Chapter Four:

My mom and dad were ignoring each other. Every morning for the past week they wouldn't even look at each other. Ella is freaking out about it and I tried talking to them both but they both brush me off. They are so much alike and it amazes me that they don't get along. But I guess that's why they don't get along. I sighed and decided to be happy it was Friday. I was in my last class of the day, again there was the same five people there. I hadn't spoken to Fang since the party a few nights ago. I tried to but he keeps avoiding me. I was even going to sit with him at lunch to talk to him, but he hasn't been going to lunch.

But he was in class. I stalked to the back of the class room and plopped down on the seat next to him. "Hey. You've been avoiding me." I said. The teacher hushed me, I wasn't even talking loud! Fang shook his head, "No I haven't." I raised my eyebrows. "Don't try to lie, Fang." He shook his head, but I cut him off. "If it's what I said at the party. Sorry, I didn't know it was such a sensitive topic." I mean it was just a question about lunch. "You could come sit with me and my friends at lunch." I suggested, then I looked up suddenly as the class room door opened. Iggy walked in. He handed the teacher a slip of paper and looked around for a seat. I waved Iggy over and he pulled up a chair.

"He, I didn't know you were in this class. You weren't here a few days ago." He shrugged, "I didn't feel like coming a few days ago." He smiled, "Fang this is Iggy." I said. Iggy nodded towards him and said hey.

"Don't we have Social Studies and Study Hall together?" Iggy asked him. Fang nodded, "Yeah." He answered.

"You know how Fang sits alone at lunch? Don't you think it would be a good idea if he sat with us." I nudged Iggy when he didn't answer. He nodded, "Yeah, sure." Then Iggy pulled out a notebook and opened it. There was a drawing on it that showed, and explosion? "Are planning on blowing something up?" I asked, appalled. I was looking at the instructions on how to turn the bomb on.

He nodded and smiled, "Totally. Me and my brother Gazzy like blowing things up." My eyes were wide and I shook my head. And plus, again with the names! "Don't you have a little sister too?" I asked. I glanced at Fang who hadn't said a word during the conversation. Iggy nodded, "Her name's Angel." I nodded, at least Angel is a semi-normal name. "You have any siblings?" Iggy directed his question towards Fang. He shook his head, and didn't say anything more. The 45 minutes of the class went on with Iggy writing notes in his notebook, Fang reading a book, and me tapping my fingers. Fang glanced at my fingers a few times and seemed like he wanted to stop them.

After the bell rang Nudge was running towards me, "Max! Max! Wait up!" She pushed people out of her way, her dark hair everywhere. I stopped and waited for her. "Do you wanna join this science club with me? No one else wants too." I thought about it for a second.

I looked at her, confused. "Science club?" I asked her.

She sighed, "Yeah. I happen to like science and am good at it. Well, sorta, but I do like it and apparently they offer tutoring and I could use it. But I wouldn't know anyone in the club and some of the people in it are weird and I just wanna know at least one person." She explained.

"Uhhh, sorry Nudge, but science isn't really my thing." I told her.

She pouted and folded her arms, giving me a sour look. "Well, it was worth a try, see ya." She said, turning around, probably to go to her locker.

I was walking home and saw Fang in front of me. "Hey!" I called out. A few other people walking home turned around and when they saw I wasn't talking to them, kept walking.

Fang turned around and waited for me. "See, I'm not avoiding you." He said, smirking slightly. I rolled my eyes, "You were." I muttered.

"Are you going to sit with us Monday?" I asked him. He shrugged, "I'll think about it." He said. I looked to my side at a dog running down the street with a little kid. "C'mon. You know you want too." I said nudging him and smiling. He smirked again and then looked away from me, "If I'm here on Monday." Then he turned down the street. I stood there for a second watching him walking. What is that suppose to mean?

When I got home Ella was already home. "I thought you didn't get out of school for another hour?" I asked her, looking at the clock. She wasn't facing me so when she turned around I was shocked.

"What happened to your face?" She had a split lip and a bruise was starting to form on her cheek. "I got into a fight. Dad had to come pick me up then he went back to work." I rolled my eyes, "Did you start the fight?" I asked her. She shook her head, "No, but I finished it." I smiled at her, "I taught you well." She laughed, "My lip hurts though." She whined. I walked to the kitchen then threw her an ice pack, "Hold this on it." She held the ice on it and switched on the TV. I rolled my eyes at her, "Mom's gonna kill you." She didn't answer me so I just went upstairs to my room. It was still pretty weird, but the good part about my room is that it had a tiny balcony on it, but you had to climb through the window. I opened the window and climbed out. It was perfect weather, not to hot, not to cold.

I did the homework I had outside then jumped in the shower. I got out and got into my pajamas and heard the front door open. My mom started yelling at Ella right away. I laughed slightly and turned on my laptop.

I went to bed around ten and didn't wake up until twelve the next day. I yawned and stretched as I stood up. I got dressed and brushed my hair. I was still half asleep when I went downstairs and found the house empty.

I ate a bowel of cereal and decided I was gonna take a walk. I walked down the street that Fang walked down, trying to guess which house was his. I smiled when I saw him through a window. I walked to his front door and right before I rang the door bell I heard a crash. I raised my eyebrows and rang the bell. A woman who looked like a crack head answered the door. She puffed on her cigarette and glared at me. I heard a muffled shout from inside, "Is Fang here?" I asked, clearing my throat. The woman raised an eyebrow and smiled sickly. "Honey, Fang has a slut." I heard as she shut the door in my face. Slut? What was she talking about? Fang opened the door, wide eyed and stalked outside, pulling me along. "Why are you here?" He asked angrily stopping at the corner.

I looked behind me, "Why did she call me a slut?" I asked back. He sighed, "My parents are horrible people. Don't take what Mary said to heart." I figured Mary was his mom, also the woman who opened the door.

I looked at his face and noticed he had a black eye and a cut on his chin. "Did you get into a fight?" I asked him. He nodded, but seemed uncertain somehow. Then his eyes hardened, "Why are you here?" He asked again. "Isn't that the question everyone wants to know the answer too?" I answered sarcastically. Fang rolled his eyes, "Why did you come to my house?" I shrugged, "I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out." He looked away and back down the street. "Look Max, don't come to my house again, okay? And stop trying to be friends with me."

I watched Fang walk back to his house, feeling like someone just stabbed me. Why was I even trying?