Okay. Well this story is being written by me and QueenoftheTaterTots. We would love to hear what you think of the story. If it's good or bad we want to know why. If you have any ideas we would be more than willing to try and put it into the story, or maybe even another story. So just tell us what you think.

Also, since there will be no special parts in the end of this story, QueenoftheTaterTots and I will be selecting a lucky number. And whoever is that number reviewer will have the next chapter dedicated to them. As to the first chapter, it will be dedicated to our other best friend who helped me get this idea for a story. How she did, I still have no idea.

Chapter One- This is for you Mary Berry

Chapter One

A Look

Max's POV

"I know! I couldn't believe myself until I saw it, but it's true!" Nudge chirruped in her high, sugar-coated voice reserved only for small children, gossip, and puppies. Oh. My. God, I thought on the inside. There is nothing worse, than this. I watched in silent agony as my two best friends gossiped about the latest news in our small little border-town of Huntleigh, West Virginia. Flipping their hair. Throwing up their hands in wild gestures. Ugh. It made me sick to my stomach.

I think this time it was about this girl named Lissa Harling. Truly, the only thing bad about her was her personality. Wait a second, that means everything's wrong with her. Oops. The point was this time Lissa was supposedly dating some guy on the internet.

And how would I know this? Well, my dear readers, as it just so happens, we here in Huntleigh, have a straggling population of five hundred forty-six. Well, five hundred forty-seven counting the baby our English teacher – Mrs. Alan – is pregnant with. She's thinking of naming him Myles.

To get to the point, basically anything anyone knows is also known by everyone else. There were no secrets.

"What do you think, Max?" Nudge asked, her chocolaty eyes fixated on her newly painted nails.

"About?" I asked. I never really cared about what everyone else was doing. I simply didn't understand why I should worry about someone else's life when I had my own to worry about.

"About Lissa's scandalous life." Angel replied dramatically, rolling her tongue. Her curly blonde hair bounced as she stood up to go put away the nail polish. "Last chance, Max. Are you sure you don't want your nails painted? I could do purple."

I sighed. This was an argument we had constantly. "I am positive that I don't want my nails painted. I am super positive I don't want them painted purple or any color like it."

Angel frowned and walked down the narrow wooden hallway to her room, placing the basket on the third shelf to the left of her oak door.

"So? What do you think about it?" Nudge chimed. Why me?

"I think that you should just leave her alone," I reasoned. "The choices she makes are hers and hers alone. Why does everyone else always need to know about them? How will it affect you if she decides to go off and be slutty with another guy?" I really did want to know.

Nudge leaned back her head and groaned. "Max! Why do you have to ruin all of my fun? You never let me talk about what I want to talk about, or let me go to Dylan and Sam's parties. I mean, how is that fair? You're not my mom. Why do I even listen to you? Ugh. That seriously needs to change."

"I do not purposefully ruin your fun and you know it," I retorted. "And as for Sam and Dylan's parties, we both know why I refuse to let you go. You listen to me because I'm your best friend in the whole world." I shot her an innocent I-have-no-idea-what-you-are-talking-about look.

She scowled, but didn't accuse me of anything else. Angle then decided to reappear from the hallway with her laptop.

"OMG!" The sixteen year old squealed. The blush of her apple cheeks popped from her fair complexion. "Look at the new senior homeroom teacher we get this year! Max, I am so jealous! You might get him as a teacher.

"Let me see!" Nudge bounced excitedly. "Let me see!" Angel brought the computer over to her and the two shot me their most envious looks.

"So not fair!" the mocha-skinned girl cried, slapping me lightly on the arm. "Max! Now do you see what I mean about you not letting me have any fun?" I leaned over her shoulder to glaze my eyes over the red and white -clad webpage. "The new Huntleigh Cougars' High School 12th grade homeroom teacher" the title read in bold lettering.

The picture below caught my eye. On our school's trademark white background, the image depicted a fairly young man; broad, tan, and sculpted with dark features. Thick black hair, nearly black eyes, and – just to fit everything together – he was wearing a black shirt. Oh fun. They hired, yet again, a teacher that looked as if he would be perfectly fine with punching a two year old in the mouth if he dared to speak out of turn.

"He looks angry." I stated, furrowing my brow. As I looked up, I was met with wide-eyed faces from the two juniors who, just a minute ago, were about ready to pass out from excitement.

"He doesn't look angry," Angel said, amazed with how oblivious I was apparently being. "He looks hot!"

Okay. I tried – I really, really tried – but hearing her say that made my mouth peel back into a grin. The giggle that I tried to seal in my mouth released through my nose in one snort. I couldn't hold it in. Before I knew it, I was laughing; clutching my sides, and almost falling from my seat.

Angel and Nudge glared at me, but then decided to ignore my comments and gush about a teacher that they had only seen a picture of.

After I finally calmed down I just kind of listened to them drone on and on and on and on about how "hot" this new teacher was.

"It says that his name is Nicholas Carson," Nudge read off, eyes glued to the glowing computer screen. "He's from Tennessee and is twenty-three years old. Isn't that a little young for a teacher? Normally they just hire a bunch of old, cranky, smelly ladies. Like Mrs. Pierce. Do you remember her? I hated her. I mean this one time I was going to ask her a question and she came over and then as soon as I started talking she just walked away. I mean how rude is that? And then this other ti -" Nudge was abruptly cut off when Angel finally clapped a hand over her mouth. But since this is Nudge we are talking about, that wasn't going to stop her, so she just licked Angel's hand. Angel shrieked in disgust, waving one hand around as if it were on fire while using its match to smack Nudge lightly but repeatedly on the arm.

I rolled my eyes. How are these two my friends again? Ah well. Honestly though, I was just happy that school started tomorrow and it wasn't the middle of the summer. Because then, all I would hear is "hot" this and "hot" that.

I stuck out an arm in the middle of the two, breaking up the catfight. "I'm going home. When you are done talking, and only when you are done talking, are you allowed to call or text me." I gave each of them a hard look, just daring them to disobey me.

Nudge nonchalantly shoved my arm out of the way. "This is just what I was talking about, Max. You aren't my mo -" She clammed up as soon as she saw the stern look on my face.

"Bye Max." Angel said quietly, giving me a hug. I returned her sweet-smelling embrace and made my way down the hall to the door.

I know that Nudge says that I treat her like a child, but I don't mean to. I've known the two sisters since I was five. No, they weren't real sisters, but they were close enough. Mr. and Mrs. Walker adopted Nudge after they learned that they could no longer have children due to complications with their firstborn; a son they named Gazzy. But after they adopted Nudge, both parents found out that Mrs. Walker was four months pregnant with Angel. So even if I do treat them like children sometimes, I'm just trying to protect them.

Hmm… Where did my keys go? I looked around, and much to my relief, found them in my back pocket. I unlocked my sleek black Lexis and turned on the air as soon as the engine had turned over. August heat sucked.

I pulled away from the huge red-bricked house while turning up the radio. Nothing good. I irritably turned it off, not caring about how hot it was. I already knew it wasn't cold outside.

My mind entered a fog after I pulled away from my friends' house. Senior year, the year of memories, the year of decisions. I tried to wrap my head around it on my way home. I couldn't believe that it was almost over. It seemed like it was just yesterday that I was walking down the halls freshman year. So timid and afraid and alone…even for me. Surrounded by human mountains. Burdened by whip-wielding teachers. Under so much pressure that you felt you were about to burst. Despite all this, I made it through. And, to my surprise, it was fun. What they say is true: Though it may seem to be the longest day ever while you're living it, when you looked back it was like a bolt of lightning. Flashing through so fast all you can do is be amazed by the pure beauty of it.

When I pulled up to my house, a house that I hated being in, I noticed no cars were parked in the driveway. Meaning no one was home…again.

After parking in my dad's spot just to piss him off, I slipped out of the car and looked around. The sun blinded me momentarily, but my sight was soon regained. As my rapidly shrinking pupils flitted around my surroundings, I saw a large moving truck materializing out of the rainbow-colored spots. It seemed to be pulling away. Then I remembered our neighbors had moved to Arizona last week, and we had newcomers.

I wonder who they are.

My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, screaming out its dastardly ringtone. Oh, what now? After I found that annoying hunk of plastic, I accepted the call and slapped the earpiece to the side of my head. "What?"

"Well isn't someone just peachy," a familiar voice answered back. It was Angel. "Anyways, guess what?" Nudge interrupted. I really didn't want to play this game today.

"Just tell me," I snapped, immediately regretting it. "Sorry. What is it?"

Nudge and Angel seemed unfazed by my anger and started jabbering all at once, "That new teacher, Mr. Carson, he moved in right next door to you!"

My jaw just about dropped. As if my mouth was filled with dry cotton, I stole a tiny glance back over at the house. Sure enough – the summer sunlight beating down on his dark silhouette– there was the new teacher; surveying the lay of the land like a territorial wolf. My blood ran cold. His black eyes met mine, and a shudder passed through me.

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