Chapter 34
"Hey, Max, how are you?" Sam asked me basically as soon as he saw me the next morning.
"I'm fine," I shrugged.
"How was your weekend?"
"It was good," I nodded.
"So are we still playing basketball today?" Sam asked me eagerly.
"Um, yeah I think that it's just what we do," I nodded.
"Hey, um I wanted to ask you something," Sam began.
"Ok, sure go ahead," I told him.
"What's the deal with you and Fang?" Sam asked me quickly.
"What do you mean?" I ask back.
"Like are you two going out or something?" Sam explained.
"Oh, no we're just friends," I assured him.
"And is that the same with Gazzy and Iggy?" Sam checked.
"Yeah," I assured Sam. "Why?" I asked.
"Oh, I was just curious since you spend a lot of time with them," Sam pointed out to me.
"Ok, well there's nothing," I promised.
It wasn't long before everyone else showed up.
"Hey, Max, hey, Sam," Iggy smiled. Eventually Lissa showed up.
"Hey everyone hi, Fang," She grinned. I noticed that Fang got his own special greeting with Lissa.
"Um hi, Lissa," Fang replied a bit nervously. What was all that about anyways. Saying hi to Lissa should be the same as saying hi to any other girl, why was Lissa so different? Was there something going on between them? They'd only just met so it was impossible. Besides Fang wouldn't have a thing for Lissa anyways and, why am I freaking out over nothing?
"So, Fang, what did you do this weekend?" Lissa asked him. "I only ask because last week you said you were busy,"
"Oh, um I hung out at Max's place," Fang told her.
"Oh, ok," Lissa smiled but she seemed a little disappointed.
The whole day Lissa tried to cling to Fang and Sam tried to cling to me, we could hardly even talk to each other all day. I convinced myself that they just wanted to be with friends.
That day Ella and I got home from school and went straight to our rooms to do our homework. At about three thirty the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Mum called out.
I heard the front door open and Mum gasp.
"What are you doing here?" Mum asked.
"Can we talk?" asked a sweet voice that I recognised as Nancy's.
"Um, ok sure come in," Mum replied. I could hear he shock in her voice. "It's not as big as Jeb's but…" Mum began.
"It's lovely, Val," said Nancy.
I stopped doing my homework and pressed my ear against the wall trying to listen.
"Jeb, told me about your little disagreement yesterday," Nancy began.
"Little disagreement?" Mum checked.
"Ok, fight," Nancy corrected herself. "Val, I…"
"You didn't call!" Mum suddenly exclaimed.
"I know I…"
"We were so close and then as soon as I divorced Jeb I didn't hear from you anymore," Mum sighed.
"Valencia, listen!" Nancy demanded. I didn't mean to lose contact with you and in fact until a couple of years ago I didn't have contact with Jeb either. You know I went travelling when you and Jeb first separated and that I wasn't going to be back. You know how clumsy I was, well one day I dropped my phone in a stupid river and I lost all of my old phone numbers. By the time I found my address book, you had changed your number and your address," Nancy explained.
"I lost contact with Jeb as well and then one day by chance we ran into each other, he never mentioned you and I didn't know how much you had to do with each other. I know I should've asked how I get in touch with you but I didn't and for that I'm sorry. I actually thought that Jeb told you and you didn't want to see me," Nancy finished.
"So really I can blame everything on Jeb?" Mum asked suddenly.
"I guess so," Nancy shrugged. I didn't hear the rest of the conversation but a few minutes later I heard Nancy and Mum laughing which told me I could now exit my room and keep on living.
"Hi, Nancy," I said cautiously.
"Oh, hi, honey," Nancy smiled at me.
"Mum, I'm just grabbing a drink," I told Mum.
"Do you want to go out and grab something?" Mum asked me.
"Huh?" I asked.
"I know a great place for coffee," Nancy said to Mum.
"Alright, Max, get Ella we're going out," Mum instructed me.
"Ella, come on we're going out!" I called out to her.
"I meant GO and get her not stand here and yell at her," Mum sighed.
"Oh, whoops, I'll remember that for next time." I said with a cheeky grin.
Nancy drove us to a little coffee shop by a lake.
"Here we are, have anything you want on me," Nancy offered.
"You don't have to do that," Mum told her.
"Val, let me," Nancy begged.
"Fine," Mum sighed. We grabbed a table and Ella and I just had some chips and an iced chocolate each.
"So Max bought her horse from you?" Ella asked.
"Yes, that's right," Nancy nodded.
"And Jeb bought his horse from you?" Ella continued.
"Yes he did, both excellent horses and they always did get along," Nancy told Ella.
"And, you're opening a riding school?" Ella asked her.
"Yes, it should be open in about four months," Nancy told us proudly.
"That's awfully quick if you just told Jeb," Mum pointed out.
"Oh, I didn't really need permission, Jeb just said that because he could, I basically had just figured out how to run it. I'm using the same property and keeping the horses the same basically I just need to hire a couple of instructors but I'm going to start off small but Jeb loaned me the money to buy some horses and to start off. I'll pay him back one day." Nancy explained.
"Well that makes a lot more sense," Mum nodded.
"Well I've got a spare barn that I want to fix up and that's what's going to take so long," Nancy added. "I've got to do some cleaning up this weekend,"
"Do you want some help?" Mum asked her.
"Would love some," Nancy smiled. "But I'm warning you it's a big job,"
A plotting smile crawled across my lips.
"Max?" Mum asked me.
"I think I know where we can get some extra hands," I smirked.
"Oh no," Ella groaned.
"Time to call the flock," Ella made one of those heroic trumpet noises and received a glare from me.
I couldn't believe that it was only Monday and I still had the rest of the week to go. The flock didn't have a choice, they were all helping out with this.
"Nancy, call Jeb and tell him you need him on Saturday," Mum smiled.
"Will do," Nancy agreed and saluted Mum.
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