CHAPTER 5

Fang POV

"Fang, did you…do you have a new ability?" Max asked and everyone stared at me curiously. I guess this was the time for that conversation.

"Maybe," I answered.

"Well, come on, Fang," Iggy demanded. "Tell us what happened!"

"Well," I began. "I've been having random split-second emotions lately, but they're not mine."

"Whose are they?" Nudge asked me wide-eyed.

"I think they're everyone else's," I replied at the sudden realization of what was going on.

"You feel our emotions?" Angel asked.

"I think so."

"Empathy," Max's mom stated, breaking the moment of silence.

"What?" the Gasman asked her.

"Empathy," she said again. "That's his new ability. Or, at least, that's what it sounds like."

"How many times as this happened?" Max finally asked.

"I don't know." Let's see, one-two-three… "A couple of times."

"When did it start?" she continued.

I thought for a moment. "The other night. Just before my watch, I think."

"What's it like?" Nudge chimed in again.

"Is it like my mind reading?" Angel added.

I smiled at her and said, "Angel, I don't read minds, so I don't know what that's like."

She giggled, "Oh yea."

"Alright everyone," Dr. Martinez interrupted. "Time to get washed up for dinner. Iggy, would you mind giving me a hand? I'm going to need the extra help to prepare enough food."

"Sure thing, Dr. M," Iggy replied.

Max POV

As everyone darted upstairs to the bathroom to wash their hands, I pulled Fang into the living room.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, but not angrily. I was more curious than anything.

"I wasn't even sure what it was, until now," he simply said.

"How does it work?"

He paused and shrugged. "It just happens."

"When else has this happened?"

Another pause. "For sure, earlier this afternoon. When Nudge was hungry and asked to stop."

"You felt hungry, too?" I was surprised by all of this.

"Yea. And, when your mom hugged me a little while ago, I felt her relief to see us, and it made me hug her back."

Alright, I was beyond surprised.

I wonder…

"Is it…working, now?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't think so. It happens randomly. For now, anyway."

Why did I get the feeling that his new ability was going to make things a lot more interesting?