A/N: I should really make a poll.
Iggy: On what?
Me: "What story do you like better: Forbidden or Once Upon A Glance?"
Iggy: O-kayy. Good luck with that.
Me: Quick reminder. I think I mentioned in the beginning that I wanted this story to be mostly on Fang's POV, right? I'd like to stay it that way.
Chapter 14
Fang POV
I was having an absolutely great time watching Iggy and Gazzy and Ari gulped down every single chocolate-chip cookie Dr. M (Max's mom. I started calling her that when Iggy and Gazzy did) made especially for Max like pigs.
I was having an ABSOLUTELY great time because I was inside my Max-filled fantasies once again. Not really. I'm always inside my Max-filled fantasies.
Until Max abruptly stood up (which sent her chair crashing to the floor) and shouted,
"WHAT?"
Yeah.
Snap. Just like that. I got kicked out of my fantasies.
All heads turned to Max. (Including Iggy's and Gazzy's and Ari's.)
Max didn't seem to notice that we were actually looking intently at her.
"No. No. NO. You are not going to do that, Ella." Max pointed a finger at her sister. (Ella is the spitting image of Dr. M.) With Max's face all red and her aura fiery red, Ella shouldn't have told whatever she told Max. Whatever that is. Not that I'm really interested. OK. Maybe a little bit.
Ella was SO calm that all of us were ready to shrink into tiny dust specks and disappear away from the face of the Earth. She was that calm.
Except for Iggy.
"What exactly did you say?" Iggy asked Ella coolly. Dude! You're supposed to be cowering like us!
Ella shrugged. "Something that really pissed her off."
"And you are not going to tell us," Ella nodded. "Man. That sucks." Iggy went back to drinking his Coke.
Ella looked back at Max. "I'm going to do it, just so I can prove it to you."
If looks could kill, Ella would have been dead right now, with a hole dead center in her forehead.
Max just walked out of the kitchen, with steam coming out of her ears. She came back to take her plate of cookies. Just. . . Wow.
I craned my neck to see her stomping up the stairs and to her room. She slammed it so loud that the whole floor shook.
There was an uncomfortable silence after Max's departure.
Dr. M just shook her head.
"This is not what I expected our two-day vacation will start off. What exactly did you say to her? You know your sister would be like that until we know what actually happened. And it could be forever if you're going to tell us what you said." Dr. M put her hands on her waist and looked at Ella.
Actually, all of us looked at her. We are so curious it's eating us alive.
Ella gave up from all the uneasy staring. "Fine. I said I'll fix up Fang and Max on a date."
Silence.
More silence.
More and more silence.
The silence was getting defeaning it's ringing in our ears.
I broke the silence. "You can't do that."
Ella pouted. "Why not? You obviously like her. Everybody knows it! Well, except for Max."
"You can't."
"Why not, Fang?" Iggy asked me. "Why not? I've seen it in your eyes. You're in love with Max."
"I'm not in love with her. And I'm not going on a date with her." I finished the conversation by standing up and left to retreat in the backyard.
Ig followed me. "Why can't you go? This is something I've never done before. But I'm actually encouraging you to go on a date with Max."
"You know why." I stopped and crossed my arms.
"No, I don't, Fang. Enlighten me."
"Mom and Dad will never approve of her."
"They're not even here! They're never here!" Iggy shouted. I didn't say anything. "Is that how you will find your wife? Some girl who our parents will approve of? This is your life. You make your decisions. They don't make the decisions. You do."
"And look where it got me."
"You changed! That will never happen again!"
"What if it does?"
"It won't because that's the worst-case scenario. And right now, we don't want the worst-case scenario. Fang, don't you see? You could start a new life. Be a normal 20-year old."
I laughed without humor. "Who said we are normal?"
"OK, that was an overstatement. But these past two years have been very hard for me and Gazzy and Angel. You wanna know what we did?"
I shook my head violently. "Don't bring it up. It's too painful." I clenched my jaw.
"When you came back to us, we were so elated we never wanted you out of our sight. We forgave every single thing you did."
My brain was showing the painful memories over and over again.
No. No. No. NO!
"STOP!" I yelled. I fell on my knees and writhed in pain. "Stop. No more." I moaned.
"Dude. If you want Mom and Dad to do the decisions in your life, you're not going to get what you want."
He left me clutching my head tightly.
What exactly did I want?
After five hours of deep head-burning thinking, I came back to the house with everything in my head in place.
I ignored every pair of eyes on me.
I went straight to Max's room. I knocked on her door. Max opened it.
"What are you doing here?" Max muttered sleepily.
"I want to talk to you. Can I?"
Max looked at me for a minute and nodded. I sat on the same chair I did when I "waited" for her. (Don't bring it up.)
Max sat on her bed. "So?"
I opened my mouth to speak but the door beat me to it. (Not that doors speak.)
Iggy opened the door. "Guys, we're going to see Eclipse. Are you coming?" Max and I looked at each other. We shook out heads. (Confession time: I actually want to see Eclipse. Shh!)
Iggy shrugged and grinned at me. I dismissed it. Iggy closed the door and left.
"You were saying?"
"I know what Ella said."
Max blushed and covered her face with her pillow. "I'm currently on the verge of strangling Ella."
I chuckled. "Don't worry. I disagreed."
Max lowered her pillow. "What?"
"We don't have to go on a date."
Max exhaled. "Good thing."
Downstairs, Iggy yelled. "GUYS! WE'LL BE BACK AT AROUND ELEVEN! DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID! I'M TALKING TO YOU, FANG! YOU BETTER BE LISTENING TO ME!" We heard the front door open and close. The garage door opened and then closed.
I rolled my eyes.
"You're not really going to do anything stupid, right?"
"Offensive." Max narrowed her eyes. "I won't."
"Well, we're all alone in this gigantic house. What are we going to do?"
"We could talk."
Max cleared her throat. "It's not like I don't want to go on a date with you. I just think it's wrong."
"Why is that?" I rested my elbows on my knees.
"You're my boss. And I'm just a maid-slash-nanny. It would be really awkward if we start a relationship and your parents come back." She covered her face with her pillow again.
Someone agrees with me! But, Iggy is right, somehow. This is my life. And I make my decisions, not them. I just don't want to end up like what happened two years ago.
"I hate that whole high-class/lower-class thing."
"Really?" Max asked with interest. She set her pillow aside.
"I think it's racist. Or class-ist."
Max laughed. "I get your reason. Yeah. I hate it too. People shouldn't really group theirselves like that. I mean, they want rich people to hang out with just rich people. And the same goes for the poor, middle-class ones. I think they should stop that."
Confession Time Number Dos. "If I were given the chance, I would go out with you."
Max looked like she just got the President seat.
"I'm not joking."
Max opened her mouth. And closed it. And opened it again. "You couldn't possibly-"
I nodded. "I will. But not now, because you're not ready."
"So if I'm ready-"
"Inform me. And then we'll go out. I don't care when that is. I'll wait."
Max nodded. "Now that we have the dating thing arranged, shall we move on to another topic?"
I smiled at her. "Be right back."
"Where are you-"
"BRB."
I got back to her carrying my acoustic guitar.
"Open the curtains." I commanded Max.
"What-"
"Just push the curtains."
She pushed the curtains. I switched off the light. "Dude!" Max shouted.
"We're not going to have sex."
Max winced. "Please don't say the word. It's freaking me out."
"Got it."
Her room was dark from where I was standing. But on Max's side, it was bright because of the moonlight. Max was surrounded with moonlight and she looked beautiful.
"What exactly are we doing?"
"To pass time, we're going to sing a song." I sat down next to her and leaned back on the wall.
"What song?"
"You pick."
Max scrunched up her face. "What about Your Guardian Angel by-"
"The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Nice pick."
When I see your smile
Tears run down my face
I can't replace
And now that I'm strong
I have figured out
How this world turns cold
and it breaks through my soul
And I know I'll find
deep inside me
I can be the one
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.
Seasons are changing
And waves are crashing
And stars are falling all for us
Days grow longer and nights grow shorter
I can show you I'll be the one
Max took over singing. We locked gazes.
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
Cuz you're my, you're my, my, my true love, my whole heart
Please don't throw that away
Cuz I'm here for you
Please don't walk away and
Please tell me you'll stay, stay
We sang the next lines in unison without looking away.
Use me as you will
Pull my strings just for a thrill
And I know I'll be okay
Though my skies are turning gray
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
Our voices faded. We stared at each other for a few more minutes then grinned.
"That was fun." Max stated with a real smile.
"Another song?"
"Nah. I'm good. I'm just sleepy. . ." Max closed her eyes and dropped her head on my shoulder.
Without waking her up, I set aside my guitar and rested my head on her head.
"I'm sleepy too. . ." I murmured and closed my eyes.
And we slept.
A/N: POLL! Which story do you like better: Forbidden or Once Upon A Glance? I'll be tallying the votes! It will only last for a week. Starting now. VOTE!
Iggy: RnR?
Fang: Don't forget to vote.