Max came down the stairs, running her hand through her hair, sniffing the air for food.

"Early bird," She heard Gazzy say.

"What?" Max mumbled. She flopped down on the couch and covered her eyes from the sunlight. Angel came up beside the couch and poked her shoulder gently.

"Max?" She said softly.

"Yeah?" Max sat up.

"I'm hungry," Angel said. "Can I have chocolate?"

"What's Iggy doing?" Max forced herself on her feet and shuffled to her mom's kitchen, Angel trailing behind her.

"He's making bacon," She answered.

"I don't like bacon," Angel told her.

"Motherly," Iggy said from the dining room. What were they playing? Scrabble?

"There's a can of sausages in the cupboard," Max said. She crossed the room and walked in the dining room, curious. She found Fang with his hair sort of messed up and Iggy sitting in front of him. Fang was writing something down onto a piece of paper.

"Bloop! Bloop!" Iggy suddenly started to wail. Alarmed, Fang took the piece of paper and pencil, jamming it into his pocket. He visibly cringed as the pencil started to dig into his thigh.

"Full of surprises," Iggy snickered.

"What're you guys doing?" Max asked. She walked over to Fang.

"Making a poster for you," Iggy answered, sounding sarcastic.

"Oh, ha ha," Max said, rolling her eyes. She petted Fang's head. "If you tell me what you were doing, I'll persuade my mom to make you cookies."

"Woof woof," Fang muttered. Gently pushing away her hand, he walked out of the dining room and down to the basement.

"Beautiful!" Iggy called after him.

"Are you guys having some sort of contest or something?" Max remarked, sitting across from Iggy.

"Maaaaaaybe," Iggy drawled, then joined Fang downstairs.

"I found some! I found some!" The Gasman bounded down the stairs, looking wildly around. "Fang? Iggy?"

"What?" Max didn't hesitate and grabbed his shirt collar immediately.

"Glue," He squeaked, holding up the bottle.

"Oh." Max set him down. "Sorry, Gaz."

"Work on your anger management," Gazzy advised, and then was going downstairs to the other two boys.

"I found a fl--" Nudge stopped in the doorway, seeing Max. "Where are the guys?"

"Down there," Max sighed, gesturing. "I don't know what they're doing." She shrugged.

"Okay, well, see you!" Nudge waved and ran downstairs. Angel followed, along with Ella.

Her mom, too.

"Wha'...," Max stammered. After standing there for a while, she decided to go up to her room and sulk.

--

A knock sounded from door. Max made a noise from underneath a pile of pillows.

Knock.

Max grunted.

Knock.

Max groaned.

Knock.

Max threw a pillow at the door.

Knock....knock....knock knock knock knock knock knock knock--

"What?!" Max leaped out of her bed and yanked the door open. Fang's fist collided with her forehead. She rubbed it gingerly.

"Sorry," Fang murmured. He was half carrying-half dragging a big poster board. "Can I come in?"

"Can you come in, Fang? I think you can, with your legs and all," Max said, smiling.

Fang shuffled inside awkwardly.

"What is that?" Max wrinkled up her nose.

"Something." Fang stopped in front of her bed and looked down self consciously. "Max, I--" He gulped.

"Fang, what?" Max said softly.

Fang dropped the poster board and high-tailed out of there, almost pushing Max over.

"Hey!" She said angrily after him. When he didn't come back, she shut her door and locked it. She ignored the poster for a few seconds, then...

She lifted it up, annoyed. But she softened when she saw her name written out neatly in block letters with black swirls spreading out from it. Below it, the flock and her mom and Ella had

written out adjectives and phrases.

A paper heart taped to the poster caught Max's attention. She lifted it up and smiled. "You're so sweet," She murmured.

Below the heart, someone had written:

'To me, you mean

The sky is blue, the grass green

Your smile stands out the best

Something makes you different from the rest

You're my best friend

I hope 'us' will never end

Amazing

You're...everything

My night, my day

You'll be, always,

My everything

I love you.
Fang