Analie is pronounced Anna-lee

Journal NOT a Diary!

Max's Journal

June 4, 2010

I didn't tell Fang what I was thinking last night. He didn't even ask. We both slept in, which was strange for Fang, considering he's up before the sun. We slept until about nine, and checked out in the main lobby. Then, we were on the streets of New York.

What do we do? Camp out in a dumpster? In an old cab? Keep searching for Iggy and Gazzy? I was sure they were still asleep, and they weren't going to let us back in. Maybe if we wonder the streets enough some good Samaritan will stop us and offer us shelter. Not likely.

"Fang, look!" I said, grabbing his arm and pointing to a licence's plate. I was trying not to laugh. FANG402. It looked like FANGgal. Fang's eyes widened as he tried not to crack a smile. "Let's follow them," I suggested. He nodded.

With the traffic around lunch time, it would be hard to loose a cream Trail Blazer with a tag that sticks out anywhere. They drove to the outskirts of the city and pulled into a house. You're average brick house. A woman and little girl got out and went into the car when we caught up.

"I feel like a stalker," Fang laughed, out of breath. He put his hands on his knees.

"We are, Fang. We are. Might as well see if she'll help us."

Fang shrugged. We walked up to the house and knocked on the door. I just wondered why a mom would have a FANGgal tag. That seemed more like what a high school girl would do. Talk about young at heart. There was shuffling inside before the door opened.

My jaw dropped as my eyes flickered from the woman to Fang. Neither of them seemed to notice anything, until I grabbed Fang's wrist. They both looked at me questioningly. Then the little girl jumped up behind her mother, making me gasp more.

"Max, what is it?" Fang asked, looking concerned.

"You don't see it?" I asked, almost yelling at him.

"See what?"

I looked at the woman. "Do you have a mirror?"

She nodded. "In the bathroom."

"Lead us there." I didn't let go of Fang's wrist as we made our way to the bathroom. I positioned all three of them in front of it. "Don't you see it? You look exactly alike!" The woman looked just like Fang, but with longer black hair, and a few inches shorter then Fang. The little girl had a darker skin tone, but still looked like them.

The woman gasped. "You're...fifteen, aren't you?" she asked, not taking her eyes off Fang's image in the mirror. He nodded. "And you're adopted?"

"Um, you could say that." He turned around and leaned on the bathroom counter.

Tears ran down her cheeks. "No way."

"Mommy?" the little girl asked, tugging on her mom's sleeve. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She picked up the little girl and held her close. "Something great might have just happened." She turned to Fang. "One last question. A birthmark, on your back, do you have one?"

Fang frowned. I spun him around and lifted up his shirt. There was a mark on his lower back, almost a scar, slashing down. "Is this it?"

The woman broke down in sobs so hard she could hardly nod. The little girl grabbed tight her her mother's neck. "William! I thought you were dead!" She threw her arm over Fang's neck. Fang looked surprised. "I thought you were DEAD!" she shouted so loud Fang jumped.

"William? I don't know who you're talking about...but we'll help you get your William back," Fang said.

She sat the girl down and pulled away from Fang. She took his face in her hands. "Just let me look at you!" Fang frowned and looked at me. I shrugged. "You look just like you did when you were a baby!" She pointed to a picture on the wall of a joining bedroom. A little boy in a blue blanket looked up with brown eyes. He looked like a newborn. And sure enough, he looked just like Fang.

"Huh? Wait-are you saying my name is William?"

She nodded. William really didn't fit him. The little girl tugged at her mom's sleeve again. "Honey!" She picked the girl up again. "This is your brother! This is William!" Meanwhile, I was standing in the back, pressed against the wall to give them space.

"Um," I started. "I don't mean to interrupt this...confusing...reunion, but don't you think this would all be better in the living room?"

The woman wiped her eyes. "Of course, I'm sorry, honey," she said to me. "I've been so caught up with William I let you fall through the cracks."

"Don't worry about it. I'm use to falling through the cracks." We all walked to the living room, colored in white and cream. It reminded me freakishly of the Arizona News studio. Arizona. I wonder how Mom and the girls are doing...

"Looks like I have some explaining to do," she said. "Well, when William was born, his father and I couldn't have been happier. I was only sixteen at the time, a little young and arrogant. Maybe that's why I don't even know where your father is, William. But after the picture in my room was taken, I was told you have breathing difficulties, and later passed.

"After you were gone, William, your father and I drifted apart and later divorced. Then I married Analie's father, divorced him later. I don't know what happened to you, William! I don't know how you are alive! You were pronounced dead by doctors!"

Fang and I extanged looks. We both mouthed one word: Itex.

"Very long story, um, Mom," Fang said, tugging at his collar. The woman smiled at that. "Trust me, you don't want to know. The point is, I was taken from you and Dad. But It -" -He eyes Analie - "bad people. There was nothing you could have done."

"But at least I have you now! I know you're alive!" She took a deep breath. Then she looked at me. "And who are you?"

"Max," I said. "Me and Fang - I mean William - came here to look for some lost friends. We can't really pay for hotel rooms anymore. And we sort of saw your car tag, FANG402, and we followed you. I know it was wrong, but we were desprite."

"Fang?" She looked at him. "You're called Fang?" He nodded. "You wouldn't have made Fang's blog?"

"So you've heard of it?" Fang asked.

"Heard of it?" She laughed. "Who hasn't? I'm one of those people who's been hanging onto you every word! And all this time, Fang was my own son! If only I had known! Well, if you are Fang, I know your whole story. It's really amazing. Oh, and did you say you needed somewhere to stay?"

We extanged looks. We could not live with his wacko mother. "Yeah," I said, standing up. Fang did, too. "But don't worry about it. We'll find a cheap hotel."

"No! It will be a great chance to get to know my son!" Wow. That sounded weird. "I insist you stay with us!"

"It's fine, ma'am," Fang said. She shot him a look. "Mom. We'll...call you if we need anything. Max has a cell phone." He crossed over for the door. I was right behind him. We were out of the door before she could stop us. She appeared in the doorway.

"I'm in the phone book under Mary Lou Hather!" she called. Analie squeezed out and ran, grabbing both our legs.

"No!" she said. We both looked down at her. "Don't go! I just met my brother! Don't take him away!"

Fang shot me a 'help' look.

I picked Analie up. "Look, Analie. We'd...love...to stay, but your mother has you to look after. We'll visit tomorrow. I promise."

"No! I don't want Bubba to leave!" She crossed her arms and looked at Fang.

He sighed. "Analie, you have to stay here. We have to go. We'll be fine, we've done this before. We have...connections for money. We'll be okay. And we'll visit for lunch."

Analie struggled out of my arms and ran to Fang's. "Don't go!" She buried her head in Fang's chest.

Mary Lou came up behind us. "Max, William, if Analie wants to stay with you, and you will let her, I'll pay for her meals and stay at a hotel. But you better come for lunch." I shot Fang a never-gonna-happen look. Then, Analie turned on Angel's Bambi eyes, probably his only weakness.

"Fine, if you really want to, you can come with us."

Analie cheered and hugged his neck. Mary Lou tapped my hand and slid some money in for her meals and stay. "Bye, Analie. Be good for William and Max. See you tomorrow, William." She kissed both of their cheeks. "See you tomorrow, Max." I waved at her as she walked back to her house.

So a dinner for two turned into a dinner for three, hotel room for two turned into a hotel room for three, and some dude in the lobby thought Analie was our kid. "You look a little young to have an five-year-old daughter," he said. He glared at me.

"Yeah," I said sarcastically. "I had a kid when I was ten. Sure."

He frowned and walked away.

So I'm in one of the beds we got with this room, Analie in the other and Fang on a pull-out couch.

Tomorrow should be interesting.

-Maximum