Chapter 29 - You Asked For It
"Well, isn't this great?" I muttered, a lot calmer than I should have been. Okay, you guys know me, I was freaking out on the inside. Yet somehow I was oddly tranquil, or maybe it was just that I had spent the past five minutes so hyped up that I was crashing down from my adrenaline high. Either way, I didn't react nearly as panicked as I should have.
Fang shrugged, throwing me a knowing sideways glance. I could tell he was feeling the same way. Then he started walking in the direction the bus had left, and I stood back for a few seconds watching him. Glancing around, no one appeared to be looking out any windows from within the school. The doors would probably be locked too, so I couldn't call home. And no, I'm not some texting-crazed teen who cannot live without my cell phone. I hardly ever have it on me, like right now for instance. When I need it the most.
Fang paused several yards away and turned back to me. "You coming?" he called, waiting for me to follow him.
I know I'd said earlier in the book that as soon as I could get the chance to stop riding the bus I would, but I didn't mean it quite that literally. Our home was a few miles away in the middle of farm country. By the time we got home, Mom would be pissed not only that we were late getting home, but also because we'd missed our daily chores. That would not be a fun confrontation.
Then I heard muffled groans as I noticed the jocks struggling to their feet, and I realized that now I had no option. I ran to Fang and we skedaddled out of there.
It was silent between us for a while as we headed home. I had my arms folded across my chest, kicking a small rock on the ground twenty feet ahead of me and repeating the action every time I caught up to where it had settled. Fang burrowed his hands into his jean pockets, his black shirt pushed up to rest at his elbows. He stared ahead, at the houses we passed, at the road, anything except me. The silence was a little unnerving.
I was a little nervous to ask him anything, but there was so much I wanted to do. I wanted to throw him into that garbage can resting along the curb and sit on the lid, or maybe kick him senselessly like the rock at my feet. I didn't need to be helped back there, no matter how it appeared. He knows me better than that; I'm not a damsel in distress. Then again, I was a little flattered that he helped out. But I'd never admit that to him.
"So…" I mumbled awkwardly, watching the little pebble dribble against the asphalt.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Fang looking at me expectantly. "Yeah?" he asked.
I took a deep breath. Okay, put on your tough face, Max. He needed to know he was in deep water with me. "You're in for it when we get home," I warned, but my voice didn't carry the desired affect I was aiming for. In response, he smirked that annoying way of his.
"I'm serious," I said went on earnestly. "That was completely unnecessary of you back there. I can handle myself. I was going to take care of them, and you probably made it harder than it should have been to get away."
"First, it was an unfair fight," he said. "Two big guys against you, even though you could have taken them out. It just didn't seem right. Second, I wasn't about ready to let them 'show you what real men are.'"
I glowered at him. "You do realize that now we could both be in trouble, right? If they accuse us of jumping them they could suspend us." I thought for a second. "Well, they'll suspend you, and they'll probably expel me. I'm already on their wanted list."
"They can't prove anything," he reminded me. "No one was watching us, unless they have the outside building under surveillance."
I huffed, still annoyed and still ready to kick his butt, tightening my arms against my chest. Then I heard him snicker and I turned to see him smiling so suddenly that I nearly leapt up in the air out of shock. He tried smothering his laughter by coughing but I was having none of it.
"What?" I demanded. He was seriously digging himself a grave.
He shook his head and said nothing. Typical.
"Tell me now," I ground out in my most low, threatening tone I could muster.
"It's nothing."
I punched his arm, which only caused him to fall out of step for a moment. It didn't appear to have hurt him at all, which only made me angrier. Then something hit me. "You enjoyed that, didn't you? That little act you put on at school?"
His good humor stopped suddenly as the blood seemed to drain from his face. He looked straight ahead and strode with his shoulders tense. His lips were locked in a firm line.
I knew I had him.
"You did!" I gushed, suddenly excited by my discovery. Fang got more pissed and walked faster, causing me to jog to keep up. "I knew it! You wanted to do that!" I wasn't going to add what Angel had told me because I still wasn't convinced it was true.
He glared down at me, and if I weren't so gleeful— jeez, what was up with me? — I would have cowered from his gaze. "I did what I had to so they would leave you alone," he said stiffly with an edge of steel.
"Yeah, and look how good it worked, Fmarco," I joked.
"If I go around school tomorrow and have jocks calling me Fmarco, you'll be the one in trouble," he warned, but he did seem to lighten up. Somewhat.
"Yeah right." I snorted. "I'd like to see you try."
Something in the depths of his dark eyes sparkled, and he smirked in a very dangerous way. That and his dark hair and clothing mixed with his thick, black lashes added to an overall threatening appearance. I shivered, but it wasn't out of fear or cold.
"Really?" he asked darkly.
I placed my famous stubborn-set face on, jutting out my chin to show that I wasn't afraid of him. I nodded.
He chuckled and, before I saw it coming, he tackled me. We fell onto a patch of grass that was someone's property. He knocked the breath out of me, landing on my back. I struggled to knock him off, but he held my hands tightly against my side. What the hell? He was being such a jerk, and then when we got home he was really in for it.
"Get off," I rasped, causing him to laugh. I used his momentary lapse in attention to shoulder him off. He fell on the ground next to me, clutching his side as his body shook with laughter. I shoved him in an attempt to get him to stop. But, I hated to admit, I actually kind of liked the sound. Fang had barely laughed, much less cracked a smile, and the sound was addicting. "What the hell was that?" I demanded anyway, flustered and appalled.
"You should have seen the look on your face," he said once he'd found his voice.
I jumped to my feet, hands clenched in rage. Watching this made him laugh again, and I felt my face flush in shame and fury. He was such an idiot. I stormed off toward home, knowing we were only a few streets away. Fang hopped to his feet and ran after me.
"I'm sorry, but I warned you," he said lightly. "And you asked for it."
"Yeah, well, you asked for it too. Now you've gotten on my bad side all over again. Consider this war, Fang."
He half-smiled, calculating something mentally. Then he gave me space, walking several feet away from me. It was quiet, but not an uncomfortable silence like before. This was a tense, angry stillness. At least that's how it felt to me. I knew he was still laughing on the inside about his little 'game', but he had no idea who he was messing with. I was Max Ride, and I could make his life a living hell. Plus, I lived with him. There was so much dirt I could dig up that I could spread it around school in a heartbeat. That and my little uncovering of his enjoyment with pretending to be my girlfriend. Yeah, I'd show him whose boss in a snap.
We came up to my home, walking the long driveway up. When I gazed at the front door, I saw a lean figure standing on the porch. Then I realized who it was and noticed the not-too-pleased look on her face. My heart stopped. It was Mom, and she was not happy.
Oh boy.
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In the Dog-House
It has come to my attention that apparently pissing off women is the last thing I should ever do in life. Now I know what some of you are thinking: You just figured that out now, Sherlock? Granted, this is a basic life lesson that most men learn at a young age. You must realize that I've been in foster care most of my life. I'd never been in a home long enough to see the natural Mother Nature unleash her wrath. But now I'd unleashed it, and boy, am I in trouble.
Yesterday I sort of got in a mix-up with a friend of mine and some obnoxious jocks, causing me to miss the bus and be late arriving home— which you have to understand, I live on a farm in which case you should never be late for anything. Something about the law of the farm. Anyway, so my foster mom is angry at me and Max, my foster sister, for missing our chores. Now we were both screwed, and we're both in solitary confinement until Thanksgiving.
But the other half of this is that Max is also peeved with me for interfering with the mix-up. If you knew Max, you'd know how annoying it is to have to deal with her attitude, and temper, and her stubborn nature. Who knew where she got it from? But still, she's mad at me, and has claimed "war" on me for not leaving her alone. All I have to say is, "Bring it on, Max!" Just remember I know where you sleep. And please, no obnoxious "Fang-you're-a-creeper" comments because I'm not like that.
As far as my search for Itex has gone, I haven't found any new leads. I spent last night doing research while my foster mom was making dinner and Max and Ella, my other foster sister, were out riding their horses. Any trace of this company has been erased from the Internet, and no viewers seemed to know anything. But thanks, lilrn102 for checking into it with your doctor-parents. Any info helps. Keep looking, and I'll keep doing research from this part.
Well, gotta go. The bell's gonna ring soon and they kick us out at the end of each period.
- Fang, from somewhere in America
I had 12 reviews last chapter, not bad for being out less than 24 hours. :D I'm sure everyone's glad I posted again today, and that was mostly because I had a NSN wave come over me. I was in a zone, and I couldn't ignore writing. So, yeah, maybe I found mojo again. We'll see in the next couple days. ;)
She wants to move, aw, thanks! You make me feel like I'm famous. :P Haha. Dt, I realize that (cause my guy friends are the same way... well some of them anyway). Twilightloverrr, yay, a new reader! Those are my 3 favorite words in the world. :D Glad you're enjoying it so far. Madeline Cullen, eww, guyliner. :P Fang's too cool for the Goth scene, but any other Goth guy pulls it off fabulously IMO (then again, I have a strange taste in guys. Ask cloudNrain and she'll vouch for me.) I'm glad everyone liked Max's new power, and I hope everyone enjoyed Fang's blog, especially since i don't claim to be a blogger.
Now, today's breaking news is a new poll that I've posted that is kind of important. It basically asks what you wouldn't want to see happen in this series, and I'd appreciate as much feedback as possible. Granted, some things on there will be included and some won't, no matter what, unless I get like hate-mail and death threats, then maybe I won't put it in. However, you also must realize that this is me we're talking about, and if I include something you don't like, I'll twist it in a different way than you're used to. So, yeah, do the poll!
Review please!!