The Runaways – Chapter 2

By MyNameIsCAL

---Fang's POV---

"Fang!"

Someone grabbed me by the arm as I walked down the hallway. I shook them loose. "Jesus, Iggy, how the hell did you know it was me?"

"Because you're the only one that smells like alcohol and drugs," Iggy muttered under his breath.

"You know I only deal that shit," I growled, pushing Iggy against his locker. "You know I can't stand the way my mother lives, the way her stench rubs off on me."

Iggy blindly threw a punch, but it missed me and I pinned him back again. Poor guy. He lost his sight in some freak accident. Not that he ever talked about it. I still didn't know the story.

"Alright, chill, I'm sorry," he sighed. "I wasn't trying to accuse you or anything."

I let go of him. "So what did you want?"

"My mom won't be able to pick me up from school. I need someone to see me home so I don't get hit by a car," Iggy answered.

"Fine." But it was better than going home to my mother. Besides, Iggy was the closest thing to a best friend I had.

He frowned. "Thanks."

---Iggy's POV---

As much as Fang sounded like he resented doing things for me, he always said yes. It was more of pity though because he couldn't help his mom and that compelled him to try to find someone else he could help. He's told me stuff that I'm pretty sure no one else knew. We've had our share of secrets. In fact Fang wasn't as scary and intimidating as everyone sized him up to be.

"So, how was your weekend?" But I already knew the answer to that.

"The usual cleaning up after my mother," he grumbled. "She's going to get herself killed one day."

"Maybe you should turn her in," I suggested.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Fang exclaimed. "I don't need to deal with the cops. It's one step closer to getting busted for selling."

I shook my head. As much as he helped me, I could never help him.

"I almost got enough money for a car," he said, more calm now. "And once I get my car I'm going to leave home."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I'll be around," Fang paused for a moment. "Think about it this way: If I get a car, you'll never have to walk home like this."

He was trying to pass this off as nothing, but I knew that he was serious about everything he had just said. And it didn't surprise me either.

---Gazzy's POV---

Angel and I sat outside waiting for Iggy. He "watched" us after school most days since our parents both worked. Today, he was walking home with his friend. The kid that became the one thing our parents didn't like about Iggy. Iggy had promised to keep him away when he was supervising us. I didn't like his friend either. People told me he was trouble.

I think Iggy pitied him. His name was Nick, I think, but everyone called him Fang. Iggy never told me why.

As Iggy headed towards our house, Nick continued to walk, past our house, and down the street towards town. I wondered where he was going.

"Why do you hang out with that creep?" I asked Iggy.

He replied, "Why do I hang out with kids half my age every day?"

It was true. He could be doing other things.

"Did you do your homework?" he asked after a while.

"Of course we did," Angel told him. "We came home and hour before you got here."

"Sorry I was late," he sighed, sitting down between Angel and me. "My mom couldn't pick me up today."

"And so you asked the creep to escort you?" I inquired.

"He's not a creep, Gazzy." Iggy sounded annoyed. "He's just got a lot of things going on and needs a friend."

That was the end of our conversation about Nick because Angel began to go on about her day. Not that either of us cared, but we figured we better listen since there was nothing else to talk about.

---Angel's POV---

As every night goes in our house, Iggy made us dinner. Which we always thought was strange since he couldn't see. Well, he relied on us to cut things up. He claimed he just remembered all the things his mom told him about cooking.

"Alright, you got the onions?" he questioned, turning on the stove.

"Yeah," Gazzy pushed the bowl of chopped onions towards Iggy. "What are you making?"

"Pasta." Iggy poured the onions in. Then he turned to me. "Here, why don't you put the pasta in?"

I took the box from the counter and opened it, on my tiptoes to pour it into the pot. Iggy stirred, yawning. He was the older brother I wish I had. Gazzy was soooooo obnoxious. I mean, the only reason we called him Gazzy was because no matter what, he could pass gas on command. Iggy dubbed him the Gasman. Then I shortened it. Sometimes I wished Iggy would live with us. Iggy's food was amazing. Much better than my Mom's cooking. But we didn't tell her that.

After dinner, we had an hour of TV time. Well, it was supposed to be an hour, but Iggy didn't care as long as we were in bed before our parents walked through the door. Tonight, we managed to stay up until midnight until the garage door started to open. Gazzy and I rushed up the stairs, telling Iggy goodbye.

"Night," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

---Iggy's POV---

Gazzy and Angel were good kids. They're parents were generous too. I got ten dollars for every hour I spent watching Gazzy and Nudge. Tonight, I got about eighty bucks. What I really wanted to do with all my money was maybe save up to fix my eyes one day or go to a good college.

"Sorry we were late," Gazzy's Mom says, handing me money. "We got caught in traffic."

I shrugged, indifferently. "It's alright. I only live next door."

She opened the door for me. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see ya."

But I didn't like Gazzy and Angel's parents. There was something very off about them. As generous as they were. The way their parents talked to me. I couldn't place my finger on it. In fact, Gazzy and Nudge didn't really know what their parents did for a living. It made me wonder.

Or maybe I just had an overactive imagination.

New chapter soon! We'll see Nudge next. Thanks for reading!