Journal NOT a Diary!

Max's Journal

May 26, 2010

I was ignoring Fang. He was ignoring me. It all worked out, even though meals were a little creepy... but back to the point. We were all fine until reporters once again showed up on our doorstep, right after the interview with MaryEllen.

I'm getting a serious sense of déjà vu.

And what did they want? The Young Lovers. And me and Fang...we just weren't ready for that game again. Our house pretty much turned into a dungeon. The blinds on windows and doors had to be pulled and locked. None of us dared to leave unless absolutly necessary. And I'm starting to think these wacky reporters are digging a tunnel under the house.

Iggy groaned. We were all sitting in the living room after dinner yesterday. Fang was updating his blog, and I was sitting as far away from him as possible, watching the movie RV with Angel and Nudge. Mom was reading a book with the light of the lamp. Iggy and Gazzy were laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. "I can't take this anymore!"

Fang stopped typing and looked up. Mom slid her bookmark in her book. Nudge paused the movie. "Can't take what?" Gazzy said, sitting up by Iggy.

He glared at Gazzy and stood up. "This whole thing! We're pretty much isolated from humanity! I fell trapped with all these stupid reporters at our doorstep! This isn't even our problem! It's Max and Fang's problem! So why do all of us have to suffer from it?"

"Because Fang was being an idiot," I mumbled. Fang and Iggy both shot me a look. Well, Iggy shot the chair I was sitting in a look, but you get the point. Iggy had that gleam in his cloudy eyes he only gets while fighting what ramdom things Itex sends.

Mom's book thumped on the sidetable. "Because we're a family, Iggy!" Mom said with that voice a woman has that makes everyone freeze and listen to her. "And families stick together through thick and thin! And we're not about to abandon Max and Fang when they need us most!"

"Well I'm sick of it!" Iggy yelled at her. Everyone gasped. He yelled at Mom! No one does that unless they want to be grounded for a year! "I'm sick of taking the heat when we didn't do anything! It's not our fault Max and Fang are idiots on camera!"

Mom's face was rock hard. "So what are you going to do about it, Iggy?" she asked, amazingly calm. If Iggy talked to me like that I would punch his face in.

"I'm leaving!" He stood up and walked to the door, freezing with his hand on the doornob. "Anyone else want to come with me?"

"I'm with you!" Gazzy said. He stood up and walked beside Iggy. "Anyone else?"

No one moved.

"Fine then!" Iggy said. He unlocked the door and stomped out, shoving through reporters. Gazzy slammed the door behind him. Nudge ran up and locked the door before reporters swarmed in. She was crying. I was about to. I can't believe my flock split, again!

"Angel," I said, looking at her. "Are they serious?"

Angel nodded through tears. "Yes! They're going to New York City!" Angel turned and cried on my shoulder.

Mom stared at the door with her mouth open. Fang watched me, seeing what I would do.

I wrapped my arms around Angel. "It's okay, baby. We can't let them do this. If they really are serious, they won't be coming back for a while. We have to find them!" I wasn't about to let the flock split for good. I was a wreck last time we split, but then Iggy and Gazzy had Fang. Now Gazzy was being led aroung by a blind freak.

Nudge sat back down and wiped her eyes. "So what do we do?"

I swallowed. "As much as I hate it, we have to go to New York and look for them."

"No!" Mom said. "Max, you can't go out there! The reporters will eat you alive! It's too dangerous. Iggy and Gazzy will come back sooner or later."

Angel shook her head. "No! They won't!"

Slowly and carefully, I moved Angel over to cry with Nudge and stood up. "Well, I'm not going to wait around! I'm going to New York to find them. I'm not having my flock split again." I narrowed my eyes at Fang. He looked away, remembering he made us split last time because I trusted Ari. "And...we can wear sunglasses. Our eyes are all that gives us way. Plus it's June, perfect sunglasses weather."

Mom sighed. "Fine, but let's go tomorrow morning."

"No, Mom! You need to stay here and contact us if they come back, with...whoever else is staying."

"I'll go with you, Max," Fang said. "I'm not letting you go into a crime infested city alone. Do you know how many guys will be hitting on you?" He chuckled. I felt my face run red. It was embarrassment, but I was about ready to punch him and it looked like anger.

"Fine," I said through my teeth.

"Nudge and Angel are staying with me," Mom said.

"Mom, we need Angel. She's the only mind reader in the group! She can tell us where Iggy and Gazzy are headed. And she can't hear them in New York from Arizona." I raised my eyebrows, knowing I had a point.

"No. I'm sorry, Max, but it's too dangerous for them to be out in New York with two teenagers. They will be fine here. Just ask around, people are bound to see or hear from them. No, you and Fang will be fine. I'm sorry."

Angel looked up. "I can tell you this, Max. They'll be going sightseeing. Iggy just decided that their first stop with be the Statue of Liberty."

I frowned. "Okay. Thanks Angel. Tell us if you get more on where they're going."

Angel nodded.

"You two get some rest," Mom said. "I'll put Angel and Nudge to bed."

I shot Fang a look before running towards my room for dreamless sleep.

The next morning I found Fang and Mom sitting at the table, sipping coffee. I had quickly packed my backpack before I went to bed last night. Fang had his sitting beside him. "Good! You're here!" Mom said. She hugged me. "I thought it would be best if you two left before Nudge and Angel woke up. Do you have you're bag?"

I nodded. "It's in my room."

"Good! Now some last minute things. I'm going to trust you with the money." Mom pulled out her wallet and gave me a wad of cash. "Will five hundred do you? It should. I already got your plane tickets. It leaves in twenty minutes." She handed me a slip of paper varifying our flight. "Now I packed your lunches and take this." She gave me an iPhone in a white and black Otterbox case. (A/N that's what kind of phone my mom has, case and everything. Get Otterbox for iPhones, works wonders. I've dropped mine several times and Otterbox protected it.) "Emergancy use only. No app shopping!" Wow she's a buisy bee.

I nodded. "Okay." Like we would load the thing with apps anyway. We were on a rescue mission, not a vacation.

"My number is the only one in there." I ran to get my backpack and shoved the money and phone in a sidepocket, with the charger. There was giggling down the hall. "Uh-oh," Mom said. "Nudge is up." She hugged and kissed both of us and gave us each a sack lunch. "Be careful! Call me when you get there!"

I called a reply and Fang and I got ready to leave. We slipped on sunglasses and I unlocked the door. We ran through, pushing away reporters and cameras snapped. I knew we would all be on the face of every magazine in a few days.

Reporters chased us down the block like a little boy chasing the little girl in a sundress around the playground. We turned a curb and I grabbed Fang's hand, pulling him in the trees. Reporters ran around the curb, totally unsuspected.

The paper was still in my fist as we flew for the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. We arrived with five minutes before take-off. We ran through security and baggage help, extanged the paper for two New York tickets, and found the lobby as soon as they called the flight number.

Fang insisted on the window seat. It didn't matter that much to me. I just sat there on the App Store in the iPhone. It didn't matter as long as I didn't buy anything. Fanilly Fang broke the awkward silence that had held us for days.

"You know, this is the dumbest idea I've heard in a long time." So maybe it wasn't the nicest thing he could have said, but it was better then nothing.

"What? Iggy and Gazzy running out or us going to find them?" I took off my sunglasses.

Fang took his off. "Both. Let's just say, I'm going to kill those two when we find them."

I chuckled. "When do you think we'll get there?"

"After Iggy and Gazzy have reached the Statue of Liberty, I can tell you that."

"How would they get there?"

"Iggy has several connectons you don't know about, Max. I'm sure they're already there."

"Traveling all night."

"Exactly." He flashed a half grin. I didn't return it, but bit my lip and looked down. I still didn't believe Fang really loved me. "Max, look at me." He didn't say anything else until I met his eyes, his dark eyes that makes your mind swarm. No wonder every girl falls for him. "This is about the night of the interview, isn't it? You still don't believe me."

"No, I don't! Only idiots would, like all those reporters."

"You told me to prove it. But when I do, you still don't believe I love you. How am I supposed to prove it?"

I shrugged. I didn't even know. "I guess by-" I was interruped my giggling and whispering behind me. I turned. Two girls, a blond and a brunette, sat across the aisle. They giggled again. It was perky, giggly teenage girls that caused all the stereotypes and really pushed my buttons.

"Is she your girlfriend?" the giggly blond asked Fang. She and her friend giggled again.

"I am not his girlfriend!" I hissed, putting on my best back-off-or-you'll-get-a-bloody-nose face. The two girls looked at each other and fell back into their seats. I hissed under my breath and turned back to Fang, shaking my head.

"Not yet, anyway," Fang whispered. I shot him a look. "Have you ate breakfast?"

I shook my head and opened the bag lunch my mom packed. Granola bars, two PB&J sandwiches, and juice boxs. I had a feeling Fang's was the same. I lowared the tray on the back of the seat in front of me and sat the bag contents on the trey. Fang did the same.

The two girls watched in amazement as we both ate it all. Fang, they could get him eating it all, since boys ususally pig out over every meal, but me staying skinny and eating it all just shocked them. No wonder. They were the size of beanpoles, literally! I didn't know anyone could be that small.

After the breakfast, I started getting drowsy. I only had two, maybe three hours of sleep. I had been worrying too much about Iggy and Gazzy. I looked at the phone's clock. Almost eleven. I sighed. And we weren't halfway to New York. I laid my head back on the seat and closed my eyes.

"Tired?" Fang asked. I nodded. "I didn't get much sleep either. Only about four hours." Well he got more then me. He put his arm around me and, like any normal girl, I lifted the armrest between us as I laid my head on his shoulder. "You never answered my questioin," he whispered into my ear.

"What?"

"How I prove that I really love you. You never answered it."

I mumbled something even I didn't know. "Later." Then I fell asleep on Fang's shoulder.

I woke up to the sound of the pilot's voice announcing we were almost to New York. Fang was leaned back in his seat, his arm still around me. My head was on his chest and his head was on mine, in a very awkward way that would probably put a cramp in his neck.

Slowly I sat up, making Fang jolt awake. "Almost there," I said. I looked at the phone clock. Almost two-thirty. At least I got a little sleep. All the paper from our sack lunches had been cleared out when we were asleep. I was surprised no one had stolen the iPhone.

Once we landed and got our backpacks from the luggage line, we headed out to New York. And let me tell you, if you haven't been there, you need to. I envy everyone who lives in that beautiful city all the time! Skyscrapers soared high in the skies, traffic swarmed all around us. People crowded the sidewalks. There was little green except for around buildings adnd trees, bushes, parks. I even saw a bit of the Statue of Liberty in the distance. I don't know how we're supposed to find Iggy and Gazzy.

"Wow," Fang said, looking around. I hailed a cab and told him Statue of Liberty, fast. Sure enough, we were there within fifteen minutes. I gave him the money and we ran for a farry to the statue. Let me tell you, that thing is huge. If you haven't seen it, go to Google images. It's worth more then a thousand words.

We got inside hand I ran up to the man on the counter and fished the latest picture of Iggy and Gazzy from my backpack. "Have you seen these boys?"

He took the photo and looked at it. "Yes I have. They came as soon as my sift started. They left about two hours ago."

"Did they give any indication of where they were going next?"

"They were talking about stay when they first came. The tall one, that one"-he pointed to Iggy-"said something about the Ritz-Carlton hotel."

"Ritz-Carlton," I repeated to myself. "Can you give us an address?"

The man narrowed his eyes. "What is the point of this?"

"They're...my brothers. They ran away from home to here."

His lip twiched. But he took a peice of paper and wrote in sloppy writing:

The Ritz-Carlton hotel

2 West Street

New York, New York, 10004

"Thank you!" I said, scooping up the paper. We took a farry ride back to New York and, with the help of a few strangers, finally found the hotel. I ran up the woman at the counter, Fang following closely behind. "Have you seen these boys?" I asked, showing her the picture. I don't know how they afforded this place.

She looked at the photo and frowned. "No. But if you give me their names I might can find them."

"Iggy and Gazzy...Martinez." The woman flipped through her check in book and shook her head. "Ride?" Again she shook her head.

"Jeff and Zephyr," Fang said. "Martinez or Ride." She flipped through again and shook her head. "Um...Batchelder!" The woman glared at him and flipped through again.

"Here they are! Jeff and Zephyr Batchelder."

"Great!" I said. "What room are they in?" I tried to peek in her book, but she snached it away.

"That is confidental and private information! I cannot tell room numbers. But if you would like, I could check you in."

"How much is a nights stay? Cheapest you got."

"The cheapest would be..." She typed something in her computer. "$325."

Fang and I exchanged glances. We couldn't afford oer six hundred per night. I looked back at the woman. "Each?" She nodded. "Are you sure that's the cheapest you have?" She nodded again. "That's too back. I only have five hundred." I decided to play the pull-on-heartstings card. Maybe it would work. "Mom's going to be so upset! She told me to book this hotel, it's her favorite! She wanted at least one good thing before...the day..."

The woman frowned. "What day."

"She has cancer. And her day is coming in less then a month. Her biggest dream was to stay at this hotel one last time, just her and my dad. Oh well." I sighed. "I guess she will pass on without living her dream." Fang's eyes dropped and he draped his arm around my sholders as we turned away.

"Wait!" the woman said. We turned back. Heart-strings always work. "Just five hundred dollars? I guess I can get you a cheap room under that..." She typed in her computer. "Oh never mind! My family is rich. I guess I can pay for your parents a room for...how many nights?"

"Uh, just two for now. They may stay longer."

"Okay. Just give me a hundred dollars and I'll pay for them a two night stay!"

My mouth dropped and I grinned at Fang. "Deal!" I grabbed my money out of the side pocket and gave the woman a hundred dollars. I can't believe that worked so well! She gave me a key. "Thank you so much! We're going to unpack for our parents before they come. Is that okay?"

She nodded. "My treat. What's their names?"

"Uh, Jeb and Valencia Martinez." She wrote it in her book.

I thanked her again and we rode the elevator to the ninth floor and unlocked the door. I gasped as my backpack fell to the floor. Guess what room that lady put us in?

The honeymoon suit.

That's right. One huge heart shaped bed, heart shaped pillows, heart shaped lamp, everything in that room was pink and red hearts.

"Well," I said. "I did say it was for my dying Mom and Dad."

Fang glared at me. "Yeah. Great job." He rolled his eyes.

I won't make you sit through unpacking details. Anyway, Fang took a blanket and pillow and put it on the floor, insisting I take the huge bed. So now my eyes hurt from writing in this red light. Yes, RED light! Off the lamp!

We're in for a long next few days.

-Maximum