Chapter Twelve

I had been nervous, while getting ready for Fang and my date. I stood in front of the bathroom sink staring at my reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall. I had never done the date thing before. I didn't think I was the going out on date's kind of girl. It was a scary, unknown thing for me. I had run my hands over my black skinny jeans, and straighten out my light purple blouse. It had suddenly matted to me what I looked like. My outfit was in no way formal but it was the fanciest thing I owned. I had felt like I needed to dress up a little, to impress Fang? I wasn't sure, but to feel good about myself. Nudge had told me to wear a dress when I had talked to her on the phone yearly that day, but like I had told her, I didn't own a dress- well other then my school one.

I had run my hands through my hair, nervously, numerous times. It had flowed in loose waves down my back, and over my shoulder's, by the time I was happy with it. I had worn my black converse shoes, the clean one's I leave for special occasions. I didn't want to carry a bag so I put my phone and some cash into my pocket.

Dad had driven me to Main Street. I hadn't wanted to tell him about Fang so I said I was meeting up with Nudge and Angel. Ella had covered for me. She was more excited then I was that I was going out.

Dad had dropped me off on the corner of Main Street, on the little hill over looking the town. He had said he would have waited with me for my friends, but he was meeting up with people himself, so he left me alone. I took a seat on the park bench, and watched as the street started to fill up with people. The Lantern Festival was a yearly thing in our tour. People would walk down the street with lit lanterns; it was always a pretty sight.

I had agreed to meet Fang at seven-thirty, half an hour before the festival started, so we could grab a bite to eat, but by eight o'clock he still wasn't there. I tried to call fang many times, but he never picked up.

The time went torturously slow. I sat in the cold on that bench all night waiting for Fang. I had been too scared to get up and get something to eat- although I was hungry- in fear he would come and I wouldn't be there.

By the time the festival finished, at mid night, I was tired, starving and freezing. I made the fifteen minute walk home by myself in the dark, and cried almost the whole way home. I was humiliated, I had been asked out on my first date, by a boy who didn't show up. By the time I got home my tears had dried and I was red with furry. I was cursing Fangs name. I tried to think of a reason why he had stood me up, I had thought it was all a joke, 'maybe he didn't like me at all, maybe he was laughing right now at me for being so stupid and believing he actually liked me.'

I had ignored Fangs phone calls the next day. Ella had said I should talk to him, see what he had to say, but I didn't have it in me. I was too humiliated. But I couldn't avoid him at school. So on Monday morning I had to face him.

Chapter Thirteen

It's Monday morning, and I want nothing more then to be at home in my warm bed. School is the last thing on my mind right now.

I walk into the corridor of the lockers. I'm in a rotten mood. I didn't sleep well last night, it took me ages to get to sleep, and I slept through my alarm clock going off this morning, so in turn I was running late and didn't have time to eat breakfast- and I'm not fun to be around if I haven't eaten.

I hate Fang. I hate Fang. I hate Fang. I hate that I'm so up-set from being stood up by Fang. This is pathetic. Maybe I'll tell him I had forgotten about the date too and didn't even go.

I hope I don't see him today, but that's unrealistic, we have two classes together on a Monday and hang out in the same group, maybe I'll just hang in the library at recess and lunch...

I'm pulled out of my thought by a sight that makes my blood boil. Fangs leaning against his locker with the red head Lisa from dance class leaning into him, and get this, he's kissing her! I look on in shock, but I won't let him get to me. I try to move away before he sees me, but I'm too late. Fang eye's meet mine. He looks like a deer court in headlights. He doesn't move for a minute, we both just stare at each other, until he springs into action and pushes her away.

"Max. Max please wait!" He yells as I walk away. He grabs hold of my arm and I swing around hitting him hard in the chest. He doesn't flinch.

"Was it a big joke?" I ask infuriated.

"What? No Max."

"Did you think it would be funny, me waiting there for you while you were with her?" I scream, pointing at Lisa.

"Max, that wasn't what it looked like. Last night I... I, can we talk somewhere else." He said looking around. We were drawing a crowd.

"No, say what you have to say now."

"Max, she pushed herself at me."

"Ha, yeah right. She made you kiss her did she?"

"Hey you wanted it to." Lisa said stepping forward, but he said stop and she did so instantly and stood next to him.

"Oh, she's well trained. Does she fetch as well?" I say sarcastically. He doesn't look impressed. He grabs for my arm again, but I push him away, so he grabs both my wrists in one hand and pushes through the crowd with the other. He pulls open an empty classroom door and pushes me. I move away from Fang and turn my back on him.

"Last night, I was at the hospital." Fang said.

"What?" I ask turning around to face him again.

"Mum and Dad had a fight. He had come back to get something and well- they had an argument and he hit her. It was at the top of the stairs and she fell down them, she was in pretty bad shape. There was just so much going on, and I forgot about our date. I'm sorry Max." He said.

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine now. She just had some stitches done and was let out a couple hours later."

"Has he done it before?" I asked, trying to wrap my mind around this. Fang stayed quiet.

"Has he?" I asked again.

"Yeah, put you can't tell anybody." Fang pleaded.

"Has he hit you?" I ask shocked.

"What? No Max! Promise me you want tell anyone, no one, not even Nudge or Iggy or Ella!" He pleaded.

"I promise." I say. I still can't believe that Mark and Lana are divorced and now I find out Mark was abusive. It'll all to much to take in.

"Did you wait long for me last night?" Fang asks after a moment.

"Well... yeah I did."

"For how long did you wait?" He asks frowning slightly.

"Until the Festival was over." I say feeling pathetic.

"Oh Max, I'm so sorry." He says moving closer to me. He looks me in the eye; his are full of sadness. He slowly brings his hand up to my face, while never taking his eyes away from mine, he runs his fingers across my face, starting at my jaw, then my cheek and finally over my lips. He toys with my bottom lip with his thumb.

"Lisa kissed you, you didn't kiss her?" I mumble as he moves his hand behind my neck and moves in closure.

"Yeah." Fang says smiling softly at me. "You know it's only you Max." He says. He closes the distance between us and softly puts his lips against mine.

When I don't move away, he kisses me harder. For a second I have an over whelming feeling to run away, but I push it away and kiss him back. I'm not really sure what I'm doing, but something inside of me tells me to go with the flow, so I do. Fang moves his hands up and down my sides before finally settling on my waist, pulling me closure. We could have continued like this forever if it wasn't for the teacher who walked into the class room and let out a started laugh.

We break away from each other and move a couple metres apart.

"Get out of here." The teacher who I'm embarrassed to notice is our Maths teacher Mr. Days. Mr. Days chuckles to himself as we run out of the room. Once Fang and I are out and the door is closed behind us we crack up laughing, it's all we can do but be humiliated.

"We have him this afternoon!" I suddenly realise. Fang only shrugs.

Fang and I didn't go to class after that, we were already late, so we decided to skip and walk to the park a block away.

We talked about everything and anything. I told him about what had been happening at home and told him about what my Dad had said to me after I had gotten home after walking home last night. Dad had been sitting on the couch in the dark, reeking of alcohol. I had come in and turned the light on. He looked up at me and scowled. He held up the photograph in his hand

"What is this doing here?" Dad hissed, waving it around. I walk over to him and take the photo from him and look at it. It's of mum and him on there wedding day.

"I was looking at them." I say, collecting the photo's that are scattered over the couch next to him were I had left them.

"Didn't I tell you to get rid of all her stuff?" He yells.

"Get rid of her stuff? I don't want to! I don't want forget about her like you Dad!" I yell back. "You need help! You're sick. You walk around like a ghost. Your being a terrible Dad! So stop it. Stop making me feel bag about REMEMBERING MY MUM! I HATE YOU." I scream. "You need to sort yourself out, because we can't go on living like this. You're killing us all! Get closure, talk about her, and remember all the good times."

"Closure? What the hell is closure Max.? My wife is dead! Your Mum is dead! We'll never see her again. She was sick, she suffered, she lost her battle, and now she's DEAD. Dead Max! There's no closure for that! Nothing is going to bring her back. What's wrong with me not wanting to see stuff that reminds me she's gone? You're the one that needs help. You got on with your life, so easily, didn't you? Where were you tonight? Out with your friends?-"

"Yeah and you're so much better?" I yell over him. "Where were you? At the pub drinking? You cowardly drunk! I think you don't want to remember her because you know she'd be disappointed in you. Look at you, throwing your life away." I spit icily pointing a finger at him, before storming out of the room.

I didn't feel guilty at first at what I said to Dad. I was to mad to care. But later on, when I looked at the sadness and regret in his eyes, I did. But by then the damage had been done. We were two people who didn't see eye to eye so we didn't push it. He became even more distant from Ella and I, I hadn't thought that was possible. Our relationship was over. It was never the same again.

Fang had listened to me talk, and every now and then squeezed my hand or ribbed my back.

When I asked Fang to tell me about his parents he began to squirm. He held onto my hand tightly and said he his dad had been hitting his Mum for as long as he would remember, so much so that when he was little he thought it was normal. When I asked him why he had never told me or anyone before, he said he doesn't know how to talk about stuff like that.

"Boy, you're a persistent little... bother." Fang said with a smirk, when I insisted he tell me.

I smirk as well. "Go on." I say.

"Max you don't know what it's like, look...ah, I can't even explain myself. It's like sometimes I want to tell you stuff and I try but I just can't." Fang said.

"Just try. It's not hard." I say.

"I can't. I wanted to but I just couldn't. It didn't just affect me if I told you. I didn't want you to think badly of my Dad or Mum."

"I could never." I say, giving him an encouraging smile, though I don't know if I can believe myself, in saying this.

"Enough of this, let's do something fun." Fang said standing up and pulling me up with him.

"Okay. I get to choose what we do."

"Why do you always get to choose?" He asked smirking down at me.

"Because I'm the eldest!" I say, walking from him backward before turning and running.

"By four months!" Fang calls after me. He runs after me wrapping his arms around my waist and picking me up.