Authors Note: You guys make me feel untalented and sad with all the kewl instruments you play. But don't worry, this summer two of my friends and I are going to learn how to play guitar . . . and then we're going to start a band! Awhh yeah.

Haha, anyway: continue with your reading.

Chapter Twelve:

Crack

And again, I repeat: "What?" This time, it was out loud though, for everyone to hear. I couldn't mask the utter shock and surprise in my tone either; nor the disbelief that she would propose such a thing.

Aunt Valencia turned to me, seemingly disgruntled about my outburst. "Well . . . yes. It was only a temporary sort of move for work, and they need me back now. Since the agreement we made with Social Services was that I would stay on and help raise Angel and Gazzy, I can't leave you guys here. Besides, I think it'll be good for all of you to get away from the city. Breathe some different air."

"Are you insane?" I managed to grind out, struggling to hold a clamp down on my anger. It was threatening to spew over the edge, and I had no idea what I would do in that case. Already my hands were balled into fists; trembling with the urge to punch something.

"What?" She looked taken aback.

"You seriously want us to leave?" I demanded incredulously, awestruck to the point where I had to force my jaw to stay intact. "After everything we've been through, you think it'd be a better idea to just run away from it all?"

Aunt Val's gaze hardened; our twin stubbornness shining through with her just as strongly as mine. "Max, please sit down. We need to talk about this rationally. Don't yell like a child. You're an adult now, remember?"

I hadn't even realized until then that somewhere during our exchange I had jumped to my feet, my chair laying on its back behind me. My fork was still gripped in my hand dangerously, the points glistening silver and dripping maple syrup. Before my hostility got the best of me and I did something stupid, like driving into the wood of the table, I dropped it with a clatter onto my plate.

Breathing deeply I took a moment to assess the others reactions.

Iggy and Nudge, who were the only ones present who weren't subject to this delusional 'move', looked equally horrified. Aunt Valencia was basically suggesting we all leave them behind, and move halfway across the country.

Mom's expression was carefully blank, like she didn't want to portray her emotion towards her sister's preposition. An itching feeling crept up my spine; one that said she probably wouldn't mind escaping the city that had treated her so badly.

For the most part, Angel and Gazzy both tried not to outwardly exude how terrible Aunt Val's idea sounded. I knew them though, better than anyone in the room. They were none too ecstatic about the prospect of going away. This was all they had ever known, after all.

The worst part though, was how happy Ella appeared. Her brilliant smile offset the others by a mile. The chance to get to return to all her friends and other family, if she had any, probably sounded amazing to her.

And me? Well, the thought bled more bitterly every second it infiltrated my mind.

"This is ridiculous," I stated, my voice low. I was trying to calm down as best as I could, but her announcement had shoved me onto a ledge I wasn't ready to take on.

"You have to think about everyone el-" she began quietly, but I cut her off.

"I have to think of everyone else?" I finished for her, my tone venomous. "I have to think about everyone else? Of course I do. That's how it always is. It's never been about me! For my entire life I put at least someone before myself. Today was the day I wasn't supposed to do that, though. Stop trying to guilt me into agreeing to this. It's not going to work."

A stunned silence met my piercing words. It seemed that nobody had anything to say to my little speech; each individual syllable another harsh reminder of the past . . . of everything I had done to get us to this point, just for it to get thrown back into my face.

"Happy Birthday to me," I muttered sullenly as I stalked from the room, leaving behind a ghostly stillness. I didn't glance back once as I slammed the front door hard behind me, taking to the pavement without the slightest idea of where I was going.

That was the good thing about New York. You didn't have to know where you were going. It was blissfully simple to get lost in it all.

. . . I could only take so much of wandering the streets though. After my initial anger had worn off, my mind emptied out, and all that was left was the thump of my feet on the dull concrete. I wasn't much one for mindless searching. I needed a purpose.

Knowing that what I really needed was to talk to someone, I fished my phone from my pocket. After doing so I paused, becoming aware that I had just left behind anyone I would have chosen to speak to at my house. My only other option was Fang, but seeing as he hadn't tried to contact me at all thus far, I wasn't really sure whether I wanted to talk to him or not.

A quick, slicing pang of missing Jared shot like a rifle through me, but I hurriedly shrugged it away. He wasn't here to help me with my problems anymore. I couldn't do anything about that.

Sighing, but knowing I didn't have much of a choice, I keyed in the familiar number. Holding it to my ear I put my other hand in my pocket, stopping to lean against the hard mass of a building. The stone dug into my shoulder, but I ignored it, focusing on the buzz in my ear. After a few moments of ringing, an automated voicemail picked up, ordering me to leave a message.

I didn't. Instead I hung up, then tried again. And again. And again. And again. I called him so many times I lost count, and each of my attempts were met with nothing but a robotic voice on his end. Finally I got tired of it, and did as the monotonous voice told me.

"Fang. I don't really know what's going on with you right now, and at this point I don't really care anymore. I don't care that it's my birthday, and you haven't called or stopped by or even texted me for that matter. I don't care that you keep breaking all the promises you never meant in the first place. I don't care that you act like you don't care half the time. Just . . . call me back. Please. Things are falling apart. I don't know what to do . . . I . . . just call me back."

Throughout the entire message, my voice shook, trembling constantly. I had seemingly bared all my vulnerability to him; more than I would have preferred. It had taken me up until that point to truly realize the depth of my situation.

I either moved to Arizona with my newly intact family, and had to consequentially leave behind all my friends and Fang . . . or I stayed in New York, and gave up Angel and Gazzy right when I got them back. The decision seemed impossible to make, especially when the one person whose opinion mattered the most was completely ignoring me.

Bitterly I shut down my phone. On the off chance that he did call me back, let him worry. Let him feel a small part of what he was putting me through. I was beyond caring at that point. If he couldn't spare me one second, then I wouldn't do him any favors.

I started walking again, no particular place in my mind. Eventually my pace picked up, escalating until I was running through the twisting streets. The only sound in my ears was the whistling of the wind, my breathing and the pounding of my sneakers. Nothing else, just the way I liked it.

It was times like these that I missed street fighting. How else was I supposed to vent my anger? Especially with how much everything was building up. My time of relative peace had gone and crashed to ashes around me. All of my muscles and tendons were coiled into one mass of stress and tension. An overwhelming need to lash out at something enveloped me, and I used the adrenaline it produced to push myself faster.

Through my escapade I didn't keep track of time. I didn't stop until the sun was high in the sky though, having morphed from morning to afternoon. Surprisingly, I was barely fazed. It only took a few moments to regain my breath, as a light trickle of sweat dripped down my collar.

Placing my hands on my hips, I surveyed my familiar surroundings. It occurred to me how odd and coincidental it was that I had ended up here of all places, but deep inside I knew it had been my destination all along.

Without pausing again, my fingers found the cool metal of the fire escape. I climbed the rickety stairs, as they groaned beneath my weight. Rusted hinges and loose bolts groped out, snagging my clothes as I ascended.

Finally reaching the top, I took a deep breath. The air seemed just a little clearer at this altitude. Everything was completely still around me. Not even the barest hint of a wind whispered by. The atmosphere was holding its breath for something unknown.

For a little while after that I walked around the perimeter of the roof, kicking up desolate pieces of trash and other miscellaneous items that had accumulated there over time. I did my best to not think too heavily of the inevitable, but my looming decision had a way of creeping back up at the slightest lapse in thought.

Hours must have passed while I stood up there. The sun was preparing its descent by the time anything disturbed the strange tranquility I had melded into. Dusk approached just as the dark figure did me, treading quietly across the space between us.

"Max," Fang said quietly, stopping beside me. I turned my face to the sky for a few seconds, before rolling my head back towards him. Biting my lip I stared into his depthless obsidian eyes, like reflective ink colored marbles.

I didn't say a word, any greeting I could muster getting trapped in my rapidly closing throat.

"I figured you'd be here," he stated simply and smoothly, not saying a word about any missed phone calls. He didn't apologize either. I didn't know if that was better or worse. It was just like him to avoid such a conversation.

"I didn't have many other places to go," I managed to croak out, my voice raspy and choked up.

Fang's eyes narrowed in concern, and for the first time since he arrived he reached out to touch me. His warm fingers brushed against my cheek, tilting my chin so that I didn't have any choice but to look him in the eye.

"Max, what's going on?" he inquired. "What's wrong?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but it seemed like the flood gates in my eyes took that as a cue to expose themselves as well. I was mostly astounded. It wasn't like a cried a whole lot. It didn't fix anything after all. Sometimes, no matter how tough I was, I couldn't help it though. The stress and anxiety from everything had been building up. I was bound to crack eventually.

Now was that time.

Tears streamed down my face, leaking over my lids and crawling over my chin. I didn't make a noise as they fell, crying soundlessly. The added weight on my shoulders had taken its toll. I could hold up a whole lot, but choosing between the two most important aspects of my life was something I don't think anybody could stand.

Fang, to give him some credit, took this turn of events in stride. He instinctively pulled me into his hard, ropy arms. I pressed my face into the crook of his neck, squeezing my eyes shut tightly like that would cease the flow of hot, salty moisture escaping them.

"Tell me what's wrong," Fang ordered, sounding half soothing and half mad. I didn't know who his anger was directed at, but it didn't seem to be me. Hopefully, at least.

"Aunt Val . . ." I murmured, just loud enough that he could hear me. "She said . . . she said she has to move back to Arizona,"

"I'm sorry, Max," Fang replied, a slight bewilderment marring his tone. Obviously he didn't understand why this was something I'd be reduced to tears over. Sure, he knew how much I loved her already. Not enough to break down, though.

"No. You don't get it," I mumbled. "She has to move back to Arizona . . . and so do all of us."

Fang went completely still beside me. I couldn't even detect a movement in his chest to indicate that he was still breathing. A steady silence ambushed the two of us, making everything extremely quiet. It took a few minutes for Fang to speak again.

"No."

"Fang, I-"

"No," he stated more forcefully, stepping back so that he could look down at me. His iron-like grip created a vise on my upper arms, as he held me in place. His black glare bored into me, as I stared up at him red faced and somber.

"I don't want to leave."

"You're not going to," he insisted, a white hot fury entering his tone. This time I knew it wasn't directed at me though. "You're not moving all the way to damn Arizona. You can't."

"I can't just abandon Angel and Gazzy either," I pointed out, circling his wrists in my fingers tightly.

"They'll be with your aunt and your mom, right? They'll be fine. You're eighteen now. If you wanted, you could stay in the city. You have enough money to get you started, and I have enough money to make sure you stay that way."

He was referring to the twenty thousand I had been given as a reward from the School for competing in National's, most of which I still had. He was right in saying I had enough to establish myself here. Alone.

But could I really leave Angel and Gazzy?

. . . But could I really leave Fang?

Authors Note: But, but, but, but, but. Yeah. That chapter just ended with double but's. Hehehehehe ;) REVIEW-ETH!

P.S. Would you guys totally be fans of my band? ;)