I pulled a decent stunt on the way to my basketball tournament. The seniors were playing their horrible trap music, so I decided to put an end to it. When they were switching the bluetooth connection, I broke into the connection with my iPod and blasted TiK ToK. Everyone flipped out and claimed voodoo magic was happening since they didn't know it was me. Priceless.
Whew! That was fun! Onto the story now!
Oh, one more thing - if you have any more questions, just ask and I'll be sure to answer them!
Max's POV
"I'm feeling a lazy day. What about you?" Fang asked me as we ate breakfast.
I shrugged. "Can't think of anything better." Actually, we already began our lazy day. Both Fang and I slept in; the sun—which was already high in the sky—had dried up the dew before either of us were awake.
"I'll practice a little jogging, maybe," Fang said. "Nothing too rigorous, though."
"That's a good idea," I replied. "I don't know when you want to leave, but I guess whenever you're ready to run we'll go."
"I'd love to go today, but I'd be a hypocrite given how I wouldn't let you run with a banged-up leg."
"And don't worry, since you're not running with a concussion on my watch," I told him.
"That sounded like a feistier, less knowledgeable version of Ella," Fang said.
I shrugged. "A little, I guess. When's her birthday, by the way?"
"Sometime this month, I think. She's turning eighteen."
"Could it possibly be August 18?" I asked, curious. That would've been quite a coincidence.
"Maybe, I don't remember," Fang said. "Why, is there a reason why you think she has the same birthday as you?"
I shook my head. "I'm just curious."
Fang frowned. "You think she might be your twin, right?"
"Fine, yeah," I admitted. "I know it's a naïve hope, but since when did I give up?"
Fang didn't respond for a few seconds, lost in thought. "Max, as great as it would be if that were true, there are plenty of girls in the world that could be Ella's twin. I don't want you to get your hopes up only to be let down."
"The thing is, when did that not work for me? Isn't that how we got here in the first place?" I responded softly.
"I know, but the odds are crazy here. Literally one in more than a million. It's fine to leave the door open, but peeking your head in the door by hoping it's true will just lead to disappointment," Fang said.
"We can just agree to disagree then," I said.
Fang sighed. "I guess I can't stop you from wanting what you want." Believe me, Fang…what I want is probably nothing like what you want.
When we finished breakfast, Fang and I decided to walk into the city and spend the day slowly jogging around Lancaster's wide sidewalks. Since Fang wasn't far removed from his concussion, we took frequent water breaks and restroom breaks, but he was able to walk and jog down the streets without experiencing any issues. I kept a close eye on him, but Fang didn't show any signs of dizziness or exhaustion.
Fang also insisted on washing up. I found it odd, considering it hadn't been too long since our last shower, but I wasn't about to object. Even stranger—Fang bought a travel-size package of shampoo. I knew better than to question him, though. He probably had his reasons.
As we walked back to our sleeping spot and watched the sun go down, I felt the same pang of longing for Fang to take my hand I did on the beach a few days ago. I wanted to squish the feeling under the sole of my worn-down shoe, but it was too strong. The power of love was boundless. I never thought I'd be affected by it very much, but it flat-out took over me. I was blown away.
When Fang lay down, I lay down next to him. I fished around in my backpack for my diary and found it at the very bottom, wedged below three water bottles and a stack of clothes.
I wasn't in the mood for a long diary entry today. That wasn't what I needed though. In fact, six words was all I needed.
Dear Fang,
Why don't you love me yet?
Love,
Max
I stared at my writing for a minute before sliding my diary into my backpack. I felt so desperate. It wasn't like the desperation I felt at home, being abused and oppressed. If anything, this was worse, in a way—I solved the problem about my parents by running away. I couldn't do the same for this. It was awful.
Would I ever have the courage to face Fang and tell him I love him?
If only Fang loved me back. I wouldn't need to tell him anything. He was so much more confident than I was when it came to romance, because he had some legit experience in the field. All I had were overactive hormones.
Fair deal, right? About as fair as my life right now, which was to say completely and utterly unfair to the point where I believed that the world would forever be out to unconditionally haunt me.
As I closed my eyes to sleep, I heard Fang say, "I love you, Max."
My eyes flew open instantly. I turned to look at Fang, but his face was buried in the grass. I sighed deeply, putting my face in my hands as I choked back a sob. This is how it felt to be hopelessly in love.
See what I meant about unfair? The guy of my dreams freaking told me he loved me, and it turned out it was all in my mind. I felt like punching a tree. Or climbing up one and jumping down just to feel the pain of falling.
You know what? That wasn't a bad idea. There was a tree with plenty of low branches near the road which looked perfect for climbing. I'd loved climbing trees in fifth grade. The rest of the kids called me names because they were jealous of how easily and quickly I could climb to the top.
It was a tad chilly, but I stood up and walked over. Not to jump out and break my leg, but just to remember what it felt like to be ten feet in the air being supported with nothing more than a fifty-year-old piece of wood. I did just that a few days after meeting Fang, but I picked a low branch to sleep on. This time, I wasn't stopping until the branches got so thin I could break them.
I jumped up and grabbed the lowest branch I could find, using it to pull myself up. I felt around for sturdy footholds, and sure enough there a crevice to my right. The lights from the road illuminated the area just enough for me to confidently climb despite .
I reached up for a branch the width of my upper leg to pull myself up, but didn't see a short twig sticking out. My wrist roughly scraped against it, sending a quick jolt of pain resonating throughout my upper arm, but I ignored it as I climbed higher, the breeze blowing the streak of blood down my skin. I wiped my arm on my shirt, determined to continue.
I stopped climbing where the branches were as wide as my arm. Pulling myself up, I perched myself up on the branch and leaned back on the trunk. I looked down, the ground about fifteen feet below me, and took a deep breath of the cool air. It smelled…fresher, and the wind was definitely stronger. My hair floated behind me, just like the mane of a horse did when it ran.
I pressed my hands against my cheeks, surprised to find them cold from the wind. They were practically radiating heat when I was lying down next to Fang.
Was this what it felt like to be a bird, perching on a high branch? I'd nearly forgotten the thrill of looking down on the world from above, with no windows or floors to squelch the liberating feeling that I got up here myself.
With the only noises up here besides the wind being the occasional chirp or car, I could hear my heart beating. It didn't sound particularly loud or fast; my surroundings just allowed me to hear it. A few final drops of blood fell from my arm before it stopped bleeding.
After the drop of adrenaline that was going through my bloodstream dissipated, I descended from the tree and walked back to our spot. Only after laying down did I realize how cold I was. I looked at Fang and decided, why not?
I scooted next to Fang, setting my head under his and body molded around his so that we were practically glued together. I fell asleep just like that, wishing his warmth was love instead.
Cue the 'aww...''s. Poor Max.
For some reason the last little Max and the tree scene was my favorite scene so far in this story. I don't know why. I'm not even a big tree-climber.
Question of the Chapter: Was Max actually imagining it or did Fang say it and hit the grass when he realized Max was awake?
I just want to give a quick shout-out to bookgirl411, DntlessAnnabeth, BiteMeBro552, and iluviggyhesthebest for the consistently extraordinary support they've given me throughout the story.
And thank you to everyone reading this, it means a lot to me that you're taking time out of your day to read (and comment on) the story I write after school at my desk in the corner of my family room. Besides the fact the I enjoy most aspects of crafting a story, it really makes me feel like I'm making good use of time. I'm not the fastest writer, so chapters often take a while to write. If for any reason anyone would like to know the details of the heartofglass99 method of story production, feel free to PM me and I'll gladly tell you how I do things! I kinda doubt anyone really cares, but I'll just say it because I can.
Oh and I randomly thought of something while reading a book...sometimes it feels like writing this story is like owning a coffee shop. It takes time to get going and spread the word around, but once things get going it's smooth sailing. Some people stick around from opening to closing, while some come and go. Good coffee (good chapter) = more customers (readers). Bad coffee = less customers.
Anyone know the book that made me think of that? "The Fortunes of Indigo Skye" by Deb Caletti.
