Chapter 7: Wings and Words
Max PoV
Fang waited until we had dropped the younger kids off at their classes before seizing my arm and dragging me into the trees next to the car park. He pushed me down so that I was sitting on a log and knelt down in front of me.
"Max, are you okay?" His dark eyes were piercing. He wasn't going to let me away with anything.
I sighed, "I landed weirdly on my wing."
"Iggy?" Fang didn't look away from my face. I could tell he was trying to figure out if there was anything else.
"Max?" Iggy said, "I can't get to your wing, it's under your shirt."
"What?" I asked, I knew exactly what he was getting at and, let me tell you, there was no way in hell!
"Max, just do it. I'm blind, remember."
"Yeah, but Fang's not!"
Iggy sighed and Fang gave me a look that said, 'Take it off or I will do it for you'.
I stared at him, incredulous. I saw he was serious, but I couldn't believe he would do that to me.
"You have a tank on underneath, right?" Fang asked, I nodded, "Then stop being such a baby!"
He was getting irritated. He raised an eyebrow at me, reaching forward, and pulled off my tie. I shoved him back when he made to undo my shirt. He simply got up and leant forward again. I sighed. I began to undo my shirt, feeling horribly self conscious.
I dropped it on the ground and slowly extended my wings.
I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of stretching them after holding them in tightly. It's like rolling your fingers into fists, really tight and holding them like that for awhile, then extending them again, but better. Much better.
I wanted to take off and fly for hours. It didn't matter where, I just wanted to fly.
I was brought crashing back down to earth by a sharp pain. I gasped as Iggy's gentle fingers stroked near the tip if my wings.
Fang's eyes snapped from my wing to my face, alarm flashing across his own.
"Max?" Iggy sounded apprehensive. He came round to stand in front of me, next to Fang who was still kneeling.
"Yeah?" My own voice was weak.
"You've knocked your metacarpus out of place. I'll need to move it back," My eyes widened and Fang stiffened, "It's not broken. You're still be able to fly," Iggy went on quickly, we relaxed slightly, "It'll take two seconds. Though it will probably hurt."
"Okay," My voice was calm, even. I amaze myself, "Go ahead."
Iggy nodded. He moved behind me again and gently moved the bone inside my wing. I almost cried out in pain, but managed to keep quiet.
Fang frowned, hating to see me in pain. He took my hand and my hand tightened, of its own accord, round his.
It was quick and relatively painless, compared to if someone else had done it.
"You okay?" Fang asked. I nodded.
"I'm gonna go. I'll see you guys at lunch," Iggy checked my wing once more then jogged back to the school buildings.
Leaving Fang and me. Alone.
I very quickly got up and slipped my shirt on. I did not need this. I was going to kill Iggy. I had been very careful not to be completely alone with him ever since…
Ever since a lot of things.
He wanted to talk, I knew that. I didn't want to talk. I knew that.
I glanced over my shoulder at him. He was watching me. He was ever so slightly frowning, his mouth moving the tiniest bit and he kept shaking his head softly. He was trying to figure out what to say.
Why don't you talk to him?
And say what?
Why are you so against this?
I don't know, I said honestly, I'm just… I don't know.
Max, If I didn't know better I would have said I heard the voice sigh, Just talk to him. What's more important to you? Fang or keeping yourself in this fantasy world where you can avoid him without hurting him?
Hurting him?
Yes Maximum, you've been doing exactly that. Now talk to him. He's almost done waiting for you. And it was gone.
I looked up. Fang was watching me, curious.
"The Voice." He nodded. Then took a deep breath. I made one of my infamous instantaneous decisions. The type that were either compete disasters, or completely remarkable.
"Max-"
"I know. We need to talk," I walked over to the log and sat down again looking up at him patiently, "Go ahead."
He looked, um. Well, lets just say surprised doesn't cover it. Fang recovered and cleared his throat. He came and sat next to me.
"Why have you been avoiding me?" He cut straight to the point as usual. I met his eyes. If I was going to do this I might as well do it in style.
"I don't know really. I don't actually have a decent reason. I was mainly telling myself rubbish to convince me that I did."
"What made you change your mind?" He asked softly, his eyes helping me to open up completely. He knew this was hard for me and wouldn't push me. I felt new confidence in myself. I could do this.
"The Voice made me realise that I was being horribly selfish," I looked down, "And probably hurting you as much as I was hurting myself, if not more. Also I was scared you'd give up on me," My voice was almost silent by the time I finished, but I knew Fang had heard every single syllable.
I took a deep breath and continued, "Besides, I kinda figured out why I ran away in the first place," His head snapped up, "I was scared."
"Why?" His quiet word made me meet his gaze. He thought he had hurt me.
"I dunno. I was terrified that I would get hurt. I know you would never hurt me, but I thought you might do it by accident. Or that you might not feel the same way about me."
"Oh My God Max," Fang yelled at me, I winced. He was mad, "How could you even think that for a second! I kissed you didn't I? Twice!" He stood, running his hands franticly through his hair, "What do I have to do to show you how much I care about you?"
The lunch bell rang from the school.
He stopped and looked at me, helplessly shaking his head.
I looked down. I knew exactly what he had to do. It was simple. How could I help him if he didn't even know that?
Tell him what to say.
I glanced up and was caught by Fang's stare.
"Say it."
Fang frowned at me, wondering what I meant.
"Say it back to me."
Fang still didn't get it. I sighed and picked up my bag. I stood and walked away. I turned back.
"I'll wait, Fang. Just say it back, okay?" With that I turned and headed to find The Flock for lunch.
