Chapter 5: Fang P.O.V.
Fang sat on the gigantic armchair in the living room, listening to about half a dozen conversations going on, but not taking part in any. Nudge and Gazzy were playing Scrabble!, a difficult game to play with two mutants who were lacked skills in the spelling department. Ella was teaching Angel how to French braid hair, Dr. M. was working at the vets office, and Iggy was absent from the room, probably off thinking about his parents.
Last night, Fang had read the papers on his folks to Iggy. Out of curiosity, Ig had told him he really didn't give a crap about them, but Fang knew better. He could tell Iggy was having a hard time with the whole moving-in-with-his-parents-again thing. He was almost having a harder time than Max.
Fang sighed inwardly. Max had been so distant, so quiet lately. Everyone had noticed. Fang felt really bad, he knew she was worried about her entire family leaving. Scared, even.
But Fang knew that wasn't going to happen. He had about as much proof as you can get. He knew the Flock would never want to split up again; it had been too much pain for everyone.
But he also knew how much the Flock enjoyed being safe and comfortable in a home, with beds and food and hot water. And a mom. Max's mom.
Fang glanced towards Dr. Martinez's office, where behind the closed door, Jeb and Max were making phone calls. He had thought about Max's offer a lot. He didn't want to say no and let her down. Fang knew how much Jeb's presense made her uncomfortable. He knew better than anyone, maybe even Max herself.
But Fang didn't want to go. It wasn't about meeting anyone's parents, or even his own. He wasn't worried about that. If his parents would even think about pulling a stunt like Ig's, he would be out of there in a flash. But not before smashing their faces in.
Fang knew the real reason he didn't want to go was because of Max. He didn't think he could handle being alone with her for that long. Well, not completely alone, because Jeb would be there too. But, still. Almost alone. He might explode.
Fang turned away from the door and faced the laptop that balanced on his knees. He was still getting emails. Not nearly as many as before. It amazed him that kids and teens still kept up the hope that he might blog again. Actually, Fang kind of missed blogging. He was secretly thinking of starting a new one, with a fake name and everything. Without anyone knowing it was him.
A door opened and Fang looked up, expecting to see Max, but instead saw Iggy walking down the hall, his steps slow and careful, although he probably could've ran without bumping into anything.
"Yo," Fang said, letting Iggy know where he was.
He leaned against the wall, his head turned in Fang's direction, "What's going on?"
"Not much."
"Max call 'em yet?" he asked, his voice flat and even.
Fang shrugged before he realized Ig couldn't see him, "Don't know."
Iggy nodded, then walked into the kitchen.
Fang looked back down at his laptop, almost hoping all the answers to life's mysteries would flash across the screen. But Fang wasn't that naïve.
"Fang?" Nudge called, then continued when Fang looked up, "Is glarf a word?"
"No."
"Told you so!" Nudge sang to the Gasman, who threw up his hands in outrage.
"Glarf is too a word!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!!"
"Oh, yeah? What does it mean then?" Nudge asked, her hands on her hips.
"Um, you know, like glarfing. To glarf." Gazzy turned to Iggy who was walking into the room with a foot long sandwich, "Help me out, Ig."
Iggy shook his head. "Sorry man, you're on your own with this one."
"Too late! Glarf isn't a word, Gazzy! Give it up!" Nudge shouted.
"Hey! This game isn't timed!"
"Well, you don't have a definition anyway!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
Fang was about to step in when his heart sped up, and he heard Max approaching behind him.
"Guys, calm down. Nudge, stop undermining Gazzy, and Gaz, Glarf is not a word. Sorry bud," she said.
"Told you so," Nudge whispered as Gazzy stuck out his tongue.
Max faced Fang, a look of stress and worry written in permanent marker on her face. She was going to have wrinkles before age twenty-five for sure.
"Nice job filling in for me," Max tease, "Can't even stop one of Nudge and Gazzy's minor arguments." She shook her head in mock sadness. Fang rolled his eyes but deep down was glad she had the strength to tease him.
"Max?" Angel got up off the couch to walk over to her.
"Hey, nice hair," Max said, twisting her fingers around one of her braids.
Angel beamed. "Thanks, Ella did them. And she taught me too. But anyway," she said, looking up at Max, her blue eyes almost bugging out of her head. "Did you call our parents?"
"Yes, I did," Max said, looking the slightest bit distracted. Fang bet no one else could tell. "Your daddy is very excited to meet you." She was still playing with Angel's hair.
"Really?!" Angel shrieked, then started bouncing up and down on her heels.
"Me too?!" Gazzy asked, getting up of the floor, almost tripping over Nudge.
"Of course you too," Max said, kissing his forehead. When she looked up, she caught Fang's glance and he caught a spark of pain in her eyes.
"What about me? What did they say about me?!" Nudge squealed.
Fang tuned the rest of their conversation out. It wasn't because he didn't care, but he felt a little overwhelmed. Even Iggy, over across the room, sitting quietly, taking huge chunks out of his sandwich was also contributing to his pain. He needed to get out of here.
He glanced at Jeb, who had made his appearance a few moments after Max came in. He was standing in the doorway, watching Max, a slight smile on his face. Fang knew exactly why it was there. He knew better than anyone.
For a moment, he sympathized with Jeb. Fang knew how hard it was for Max to open up, to let anyone in. This too, he knew better thank anyone else. Way better than anyone.
Fang felt bad for Jeb for a minute, but only for a minute. Then he realized that he was a possible traitor and that he had hurt the Flock, hurt Max. Badly. Worse than any of them let on. Jeb didn't deserve his sympathy.
Fang snapped his attention back to the present. He was watching Max without actually listening to her explanation of the phone calls she previously made. He was good at that; almost like putting the TV on mute. Fang was good, extremely good at blocking people out. But not as good as Max.
"We're leaving on Friday."
That got Fang's full attention. Max had said that. She was leaving in less than a week. Did that "we" include him, or was it just her and Jeb?
"Are you sure we can't go with you, Max?" Nudge tried not to whine.
"Yup. Positively, absolutely sure," Max said, "Sorry Nudge. Ange, why don't you take Akila outside? Look, she's begging at the door. I'm sure she could use some excerise. Why don't you bring all the dogs with you?"
Angel agreed rather quickly, running off to the back door with Akila and Magnolia on her heels. Total walked up to Max.
"Dog," he scoffed at her.
"I wasn't talking about you, Total," Max said soothingly, a small smile teasing her lips.
"Oh, sure," he muttered but walked to the back door anyway. Max rolled her eyes at Fang which almost made him smile. Almost.
Nudge went along with Angel, bringing along a Frisbee. Ella retreated to the computer in Dr. Martinez's study and Iggy, after much persuasion from Gazzy, went outside to do God knows what.
Max sat down on the couch, leaned her head back so it titled towards the ceiling, and closed her eyes. Fang shut down his laptop and slid it on the coffee table. He desperately wanted to say something to Max, but had no clue what.
He wiped his hands on his black jeans. His palms were getting sweaty.
"Max?" Fang asked his voice calm and smooth. The exact opposite of what he was feeling.
She raised her eyebrows, a motion for Fang to continue talking.
"I'm coming with you." Fang had made up his mind the minute she sat down. This could be his chance. He could tell her everything. Everything he's been lying about, everything he's been hiding from her. Everything.
Max had paused. He wondered what was going through her mind. Every single thought.
"No." She said the word simply, yet very straightforward. Fang tried not to take it personally. "I know you don't want to come," Max said. "So you don't have to. I'm taking back my offer." She kept her eyes closed.
"I'm coming with you." Fang wondered what happened to make Max change her mind. He had already made up his mind and now he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"No you're not," she said, her voice sturdy and smooth.
Max slowly looked up and stared into his eyes. Fang's heart sped up and he felt overwhelmed again.
"You're not planning on changing your mind are you?" She asked, sounding a little defeated, but Fang knew better. It amazed him how easily she could read him. It wasn't like he was an open book or anything.
Fang shook his head, but doubted that would change anything. Max was stubborn. Nothing he said or did was going to change her mind. Unfortunately for her, Fang was stubborn too.
Max leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes again. Fang got the feeling there was something else on her mind.
"Max?" he asked, his blood pumping faster through his veins. She was so close.
Max stayed still and quiet. Her breathing was shallow. Fang wanted to walk over there and just hold her close, but he didn't dare. Max would completely flip out. And that would be the end of that.
Fang didn't know what to do. He could say something, but he didn't want to see her explode. He could stay quiet, but what good would that do?
"Fang?" she asked her voice soft and fragile. She took a deep, shaky breath, "Can you tell me that you're not leaving? Please?" Her voice was just a whisper, almost as if she was talking to herself.
Fang's heart pounded in short, loud, unpredictable spurts. He just hoped Max couldn't hear it.
"I'm not leaving you, Max," he whispered back. "No one is."
Her lower lip trembled slightly, almost not at all, but she bit down on it hard. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, as if that was possible.
Fang got up the courage to move and sit next to Max on the couch. She didn't move. He watched her shoulders rise and fall as she took short, shallow breaths. He waited for her to burst, but she didn't. She controlled herself very well.
There was something else. Something Fang knew Max was keeping from him. The real reason why she was having a hard time with all of this.
"Tell me, Max," Fang said, making it sound like an order but keeping his voice soft at the same time.
Fang watched as Max battled against herself. He didn't try to push his luck; he thought she might snap.
"My birthday's next week," she said, still keeping her eyes closed.
Fang didn't know what to be expecting, but that wasn't it. He also knew that wasn't what was really bothering her.
"How do you know?" Fang was curious, Max wasn't one to care about that kind of stuff.
"The Voice."
Fang knew the Voice was popping in and out less often now then before, but he didn't expect it to share useless amounts of information with Max. She was stalling. There was something else, something that Fang was determined to find out.
"I thought the Voice wasn't talking much anymore."
"Occasionally," she said. "But I still don't know who it is, and it's bugging the crap out of me."
Fang knew that wasn't it either.
"Max…"
She sat up straight and locked her eyes with his. Fang noticed they were slightly bloodshot; she hadn't been getting much sleep lately, he realized.
"They're forcing you to go. They're making you live with your parents." Her voice was hard, tough, but behind all that, hurt.
Fang was quiet for a few moments. He was mildly shocked. He blinked, not quite believing Max had said that.
"Who?" he asked.
Max sighed. "The government. Who do you think? They said that it would look a little suspicious if all of a sudden, six strange kids, all adopted, that looked exactly like the bird-kids from the news showed up at the same school district in some rinky-dink town in Arizona."
"Since when do you listen to the government?" Fang asked, trying to keep his voice even, though now he was not only surprised, but angry, outraged, and slightly upset that Max had kept this from him for so long.
"No one told me any of this, Fang. No one checked with me, or Mom, or any of us. They just kinda made it up." Max shrugged and leaned back into the couch again.
"How did you find out?"
She shrugged again. "The Voice told me."
"Jeb?" Fang guessed.
"I don't know if he had any part in this. He's really upset though, surprisingly. He actually found the information on everyone's parents a while ago, but stalled thinking he could fix this. At least, that's what he told me when I screamed at him." Fang saw something flash behind her eyes, something he didn't recognize.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked.
"I just found out!" She sounded upset, and Fang didn't know why she'd been so moody lately.
"Chill, Max," he said putting his hand on her arm. She pulled away.
"Shut up, Fang. Just... shut up." She closed her eyes again. "You know what's even worse?" Max said softly after a few moments. Without waiting for Fang to answer, she continued, "We can't do anything about it."
Fang wondered if Max was joking. It wasn't like her to just give up. To just let her family get torn away.
"What?" Fang tried to get the surprise off his face.
"Oh, like you weren't going to leave me anyway," she said in a strong tone.
Fang pulled back, hurt, although he would never admit it. He had never planned, or thought about leaving Max. He didn't like the very thought about that. He also didn't think he had the power in him to leave her again anyway.
"And don't pretend that you weren't. I knew you already made up your mind." Max sounded like she was about to cry. Like she had finally reached her breaking point.
"I wasn't Max. I'm still not," Fang said calmly, pretending that he wasn't about to explode.
And that was when she started crying, the tears dancing down her cheeks. She looked at Fang and he felt completely overwhelmed again.
She wiped away the tears before Fang could even do anything.
"Thanks," she whispered brokenly, "For lying."