FABLE

Chapter Forty One

Me tutoring math? No one's going to buy that.

But Grace's mom swallows the story hook, line and sinker. Her mouth is hanging open, and after a moment she starts nodding.

"I should have asked for your permission first, Mr. and Mrs. Shields," Felix says, smirking slightly as he addresses my parents. "Sorry."

What's he trying to do? My parents and Grace and Zee and Jamie already know who he is. What's with the act?

"That's totally ok Max," my dad says hesitantly. "Academics is our youth. I mean, our future. The youth and the future are-"

"Ok, thanks for your help then Janice!" My mom cuts my dad off, pulling Grace's mom up as she stands. "She's back safe and sound, hallelujah! We really appreciate all your concern."

She's hurrying Grace's mom out the door. Grace follows obediently behind her, but gives my hand a quick reassuring squeeze as she passes me.

As she leaves, Grace's mom is muttering about having to inform the members of her crochet club and the church committee and The Concerned Citizens of Portland Action League that the search is off. She sounds almost disappointed. Poor Grace probably isn't going to hear the end of it.

She gives Felix a suspicious glance as my mom tugs her out through the doorway.

The realisation that we just avoided a potential disaster hits me.

Grace's mom is the queen of busybodies - there's no one's business she's not sticking her nose into at any time. If she were to realise that a world famous rock band (aka satanists) were hiding out just a stone's throw away... there's no way she wouldn't spread it all over town, and possibly organise a protest demanding they leave before they can infect the young minds of Portland.

I wouldn't put it past her. She's kicked up a fuss over smaller things. You'd think she lived in an Amish homestead, not in the heart of one of the most alternative, liberal, coolest cities in the world.

Thank god she didn't recognise Felix.

Moments later I hear the front door close, and my mom comes back into the kitchen.

"That woman is exhausting," she says, slumping down into a chair at the table. "I called Grace's landline to ask if you were at her house, and of course Janice had to come marching over here."

"Mom, I'm really sorry for making you w-" I begin, before Jamie cuts me off.

"I'm Jamie," she tell Felix breathlessly. "This is Zee. We're your biggest fans. We love you so, so, so much."

She and Zee both got up from the table at some point and are standing so close to Felix that they're practically on top of him.

Zee's eyes are as big as saucers.

Felix cocks his eyebrow ever so slightly, then turns to me and sighs deeply, totally ignoring them.

"I'm going," he says.

Without even saying goodbye, he walks out of the room.

We all wait in stunned silence for a few seconds.

"I'll go after him," I say.

"You have one minute Ashling," my mom says sternly. "Don't take too long."

"One minute," my dad repeats.

Jamie and Zee don't even try to follow me. They're probably too shocked by the immense diss they just got handed to them.

I practically jog out the front door, thinking Felix will be a good way down the road by now.

But as I cross the threshold I see him leaning against the trunk of the huge maple tree in the middle of our lawn, hoodie drawn down low over his features. Not that he needs it anymore. It's dark outside now, and our road doesn't have streetlights.

I walk over to him, feeling inexplicably shy all of a sudden.

"You waited for me?" I ask.

"We're starting at nine tomorrow," he says, completely ignoring my question.

I don't say anything. I just nod and stand in silence, unsure of what to say.

"What?" He asks suddenly.

"You're going back to the cabin?" I say.

"Of course," he says.

"Maybe... maybe you don't need to," I say. I should be angry with him for how he treated my friends, but I can't help worrying about the fact that it's now nighttime. Even for a guy, walking alone through the forest in the dark probably isn't a great idea.

"You can spend the night here," I say. "We have a spare room."

"You really think your parents would be cool with that?" He asks. "After what you put them through today? Not a chance in hell."

He's got a point.

"Um... well maybe they don't need to know," I say. I look up at the lushly leaved maple tree above us. "This tree's really easy to climb, and one of the branches goes right outside my window. It's a breeze to sneak in. I'll leave my window open, then we wait until my parents have gone to sleep."

"Sounds like you've done this before," he says. "Tell me, how many boys have you snuck into your room this way?"

"It's not like that," I mutter, grateful for the darkness to hide my flaming red face.

"Does your room have a spare bed?" Felix asks, his upper lip curling up slightly in an amused grin.

"No," I answer.

"We'll, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty confident you're not inviting me to share yours," he says. "So where would I sleep?"

"On the floor," I say.

"Yeah, I'll pass," he says. "Be there at nine sharp. See you tomorrow."

"Can I at least bring you a flashlight?" I ask, wondering how he'll possibly find his way through the woods back to the cabin on a dark moonless night like tonight.

"No need," I hear him murmur as he sets off down the street.

I watch him until he disappears down the road, into the darkness.

I turn back towards my house, and try to figure out my game plan for getting some alone time with my laptop.

Mom and Dad should be heading off to Biblio soon to supervise the kitchen staff, and I can probably get Jamie and Zee to go home after I fill them in with the bare minimum of details. This can't wait.

I have some serious Googling to do.