Nightmares and Movies
Party done means sleep time for me. I was offered by Mrs. Loretts to sleep in the guest bedroom but I flat out refused and said crashing on the couch was more my style. I already felt strange spending the night here let alone using one of their fancy guest rooms. The couch was nice than my bed anyways.
Ella and Nudge would have to share a double bed guest room (I can't believe they had that) and Iggy was going to sleep on the couch in Fang's room (seriously, this is getting ridiculous with how rich they were). Ella and Nudge were soaking all of this up as if we were in the Beverly Hills and we were going to live here forever.
In reality, we lived in New York and we were sleeping over because we had no choice.
After the Brigid incident, I tried avoiding Fang which is hard when I'm inside his house and all. I just didn't want to have to deal with his silent question as to why I dumped punch all down the clothes of his girlfriend. In my side of the story, it was self defense. Unfortunately, the party ended quickly after that so I couldn't get lost in the crowd and avoid him as I had planned.
I punched my fist into the pillow (trying to make it softer- not to let out any anger because I don't have anger issues at all). Sometimes, at moments like this, I feel as if someone is going to pop in with some stupid line of advice that I won't get. Of course, that didn't happen.
Nudge walked by me still in her party clothes. She yawned, "Great party right Max? Oh, and when you dumped Brigid with the punch- Classic! I mean, the look on her face was like having an unlimited amount credit-card in your hand while at the world's largest mall." Nudge smiled wide and shivered with happiness, "I can't wait for school."
"I can," I murmured in order to stop her word flows. She reminded me of the ice cream trucks that go along the street playing the same song over and over and over and over again. And over again, if you didn't get my point.
"Come on Nudge, Max actually likes sleeping and not partying. We can talk in my room and maybe the boys will stop by," Ella pushed Nudge forward. Of course, when there's teenagers of the opposite sex spending a night in the same house and they aren't family, things happen. Well, not real bad things, maybe just a serious game of truth or dare. I hoped Fang picked Dare and someone said he had to talk exactly like Nudge. More than three words is an accomplishment out of him.
"Max, you can join us you know," Ella pointed out, looking over her shoulder. I gave her the same old shrug that you see a bird do when it unfurls its wings. She sighed in frustration and shook her head, "You would think you'd have more hormones than that." Then, Nudge and her headed up the long stairway to the second floor.
I laid on the couch staring up at the high, white, arch ceiling. To my right was the back of the blue, comfy couch that reminded me of the dark of the deep ocean and you can barely see into it. I wondered how I knew that seeing as how I have only seen the beach a few times and at shallow ends. To my left was this giant TV, a coffee table with magazines, pictures of no familiar faces- not even Fang or Mrs. Loretts. At the foot of my couch, just over the edge, I could see two large windows that opened up to the back of the house. The stars were barely seen and the moon was pale. I'd like to reach out and touch them if I could but I'd have to fly.
I wonder what flying was like and then I drifted into an old, familiar dream.
Sitting in a dark cave, we sat close, our body heat warmer than the fire- more important than the fire at this point really. I could feel the hairs on my arm stand up just from the idea that we were this close.
I felt confused, happy, excited, scared.
I'm Maximum Ride- I don't do emotions.
Cut me some slack.
A large, calloused hand began rubbing my back and electricity jolted through me. He smooth my hair and found the spot between my shoulder blades and two other things that I didn't recognize. I had my head on my arms so I couldn't see him.
Anticipation rushed through the sleeping me, as I waited for my dream self to face him.
"What are you doing?" I asked angrily turning up to face him, only inches apart.
Fang-
Oh geez, what kind of dream am I in now?
"Changing your mind," then he leaned close enough to finally close that space between us that I had been dying for to happen. An intense sensation came from his firm lips as he was gentle and rough at the same time. Nothing gets better than this.
But when we broke away, I ran, because that's what I do best.
I am…after all…Maximum Ride.
Then the dream changed.
Run…huh…faster, I told myself in between staggered breaths holding onto each molecule of oxygen that I could. I felt my feet being torn by the broken branches from the trees I ran by. I tripped over roots and stubbed my toes on rocks but I was a fighter and I wasn't going to give in to pain just to die now.
My hair was whipping out behind me as sweat penetrated down my eyes blurring my view. I tasted the salty liquid touch my dry, parched mouth that wasn't refreshed by the single moment of wetness. I licked it away and focused my eyes forward.
Barks erupted through the woods- oh no, not the dogs, not them again! I had tried to get away from the chase, to not be the hunted, but with a scent as good as a dog and speed as fast as mine, I couldn't win. My tattered white dress from the scientist's lab, the kind people at hospital's wear, is flapping against my burning skin.
Just ahead there is light.
Yes! I think.
In the open, I can be free.
I skitter out just to stop at the edge of a cliff.
No! I thought just as the barks get louder.
Death, falling or taken, I could chose now. They were getting closer now, following my obvious, distinct blood that made me different from all others. Watching in horror as they stepped into the light, I made my last decision. I stepped backwards and let gravity pull me down.
Then, I snapped out my wings fast just as the enemy stood over the edge to watch me fall to my death. Not today suckers, I said with a smile, you aren't going to kill me today. I realized now the comfortable familiarity of the wings, with the tawny feathers and strong muscles that carried my light-bones body into the air. Towards the sun I rose, feeling the freedom!
Then- I felt a stinging pain, my wing gave out, and I spiraled helpless and broken to the ground where my enemies waited.
Ground grew closer and I watched my death come at me. Face this or be a coward, I told myself. One last choice before I die and it was going to be the right one.
Closer I came…
Almost there…
One more second…
I jolted upright, grabbing my chest as if that was the only way to make my heart stop beating so hard it was like a car's engine. Comfort of the couch and the pajama pants weren't enough to stop the way I trembled at the dream. Why it felt so real when obviously, it couldn't have been like that? I never had wings- duh! Kids with flying wings.
I'd as soon as have wings and fly as soon as Total could talk.
Rushing a hand through my hair, I tried to calm down. "Max?" A gentle voice, only inches away from me. I turned to face him as collected as I could be under the circumstances.
Well- that didn't help my heart attack.
Fang sat in the recliner staring at me, as if this entire time he had been watching me sleep. I pulled my legs up to my chest to wrap up into a tight barrier that couldn't be broken. Fang's hair was ruffled as if he had been sleeping. I stared at the clock near the television. It was four in the morning. What was he doing up?
"I'm fine," I replied, moving my hair so that it hung over my right shoulder. I caught his eyes staring at my left shoulder- the one where the small, ragged scar was located. I lifted a hand to cover it and avoid his gaze, "It's nothing."
It had to be nothing because I don't recall ever getting it.
Then again, most of my life was a lot of blurs I didn't understand.
I blushed when I thought of the first dream I had, the one where he had kissed me. I felt as if it really had happened. "You screamed," he replied, his emotionless, black eyes searching ever inch of me that might appeared wounded or hurt. He seemed protective of me but that's what a guy does with his girlfriend not someone who has been his friend for a week.
"I have nightmares," I observed his clothing, black boxers and nothing else. I kind of like the sight of him. I felt as if I hadn't seen him shirtless before- as if we had never played football and he had been on the skins team. Staring at his bare chest felt familiar and excitingly new at the same too. Was that supposed to happened between just friends? "Why are you up so late?"
He shrugged as if he didn't matter. I honestly wanted to know. Too awake now to go back to sleep and as if reading my mind, Fang raised an eyebrow, "Movie?" He stood up and stretched a bit before heading towards the television and setting up some movie I had no idea that he had picked.
As the movie started, Fang grabbed a blanket off another chair and came to sit next to me. I wondered how he knew I would say yes to the movie and how the air conditioner in this place was too cold for me that I was about to start chattering my teeth. I didn't ask. Instead, I opened up the blanket and we wrapped it around ourselves. We barely were touching, just the sides of our legs and arms, but it was enough for me to be aware about it.
With the remote, Fang pushed play and I watched as the movie started. I had seen it before with Ella. I rolled my eyes, it figures that he would chose a movie like this over all others. Fang raised an eyebrow as if waiting for my answer. A few robbers were on top of a building breaking into a bank.
The Dark Knight.
How appropriate for the one next to me.