"Mom?" I let my bag fall on to the La-Z-Boy as the door clicked shut behind me. My mom walked around the corner from the kitchen.
"What is it Max?" she asked. I ran into her arms, trying as hard as I could not to scream happily and jump up and down. "Is something wrong?"
"No mom, no. Nothing's wrong, far from it actually."
"Then what's going on?" She gave a small laugh.
"Fang's back mom! He's back!" I couldn't hold my excitement in for any longer. She looked at me and blinked a couple times.
"That boy back in Arizona?"
"Yes! Don't you remember? He was my best friend! How could you not remember?" I let her go and stared at her. She just shrugged.
"I don't know, I forget names over time. I'm only human!" She ran back into the kitchen and started crying. Then my dad walked out.
"Hey kiddo. You look confused. What's up?" he asked me.
"Did you and mom get in a fight?" I asked worriedly.
"No."
"Then why is she so –"
"I'll tell you later. You don't need to worry about it right now. So what is going on? I heard you yelling about something."
"What?" Oh. Wait. Duh. "Oh, yeah. My best friend from Arizona is back!" How could I have possibly forgotten about that?
"Fang? He was always such a nice boy and I felt horrible when you had to leave him. I'm happy you guys found each other again." He put his hand on my shoulder briefly and then walked into the kitchen to rejoin my mother.
"So," my dad said as he passed me the bowl of corn, "your mother and I have something –"
"I'm pregnant." My mom blurted out and my mind went blank. A smile spread across Ella's face.
"I'm so excited for you mom! This is great!" Ella got out of her chair and hugged our mom.
"I'm glad you think so." My mom said. "And Max? What about you?" My name caught my attention and I looked at her, a fake smile plastered on my face.
"It's great!" I lied. I finished eating while my family discussed names.
"What do you think Max? What would you suggest?" My mom asked. I shrugged.
"Ari . . . I don't know why, I just like it. I have to go do homework." I got up and set my plate in the sink. Then I grabbed my school bag off of the recliner and trudged up to my room. I would talk to Fang about this later.
"Hey guys!" I greeted Iggy and Tess as they sat down with Fang, Sam, and I. "Where were you guys yesterday?"
"I took my little sister out for a day of fun!" He told me.
"Hey!" Tess exclaimed, slapping him, "I'm only three minutes younger than you!"
I laughed and introduced them to Fang.
"So, you're the famous Fang." Iggy said jokingly.
"You didn't get that already?" Tess asked him. "He looks exactly how Max described him in all of her stories!" Fang turned to look at me.
"You told them about me?"
"Just about every day." Sam cut in. "It was always, 'and then Fang did this, and then Fang did that, then I laughed, and we all lived happily ever after'." He said in a singsong voice that sounded nothing like mine. Fang smiled at me.
"Anyway," I interrupted, feeling very self-conscious, "Fang, you already know Sam from when I introduced you a couple minutes ago and this is Iggy and his twin sister, Tess. Their parents own the hottest teen club in town."
"Cool." He said. Tess rested her head on her hand and eyed him carefully, like if she were studying his face.
"You don't talk much." It wasn't a question.
"Nope." He replied.
"Whoa." Iggy drew out the word. "You talk less than Max when she's PMSing!" Tess tried to smother her giggle and Iggy stared wide-eyed. I, of course, felt my face heating and had to look away so Fang wouldn't see my reaction. Did Iggy really have to just say that? When I calmed down a bit more, I stared Iggy in the eye with my famous death glare.
"Just wait." I told him. "I'll get you back. It may not be now – or today, or in the next two years – but I will get you back, when you least expect it." Iggy flinched and I saw amusement in Tess's eyes. She knew what I was doing. I wasn't going to do anything to him, but I was going to act like I was. He would get so paranoid that he'd make himself go crazy.
This would be hilarious.
Fang sat next to me in free period since we could sit wherever we wanted.
"We need to hang out this weekend like, tonight and get caught up on everything since the others won't be in our way." I said. "What do you think?"
"Sure. What should I bring?"
"Anything you want." I said simply. He nodded, thinking it through. Then he slowly smiled and turned toward me.
"I know what I'm gonna bring." He told me.
"What?" I asked.
"You'll see."
"Ella?" I called once I got in the house. She quickly came downstairs when she heard my "can you do me a favor" voice. Since I never asked her for favors, she was happy to do it when I did ask for one. If that makes sense.
"Yeah?"
"Can you do your chores?"
"Which ones?" She asked.
"The floor and bathroom. I have a friend coming over soon."
"What's her name?" Ella questioned.
"His name." I corrected her. "And it's Fang."
"Fang . . . mysterious. Do you like him?" She pestered.
"No. You were still too young to have remembered him. He was my best friend before we moved." I explained.
"And you found each other again?" her hands were clasped together before she started spinning around with her arms open. "It has to be kismet Max! Just see, you'll end up together." I laughed at her and stopped her from spinning before she threw up.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Just do your chores." I went upstairs to clean my room.
Fang walked in with a small box and a guitar case. He leaned the case up against the back of the couch and set the box on the coffee table, while looking around.
"You play?" I asked him, gesturing to the guitar.
"Um . . . somewhat." He shrugged. "A lot has changed since we were six."
"Yeah, I know." I agreed. Fang gestured to the couch and I sat next to him. He pointed to the box and I picked it up, opening it slowly. Inside were some pictures of two blond-haired kids. I gave a small laugh.
"Well, who are they?" I looked straight into his eyes. I noticed that some people seemed intimidated by him at school because of they way he looked. He didn't have that affect on me though – I could look into his eyes and only see kindness . . . and some hurt.
"They're my half-siblings." He explained. "My mom and dad got divorced less than a year after you left. She got remarried to a really nice guy and had Tommy and Angel. We call Tommy Gazzy . . . just please don't ask why." He gave a small chuckle.
"I'm sorry Fang." I closed the box and set it down on the table. Ella came trotting down the stairs with an overnight bag.
"Where are you going?" I asked her.
"Monique's. I'm gonna sleep over there and I'll be back somewhere around lunch." She informed. I got up and walked over to one of the kitchen drawers, grabbing a pack of earplugs. I tossed them to her and she laughed, tucking them into her pocket.
"Have fun." I told her.
"You too." She said heading to the door. "It was nice to meet you Fang!" She called.
"Likewise." He replied. Ella shut the door behind her leaving me and Fang alone. I wondered where my dad was.
"So how about a song?" I asked him. He sighed and took out his guitar.
"I'm not singing though." He grumbled.
And then he started to play.