Nudge. Where was she?
I quickly scanned the room, but, much to my disappointment, I couldn't see the dark-skinned princess anywhere. I sighed and got into my seat.
The teacher announced that three people were absent today - Nudge being one of them. Can you guess who the other two were? You got it! Fang and Lissa! Ugh.
School just seemed to pass by fast and before I knew it, the end of the day bell rang. I got out of my seat and found my two sisters. Ella and Angel looked curiously at me.
"What is it?" I asked.
"A rumor." Ella said but Angel slapped her hand over Ella's mouth. Angel gave Ella a deadly glare and then turned to smile at me sweetly.
Angel said, "Did you talk to Nudge?"
I shook my head.
She looked at me like 'why not?'
"Absent," I said by way of an explanation.
She nodded in understanding.
Then I asked, "So what's this about a rumor?"
Ella said, "People are saying that Nudge skipped to beat the crap outta Fang and that he skipped because he ran away with Lissa after they were told Lissa had STDs and gave it to Fang too."
My eyes widened.
"Ella!" Angel cried, mad at her twin.
"No," I shook my head at Angel, "It's okay. Don't be mad at her. I would've found out anyway. Anyways, I doubt that's why Nudge is absent."
"Why do you think, Max?" Angel asked.
"Me."
"No," Ella shook her head, "That's definitely not the case. Max, she would be mad, but she wouldn't act like this towards you because of such a thing."
"Yeah," Angel agreed, "She wouldn't just skip out of school because you two fought and you didn't say sorry like she wanted."
"But it is my fault," I argued, "I have to apologize to her. I have to make sure to let her know that I really am sorry. Look, I'll see you guys back at home. I'm going to go see where Nudge is."
"How will you find her?" Ella asked.
"Yeah," Angel's brow furrowed, "How, Max?"
"I just will," I said, "And I think I know where she might be. So I'll see you two when I get back to the house okay? Love you two! Bye!"
They called their goodbyes after me as I ran off into the woods. I hadn't been in them since Nudge and I were eight and Ella and Angel were seven. Nudge and I used to go in there all the time. It lasted for a while until we turned nine. I turned first, and I just stopped going outside and into the woods. Nudge always went back, but I never went in with her, even when she would ask if I'd like to come. But now, I thought of where she would go, and only one place seemed right to me.
I heard soft sniffles and they confirmed it. It was Nudge, crying in a tree where we had always climbed and played around in. It was a tree so thick with branches and leaves, I could hardly make out my cousin's huddled form in it. I felt unbelievably sad when I thought I might - who am I kidding? Am! - the reason she was crying up there all alone, too hurt to even go to school for the day's lessons.
"Nudgey," I whispered.
I heard her small gasp of shock and she slowed the sniffles. I saw her body seem to uncurl and look around as if I were beside her. "Maxie?"
I started to climb up. "Yeah, Nudgey, it's me."
"Maxie," She sniffled. But then she seemed to realize why she was there in the first place, "Go away, Max."
"No, Nudge I need to say something to you."
"Max. Go away." She huffed.
I kept climbing. Only a few more feet and I'd be at the branch she was on. I then realized it was our branch from our childhood. (Yes, we had a branch.) I knew it was ours, because I saw the faint carve in the wooden trunk by where she sat. We had been kids. We had just found the tree. We had written something there. Nudge had a pen with her and she wrote Maxie + Nudgey and below that Sisters At Heart. Then I had drawn a heart as best as I could and I carved it out around our names. We had smiled at each other widely. It was a distant memory, but as soon as I saw the carving, it came to me as if it were happening right then and I felt tears prick at my eyes.
"Nudgey, please," I whispered, "I'm so sorry about everything, Nudgey."
"Maxie?" She looked at me, sadness in her face.
"Nudgey, please forgive me. You know I didn't want to be so mean to you like I was. I was just being emotional. And I am so sorry for it, Nudgey. I'm really, really sorry. Please forgive me?"
"Oh, Maxie!" She cried, then she smiled through the tears that just wouldn't seem to stop. She hugged me just as I pulled myself to a sitting position on the limb, "Yes, Maxie, of course I forgive you!"
I hugged her back tightly, "Thank you Nudgey."
This was how things should be. I should be with my family loving them and cherishing them and they should do the same with me. I shouldn't have been so... like that with the girls. They're practically all I have.
And I know that now. I'm not going to forget it. But there is still something majorly important to me.
"Nudgey," I said softly.
"Yes Maxie?" She answered, pulling back to look at me.
"I want to become your Maxine. You and Angel and Ella. You guys have my permission. Change me into a girl. Change me into someone better than Lissa. Change me into someone Fang will want."
"Really?" She looked shocked.
I nodded.
She smiled, "Okay! We won't let you down."
"But there's one more thing, Nudge," I said in all seriousness.
I may regret it, but I don't care. I had to ask them to help me. I had to have them do this to me.
"What is it, Max?"
"Change me into a girl who doesn't want him back."