Chapter 1

“MAX!” My mom called from downstairs. “It's time to get up for school!”
With a groan, I rolled out of bed. It was Monday, new school, new town. See, my mom works as an environmental scientist, and she is always moving around, bringing me, my brother Iggy, and my sister Nudge along with her. I love my mom, but all this moving has let me only have one friend: Dylan. His dad moves wherever we move because he's my mom's working partner.
I think she likes him. I think as I evaluate my closet. After about...zero deliberation, I decide on wearing a black mini skirt, a black spaghetti strapped shirt with a thin black leather jacket over it, and-of course-my favorite black fedora with black hightop converses. My favorite outfit. I like to think of it as my 'new school, new town' outfit.
I walked downstairs to the kitchen, to find my little sister of twelve years old (I'm sixteen) sitting at the table eating a poptart.
“Oh, Max.” Nudge sighed as she saw me, “That outfit would look so much cooler if you look like you believe it's cooler instead of looking like you picked it out because it was one of the few decent things you own that you've washed.”
“Technically, that's true. I forgot to wash last night.” I told her as I sat down, and got a poptart for myself.
“Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to look like it.” she said, “No wonder Dylan is the only guy that talks to you.” she muttered under her breath. I kicked her shin under the table, and got a grim satisfaction when she grimanced.
“Be nice.” I told her just as my brother, Iggy who is 15, walked through the door.
“I am always nice.” he said as he plopped into a chair.
“I was not talking to you.” I said.
He started eating a poptart as well, and my mom, Dr. Martinez, walked through the door.
“Ok Max, I'm going to have to go in to the lab early so I'm going to have to ask you to pick up Dylan from down the street, and take everyone to their school. Please.” she said as she came in, still brushing her hair.
“No problem mom.” I said as I stood.”Nudge,” I said as I finally noticed her clothes, “How long did it take you to put that together?” I asked. She was dressed in a pink summer dress with a bow in her hair, positioned to perfectly, I think she took a protractor to it, with white flats that no matter how much mud she has to run through, I swear, they will still be perfectly white when we get back home.
She shrugged, “Not long actually, about two hours.”
“Goodness Nudge,” I said as I got my backpack and keys. I looked over at Iggy. All he was wearing was a white T-shirt and some jeans. At least he was semi-normal. “Come on guys, we still have to pick up Dylan, and drop Nudge off at school.”
We walked out of the house to the garage. I love my car. It is the cutest black porche you will ever lay your eyes on. We got in the car, and drove to Dylan's house. Once we got there-he only lived a couple of blocks down the street-I honked the horn only about...a thousand times. It's safe to say I'm not that patient.
“I'm coming, I'm coming.” Dylan said as he quickly ran down the sidewalk and to the car, trying to keep messenger bag from falling off of his shoulder. He hopped into the backseat since shotgun was already taken by Nudge, and we were on our way.
After I had dropped Nudge off, I drove about five blocks away from her school, then parked the car over to the side of the road. “Ok guys,” I said as I turned around to glance back at them, “You know the drill. No flirting with every other girl that walks by Dylan, pick one. Iggy, no making stuff explode. I'm serious about this stuff.” I told them 'severely', they never listen, but hey, a girl can try.
“Of course, Mother.” Iggy said mockingly as he hopped into the front seat.
“Ha ha,” I said as I drove to the high school, Tyler Prepatory, our school.
When I got there I parked. “Ok Ig, we'll get yor schedule first, then Dylan and I will go to our first class.” I said.
“No way. I already have to get driven by you. I am so not going to let people see me walking into school to get my schedule with my sister. I'll just go to the freshman side by myself.” he said.
“Fine, but don't get lost,” I told him, “Like last time,” I muttered under my breath. At the last school we went to, he got lost, and ended up at the high school (he was in eighth grade then) and got beat up by some seniors.
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered as he got out of the car, and walked away.
“Ready for sophmore year?” Dylan said from behind me as he got out of the car.
“Yeah, yeah.” I said in the name of Iggy as I got out of the car, and Dylan and I started walking towards the school.

Chapter 2

Dylan and I had every class together because we were new and, as the lady at the front desk said, 'might be more comfortable if we had someone we knew in every class'. Yeah, whatever.
The first half of the day passed by uneventfully. Dylan and I stuck together like glue. And as always, rumors were already spreading about us being a 'thing'. Please, if you haven't gotten it now, I just want to clear this up...NO. No, we are just friends, and will always be just friends. But we've learned to ignore the ignorant people who still assume. You know what they about assumeing.
Then it was lunch time. Like we had been doing the rest of the day, Dylan and I walked in together. I took a good look around the lunchroom, and had my gaze frozen. My eyes had accidentally locked with a guy in the back of the cafeteria. He was sitting all by himself, and he was wearing all black. Even his eyes were black. But that wasn't why I couldn't turn away. I couldn't because there was something so...right about it. Like, something clicked.
It was, without a doubt, the weirdest feeling I've ever had, and I was glad when Dylan waved his hand in front of my face, saying “Earth to Max...?”
I shook my head to clear it. “Sorry, Dyl, I, um, got distracted.”
Dylan glanced over to where I was staring, “Yeah, right.” he said, but I knew him well enough to know he knew me well enough to know I was not telling the whole truth. But, again, he knew me well enough to know that he was never going to get me to spill, so that was the end of said conversation.
We got our food, and were surprised to see a hand waving in the air. When we looked over at it, a girl with the cliché perfect blonde hair start waving slightly more, and say, “Hey, Dylan, Max! Come sit with us!”
As she said it, the whole cafeteria got quiet. It was really weird. Then all of a sudden whispers broke out everywhere. With nothing else to do, Dylan and I walked over to the girl and sat.
“Hey guys!” she said cheerfully. “We don't normally add newbies, but you guys look cool. Don't prove us wrong, and you can sit with us at lunch.” she said with a perfect white, straight smile.
“Let me guess...you, like, the popular people?” I asked.
“Well...duh.” she said like it was obvious. “I'm Jaquleen, and this is Kyle, Macca, Brittney, Jake, and Tyler.” she said, pointing around the table. We received hellos with various levels of enthusiasm.
“Yeah...well, I don't do popular.” I said. Dylan looked at me like I was crazy.
Jaquleen looked taken aback, “Wh-what do you mean you don't 'do popular'?” she asked.
“I mean I don't like your kind, therefore, I won't sit with it blondie.” I said.
“Listen girl,” Jaquleen said with venom, “I can build your reputation, and I can destroy it with a smap of my fingers. Stay, and you can have the glamorous life that every high school aged kid could want. Leave, and I can make your life more miserable than I do the chess club.” she finished with a fake smile to go with the venom in her voice.
“Listen to me. I didn't like you the minute you flashed those pearly whites, so get this and get it good: I. Do. Not. Care. I have learned to live with stuff like that, and, more importantly, I don't dress to impress anybody but myself, and I sure as my fedora is black, won't dress to impress any of you or any of your crowd. You are the ones who bring others down. I'm the one who tries to build a wall in between you and them. Always have, and always will. Got it? Good.” And with that, I walked away. Then I noticed Dylan wasn't following me.
“Dylan?” I asked as I walked back, “What's up?”
“Well Max, I'm tired of being in the back. I'm tired of helping people I don't really care about. I want to be able to go to the cool parties, and not be made fun of for the whole stay in town. So I guess what I'm saying is...I'm with her...” Dylan said looking at Jaquleen.
Jaquleen looked smug. “Your friend here is choosing correctly, Max.”
My eyes blurred with tears. I could not believe it. Dylan and I have been together since kindergarten. We were a package deal. Best friends. What was happening was like a nightmare come true, but the last thing I was going to do was let the jerk see me cry, so I just said, “Fine.” and I walked away from their table.

Chapter 3

I couldn't leave the cafeteria, that would show that Dylan's refusal to be on my side had gotten to me. So I walked over to the back of the cafeteria where that guy I had seen earlier was sitting. The whispering increased dramatically. I heard peices of conversation, like:
"She's sitting with him?"
"She turned down Jaquleen to be with him?"
"He's such a loner, I don't know why she would even try."
"If he didn't talk to me, why does she think he would talk to her?"
Extremely odd, but I was determined to ignore them. So in an attempt to forget what had just happened, and to distract myself from the chatter around me, I looked up from my tray, and looked at the guy across from me. If I let myself admit it, he was pretty hot. "So, what's your name?" I asked him.
He looked at me strangely, as if he were deciding to answer me, or ignore me like he-apparently-did everybody else. Finally he said, "Nick, but they call me Fang."
"So...Fang?" he nodded, "I'm Maximum, but you can call me Max."
He nodded. "So...do you talk much?" I asked him. He shook his head. "Do you play any sports?" He shook his head. "Do you roller blade?" He nodded. "Do you skateboard?" He nodded. "I give up! You're impossible!" I angrily got up, and marched to the library to...I had no idea, but I had to get out of the cafeteria.

Fang POV:

I smirked as I watched her leave. It was the same with everyone. They all just expected me to talk to them, but I never talked to anyone until I think they've proven I should talk to them, I mean, I don't want to waste my time.
I don't know what that freaky thing with our eyes meant, but she's just like everybody else. Well, except for how she turned down Jaquleen-that was cool. No, no, I'm getting off track. She's just like everybody else.

Max POV:

I walked into the library. I've never spent much time in libraries, not being much of a reader, but I was surprised by how many books there were. They covered the walls, shelves of them covered the floor. I had never seen anything like it in every school I've ever been in, bur I'm too bummed to really look at it.
I find a table in the back, and sit at it, and stare at the tabletop. This really sucks. Dylan had been my best friend for years, ever since we were five years old. Now all of a sudden he has the chance to be popular, and I'm old news? Who was the one who took that giant kid off of him in third grade? Whowas the one who comforted him when he found out his girlfriend was cheating on him about two years ago? Who was the one who called our parents when he fell out of that tree and broke his arm when we were eight? That's right, me. And what happens to me? I get ditched to the curb when something better comes along. Popularity. The 1...2...3...10 letter word that can make lives or break them. So sucky.
I hear the chair beside me move, and I couldn't help but look up. My eyes met eyes that were the color of the 'perfect' blue ocean you see in the movies. Who has eyes like that? I mean really, those are the kind of eyes that love sick girls describe in books. But this wasn't a book, it was real life, and this guy had really blue eyes. It was the weirdest thing I had ever seen on a persons face.
Then I looked at the rest of him. He was pretty tall, with a lean muscular build, without being bulky, and had the palest blonde hair I had ever seen. After a while of akward silence, he smiled, "Hi, I'm Gazzy. Freshman."
"Why are you on this side of the school then?" I asked him.
"Oh, I had to give my brother back his ipod, he had lent it to me for gym, but I had to give it back to him right after." he replied.
I nodded. "Wait, Gazzy? What kind of name is Gazzy?" I asked him. Yeah, I don't worry about being rude, just getting answers.
"Well, if you hang around me long enough you will know. If you don't hang around me, then you really don't want to know. Although, what's your name?" he answered.
" Maximum Ride, but just call me Max." I answered. "Hey, do you know a guy named Iggy?" I asked him.
"Iggy?" he asked. "You mean the guy who looks like an icecream cone with a cherry on top? New kid?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's him, he's my brother." I answered.
"Oh, yeah, I've seen him." he had a guilty look in his eyes.
"What?" I asked cautiously.
"Nothing," he said way too quickly for me to believe him. Then, without another word, he stood, and quickly left the library. I had a bad feeling about this.

Chapter 4

So after lunch, I go to biology where my already not-so-good day gets worse. "Max?" the teacher said.
"Yes?" I answered with a growing sense of dread.
"You're wanted in the princpals office." she said.
As I got up, there were multiple Oooooos! "Aren't you guys supposed to be in high school? Not kindergaten!" I snapped before closing the door, and walking to the principals office.
You know what? Somtimes I wish I wasn't always right. As soon as I walked in, who do you think I saw? Mom? Nudge? No, Gazzy. And right next to him...Iggy.
"Please sit, Miss Ride." the principal said.
It took all my control not to simply lean over the desk and slapp him. I already didn't like him, because not only did he call me Miss Ride Ugh! He said it with such politeness it had to be fake. I hate fake people. "What is the problem, sir?" I asked sweetly. One of my best skills, malipulating teachers until they don't even know they're doing exactly what I want them to do, and they think they came up with the idea on their own.
"Well you see, we have cause to believe that Mr. Ride, and Mr. Tunneth have-" but he broke off as the door opened and in walked...Fang. Gosh, for someone who doesn't talk, he can be annoying.
"You needed me sir?" he said as he came in.
"Ah, yes, the elder Mr. Tunneth. As I was just telling Miss Ride here, I have reason to believe that Mr. Ride, and the younger Mr. Tunneth set off a bomb in the freshman cafeteria!" he said as he lost his control and his face started to turn red.
"Why, Mr...." I looked at the name plate on his desk, "Mr. Shunning, what happened?" I asked.
"Well, everyone was at lunch, and these two put a small bomb in the pot of pudding. Not only did it make a mess, but some students got pudding up their nose and had to go to the nurses office." Mr. Shunning said.
"What evidence do you have that they preformed said crime?" Fang asked in his quiet, yet not shy, voice.
"Well...we...um...because they were the last ones to be by the pot before it exploded!" he said as he well...exploded. It was fun to watch actually, his face turning all purple, and his eyes all but hanging out of the sockets.
"That's not good enough evidence, and you know it. Iggy, would you ever do something like this?" I asked him.
"Of course not! Our mom's a scientist, she taught us to respect other people's experiments." Iggy said.
"Pudding is not an experiment!" the principal shouted.
"Really, because when I saw it, it looked like an experiment gone bad." Iggy said innocetly.
The Principal looked like he was about ready to burst when he said, "Get. Out. Now." Well, you didn't have to tell us twice.
Once we were out of hearing range, I turned to Gazzy and Iggy, completely ignoring Fang.
"What the hell were you two thinking?!" I whisper shouted at them.
"Well," Iggy began, "I met Gaz in homeroom, and he told me he liked explosives, and I tole him 'Yeah? Me too.' but, he didn't believe me. So I tols him, 'It's true, I can make almost anything blow up.' and he said 'I bet you you can't make pudding blow up!' and I said 'I bet you I can!' and he said '$10 says you can't!' then I said, 'You're on!'. So at lunch, I rigged up a small bomb that I stuck in the pudding and it all went as planned, and Gazzy owes me $10." Iggy said happily.
"Iggy, you are so dead when we get home. Gazzy, I can't to anything to you, but if this happens again, that won't stop me from trying." I said angrily as I grabbed Iggy by his ear, and towed him all the way to his next class.

Fang POV:

After Max had left, I turned to Gazzy. "You. Are. In. So. Much. Trouble." I said.
Gazyy looked at me as if I had lost my mind. "Why? I thought you though it was cool when we make things blow up." he said. He had a really good point.
"I do. Mostly. But not when you do it with Max's brother! Then we both end up in the office together, with you guys being in trouble because-" Gazzy suddeny broke me off.
"Oh, I see," he said. "You like Max, and you don't want me to ruin it for you by getting her brother in trouble, am I right?"
"No, you are not right. I don't like Max, and I do not want to end up having to do this again. I do not want to have to come in there, and help popular Max get her bro out of trouble, because it's the only way to get you out of trouble." I said.
"Max is popular? Seriously?" he asked.
I nodded, "Yeah, they asked her to join, and she turned Them down, but on the inside, I think she's just like the rest of them." I said. 'Them' was what we called the popular people.
"I think you're wrong there." Gazzy said.
"Oh, and what do you know about it?" I asked, putting a thi veil of sarcasm in my voice.
"Talked to her at lunch. We didn't say much, but from what I did hear from her told me she's not like Them." Gazzy said.
I thought about it as I walked Gazzy back to his class. Maybe I had Max all wrong. Then again, what if I didn't?

Chapter 5

Max POV:

After I took Iggy to his class, him cursing my name under his breath the whole time-the jerk, I went back to biology. And guess which seat was the only one open? If you guessed 'next to someone awesome that I totally love' then you're wrong. It was next to Fang. I tell you, sometimes I think the system's out to get me.
I reluctantly sat next to him and get this: he didn't even turn! I mean, come on! How could someone so completely ignore someone else?! I mean, I know I didn't talk to him much-not that it's my fault by the way-but am I that ignoreabe? Gosh, just met the dude this morning, and I already hate him. I just talked to that jerk Jaquleen once, and I already hate her. I've met with the principal one time, and I hate him. Man, I am on a roll.
I took out my notebook and was determined not to pay attention to him, since he obviously wasn't paying me any attention. I don't even know why I found that so annoying! It just was.

Fang POV:

I saw Max enter the room, and you know what? The chair next to me was the only one empty! So she had to sit next to me. I'm the luckiest guy in the world! Yeah, right. So she sat down, and I purposely ignored her. Why? Because...hm, I don't know, just seemed like the thing to do. So, that's how the rest of biology went. Max and I ignoring each other. I could tell this was going to be the start of a great friendship.

Max POV:

After biology, nothing else bad happened in school. I know, I was shocked too. This whole freakin' day was a train wreck, but now, it seemed almost...ok. The of course, because I'm me, and aparently the Fates simply love me, something strange happened that ruined my day beyond repair.
I was walking to my car, Iggy and Nudge following me (luckliy Nudge managed to stay out of trouble, unlike Iggy) and I dropped my keys. No big deal, right? So I bend down to pick them up when I see something out of the corner of my eye. As I straighten up again, I looked to my left, by the shadows of the school.
I saw a...well, I still don't know what it was. It looked like a little girl, around six or seven years old. But then, as if feeling my gaze on her, she looked up, and my eyes met hers. Her eyes were like bottomless pits. Black, that was all I saw, and for a moment, I felt as if I was drowning in it, drowning in the dark sea that was her eyes.
I couldn't tear my gaze from her, no matter how hard I tried. Then Nudge said, "Max? What are you staring at?" As she was turning her head to look at the little girl, the girl...disappeared.
"Nothing." I said quickly as the spell the girls eyes had on me was lifted with her disappearence.
Nudge looked like she didn't quite believe me, but with no other evidence, she let it drop. Thank god, because I don't know what I would have done, or said if she had started interrogating me. I like to think I'd have lied, but I kno that I was too freaked not to tell her, and if she'd have asked, I would have told her.
But, she didn't and I was saved. Yet, I still don't know who that girl was, and why her eyes had chilled me to the core. I didn't dare look out of my car windows as I drove, hoping I wouldn't see any other strange...things. But now I'm afraid.
I don't even know of what, and that scares me more. There's something going on, and I have a feeling I'm going to find out what it is weather I want to or not. I don't but I honestly don't think I have a choice.

Chapter 6

After we got back to my house, I tried not to dwell on what had happened in the parking lot. But that proved to be harder than I expected. It was just so weird. And the girl just vanished! Do you know anyone who just vanishes? If you do, then maybe I'm not completely crazy, but I don't think you, so I must be completely crazy!
Unfortunatly at lunch, my mom noticed something was wrong with me. "Is everything ok, Max?" she asked me, causing Nudge and Iggy to also look up from their plates and see what was wrong.
"Huh?" I said, coming out of my thoughts, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going to bed early." I said, and stood and dashed up to my room. Well if they had doubts about if anything was on my mind, I think I have now elimenated them, but I couldn't sit there any longer, getting stared at, and having them worry over me or my sanity. Because no matter how many times I have mentally worried about it, I knew I wasn't crazy. What exactly was I? I had no idea, but scratching crazy off my list, I went to sleep. Then the dream began.

It wasn't really a dream, more like a lot of pictures flashing behind me closed eyelids. I had no idea what they meant, but they were very real-looking, and very creepy:
I was looking up into the sky, and an...angel, was there. He was cloaked in white, with great white wings behind him, and he was incredably beautiful. He had fine chisled features, and eyes that were so open, you could almost see his soul in the depths. And next to him was another angel. This one was the exact opposite. Everything about him screamed BLACK! He was wearing the color from head to toe, and even his wings were black. When I moved my eyes to his face I saw Fang. Then the white angel spoke. "One day you will have to choose a side. The side of love, or the side of good? Pick right."
Then the sene changed. Nudge was in the middle of a huge room, and she was crying. I imediantly ran up to her, and said, "Nudge, sweetie, what is it?" but when she looked up, her eyes were pitch black. I screamed, and I was somewhere else.
Fang was with me, and there was fear in his eyes. The first emotion I've seen in his eyes awake, or asleep. He turned his fear filled eyes on me, and said, "Run." then great black wings spread out from his back, and he flew off. From above, a great shadow fell on me. I instinctivly knew this wasn't Fang, but something else, something sinsester, so I ran.
The next thing was the most terrible of all: I was in a meadow, and it was beautiful, with flowers everywhere, and for a moment I was captured in the beauty of the place. Then, from the center of the meadow, I heard a grunt, and looked over. I saw Fang fall, his now lifeless body hitting the ground with a thud that I shouldn't have been able to hear, but I did, and the noise echoed in my ears. Standing over him was Dylan, a knife in his hand, but he was dressed like the white angel. He looked at me, "Or I will choose for you."

I woke up gasping in my bed. I had no idea what any of it meant, but I knew for a fact that the last one was the most horrible. But, why would it be? Wouldn't the one about Nudge be the worst? I don't even like Fang, do I?
Then with a growing horror, I realized I did. At least a little. From the first time I looked into his eyes, I had liked him, like a best friend, and I hadn't even met him. But then why did he constantly annoy me? Why did I sometimes fell like I hate him? Maybe because you're trying to deny what's right in front of you. Said a voice.
A voice. It wasn't mine. Or at least, I didn't think it had been. But what else could it have been?
I climbed out of my bed, questions still spinning in my head, and got dressed in a simple black dress. No, I wasn't above wearing dresses, but they had to be black. I put my black converses on-yes, I am above wearing heels, and walked down to the kitchen where I already heard the rest of my family up and about.
I saw Nudge with her back to me by the toaster waiting for her toast to pop out. I quickly ran up to her, and spun her around, taking a good look at her eyes. They were the same warm chocolate brown that they always were. I let out a breath of relief.
"Max?" Nudge said, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing." I said, letting her go, "I just thought I saw something." I quickly turned, and got some cereal. It was going to be a long day.

Fang POV:

I slep horribly. With dreams of death and destruction:

I was on a high cliff, overlooking the horizon. When I looked down, I saw a crumpled body at the base of the cliff. A closer look showed me it was Max. I had pushed her. I don't know how I knew it, but I knew it as sure as I knew that I had wings on my back. Wait, wings? I turned my head and saw great black wings behind me, attatched to me.
Then I saw an angel appear. It was covered in white, and said, "You killed her. It's your fault she's dead." the angel said this with such sadness, I almost cried-I never cry.
Next thing I knew, I was in the middle of what looked like New York. If New York was full of huge buildings tumbling to the ground, and burning. When I looked to my side, I saw Angel, my little sister, with merciless black eyes. "Angel-" I started, then was awoken by the sound of my alarm clock.

I sat up in bed, covered in cold sweat. Before I even knew what I was doing, I ran to Angel's room, waking her up. I looked into her eyes, and let out a breath of releif. "Fang? What are you doing?" she asked.
"Nothing." I said, "Just making sure you didn't turn into a germ in your sleep."
She smiled, sometimes it was too easy to make Angel laugh.
I left her room, and went back to mine and got dressed in my usual black attire. But the image of Max, crumpled at the base of that cliff, was etched in my mind. In the dream, I had been absolutely sure that I had pushed her. But now that I was awake, I thought, why though? Max and I weren't exactly 'BFFs' but I wouldn't kill her. Would I? No, I knew that for sure. From the moment our eyes met in the cafeteria, I knew I would do anything to keep her safe. It had bugged the hell out of me, and I made sure that she was as annoyed as I was. I think I succeded when she got up from the table and left to who knows where.
But, I couldn't let her know that. Maybe instead I would be her best friend. Or I could keep away from her, in case what I dreamed was prophocy instead of a dream. Hurting her was out of the question.

Chapter 7

Max POV:

When I got to school, I decided to do everything in my power to stay away from Fang. Yes, it was a dream, but it really freaked my out. Yes, I, Maximum Ride, am scared. Strange things-the dream, the little girl with the creepy eyes-are happening, and I don't know why. Fang really could be a danger to me, and I won't let him get the chance to prove he is.
One day you will have to choose a side. The side of love, or the side of good? Pick right.

That's what the angel said. But love? I'm not in love, I don't even have a boyfriend. This is evidence that my dream could just be that; a dream.
But how can I be sure? Everything's just too confusing. I think maybe I should tell someone but...what if they think I'm crazy?

Fang POV:

So I've decided to make myself Max's best friend. How? Not sure yet, escpecially since she's making it really hard: I think she's avoiding me. Why would she do that? Yesterday she wanted to talk, and now she treats me like a virus she has to stay away from.
And why? I mean, what have I even done to her? So I didn't talk to her-once-does it make me that bad? Wait, wait, wait, why do I even care? I'll just follow from a distance in tha shadows, like a gardian angel of the night.
Forget I what I just said.

Max POV:

Fang's been following me all day, and, quite frankly, it's getting annoying. I mean, yesterday he would barly tell me his name, now he won't let me out of his sight.
I'd decided to confront him at lunch about it, but before I could make it to his table, Dylan moved, and blocked my way.
"Dylan, move," I said with a forced patience-I think he could tell.
"Max, just listen for a minute," he paused as if he expected me to say something, and since he expected it, I said nothing. "I'm really sorry about yesterday," he continued, "But just because we're not in the same world anymore, doesn't mean we can't still be friends."
"Uh, yes it does." I said in a you're stupid tone of voice.
"Max, think about it," Dylan persisted. "Maybe we can't hang out at school, does that mean we can't hang out at home? I mean, you live right down the street."
"I said-" I started, but was interrupted by a voice behind me.
"No. She said no." I turned around to see Fang.

Fang POV:

I was sitting as my table at the back of the cafeteria. Then I see Max start to head towards me like a steam engine with no breaks-probably coming to ask why I've been following her all day; it's a good thing we have all the same classes.
Anyway, I see that jerk, Dylan, intercept her. I hate him. Doesn't he know Max could be in danger? Well, probably not, but it't still no excuse for how he treated her yesterday. They start talking, but I am close enough to hear.
"Dylan, move." Max said.
"Max, just listen for a minute," he says. Then he starts going on and on about how sorry he is, and how they can still be friends.
Then, with a satisfaction I have yet to understand, I hear Max say "Uh, yes it does," reffering to when the jerk said his newfound popularity doesn't mean their friendship has to be over.
I was happy for a second. Why? I don't have the least fricken' idea, but hey, happy is happy. Then the jerk (Dylan) continued talking, "Max, think about it," he said,, and started saying that even though they can't be seen at school, doens't mean that they can't hang out at home.
This got me angrier than anything out of his mouth so far. I mean, he wants to be Max's friend, but he's too ashamed to be seen with her at school? No, that wasn't going to work, not with me-as long as I was watching her.
So as Max is about to answer him again, I come up behind her, and complete her sentance, "No. She said no." Only to haver her turn around face me, complete shock on her face.

Max POV:

I stared at Fang, so completely at a loss for words. Was he trying to defend me? Or mock me? How did he even hear? We were almost on the other side of the cafeteria.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him.
"You looked like you were having some trouble." was all he said in response.
"I can take care of myself." I said. Defensivly, I admit, but I think I have that right.
Completely ignoring me, Fang turned to Dylan. "She told you no, I think you should leave," by now the talking in the cafeteria had died down, and all eyes were on us.
"I didn't ask you," Dylan said, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes.
"Doesn't really matter" Fang said simply. "Leave or I'll make you."
Apparently trying to keep as much dignity as possible-which wasn't much-Dylan glared at Fang a second more, before walking away, and back to Jaquleen and her merry band of sluts.
I turned to Fang, "What was that?!" I asked anrgily.

Chapter 8

"Why don't we just sit down first?" Fang asked, as he started to lead me back to the table, and because I was so shocked that I even got a response from him, I didn't protest.
Once we had sat down, me on one side, him on the opposite side, "Now tell me why you did that." I demanded.
"Did you expect me to just sit here like evryone else when it was obvious you had a little...problem?" He replied.
"That's exactly what I expected! You ignored me yesterday, and now, today, you're sticking up for me? Well, I have news for you-I can take care of myself, and I don't need your help." I said, adding emphasis by poking him in the chest on 'your help'.
Fang was just as calm as always-which only served to annoy me more-when he said, "You need help, Max. I don't know how I know, I just do."
"Well I don't want it from you." I said coldly. I had a dream that he was bad. As much as it could have been a dream, or prophacy, it could just as easily have been my subconsious warning me against what it recognized as danger.
For a split second Fang lost control of his empty face mask, allowing me to see what lie beneath. i saw the flash of pain my words caused him, but as soon as I saw it, it was gone, his walls back up. It wasn't pain I heard in his voice, it was anger. Anger with something underneath, what I could only guess was the hurt from what I had said, but with the walls back up it was hard to tell. "Max, I won't let you get hurt."
"What makes you think I'll get hurt? Are you threatening me?" I asked acidly.
Fang blinked a few times, something I instinctivly knew to be his form of utter astonishment. "Why would I want to hurt you? I'm trying to help you Max. The last thing I want is for you to be hurt. Do you want to know the real reason why I went up and made Dylan leave?" he asked. I only nodded. "I went up there because it was obvious to me that him talking to you after what he did yesterday angered you, but I saw that it also saddened you to tell him no. You knew you couldn't trust him, but it didn't stop the fact that he had once been your friend, and I didn't want you to have to do it again."
I sat there, struck silent. He was right. One-hundred percent right. Nobody had ever been able to guess that much about me, and it was not only scary, but creepy. This only fed to the theory that he was someone to be wary of, afraid of. So I said, "Leave. Me. Alone." in the coldest tone I could muster, and walked away from the table. The voice that I had heard when I was thinking about Fang the other day came back to me, You're making a mistake. Playing right into the wrong hands. Turn around. Now.

But I didn't listen. I'd come to the conclusion that I was a) going crazy, and if that was the case, then I wasn't about to encourage it by listening to my imaginary voices, or b) it was a real voice, and since I had no idea where it came from, I was not about to trust it. I think choice A is the more accurate one though.

Fang POV:

I sat at the table long after Max had left. What she had said really got to me. It hurt, and I couldn't understand why. Why should I care what she thought of me, or weather or not she wanted me around? But I did care, and her rejection was almost worse than my dream. Because this was real. She had really told me to stay away from her, but I couldn't do that. She might get hurt if I wasn't behind her, watching her.
She tried to do everything by herself, but she couldn't do that now. I don't know how or why, but I had this strong feeling that this time she couldn't do it alone. Whatever it was. Something was lurking, I could sense it. And it wanted Max. That's what the dream had meant, I was almost sure of it. She couldn't take it alone, not without dying, and I was not about to let that happen.
I stayed in that seat until the last school bell rang. I was going to follow Max home, where I somehow knew she would be safe. I was now living completely by instinct, and i had no idea if that was good or bad, but it was all I had. I silently, and quietly followed her. I had been following her for about ten blocks-I wondered where her car, and siblings were-when she stopped.
For a moment I was afraid she had seen me. But then she turned to look to her left, and let out an earsplitting shriek of disgust and horror.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 15.04.2010

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