Chapter Twenty-Four

It was another hot summer that year, so we had decided to make our camping trip earlier on in summer, in late December. It was the first camping trip we were able to drive ourselves to, which gave us a sense of independence. Fang, Iggy Nudge and I had talked about going on schoolies. Most kids in our year where going to Queensland, or heading down to the more local beaches for a week. But we decided our schoolies would be the camping trip.

We took two cars, Fang's and Nudge's. I had wanted to drive but my car decided to die on me a week before the trip.

We all argued about who was going in what car and what way we should travel to get us there quicker, so in the end, we ended up with us girls in Nudges car and the boys in Fangs.

We had decided to take separate roots and see who got there quicker, (we found out later on that the boys way of getting to Wilson's Prom was faster, us girls timed it one day, but we didn't mention it to the boys) but we girls ended up following the boys forgetting all about our petty argument, it wouldn't be the same making all the little stops we liked to make along the way, like petrol stations, and Maccas, and the twenty-four hour diner that was half an hour away from Wilson's Prom- our camping spot- with out the boys.

That year instead of taking a couple tents like usual, we only took one, the twins' family tent that was big enough for all of us.

It was a memorable camping trip that year. With sleepless nights lying out under the stars, pranks pulled, roasted marshmallows, swimming in the lake, scavenger hunt, getting lost in the national park on a walk, driving to the twenty-four hour diner at two in the morning, drinking the little bit of alcohol we brought, catching Iggy and Nudge in a hot and heavy make out session as our dinner burnt over the fire that they had been watching and Ella finding a snake in her sleeping bag, and refusing to sleep in it for the rest of the trip, I gave her mine and Fang opened his up so we could share.

We made the most of our holidays when we got home, because we knew things were going to change. We got back on new years day, so we had the whole of January.

At the start of February Angel, Gazzy and Ella started back at school, the twins in year twelve and Ella in year eleven. Over the next two weeks Fang, Iggy, Nudge and I started University. Nudge at the Queens Collage, Fang at the Australian Institute of Arts and Iggy at Melbourne University.

It took us about an hour to travel into the city each day. We would usually take the train, it was to hard driving into the city in peek hour and there were never any parking spots.

After two weeks of travelling Nudge and I was sick of it. So one night as we were lying on her bed watching Gilmore Girl repeats we came to a decision, we were going to get an apartment in the city together.

Before this decision we were talking about maybe getting one of the student apartments, but after looking into it, we found out they are really just for interstate and international students. The university experience in Australia isn't like the collage experience in America. You don't live on campus, which sounded like such a novelty to Nudge and I.

So Nudge and I quit our jobs and began packing our stuff. I was sad to quit my golf course job I had, had with Iggy, but it was time. Nudge and I had money saved up between the two of us from working over the years and Nudge had a bit of money from her grandmother who had died the year before. We couldn't get anything big or fancy, but we could afford a small comfortable place.

Iggy and Fang were excited when we told them, because they could stay over with us to make it easier to get to school. They both ended up practically living with us. Gazzy and Angel were excited for us as well. They would come and stay on weekends and we went home regularly to see them, and our families. Ella didn't say much when I told her, she forced a smile said 'that's great' and then excused her self, leaving the room. I knew I'd be leaving her alone, and she felt like I was abandoning her. But I also knew she'd be okay. Ella had Angel and Gazzy and Iggy and Fang still 'officially' lived in town and Lana and Melanie.

We looked up apartments close by, and found an apartment building a ten minute walk from school.

It was a three story building with twelve apartments, four on each level and a communal laundry room on the bottom floor. It was owned by a nice old woman named Betty who would drop around to check on us and bring us jam that she made.

The apartment had two bedrooms with a bathroom in between them that we shared. A living room with a great view over looking a beautiful park, that Nudge and I spent a lot of time at, and a decent sized kitchen. Four rooms. It wasn't big, but we loved it.

The walls were all painted grey, so Nudge and I added colour by putting cushions and throw rugs over our two red couches we picked out, and I filled a couple book shelves with all my books- I didn't realise how many I had- and Nudge bought flowers and put them in vases around the house, and we had lamps and pictures on the walls. We wanted our apartment to be cosy, warm and inviting, which it was.

"Max." Nudge calls as she barged into my bedroom and flopped down on my bed. I look up at her from the arm chair in the corner of my room. I put my book down on the little table next to me.

"What's up?" I ask. She looks really upset.

I get up and walk over to the bed sitting cross legged, she sits up as well so we're opposite each other our knees an inch apart.

"Iggy and I had a fight." She says while pushing her hair that's fallen out of her pony tail behind her ear. She's left it curly today; she doesn't leave it curly often.

"What? What happened?" I ask surprised.

"I don't even really know. We were fine one minute and the next we're fighting. It was at Iggy's school. I went up there to meet him, and I see him there talking to some blond girl. Can you believe that?"

I stay quiet for a minute. "That he was talking to a blonde?" I ask confused.

"She had her hands on his hips. Standing there in front of him."

"Maybe it wasn't what it looked like. It was probably nothing."

"I walked up to them and asked who she was. She said her name was Amy. She asked who I was and I said I was his girlfriend. She looked genially surprised. She didn't know he had a girlfriend. They sit together in class every day for a month, and he doesn't tell her he had a girlfriend?"

"Really?"

"That's weird right?"

"Are they friends? Do they talk in class?"

"Yes!" She exclaims frowning her arms up. "I asked him why he didn't mention me. Do you want to know what he said?"

"What'd he say?"

"He said it didn't come up and he doesn't like talking about personal stuff."

"Hm."

"Hm, exactly."

"So you had a fight?"

"Yeah, he said I was over reacting. We yelled at each other for a bit and then I left and came straight here."

"Your not going to break up over this are you?"

"I don't know! Should we?"

"God. No! It was nothing Nudge. Did he apologies?" I ask.

"Kind of… well, not really." She sighs deeply.

"You should talk to him." I say smiling slightly. Trust Nudge to over react.

"Oh you couldn't possibly understand Max. You have a perfect, freakily amazing relationship with Fang." Nudge says, moving a little away from me.

"What? We've had our problems! I don't need to tell you that." I say forcefully.

After a moment of conflicted silence Nudge sighs again and moves over to me again wrapping her arms around my shoulders I move my head against her shoulder and wrap my arms around her back.

We hear a knock at the front door. We don't pull away.

"That'll be him. Go. Don't let one silly thing ruin your relationship. You guys are too good for something like this to get in between you." I tell her, rubbing her back then pulling away.

Fang is with Iggy when Nudge opens the door. Nudge and Iggy go into her room and Fang comes into mine.

"Did Iggy call you?" I ask.

Fang nods with a smile. I walk up to him and stand on his boot clad feet and stretch up kissing his chin. He moves one arm around my back holding me to him.

"You are staying tonight? Nudge and I are making pizza."

He laughs. "Nudge and you?"

"Yes. I'll be helping." I say trying to act insulted but ending up laughing as well.

"Well I better stay to make sure you two don't burn the apartment down." He says running his hand down the length of my hair.

"We've been living here a month now and haven't burnt the place down."

Thanks for reading and please review. And thank you to all of you who have reviewed in previous chapters. I love reading them even if it's just 'I love it'! Thank you, thank you and thank you!