Epilogue:

There's No Place Like Home

Chapter 46 – Vacation Dilemma

This has easily been one of the toughest weeks I have had to deal with in my life. You go through so much to prepare, and yet when the day arrives you feel like all your work was for nothing. And I'd been through a lot this year. This was by far one of my most nerve-wracking experiences — even beating out fighting Erasers, which I never thought could have been topped.

And the scariest thing is that this is totally unrelated to anything that has happened to me this year.

For those of you who are confused, it is June, and it was the last week of school. All seniors have been gone for a couple weeks (off to some fabulous senior getaway at Myrtle beach, lucky devils). And for the rest of us unlucky students, it was finals week.

I spent all week studying with Fang, but it didn't help that I couldn't completely focus on school work. Even though it had been months since I'd seen a white lab coat or an Eraser, I couldn't help but think one was creeping up around the corner and was on the verge of attacking. It also wasn't good that Ella had already gotten out of school and spent entire evenings ragging me about the fact. This whole week had left me exhausted and feeling really old. I just wanted it all to end.

So I'd struggled through seven strenuous finals and now I was finally free! I survived my first year of high school! (Though I know some of you out there are still wondering how I've managed to live this long. To be honest, I'm still wondering, too). And best of all, I was fairly certain I passed all my exams.

I exited through the giant double doors into the front lawn, a giant grin on my face. This was what freedom felt like — knowing that you had three months all to yourself to do absolutely nothing except go on vacation and ride my horse. And to think, I only have to go through this three more times. Ugh.

Fang was waiting for me at the bottom of the steps, a dark shadow against the bright June day. He watched as I descended the staircase of hallowed learning. I smirked at him.

"Ah, isn't today such a perfect day?" I asked.

"Happy, much?"

"You mean you aren't?"

He rolled his eyes.

We wandered toward the bus, the first real retreat into sacred summer vacation. "How did you do on your finals?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "Well enough. You?"

I smiled. "I'm pretty sure I aced my Algebra final, thanks to you." We'd spent several nights prepping for math, mostly because I thought the teacher had been speaking in Chinese all year long. Fang showed me how to do everything I needed for the exam, and luckily it had finally sunk in. Who knew math could be easy once you understood it?

"Good."

"That's it? I mean, I know you're mister dark and silent and all, but aren't you at least remotely excited about getting out of school?"

He shrugged again. "I guess I've been thinking a lot lately."

"And this is any different for you how?"

"Well I wanted to —" He was going to say more, but as we stepped unto the bus of excited high school students, I figured that it was something he would have rather kept between the two of us. However, he did surprise me by taking a seat next to me. Usually Ella would have prevented him from doing so. I felt a little awkward being so close to him, but I'd been trying to blot the kiss from my memory. That stupid, electrifying, extra stupid kiss.

This bus ride home was much like the first one I'd taken to school back in September. I watched the passing scenery of farmland, endless plains of grass with grazing animals. It seemed so normal, and yet everything had changed.

It was strange how much I'd changed since then. For once my abnormal ways had an explanation (sort of). I was created to be something bigger than anyone could have imagined. I'd been given powers that would set me apart, to accompany what my nature was supposed to be like. Why those whacko scientists had chosen us to be bird kids I will never understand, but at least we'll be more graceful than Erasers. And I will definitely never understand how we're supposed to become these freak-creatures of modern science (wings included).

When we arrived at our stop, I nearly jumped for joy. I wasn't even sure what I would do first; I could go over to Monique's house, Ella's friend from our barn, who has a swimming pool, or maybe I'll just lie under the air conditioning.

Fang and I stepped off the bus and walked up the driveway toward our house. I was caught slightly off guard to see Mom's car parked in the driveway, but then I'd figured she would be on lunch break right about now. For finals we had half days. I entered the front door.

"Mom?" I called.

She emerged from the kitchen with a huge smile. "Max! Honey, you're officially a sophomore!" She hugged me tightly.

"There's still time to fail!" Ella wailed helpfully from upstairs.

Mom rolled her eyes and held me at a distance. "So, how'd it go? The last two weren't too hard, were they?"

"No, they were probably the easiest ones I took all week."

"Well, I'm proud of you. This is just one more step towards college."

"Ugh, Mom!" I complained as she hugged me again, but I couldn't help but laugh.

"And I'm proud of you, too, Fang," she said to him. He'd quietly slipped into the kitchen during my exchange with Mom and came out for the moment with a sandwich. "I wasn't sure how having a teenage boy in the house with two daughters would turn out, but ended out okay."

"Just okay?" he joked.

"More than okay," she giggled.

"Okay, let's not get too gushy. I don't want my vacation to get ruined already," I interrupted.

"And speaking of vacation," Mom mused, "we need to discuss where we want to go this summer."

"I want to go somewhere warm, like Florida," I said.

"Yeah, let's go to Disney World!" Ella added as she came bounding down the stairs. "Monique says it's so wonderful there!"

"I was thinking Washington D.C." Fang suggested coolly.

We three women turned to him with looks that questioned his sanity. He shot us a look that dared us to defy his judgment. "What? I've been looking through some of our articles on Itex recently, and I've seen that they have a lab in D.C. Why not go there for some fun and check things out while we're at it?"

I saw the logic in his plan, but there were two people who didn't understand.

"Ew, why would we want to do that?" Ella sputtered.

"No, Fang, it's too dangerous," Mom warned. "The last thing I want happening on a family vacation is either of you," — she was looking at both him and me —"to get hurt. You're looking for a suicide mission by walking right into their midst."

"I didn't say we had to go inside their office, just ask questions. Find out some info on it. By the time anyone on the inside picks up that people are curious, we'll be gone from our 'family vacation.'"

"Absolutely no."

"Mom," I whined. "He has a good plan. Aren't you the least bit curious about what Itex has in store for us?"

"I knew what they had in store for you, but that was fifteen years ago. Their plans have changed a lot since then, and rightly so. Now that they've seen successful signs of genetically enhanced powers in both of you, they must be planning something else. There's no way they'll let either of you escape from their cause without a fight."

"Which is exactly why we should try to figure out what they want."

She sighed. "Look, I have some connections with people I used to work with at Itex. Maybe one of them will have insight on the current Itex. I'll call around, but I don't want either of you even thinking about going to D.C., okay? Or any other city that is home to an Itex institution. Comprende?"

I nodded, and Fang looked at her darkly. Neither of us said anything.

"Well, Florida still seems good to me," Ella said perkily.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

It was later that night. Mom and Ella were both asleep, but I knew Fang would still be up. I could always count on him when I wanted to talk. I peered in through his door to see him sitting on his bed, swiftly clicking away at the keys of his laptop.

I smirked. "Updating your blog?"

"What else?" He had a way of smirking that made my attempt look amature.

He closed the computer screen. "What's up?"

I closed the door behind me, but didn't get closer. "Was that all you'd been thinking about lately? Going to D.C. to check out Itex?"

"The bulk of my thoughts, why? Is this all you really wanted to talk about?" I could hear the curiosity in his voice.

"Well, no. I mean, that's part of it. On the way home today I was just thinking wondering about our changes this past year, why it happened to us. You know?"

"Max, there are always things we can never understand. We just have to work with what we've been given."

"That's easy for you to say. You've been through so many situations like jumping from home to home, having your mother die-" I could tell I hit a nerve as he glowered -"and everything that's happened recently. It's so freguent that it's become you're mantra. Work with what you've been given my butt. Don't you want justice? Haven't you ever questioned why it's happened to you?"

"Which part? The being an orphan part or being a freaky mutant?"

I grimaced. "Both, I guess."

"Well, of course I think about it. I don't think it's fair, obviously, but I guess I'm better groomed to handle it. If there is a God in this world, I guess He figured that I was suited to go through this kind of thing. He knew you were strong enough to handle it, too."

How he made me smile just now, I wasn't sure. But that's the way Fang operates.

"You always seem to know what to say," I said a bit begrudgingly.

"I'm just that cool. I have a way with words."

We laughed, but the moment was interrupted by me yawning. Fang got out of bed and sauntered toward me. He was several inches taller than me, which was still irritating. I'd been taller than most of the guys in my grade for a while, but this year they'd been catching up. Having to look up into his dark eyes made me feel inferior to him.

He stopped inches from me. "Look, Max, I know things have been hard for a while. And the reason behind everything may not be clear, but I want you to know that I'm always there for you. Any time it seems like too much, I've got your back."

And of course that's when he closed the distance between us to press his lips to mine. I should have seen it coming. God, I'm such an idiot! But, oh gosh, I had to admit it felt pretty good.

The kiss wasn't long, but when he pulled back I was breathless (probably because I hadn't breathed the whole time). Fang looked a little flushed himself, like he'd been blushing because of his actions. He chuckled awkwardly. "I know that makes you uncomfortable, but I couldn't help it."

I sighed. It was hard to deny that Fang had feelings for me, but it was even harder to deny that I'd liked it. I wasn't sure I would ever figure out how I felt about him. "Fang, I know you like me but… but I'd prefer if you didn't do that. I'm just not sure what I'm feeling right now, and having you kissing me really doesn't help. And since I can't tell your intentions, I just… I just don't know. Does that make sense?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I understand," he sighed. I wasn't sure, but I thought he sounded disappointed. "I don't want to push you."

I tried to smile, but it was hard. "Thanks for understanding."

His lips were pursed as he thought of what to say. But all he ended up mentioning was, "Go to bed. Your vacation has hardly started and you're already worrying about the wrong things."

Sooooo, it's been too long. Much longer than I'm comfortable with. I'm keeping this short, mostly because I really want to write the next (and final) chapter so I plan on finishing this story very shortly, and I apologize for the long wait. I've been stressed lately, what with college stuff and school work and everything, but I'm making up for it. And once this is done, I'll post a new MR story I'm working on (as well as work on my other unfinished ones). You can see a small excerpt on my profile, so take a look and tell me what you think!

--biteoutoflife--