Chapter 23 – Can You Keep A Secret?

Have you ever had one of those nights where it just seemed like no matter how long it feels like you've been doing something, time doesn't pass? I was living it right now.

I sat on the sofa in countless positions: the proper upright, reclining against both arms, throwing my legs over the back and letting my head dangle upside down over the cushion. I spent ten minutes flipping through all 300 channels what felt like 300 times, and yet I still couldn't find something good to watch. I did see our high school football game on a local network, but I didn't feel like watching. I mean, sure I wasn't allowed to go, but would I have wanted to anyway? Ugh. I wasn't even sure why Fang went.

Thinking of Fang made me glance at the clock… again. It was only around 8:30, and even though I knew the game was still going on, it felt like he'd been gone forever. Did I miss him? I wasn't sure. I see him all the time, so maybe that's why it felt wrong to be away from him. Okay, that feeling was irrational, but I was on edge and his lack of presence around the house didn't sit well with me. I almost felt like something bad was gonna happen.

Tonight it was just my Mom and I, since Fang was out and Ella was sleeping over at a friend's house. Mom offered to take me out, to do what I don't know, but I declined, mostly because I had tons of homework to catch up on thanks to working countless hours on the weeknights last week. But since I found it hard concentrate on schoolwork on a Friday night, you can guess where I was right now.

Mom, watching my shifting in boredom for the last hour, walked in from the kitchen with two bowls of ice cream. She plopped down next to me and set the bowls in front of us, and I couldn't help but smile, feeling a little better. It was vanilla and chocolate twist with two large chocolate chip cookies sticking out of the sides. She always knew my favorite.

"I thought I'd make this for you," she said warmly, like a mother always should. Lately we'd been back on better terms, like the way a mother and daughter should be, as opposed to having a boss-employee relationship.

"Thanks." I grinned at her. Then I scooped up some ice cream on the cookie and swallowed it. Hmmm… if this wasn't heaven, it was pretty dang close.

It was silent except for the clanking of spoons against bowls, our chewing, and the hum of the TV, which neither of us was watching.

"Honey…" Mom began, setting her dish down momentarily. I didn't like conversations that started out that way. "I know you wouldn't have gone anyway, but I think you should start… enjoying yourself a little more." I raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. "I know that it's partially my fault for keeping you busy on the farm, but you're fourteen years old. It's time to have some fun and spend time with kids your age."

I looked at her as if she's asked me if I wanted to be beamed up by aliens. She knew better than anyone else that I didn't associate well with people my own age. "Where are you getting at?" I asked cautiously. She had to be up to something.

Her eyes were like warm cinnamon. "Max, I want you to be able to look back at these years and have amazing memories. I don't want you to miss out on anything because you were too stubborn to want to just spend a Friday night with some friends. Take advantage of this time while life is simple, when all you have to care about is yourself."

Like I had any friends to spend time with, I wanted to say. I sat back and examined her carefully. I really had no idea where she was going with this, but that's when it hit me, like a ton of bricks across the head. I gasped. "You want me to go out so that you can spend time with that Justin guy!" I exclaimed. We hadn't talked about him since that night at the vet practice, but I did hear her talking to someone on the phone occasionally with a little too much benevolence.

She frowned. "What?"

"Don't act like I'm not reading exactly into what you're doing. Mom, I know that you deserve to go out with any guy you want, but you don't have to force me out of the home just so that you can go out with him. I'm fourteen. I can stay home alone. But don't you think you should talk this over with Ella and I before you go out on dates?"

"Max-"

The door slammed open with force, shaking the picture frames hanging nearby. Mom and I turned our attention toward the door and gasped. What we saw we weren't prepared for.

Fang was standing in the doorframe, breathing heavily. His skin was extremely pale, blood crusted on his face and one arm, as well as splattered on his jeans. A huge bruise was beginning to turn a hideous shade of purple and gray on his cheek. He looked like death incarnated.

"Oh, my God! Fang!" I cried, not knowing what else to say or why I reacted so... unlike me.

"Fang! What happened?" Mom asked. We both shot from the couch and swarmed him. He looked like he was going to collapse at any second. My heart was constricting painfully and it felt like my stomach was caving in. I was shaking in fear and rage. What happened to him?!? Who could do damage like that to Fang? He was the strongest person I knew, besides myself obviously.

Mom ushered him to the kitchen where the lighting was better and sat him on a chair. She examined his wounds not as Mom, but as Dr. Valencia Martinez. She may not be a human doctor, but she was close enough. "Really, Fang, what happened?" she asked, twisting his arm carefully while looking at four long stripes cut from wrist to elbow.

He took in a slightly shaky breath and looked at us levelly. Jeez, even when the kid was in pain he acted like nothing was wrong. "The game got a little rowdy," he said quietly. "I guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"A little rowdy?" I scoffed, finding his comment funny for no real reason. "This is our school we're talking about, right? Not even when we play our rival team does our school start fighting. Did you say something about a football player's mother?"

He cracked a smile. "I should have known better."

Maybe I found it funny because, despite taking a huge beating, he still seemed like himself. I knew he wasn't clear by a long shot, but this eased my fears a bit. I knew he was lying. We were joking for Mom's sake, but I was certain he knew that I wasn't going to accept that as an answer.

Mom didn't find this exchange humorous at all. She motioned to the cuts on his arm. "These look like someone cut you with a razor blade."

He shrugged and didn't say anything.

"This is serious. You're becoming anemic. You might need a transfusion if you lose too much blood. I should probably take you to the hospital."

I panicked and Fang's eyes widened a fraction. "I'd prefer not to," he said.

She sighed and straightened up. "Okay, I'll see what I can do. I'm going to get the emergency kit in my room. Max, keep talking to him. I need him to stay conscious." I nodded and she left for her room.

"I thought you said you weren't emo?" I asked. My heart was beating wildly and my hands were still convulsing involuntarily. Mom's words were starting to sink in. He could be seriously injured, besides from the obvious wounds.

Instead of laughing, he scowled at me.

"You heard Mom, you need to talk, so say something." I reclined against the island in the center of the kitchen. "Now, we both know you didn't get hurt at the game, so why don't you start with how you really got hurt."

He looked at everything except me. I was waiting for him to admit it because he knew he couldn't keep this from me. Especially after all the times I'd opened up to him. We had that kind of connection, and if I could trust him, he should be able to trust me.

It's like I told you earlier, the Voice said. Trust is important. Having a friend you can trust is more than most people have.

Yeah, well tell that to him.

Mom walked back in, and Fang finally met my gaze. "I'll tell you later," he said so quietly, I wasn't sure I heard him. She kneeled in front of him and started opening pouches and pulling items out. She clutched the hand that didn't look injured to examine it, and he winced once her fingers made contact with his knuckles.

"This feels broken," she said with the click of her tongue. "I don't have a splint, so we'll probably go to the hospital…" After the look he shot her she changed her mind. "Or the doctor's office. It's not as big and it will probably take less time." She dabbed at the blood on his face and arm. "And you'll probably need stitches, too." He nodded, seeming to doze off a bit. "Fang, say something before you become unconscious. The two of us might not be able to carry you if you pass out."

"Sorry," he muttered.

She pulled back. "That's the best I can do. Get changed into something clean so I can take you to the doctor." He stood up and headed toward his room. Mom looked at me. "Follow him," she said quietly, and I proceeded eagerly. I needed my answers now.

I snuck into his room before he could close the door. He glared at me. "Get out. I need to get changed."

I shook my head and smiled evilly. "Nope, I've been told to keep an eye on you. And it's not like you're getting naked." I leaned against the wall opposite him. "Besides, you owe me an explanation."

He exhaled sharply and walked toward me. He glanced out the door and, determining that Mom wasn't around, closed it swiftly. "Don't say anything until I'm done," he warned quietly. I nodded and tried not to watch him take off his jeans. Dang teenage hormones and fans getting the wrong idea. I don't see how seeing him in boxers was any different than him in shorts. And it wasn't like I was getting the wrong thoughts from this, either. Jeez, everyone always assumes the naughty things. He reached into his dresser and pulled out some jeans, slipping them on awkwardly with one hand. "You know those guards that have been around school for the last two weeks?"

I nodded. "Yeah, the psycho ones that don't let us do anything?" They had basically ruined everyone's lives at school. I thought Mr. Reinhard was a cool guy, but allowing those dumbasses to patrol the school was the most boneheaded situation I had ever seen in my life. I even told Mom to call in a complaint, but she didn't believe that it was as bad as I claimed.

He stared at me seriously, his black eyes boring into mine. "I felt like they were watching me, so I left, and they chased me halfway back to here."

"They did what?" I gasped. So they were psycho, not like that was in debate, but still. Fang shot me a hard look that shut me up instantly.

"I told you not to say anything until I was done," he reminded me. "But yeah, they followed me, saying that I was, and I quote, a "mutant" and a "freak"."

"Did they attack you? With knives?" I caught myself and smiled apologetically. "Sorry."

He rolled his eyes. "They did attack me, but…" he paused to take in a breath. "Not with human weapons. They weren't...uh, they aren't completely human," he said slowly. I looked at him for any sign of a lie in his face, but all I saw his normal stern and impassive expression. Was he serious? They weren't human? "They… are some kind of human-animal hybrid."

I waited for him to say something more, but he didn't. I figured I could step in now. "A human-animal hybrid? Are you serious?"

He seemed to debate whether he should continue and eventually nodded. "I'm not sure," he said as if he were revealing a deep secret. "But I would have sworn I've seen them before. They looked familiar, and it was like I had an instinct how to fight them. I didn't consciously think about it, I just reacted."

I looked him over carefully. Now that he mentioned it, he did look like he'd been in a fight. But mutant hybrids? "Wouldn't they, like, kill people without raising a pinky? I mean, I know you're strong, but how did you stand a chance against them? But of course, I have no experience to pull off of, so what do I know?""

"I guess I shouldn't have been able to… but I did."

I leaned further against the wall and thought hard. Okay… so Fang seemed to have more strength than the average fourteen-year-old, but did I really believe that he fought against hybrids. Sure, there have been tons of medical advancements in the past few decades, but I'd never heard of anything like that happening. Then again, why shouldn't I believe Fang? He believed me when I told him I had a voice in my head. I brushed a strand of hair that escaped from my braid behind my ear.

Hey, Voice, have any nuggets of wisdom on the situation?

After a moment, I was pleased to hear the Voice answer. Not seeing is believing, Max. Remember what I told you earlier. If you trust Fang, then believe him. If not, then that's your own decision.

Ugh, what do you know about the hybrids? I felt myself getting a headache. I gritted my teeth and rubbed my head. Fang raised an eyebrow at me and I mouthed "The Voice" to him. He nodded.

I swore I heard it sigh. You'll learn about them more personally, Max.

So… they do exist? Was the Voice giving me an answer?

Yes and no, depends on how you take the word 'exist' to mean. Do they occur naturally? No. But they are around.

So if they don't exist, how do they exist? I hated brain twisters more than anything else. What about our powers? Are you saying they don't 'exist' either since they don't happen in nature?

Now you're getting the idea, Max. Everything is connected.

How are the powers and the hybrids connected? I almost growled. I'm done with you. I looked at Fang. "The Voice said that our powers and the hybrid are connected."

He chuckled. "I didn't need a voice to tell me that."

I rolled my eyes, but then my heart stuttered when I saw him wobble and place a hand on the wall to support himself. I rushed to his side to steady him. "We should probably go now."

He nodded.

I started to wrap my arm around his back to help him but he shook me off. I glared at him for being stubborn. He just had to be tough about it. Typical. I walked out before him but paused when I felt his eyes on my back. Slowly I turned to see his dark eyes staring at me tersely. "I need you to promise me something," he said, his voice matching his expression.

I thought about his statement before answering. "It depends on what you want."

He rolled his eyes but continued. "Don't tell your mom about the guards attacking me."

I blanched. "What? Why shouldn't I tell her? If she calls Mr. Reinhard, he could have them out of the school in no time! We can finally have freedom again. Those guards have had too much time bossing our school around."

"Fist of all, why would she believe that trained guards would attack a student without thinking that I'd done something to deserve it?" he questioned factually, and I cursed his ability have thought through everything beforehand. "And if she did believe me, why would they use knives on someone? They have Tasers now. Also, what if they find out we turned them in? They won't be happy and they'll probably come back here to punish us for it." Another good point.

I thought of it for a moment and realized that it was probably for the best. "Okay, I won't tell my mom. But we should really go before she gets suspicious."

We walked out of his room and, for the briefest moment, I felt his hand graze against the small of my back. It was only for a second, and it rocketed off before I could turn my head to question him about the gesture. But of course, all I saw were his blank eyes staring at me. I sighed. I didn't understand Fang completely, or his motives half the time, but I did know I trusted him more than anyone else I knew.

I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I tried writing this chapter before, but I hated where it was going so I completely rewrote it today. I've been having so much trouble writing (Mojo is still gone), and whenever I try to write and nothing good comes out it gives me a killer headache. Maybe I'm getting a voice, besides the ones I already have. :P But seriously, I'm considering taking a break for a few days. Just to kind of clear my head. I can't say it's official, but it's a serious possibility. If I do take a break, I'll let you know. But the only thing that keeps me writing is that I want this done before August.

Mo, not sure if rhinos are particularly smart animals. Then again, I don't claim to be an animal expert. Also, I didn't make Max freak out only because Fang knew he had to tell her the truth, and she knew it too. Saya, if I do find Mojo, you can pet him. :) Kina Kalamari, it's actually kind of fun to torture Fang. Cause you know, I'm not sadistic or anything. ;) 4everHoldYourPeace, thanks for the compliment. Anara, maybe i should have explained it better. he wasn't really happy to be at the game, per say, but kind of enjoying watching the atmosphere. He's an artist, so he enjoys having new things to draw. Then again, his style of art may not particularly be the cheerful kind. Hmmm... maybe he was drawing everyone as zombies instead. :P I don't know, I blame not having mojo, but I appreciate that being pointed out. dt2009, nope, not the end! It still has a while to go, I think. It won't end before some real action takes place, and I'm sure it's not too hard to guess what it will be. ;)

So remember, the poll is still up to those who haven't voted. Also, on my profile page, I created a new copy&paste game called "Random Shuffle Game". There have probably been stuff like it before, but basically you put your iPod on random shuffle and record the first 10 songs that show up, without editing it. Copy and paste the game onto your profile and recommend it to your friends. I want to see it circulate people!

Review please!