Chapter 18 - Father Dearest.

I sighed and put my phone back on my bed. I wanted to talk to my dad but I wasn't ready. He'd hurt me pretty badly and I had no idea on what I would say to him so why waste his precious time.

"Max, did you talk to your father?" Mum asked me the next morning.

"Um, yeah he said he'd let me know when he was free," I lied through my teeth. Mum looked at me weirdly but didn't go on.

"Is everyone coming tomorrow?" Ella asked me.

"Yep, everyone is coming, Jane keeps telling Fang to thank me over and over again," I laughed.

"Aw she's such a nice woman," Mum sighed.

"Yeah I don't know how she ended up with Fang," I scoffed.

"Well Fang looks nothing like her, does he look like his dad, Max?" Ella asked me.

"I don't know… I've never met Fang's dad," I realised.

"Oh, isn't he around much?" Mum asked with a tone of pity.

"No, he is it's just I haven't been there when he's there, I'm there when he's working and I've only been there like five times," I explained.

"Ah then how do you know that he's there?" Ella asked me.

"Fang talks about him all of the time," I pointed out.

"Honey, you know that sometimes people make up stuff to hide the pain," Mum pointed out.

"What is it with the two of you, he's there ok and I know this because I choose to believe my friend," I insisted firmly. I know I know I'm a tad protective of him but I can't help it.

Even if I didn't like him I'd still protect him… there was something different about him just the way he was I'd never met anyone like him before. Ok I'm freaking myself out I'm eleven I should be thinking ew gross. I mean I don't want to take it anywhere it's just a little crush my friendship with him is way more important to me then pulling goo-goo eyes at him.

I went to school trying to act as normal as possible. When Fang arrived he eyed me weirdly.

"Max, are you ok?" He asked me.

"Of course," I lied. I thought I was pretty convincing but Fang saw straight through me.

"Max, don't lie to me," Fang told me.

"I'm sorry aren't we getting a divorce?" I questioned him.

"Yes but for now we're still married so tell me what's wrong," Fang requested of me still carrying on with the joke.

"Well maybe we'd be divorced if you didn't lose the papers!" I pointed out even though it wasn't true.

"Me lose the papers, I never had them!" Fang told me.

"I gave them to you!" I insisted.

"Uh oh trouble in paradise," I heard Gazzy laugh.

"Mummy, Daddy, are you splitting up?" Iggy asked us trying his best not to laugh.

"Aw, Iggy, it's ok," Nudge soothed him.

"I'm not worried about the fight… I'm worried about the making up," Iggy smirked. Fang, Iggy and Gazzy burst into laughter while we three girls stood there puzzled.

"You guy's are freaks!" I screamed.

"Hey you're married to one of them," Nudge pointed out.

"Not for long," I muttered.

"Don't worry, Nudge I'll tell you everything," Iggy and Ella promised in unison.

"Max, don't think I didn't notice," Fang whispered in my ear.

"Notice what?" I asked him.

"That you changed the subject," Fang told me. My heart stopped for a moment as I stared at him.

"Fang, it's nothing," I lied.

"You know you suck at lying right?" Fang checked with me.

"Obviously not completely otherwise…" I began before I realised that I had fallen into Fang's trap.

"Alright come on what's going on?" Fang demanded.

"Fine my dad called," I told him.

"You wanna talk?" He asked me.

"Yeah, maybe later," I accepted.

"I'll be here," Fang gave me one of his half smiles. Fang began to walk off to class.

"Fang," I called.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," I smiled at him.

"No problem, what are friends for?"

By the time recess had rolled around I thought Fang would have forgotten all about talking to me.

"So do you still want to talk?" Fang asked. Obviously he hadn't forgotten.

"Long story turned short, Dad didn't get in touch with me for a while and he called wanting to catch up," I told Fang.

"Ok, continue,"

"Mum told me to call him and I almost did but I just couldn't so I lied and said I did," I admitted.

"He hurt you," Fang guessed.

"Thank you captain obvious," I replied sarcastically.

"Max so what he left your mum or what?" Fang asked.

"No Mum and dad have been divorced for years Ella is my half sister, Dad left on a trip and just kinda stopped talking to me," I explained.

"Where's Ella's dad?" Fang asked me.

"Sperm bank," I replied.

"Oh he works there?" Fang asked.

"Fang," I muttered as I rubbed my forehead.

"Oh," Fang realised.

"So what are you going to do about your Dad?" Fang asked me.

"I don't know," I sighed.

"Maybe you should call him for real," Fang suggested.

"No! I'm sick of being thrown around when he wants me!" I snapped.

"Whoa, take it easy, I don't know your situation you don't talk about your Dad a lot," Fang pointed out trying to making me calm down.

"Yeah, yeah well thanks for listening but we're still getting divorced and you can take the kids," I smirked.

"No you can take the kids," Fang insisted.

"No you can take the kids," I insisted.

"I don't think so," Fang smirked.

"Well I do," I told him stubbornly.

"I don't." Fang argued.

"I do," I argued back, I don't think I'd ever met anyone as stubborn as Fang.

"I don't,"

"I do,"

"I don't"

"I do,"

"You know I can actually hear you and I must say it hurts that my own parents don't want me," Iggy sobbed.

"Well it saves us having to tell you," Fang shrugged.

"I choose Mum," Iggy called out.

"No, Iggy don't you want to live your Dad I mean I'm strict and I'm mean where as your Dad is a push over," I told Iggy.

"No, don't you want to live with your Mum, I will never be able to provide you with a proper upbringing," Fang continued.

"Besides you love your Dad," I pointed out.

"No you love your Mother," Fang tried.

"Should we run away now?" Nudge whispered to Gazzy and Ella.

"Um yeah," Gazzy and Ella agreed together.

"Wait, don't leave us to sort out our family problems by ourselves," I whined.

"You'll live, Max," Nudge laughed.

"Fine no cheese for you!" I shouted. Nudge ran back to me and collapsed onto her knees.

"Please, Max, forgive me don't take away my cheese!" Nudge begged I swear I saw tears at one stage.

"Gazzy!" Ella, Iggy, Fang and I all yelled at once.

"Coming," Gazzy groaned.

"Come on, Nudge, we'll go and find some cheese," Gazzy told her as he pulled her up from the ground.

"Yay!" Nudge squealed.

"This girl is costing me a fortune," Gazzy growled at me.

"Sorry," I mouthed to him.

A/N

Me: So poor Max has daddy issues the poor baby.

Fang: That's not very good.

Me: You're back!
Fang: Yes I am and I hope Max is ok

Me: You're nice! (randomly wraps arms around Fang)

Fang: um ok I didn't know you felt that way about me.

Me: I don't.

Fang: Oh ok my bad.