Chapter 15
I don't think anyone could make me feel good right now, but I know one person who I would really like to talk to, Fang. I pull out my phone calling him.
"Hello?" Fang answers.
"Hey, I need to talk to you. You busy?" I ask.
"No I'm not, why? What's wrong?" Fang replies.
"Meet me at my hotel" I say and hang up.
I know my voice will betray me and crack if I stay on the line any longer.
I make my way back to my hotel. I park my car brushing off a single tear. I check the parking lot for Fang's car. I spot Fang's car parked three cars down from mine. I take a deep breath walking inside. I find Luis waiting outside my room.
Fang runs over to me as soon as he sees me. My eyes sting with painful tears, but I hold them back. Now was not the time to cry. Fang holds my face with his hands and looking at me as if he was reading my eyes. I look into Fang's eyes only to find my same emotions reflecting in his.
"What's wrong?" He whispers still holding my face.
"Come inside" I say.
We walk into my room going over to sit on the couch. I stare out the window trying to think of a way to start. Time passes and no one says a word.
"I'm sorry it's just so hard to start" I say.
He gives me an encouraging smile as if to say 'Take your time'.
I walk over to the living room piano and say "I want to sing you a song that reminds me of my parents"
Fang nods walking over to sit by me.
I will not make, the same mistakes that you did
Will not let myself cause my heart so much misery
I will not break, the way you did
You fell so hard
I've learned the hard way, to never let it get that far
Because of you,
I never stay too far from the sidewalk
Because of you,
I learn to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you,
I find it hard to trust not only me but everyone around me
Because of you, I am afraid
I lose my way and it's not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry because I know that's weakness in your eyes
I'm forced to fake a smile a laugh every day of my life
My heart can't possibly break when it wasn't even whole to start with
Because of you,
I never stay too far from the sidewalk
Because of you,
I learn to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you,
I find it hard to trust not only me but everyone around me
Because of you, I am afraid
I watched you die
I heard you cry every night in your sleep
I was so young you should've known better than to lean on me
You never thought of anyone else
You just saw your pain
And now I cry in the middle of the night
Gonna send a feel
Because of you,
I never stay too far from the sidewalk
Because of you,
I learn to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you,
I try my hardest just to flunk at everything
Because of you,
I don't know how let anyone else in
Because of you,
I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty
Because of you, I am afraid
Because of you(X2)
I'm out of breath from all the passion in my voice from the song. As I come to an end on the piano Fang places a hand over me. I can't help but let the tears escape. I mold into him holding him close to me. We stay like that for hours in a confortable silence until my phone beeps reminding me no matter how hard I try the world still goes on. It's a message from Paul saying they've been ready for a while and that where was I.
"Shit." I repeat running around the room looking for my keys.
"What?" Fang asks.
"I was so caught up in my shit I forgot about my brothers. Fuck, have you seen my keys?" I say.
Fang dangles my keys in front of my face. I get my keys running over to my bag for a jacket.
"Aye I almost forgot, your coming so hurry up." I say walking down the hall.
Fang jogs to catch up to me and asks "Why?"
"Well regular people have their boyfriends meet their parents, but in my case you must meet my brothers. Which in my opinion is much worse." I say.
I see Fang's eyes shadow a bit of fear.
"Oh yeah, there really tough. My thirteen year old brother will beat your ass if you even look at him wrong" I add sarcastically.
I giggle escapes my lips as he sees I was joking. He glares at me playfully as I buckle in. Rain starts to trickle on my window as I start the car.
"Buckle in, you're about to find out why I was the fastest racer in east L.A." I say.
Before Fang and turn and question me were off at 126 m/h. I watch from the corner of my eye as Fang clutches his seat with all his might. Adrenaline fills my veins from the long ago pump of racing. I push the car to go faster. It's not my Salween 57 Twin Turbo but It's fast enough.
I make a sharp turn on Main and say "Almost there"
Fang's face washes over with relief. I slow the car down as I come close to the house. I stop my car in front of the house honking the horn. Two dark figures jog towards the car.
"Hey look, the sky's clearing up" I comment.
"How did we not crash? We were going at 120 m/p and it was raining!" Fang asks.
"I guess Mother Nature respects her fellow racers and decided not to kill us" I answer nonchalant.
"Max who's is he?" Gazzy asks me.
Iggy was always use to my having my party, racer, or fighter friends with me, but Gazzy wasn't.
"I'm Fang. Max's..." He starts, but glances over at me as if to ask 'do they know?'.
"He's my boyfriend" I state.
I see Iggy's face scrunch up in his protective brother like way as Gazzy starts to chant 'Max has a boyfriend that she'll never see again'. Fang shouts me a questioning look as Gazzy continues to repeat the chant.
"Bart says that to Lisa in 'The Simpsons Movie' when she has to leave behind her boyfriend. He says that to all my male friends" I explain turning on the car.
I watch as Fang clutches his seat again. Iggy lets out a small laugh.
"I'm guessing you've experienced Maximum Ride's driving" Iggy says laughing.
Fang stares at him as if trying to say 'You're not scared?'. Which only makes Iggy laugh more.
"Don't worry, she never drives like that with Gazzy in the car" Iggy explains.
"Hey! I never drive like that with both of you" I object.
"You did once" Iggy says.
"I had to be somewhere. It was important" I argue
That night I had been picking up Iggy from soccer practice when Gustavo had texted me saying Alexandro was shoot by Fuentes and that Fuentes was in Jail. It was important I was there to make sure no other gang members were hurt or could go to jail since I was second in command.
"Okay" Iggy says not really caring.
"So what happened today?" Fang asks trying to make conversation with the boys.
"I drew a picture of a dog with Drew" Gazzy says.
"Mom called" Iggy says.
I stop the car from the surprise making everyone in the car jolt forward.
"Sorry. What did you say Iggy?" I ask.
"I said mom called. She said that if we don't come home she'll report us to the police and they'll take us back" Iggy says nonchalant to hide the fear in his voice from Gazzy.
"Okay" I say same as Iggy.
Fang looks at me and already knows it's not okay. His eyes show sympathy as he gives me a weak smile. I keep driving towered the hotel. I glance at him to find him thinking. All of a sudden his eyes go wide as if he had an idea.
"Why don't we take Iggy and Gazzy to Pizza Palace" Fang suggests knowing we needed something to take our minds of going home.
I smile at Fang and making a U-turn to the Pizza place.