Authors Note: I'm super sorry guys! I totally meant to update, but I'm SUPER busy right about now. I have a job . . . sort of. So it's literally taking practically ALL my time. But anyway, here's your lame update.

Chapter Eighteen:

Wasted

As it so happened, my accompanying them was absolutely no hindrance to the schedule they were on. All I had to do was run upstairs and grab all my things. I had everything packed already, seeing as I was originally planning on going to stay with Nudge until I found my own place. It wouldn't take me more than a few minutes, and then we would all be off to Arizona, with the exception of my mom.

In actuality, everything was going according to plan. Just a lot quicker than expected, and with me in tow as well. Mom would arrange for all the furniture and such to be shipped out west, and then we would all be together again.

It was perfect.

Except for how sick I felt. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a fetal position and rock back and forth in a corner somewhere. Anything but have to act normal; like my heart hadn't just been ripped out of my chest. Dread coiled in the pit of my stomach, accented by dysphoria and a burning rage. Inside I was bleeding, ravaged and raw.

Over a boy.

I think that's what gets me most about the entire situation. I was Maximum, for goodness sake. I was the toughest chick around. Maybe not anymore, but the fighter I once was still lived and breathed inside me. Had I really softened to the point where I was so easily battered by something has insignificant as heartbreak?

He was you're best friend, I reminded myself, in an attempt to defend my current emotions and actions. He wasn't just some random boy. You knew him . . . well, at least you thought you did. He tricked you. There's nothing you can do about that. You thought he was someone he wasn't. He fooled everybody, not just you.

All I had to do now was work towards getting over his deceit. Putting it in the past seemed easier said than done, though.

"Do you need help carrying anything?"

Ella's question ripped through my thoughts, breaking me of my gloomy state. I blinked, my gaze refocusing. It took a moment for me to remember she had asked me something, but by that time it was too late. She had detected that something was up.

"What's wrong, Max?" she demanded, coming closer. Her steps were soundless on the padded carpet; her thick, dark hair swaying with each movement of her body. As she closed in on me my mind scrambled to come up with some excuse.

"Nothing. I was just spacing is all," I insisted hurriedly, reaching down to grab the handle of my suitcase. It clicked into place as I pulled on it, the wheels gliding roughly over the fibers of the carpet as I walked towards the door. "If you could grab that other bag, it'd be great."

I was almost completely into the hallway when she spoke again, the serious tone in her voice stopping me in my tracks.

"I know something is up Max. We all do. You think we don't know something big happened to make you change your mind?" she inquired, her voice firm. "You know you'll have to tell us eventually, too. It'll be better if it's soon. The less we have to pester you about it, the better for all of us."

Swallowing thickly I turned around for a split second, facing her once more. Our gazes clashed, eyes searching for something- though I don't think either of us knew what that something was, exactly. After a few intimidating seconds of this I shook my head slightly, and she dropped her stare to the ground.

Sighing almost inaudibly I began my descent, dragging the suitcase full of my things down with me. It thumped with each step, jarring my shoulder every time. I kept my mind carefully blank, not allowing myself to think about all the possible ways this move could go wrong; whether or not I'd regret it.

All I knew was that I had to get away from this city and Fang alike . . . and nothing was going to stop me from escaping now.

"Is that it?" Aunt Valencia asked me when I lugged my case out the front door, meeting her at the back of the van. Nudge's mom was standing to the side, talking with mine, while Nudge herself was having a very heartfelt, teary goodbye with Ella, who had followed shortly after me.

"Should be," I was saying, when I saw the sleek, black car pull up behind Aunt Val's. It took all of my impressive self control not to start hyperventilating right there on the spot. Instead, I remained cool, calm and collected; going on to say: "I'm just going to run up and check one last time, though."

"That's probably a good idea. If you miss anything though, your mom will bring it with her when she comes," Aunt Val assured me.

I nodded quickly before turning on my heel, just as Fang was walking towards me. Without so much as glancing his way I hurried up the steps and into the house, sensing more than seeing him follow right after me without saying anything to the others.

Surprisingly, I managed to hustle up the stairs and into my room before he could speak to me. When I was safely inside I relaxed a bit. We were away from everybody else now. I didn't really want to have what was sure to be the following conversation in front of them all. Too many questions and too long of a flight ahead to talk about it with them, which was the last thing I wanted at the time.

I was pretending to look in what I knew was a completely empty drawer when strong arms wound around my waist, the ground disappearing beneath my feet as I was spun around. I twisted in surprise, coming face to face with an oddly happy Fang. He was smiling -actually smiling- his teeth bright white and flashing.

Before I could say anything he dipped his head, bringing his mouth to mine. Our lips sealed together, cutting off and leaving any words I had imagined I'd speak to die. And I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help but kiss him back. No matter how much I wanted to shove him away, and say- punch him straight in the face, I couldn't do it. This was Fang, after all. It was habit . . .

And if I was being honest with myself, I really just wanted one last moment of bliss with him.

I was still slightly in shock when he eventually pulled away, the out of place, lopsided grin he was wearing never once leaving his face. I just stared at him, my mind working overtime to compensate for my lack of common sense.

"I'm sorry I didn't answer any of your calls." That's right. He had been ignoring me, again.

My brow furrowed.

"I was having lunch with my parents." Yeah. And someone else, if I recalled correctly.

I started pulling away.

"Iggy called right when I was already on my way over here. He told me that you were staying." I'm sure that made him incredibly ecstatic.

I shoved him away completely.

He stumbled back a few steps, his eyes narrowing slightly in confusion. The smile slipped off his face, as he took in my dark, wrathful expression. I'm sure at that point I was looking anything but happy.

Scoffing a bit I turned my back to him, hands on my hips as I surveyed the now barren room before me. It seemed I really did have everything that I needed. Now all that was left to do was . . . leave.

"Max . . ." Fang said slowly; worriedly. I could imagine the wary look in his obsidian eyes, and the strain on his jaw as he clenched it tight. "What's going on?"

"Some things came up. They need Aunt Valencia back in Arizona sooner than they expected," I explained offhandedly, wiping away an imaginary piece of dust from the dresser. It was actually relatively clean, my finger barely leaving a smudge.

"So you're going to stay with Nudge already?" he inquired. "Iggy said that's what you were doing until we found you a place."

I found his use of the term 'we' so intensely amusing that I almost laughed out loud. I managed to contain my chuckles though, my lips instead lingering on a snide smirk that made my stomach twist even just imagining how cruel it must have looked.

For a moment I felt bad, for toying with and torturing him like this. Then I remember that he was a fake, lying, cheating bastard and I hated him all over again, with a fire that burned even steadier as time passed.

"I'm not going to Nudge's," I said, wincing slightly as I turned to fully look him in the eye. The same depthless, midnight colored pools I had gazed into so many times before appeared to be those of a strangers now.

"Then where are you going?" he asked, bewildered.

"Arizona."

I watched the realization dawn minutely in his eyes. Even news at a scale as huge as that barely scraped his emotionless shield. Everything seemed to be rebuffed by the wall he had built around himself.

"What?" he demanded, his voice low and monotonous. He was completely shutting down, right before my eyes. That's how I knew how much my announcement had impacted him. His guard was going up at every possible place, in preparation for the unknown.

I wondered how easy it would be to tear that all down, leaving him desolate and defenseless.

"I'm going to Arizona," I stated, my voice unsteady and shaking. "I'm going to Arizona right now. I'm leaving this stupid city behind and I'm never coming back. Not ever. There's nothing left for me here."

Fang closed his eyes, like my words stung him too much to bear. I knew how puzzled he was though. He honestly thought I didn't know, that I wouldn't figure him out. But that was one mystery I had solved by chance and chance alone.

"I thought you were . . . What about . . . what about . . .?" I reveled in leaving him speechless and incapable of forming coherent sentences. It didn't happen a lot.

"What about what, Fang?" I hissed defiantly, my tone hostile and cold. "What about you?"

His fists clenched at his sides.

I closed the few steps between us, knowing that I had enough strength and will power for at least that much. I paused, my face centimeters from his. After waiting for a few minutes his eyes finally fluttered open, like a deep, onyx colored crevice.

"Look at it this way," I ground out through gritted teeth, fighting to keep the tears now sprouting in my eyes at bay. Something new flickered in Fang's irises though, and I knew he had taken notice. "It'll be so much easier for you. You won't have to sneak around with Lissa behind my back anymore. You're free to do whatever you want."

His eyes widened, understanding crashing like a tsunami in his mind. I felt my lower lip beginning to tremble, as I took a step away from him and to the door; to my escape. His hand shot out to stop me though, his iron grip like an impenetrable vise around my forearm.

"No. Max, no. It's not-"

I summoned all the strength I had and yanked, ripping my arm from his grasp. The second I was free I took off, sprinting out into the hallway and down the steps. He followed close on my heels, snagging the back of my jacket at one point. I shrugged it off as I went, leaving him standing, open mouthed, at the top of the stairs.

"Please Max. Just let me explain," he called out after me, notes of anguish ringing high and clear in his voice. I ignored him, practically breaking the door off its hinges as I threw it open. I didn't have to run anymore though. He wasn't trying to pursue me.

"Let me explain."

Those were the last words I heard him speak before I slammed the door shut behind me, closing the part of my life that I had wasted on him.

Authors Note: Yeah. That's right. Another not good ending to a chapter (for you, at least). What are you going to do about it? You're going to REVIEW! That's what you're going to do!

. . . Please? (:

P.S. Do any of you have Skype? Does it hate you as much as it hates me? Haha :P