Chapter 15: Fly Home

FANG

"I have to say that the Monster Convention was pretty awesome," Gazzy said conversationally.

"Sure, Gazzy," Max said absently. We were on the wing, back to see Jeb and Dr. Martinez.

"How was Leah?" I asked Iggy.

"She's all right, but, you know, I probably wouldn't have gone near her if she wasn't the only single at the party," he admitted. "Hell, we've gone public now. The flock, I mean. No need for quiet desperation anymore. I'll post a personal."

Oddly, Max didn't make any remarks about Iggy's piggish attitude.

"Who was that guy you were talking to, Nudge?" Gazzy asked.

"Oh, you mean Aaron?" Nudge said. "Oh, he was tons of fun. Good listener, you know? And no, I don't mean he just let me go on and on, he actually asked me to elaborate on a few things."

"Is he a werewolf?"

"He used to be. The magic brought him in prematurely with the big vampire gathering, and he quit as soon as they all cleared out, so he's human again. He is so nice! He gave me his number and his e-mail. He's twelve. He tells the best jokes. Great kisser."

That gave everyone pause. "And you know that how?" Iggy ventured to ask.

"What, the jokes? I heard him tell jokes."

"No, the last bit."

"Oh… you know, wild guess. And we made out. But mostly a wild guess."

"Oh, that's real nice," Iggy grumbled. "I'm gonna be the last, aren't I? Come on! I'm smart, I'm funny, I'm cool. For crying out loud, I'm a strawberry blonde. What's it take, huh? Fang, you've mauled some chicks. What's your secret?"

"Some chicks?" Max said vaguely.

"I'll tell you later," I muttered. "If you don't mind, I think I should have a private word with Max."

Max's head snapped up. I motioned her to the ground, and she came with me.

"Listen, Max," I said quietly. "For the whole party, you looked really edgy and nervous… and now you just look bored. What's going on?"

"I'm just waiting for something to happen," she murmured. "Anything at all. You realize we were at that party for four hours? Being stationary in an inhabited area for that long? I felt sure something had to happen."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Flying robots. Ugly robots. Giant robots. Giant ugly flying robots. We haven't been attacked in almost two weeks, Fang!"

"Are you complaining about that? 'Cause I for one think we have earned, at this point, the right to party."

"I'm not complaining," she said hastily. "It's just strange. I feel like the longer we wait, the more dangerous things will finally be when they come back up."

"Maybe they won't," I said. "Maybe nothing will come back up. Maybe we will live to see the next few Monster Conventions. Maybe we can graduate and get jobs. And somewhere down the road, maybe you and I can be together."

"That's quite the speech," she retorted. "How long have you been rehearsing that one? Please, Fang. Of course something's going to come back up. We're going to get killed before the next convention, assuming we don't expire first. Graduate and get jobs? Please. And, you and I together? Are you kidding?"

"Well, we don't know anything for sure," I said. "That's why I tossed in all those 'maybes'. I can understand if you're anxious; I know we haven't had a minute's peace for a couple of months now, but we're part of a community now. Everyone knows who we are. We just left a Monster Convention! If anyone bugs us, we can call any one of thirty indestructible friends to bail us out. And, no, I'm not kidding about you and I being together. I know you love me, and I know this because you say so in your fourth journal." I whipped that journal out of my pocket and flipped to the page I had folded in. "'I loved it. I loved him'," I read. "Come on. And later on, you get very ticked off by what you perceive as flirting between me and…"

She snatched the journal from me. "Give me that! Why do you read my journal? I don't read yours."

"No, you don't, but about a billion other people do. Come on, I thought you were trying to get those published."

"Uh, no," she snapped. "Those are my private journals!"

"Okay," I said. "But, you know how you always get pissed off when you see me with other girls? That would stop if you'd just let me…"

She screamed with rage and flew off at her top speed. No one could catch her that way, so I settled for catching up with the rest of the flock.