I woke up, scratching my head and yawning. I got out of bed and shuffled out of my room to the kitchen.
I saw a dark figure laying down on the couch and froze, wondering who it was.
Last night's events came back to me and I chuckled. "Oh yeah…" I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Iggy was at the stove, flipping pancakes.
"What time do we leave today?" He asked with a hushed voice. He didn't want to wake Fang.
I checked the clock. "Uh, I'd say we have an hour, maybe a little less. We can make it though." I got the milk out and poured two glasses: one for me and one for Iggy. "I'll fix up Fang's hangover smoothie."
"Your specialty." He joked, looking at me. His smile slipped slowly from his face as he stared at the cooking bacon. "Max… are you happy?"
I froze, getting the stuff out for the smoothie. "What do you mean?" My eyebrows drew down. Why was everyone asking me that?!
"Well, it's just… you've kinda moped around these past couple months and, well, I'm worried for you." He took the bacon off the pan and put it on a plate, setting it aside.
I took a deep breath. "Iggy, I'm fine." I chuckled. "I'm glad that you're paying attention to my life but you don't need to worry, okay?"
He hesitated before nodding. He was staring at me from the corner of his eye. "Are you going to visit her this year?" His voice was extremely quiet.
I nodded. "Yeah." I looked over at the couch where Fang was asleep. "I just hope that he can get over it."
The phone rang and I checked the Caller ID. I paled. "Oh my God! I forgot about Ella!" Fang had stayed the night and we hadn't told Ella. I hit speaker. "Ella! I am so sorry! I forgot to call you and tell you Fang was staying the night here! I am so, so, so, so, so, so sorry! Please tell me you stayed home with the doors locked and stayed safe!"
Iggy had his hand to his forehead, covering his eyes with his fingers. We had been so foolish, forgetting Fang had a teen at home.
There was silence. "Finally got laid, did he?" Ella chuckled.
I gaped. "Ella Wolf!" I was blushing, remembering my dreams from last night.
"Ella, quit causing trouble." Fang's voice rang out. I turned and saw he was walking over to us and the phone. "I just couldn't drive home so I crashed at Iggy's." My heart shrunk a little when he didn't say at my place but at Iggy's.
"Why couldn't you drive home?" She sounded so curious.
"They went to Fun Way." Iggy said, putting the sausage and pancakes on plates, bringing them to the table. "'Nuff said."
Ella paused, thinking. "Oh yeah! They have that bar in the basement!"
"Ella, how do you know about the bar?" Fang asked in an angered tone.
"Max-"
"Don't blame this on her." Fang interrupted.
"No, Fang, I brought her to Fun Way before and told her about the bar." I informed him. I hit his chest with the back of my hand. "Don't be so quick to judge."
"Yeah, Fang, don't be so quick to judge." Ella's voice rang out of the phone.
"And, Ella, don't be so quick to mouth off." I warned.
"Yeah, Ella, don't be so quick to mouth off." Fang teased, smirking. He clutched his head and winced.
"Ell, we have to go. Take care and I better see you in class this time." I turned the phone off and made the smoothie for Fang. "Grab some Advil." I told him.
He did as I said and I handed him a cup of the smoothie. He chugged it down, swallowing the pill with it.
We all sat down at the table, digging in immediately.
"I forgot how hard a drinker you are, Max." Fang mumbled, shaking his head to wake up.
I smirked.
"That's why I don't go drinking with her. Now me? I'm classy. Glass of wine- just one- and I'm satisfied." Iggy said, biting his pancakes.
"You just can't hold down your liquor." Fang and I accused in unison. I chuckled.
"He never could." I shook my head, smiling.
"Tell me about it. Remember when we were at the rush party and he threw up in the closet after two beers?" Fang's eyes twinkled at the memory and I almost didn't answer, being mesmerized.
Key word: almost.
"Oh yeah! But that's not as bad as last month when we went to J.J.'s birthday party! Someone made sangria and Iggy thought it was just punch." I laughed. "He stayed in the bathroom all day!"
Fang and I were laughing, Iggy looking between the two of us.
"Are you guys sure nothing happened yesterday? You two seem too cheerful." Iggy concurred.
I glared at Iggy, blushing at the new awkward silence. I was finally able to talk to my old friend and he just had to ruin it.
---!---
"Honestly, I could never be more proud of anyone than I am of all of you." I smiled at all my choir students. I had every single one of them get a waver signed by their parents and teachers, letting them practice all day. Of course, they had lunch breaks though, and bathroom breaks. "All of you are ready to go and all so talented."
We were in the auditorium, which was decorated all Christmas-y, courtesy of Fang (due to my orders, of course). He was setting up the Christmas tree on the side of the stage. He glared at me with narrowed eyes, playfully of course. His black shirt and black pants were covered in sparkles and tinsel. He looked like a Fairy Prince! I internally laughed at my thought.
All the students were sitting on the stage, on and around the bleachers. They were staring at me, listening to what I had to say.
"I understand that all of these songs were a challenge and tested all of your abilities and you all perfected them and exceeded my expectations. I am more than proud to call myself your teacher. And, to all of you here, I don't just feel like a teacher. I feel like a sister, a mother, a best friend. And I hope you all think of me in the same way." I smiled at them all warmly. "But that doesn't change the fact that I have to grade you all based on your performance." I joked. "When school is over, go straight home, get some rest, and relax. Don't go out drinking tequila," I snuck a smirk at Fang who scowled at me, untangling lights. "getting lucky, or partying but be ready by the time the concert comes tonight."
Everyone laughed and clapped, cheering and such. They were all excited for the concert. This time, with the songs all being a cappella, they had dances and moves to do as well.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" I moved aside to show the boxes. "All your clothes came in!"
Everyone cheered, excited to see what they were all wearing for the Holiday Concert. I opened the box filled with girl's clothing and held up the article of clothing.
It was a short dress, ending just above the knee and it was like Santa's clothes, with the white and the buckle. Along the end of the dress, along the bottom, was white fake fur and along the neckline, the fake fur was there too. It had spaghetti straps and was red velvet. Sitting at the waist was a black belt. Going along with the dress was a Santa hat and red gloves with the fake white fur at the wrist. Black boots with white fur at the top were going on their feet.
The girls either cheered or just smiled. It may seem slutty and all but, with all of the choir girls, they could easily pull it off tastefully.
The boys would wear a black suit with a light red shirt and darker red tie with Christmas trees on it. Their socks would be green as well, just to play it up a bit. They would also wear Santa hats.
I handed everyone their size clothes and accessories, in the girls' case, and they all had thirty minutes to chat and socialize.
I went over to Fang. "Hey there, stranger. Need help?" I offered.
He shrugged. "The only I need with is getting all this tinsel off." He scowled at the tree, placing the last ornament on.
Fang at the edge of the stage, his feet off the side. I hopped off and stood next to him, leaning against the side. I started picking tinsel off his pant leg. He moved his leg away and I looked up at his face. "What are you doing?" He asked, confusion evident on his face.
"Getting the tinsel. Duh." I rolled my eyes. I reached toward his leg again but he grabbed my wrist.
"Don't."
"Why not? I said I'd help you with something. I'll help you with this."
"No, just… don't," He threw my wrist back at me, getting up. "Don't do that."
"Fang, what's-?"
"Nothing. Just don't talk to me." He sounded angry. He started walking away, out of the auditorium. I stared after him.
"Don't worry about him." A female voice came at my side and I looked to see Ella sitting next to me on the stage edge. She had her knee up and her arm propped up on it, leaning on her other hand. "He's Fang, he'll come around."
I looked at my hand and nodded slowly. "Yeah. I know." But, truth be told, I didn't. He wasn't the same Fang I knew back in college.
"Max, do you like my uncle?" Her question sounded so innocent but I blushed nonetheless.
"Of course, he's a great friend."
"No, I mean you really like him. I could practically hear you blushing on the phone this morning."
I sat next to her, facing her. "You want to show people you're mature? Grown up?" She nodded. "Then you need to deal with things maturely."
"Where are you going with this?" She asked, confused.
"Honestly, you're more mature than I am." I told her. Her eyebrows shot up. "Your uncle and I were friends in high school. We weren't in the same grade but he was in Iggy's so I always saw him hanging around my house with Iggy. We all went to the same college, same time, all being early admission but your uncle was the first to leave." I sighed, looking at my feet. "Back then I liked him. And when he left, I couldn't get over the fact that he left me… and all his other friends."
"But he still kept in touch, right?" Ella asked in a haste.
"Oh yeah. With everyone… just not me. I could never let that go. And something I did back then must still being bugging him because he's actually so differently toward me than everyone else he's come across from our past." I looked back into her eyes. "So you see, I'm not handling things maturely therefore I am not. But you, Ella Wolf, have handled beatings and abuse in the most mature way."
She scoffed. "And what way would that be?"
"Ripping away your pride and asking for help. Also by defending yourself. Not being mature about something that serious, someone would let it continue or they wouldn't tell anyone. But you… Ella, you fought back." I smiled at her, proud of her. "You went to help when you needed it. You dealt with it better than anyone else your age would have. This is why I am so proud of you. And why I treat you more as an equal than as a student, like everyone else. Because your feelings and thoughts towards things are that of an adult's."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I want you to know how proud of you I am. And I want to let you know that you're still a teenager. Have a little fun- behave accordingly to your age. Go party, face things aggressively, don't think about it; face it head on with no thoughts. I'm glad that you're able to sort out right and wrong but sometimes you just need to say what the heck. Go with your gut instead of your mind."
She smiled. "Thanks, Max." She gave me a hug.
"No problem, kiddo." I chuckled.
She pulled back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take your advice." She left the auditorium.
---!---
Ella made her way down the hall, looking around for Fang. She found him sitting on the stairs around the corner. She sat next to him.
"What's up, Buttercup?" She joked, although serious on the inside.
"Nothing." He rubbed his hand to his forehead. His hair was in his ponytail, kept out of his clear face. "Nothing that would interest you."
"Try me."
Fang looked at his niece and saw determination and stubbornness in her eyes. No matter what, she would get it out of him. He sighed and leaned his head against the rail. "I regret moving back."
Ella's eyes bugged out of her head. "What?! Why would you regret that? Is it because of me or…?" She trailed off, remembering what Max said. "Or is it because of Max?"
His head whipped around to face her. From his reaction, she hit the nail right on the head. "What do you know about me and Max?"
"Nothing." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Nothing that would interest you." She repeated his words from earlier.
"Ella Gloria Wolf, tell me now." He said, eyes flashing.
"All I know is that you two were friends in college and you left her. You never contacted her after that either." She shrugged. "What's your side of the story?"
"I left to go to New York since I had a deal for a job. Over the years, I never lost contact with anyone. Anyone except…"
"Max." Ella finished.
He nodded.
"But why? She had all the same numbers, same email, why didn't you contact her?"
He shrugged. "I was being stupid." He groaned. "Headache's coming back."
Ella took out a bottle of Advil form her pocket. "Here. Have to dry swallow though."
Fang shook his head, not wanting to know why she had the bottle. He swallowed the pill and grimaced, feeling it work its way down his throat.
"So? Why were you being stupid?"
"Why does it matter to you, Ella?"
"Because! Because it just does! Max isn't just my teacher, she's my friend! My best friend!" Ella stood, suddenly furious. "And you broke her heart! I could see it! You hurt her when you left her!"
"How would know any of this? You weren't even around-"
"She told me. Iggy told me some things too." Ella stared at him, challenging him. Daring him to prove her wrong. "Max told me that she couldn't get over the fact that you never talked to her again after you left! Iggy told me that every time he mentioned your name, she'd become all mopey and upset! Not upset as in crying but upset as in furious! She can't get over the fact that you left and she also can't get over the fact that you're back! What it seems like, to me, as an opinion, Max is most likely ecstatic that you're back. That she finally got a do-over with you. So don't you dare say that you regret coming back here!"
Fang blinked. "There's one detail, Ella, that no one else knew."
"Oh, and what would that be?" She crossed her arms. Oh, this better be good.
"I couldn't contact her. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."
"Oh, and why's that? The pain of leaving her was too much?" She guessed sarcastically. "That you loved her too much and your heart would've been ripped to pieces if you talked to her again?" Through her whole mockery of her uncle, venom kept pouring through. She just couldn't believe that her uncle would do that to such a sweet person- to Max. He better have had a good reason to leave her.
"Yes."
Oh…