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I Promise – Chapter 9

Getting Max to like Fang enough as a friend was hard, but conquering her will to never break a promise was gonna be hard. Even though he hadn't known JJ for long, Fang knew she was leaning towards his side to get Max to like him in a different way.

Iggy had "somehow" (Iggy said Fang talked in his sleep) heard about Fang's little crush (he'd say "true love" fits better) and asked if he could help with Fang's problem.

As Iggy says, his two specialties are explosions and girls. Ha, yeah right. He may be an expert with bombs and stuff, but he was crap with girls.

But Fang told him he could help, considering Max wasn't like any other girl.

"So," Iggy said loudly, as though he wanted the neighbours to hear, "today, you, Nicholas Walker, will kiss Maximum Ride. If she rejects you, your excuse is that it was an accident. Got it?"

Fang burst out laughing. "Iggy, how can leaning forward and literally kissing her purposely be an accident?"

"Um, say it was seemed like the whole universe was pulling you towards her like a magnet, or something like that."

"Seriously? Dude, that is crap advice. And way too cheesy."

"Would you rather it from Gazzy?" Iggy asked, totally serious.

"He's probably better than you."

"Oh, god, Fang," Iggy exclaimed holding a hand to his unharmed chest, "that really hurt, deep down within. Call the doctors for me?"

"Nah."

"I love you, too, bro."

"Can we get back to the whole "I think I could love Max" situation?" Fang asked almost pleadingly.

"Of course, bro."

"Not unless you're suggesting that screaming to the whole world that I love Max is better than wasting my time on you, get a move on."

"Settle, Fang," Iggy soothed in an annoying way, making Fang even more restless. Until he said, "Today, Fang, you will kiss her and either she will push you away or pull you in."

Fang took a deep breath. Okay, Fang thought to himself, today I would finally be able to see if my feelings towards Maximum Ride were just a silly feeling or if I could actually have truly found my one love. My soul mate.

~~~~.*.time skip.*.~~~~

JJ had changed the way I saw promises. When I was young, my mother had taught me that if you made a promise, you keep it; that if someone told you a secret and made you promise to tell no one else, that meant they trusted you more than almost anyone else in the world

When I was five, I remember my father had taken advantage of what my mum had always told me, had made me promise not to tell mum that I had seen him kissing another woman, and I had thought it was sign of love.

Guess, it wasn't.

That was before everything started.

But enough of the crap things in my life, and more on the behaviour coming from JJ lately. She seemed so nervous all the time; I was starting to get worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked her after school ended. Ella had left her the friends she had made, mainly red-heads chicks. Nudge had gone to get Angel.

"Nothing!" she answered way too quickly. Well, if she didn't want me to know, I wouldn't force it out of her.

"Okay... Well, I'm going to Fang's house today. If you need me, just call me, okay?"

JJ smiled slightly and nodded frantically. "I'll be fine."

She knew something.

"Okay..." I let the unspoken question hang in the air. What aren't you telling me...? "...I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure thing. Let me know about your whole encounter with Fang." She grinned at me. JJ was really into the whole romance thing and loved the concept of true love. She had made it clear to me that she thought Fang was my "other half".

Ha, yeah right.

I walked away with my bag - which was slung over my shoulders - bumping lightly against my back in time with my walking pace.

Fang had gotten a head start towards his home while I was talking. I had gotten specific directions from Fang on how to get to his house.

I found him waiting at the park which I had to pass to reach his home. I waited for Fang to stand up but he just sat there. "Are we going to actually get to your house or are we going to get lost in the park?"

Fang grinned at me. "Just relaxin'." He patted the empty space on the chair he was sitting on, letting me know he wanted me to sit next to him. "You should really learn how to relax, too, Max."

I raised an eyebrow.

He pleaded with his eyes.

"Fine." I stepped slowly towards Fang, but he stood and wrapped his arms around me before I could sit. My breath caught in my throat.

Fang pulled away the slightest.

And then, leaning in slowly, he kissed me.

He kissed me.

And my brain flew straight out the window. Metaphorically, of course. We were in a park.