Chapter 21- New York, New York

I think I've been updating a lot lately but I really want to finish this story.

In other news, I'm trying to remember what happened to me May 4th because it feels like an important date in my head but I have absolutely no record of what happened that day on any of my social networking sites or my dream diary so I'm a little creeped out.

Anyways, enjoy Chapter 21!

Max

"I'm Sam," he says and his smirk grows into a lop-sided grin as we stare at him blankly.

"You know, when people introduce themselves it's only polite to introduce yourself back," he pointed out and started pacing around me, "Where are you guys from anyways?"

His pacing unnerved me. I scowled, "That's none of your business."

He raises an eyebrow, "Touchy." He dragged out the word so it was more like three syllables instead of two, "I was just asking for your name, princess."

I studied his face. He didn't seem evil. "I'm Max," I tell him and gestured to my pack as I introduced them respectively, "This is Fang, Iggy, Angel, my mother Valencia, Kate, Gazzy, Holden, Star and Ratchet."

Sam's eyes widen. "What a group you guys have there," he laughs, "So, who wants to share those hotdogs?"

Automatically, Angel and Gazzy hid their hot dogs behind their backs. Sam chuckles, "Joking, kiddos."

"Right, Sam," Fang says stiffly, "What do you want?"

"Just making friends, man," Sam raises up his hands palms facing up as if in surrender. Then he plops down to sit in our circle, "You guys came to my alley and you should be glad I'm feeling hospitable today. If you came three minutes ago Bruno would've ripped you into pieces."

"Who's Bruno?" Kate asks curiously, "And why do you think he can rip us into pieces?"

"Just a thug." What's a thug? And why are they threatening?

Sam looks at me incredulously. "Did I say that out loud?" I ask.

"You don't know what a thug is? Where are you guys from? Outer space?"

"Where's outer space?" Holden bites into his hot dog, his eyes curious.

Sam shakes his head, "You guys seriously need help. Come on."

"Where?" I ask.

"Just follow me." I look around at my pack. They shrug and get up, following Sam.

Fang

"I don't trust him," I say through clenched teeth to Iggy.

"He's the only one we know here," Iggy reminds me.

"Have you seen the way he looks at Max?"

"Who brought up anything about Max?" Iggy grins.

"No one," I stammer quickly. He punches my right arm and I punch him back. Gazzy comes in between us to stop the fight and I pull him into a choke hold. He laughs and twists out of our grasp, almost shifting.

Max looks back and gasps, rushing over to us. "Stop," she whispers, "No shifting here. Humans rule here and shifting might be a mad idea."

"Fine," we all say. And then I see the giant Itex symbol.

Sam

Max is weird. I've decided that she's completely and utterly weird. Who doesn't know what hot dogs are? And when I brought out my phone to call JJ she just stared at it like it was alien or something. But still, she's extremely pretty. Her hair is a mess of gold and brown, curling over her eyebrows. And her brown eyes look like she's about to kill someone but for right now she's going to settle for cutting sarcasm and beating people up.

Still, I think I like her. Well I like her enough to take her to headquarters.

Let me clarify. I live in a little dump in New York City under a failing jazz bar. It was big in the 1930s-50s especially during Prohibition but now no one really listens to jazz. I've been living here since I was eight with my adopted sister JJ and my brother Flint. Flint left two years ago and I haven't seen him since. Most likely, he got caught up in the law or with his debts and got killed or something. Oh well, he was always kinda stupid. But I've been like this, living off the land and whatever for about ten years. We're street kids- me and JJ- and we're willing to do whatever to keep on living.

JJ's gonna kill me when she sees Max's gang.

Speaking of Max's gang, they were talking among themselves obviously suspicious about me. I unlock the gate and turn to the gang. "Welcome to my humble abode," I open my arms to welcome them in.

I turn on the light and it flickers on, highlighting the lime greenness of the wall and the spray paint decoration. I pull down a couple mats from a cupboard in the kitchen.

"If you guys are running, you can stay here for a while and JJ can get you a change of clothes," I look at their weird clothing. It looked like they were from the 1600s. The black haired guy was wearing a tunic. A tunic!

"What's wrong with our clothes?" Kate asks.

I smile, "Your clothes don't exactly fit in here. Also, it might be easier if you guys split up. A group of ten is pretty easy to spot. After my sister gets here she can take some of you to her boyfriend's apartment."

The black haired one looked angry, "Split up? Why the hell would we want to do that?"

"Chill," I laugh, "You can stay with your lover here."

The pale one laughed and muttered something like "I told you so" under his breath and the dark haired one smiled. What was his name? I'm sure Max mentioned it.

The gate jangled. "Honey, I'm home," JJ announced, carrying two brown bags.

She almost dropped them when she saw them. I grinned, "Sorry, I'm always bringing back strays, honey."

"You guys are siblings?" Max asks, one eyebrow raised.

I can tell why she's confused. JJ has red hair and I have brown. We have similar eyes though but they're completely different colors. And plus we don't really act like siblings.

"Not really, we're both orphans."

"Why are they here?" JJ asks, her fists clenched. She drops the bags on the kitchen counter.

"They're new here and they don't have anywhere to go and look how they're dressed! They'll be eaten alive here."

She studies them and tilts her head from one side to the other before shrugging, "You're right. Where did you pick them up? From the court of the Queen of England?"

"Right, who wants to go with JJ?" I turn to the gang.

Max

Kate, Holden, Star and Ratchet ended up going with JJ to her 'boyfriend's' apartment. What interested me more was what JJ came in with. The bags had the Itex symbol on them. It was strange. And while we were walking here there were several buildings and posters with the symbol on there. The symbol repeating four times.

"Lights out you guys, you're welcome to the showers and the bathroom. Max and Fang, if you're going to have sex, try to keep it down."

"Max," Fang said quietly. It was night time now but apparently the city never sleeps. The 'cars' were honking and there were traffic lights and everything.

"What is it?" I whisper, stretching out on the mat.

"Don't trust him," he says.

I pause, "Trust who?" I yawn, dreading this conversation.

"You know who I mean, Max," he scoots closer to me. Our faces are inches apart and suddenly I think of the night in the tunnels. He walked away from me.

"I don't think you have the right to say who I should and shouldn't trust," I snap, turning away from him. He pulls me so I'm sitting up and facing him.

"Look at me, Max," Fang tilts my head to face him, "I don't trust him."

I get an idea. I force a smile, "Fang?" I say softly and sultrily. I trace a finger down his arm and look up through my lashes. "I completely agree… that you're being jealous." I drop my arm and glare.

"I am NOT jealous!" he looks away.

"Shut up!" came a rousing chorus of sleepy shifters and human.