"Last Friday night, Yeah we danced on tabletops, And we took too many shots, Think we kissed but I forgot
Last Friday night, Yeah we maxed our credit cards, And got kicked out of the bar, So we hit the boulevard, Last Friday night"
SMACK! As my hand strikes out with a crazy amount of force for someone who has just woken up.
Waking up to the ever-soothing voice of Katy Perry blasting out of my clock radio sure is the way to wake up at 5:30 am in the morning. Note the heavy sarcasm.
Turning my head and looking blearily eyed out my window, I notice with displeasure that it is still dark outside with only the slight, light coloring of day peeping out over the horizon. I swear that I can still see stars winking at me, as if teasing me that they are just off to bed, as I have to get up. With a huge moan, I throw my blanket off and leave the warm confines of my deliciously comfortable bed. I look back at it for a moment, seriously tempted to ditch the thought of exercise and jump back into its pleasant warmth. But alas, I have a schedule to adhere to, and if I am going to get the most out of my day, I have to get started now.
For your information my name is Max, full name Maximum Ride, and I already know that it is not the most feminine name in the universe, but it suits me just fine. See I'm not the girliest girl, far from it actually. I live in your old, average two-storey house, complete with a slightly overgrown lawn, 1 car only carport and white picket fence. How charming. I'm 18 years old for the record, almost 19 and I have a younger sister named Ella who is 16.
I live with a single parent who is my mum, and her name is Valencia Ride. Don't ask about my dad because he left when I was three, just after Ella was born. I hardly even remember him and mum doesn't like talking about him. So ….Yeah. Anywho, off of that awkward subject, I am in my first year of college and I am absolutely loving it. I'm majoring in Creative Writing and Business at Boston University and I hope to one day work as an editor in a major Publishing company. Well, I girl can dream big can't she?
I throw my slightly wavy, honey-coloured hair into a messy top-knot, throw on my running gear, lace up my trainers and I'm set to go. I tip toe down our creaky stairs as to try and not wake anyone and slip out the front door. I take a deep breath of suburban air while I do my warm up stretches, nice and fresh at this time of morning without the smell of car fumes.
As I start off at a steady pace I think about the day ahead of me, and I muffle a groan as I think of the one person who makes my college experience at times unbearable. I lengthen my strides as my anger grows; he is the most egotistical, stuck-up, sexist pig of all time. And it doesn't help that everyone else seems to see past all these horrible traits and adores him. He transferred to my Highschool in senior year, apparently moved here from New York or something, and it was bad enough that I had to put up with him for a WHOLE year. When Highschool was over I was beyond relieved and so happy that I would never have to see him everyday ever again. Then I found out he was going to Boston University as well. Well let's just say the day I found out that, great deals of things were smashed in my house. So what I have a mean temper sometimes, just stay on my good side and I will be the most pleasant freaking thing you have ever laid eyes on. But sometimes I just can't control my temper, especially when it comes to Fang.
I step out of my cool shower and feel much better after venting all my anger through a really good workout. I peer at myself over the bathroom sink into the tiny mirror above it. Bedraggled, most-likely knotty hair lies tangled around my bare shoulders. My cheeks are still flushed from my run, and my brown eyes slightly over-bright from the endorphins still coursing through my body. My skin is nice and clear with a light tan covering it from teaching swim lessons all summer holidays. My nose is nice and straight, with slight upturn at the end with a smattering of sprinkles covering the bridge. My lips are average, not thin but nor overly full. I have never thought of myself as 'beautiful' per say, I know I'm not butt ugly but to me there are plenty of other more curvaceous, gorgeous girls out there.
My eyes drop to my chest, and I can't help but be a tiny bit smug as over the past year I have grown considerably in that department that I no longer need to be called flat chested. I actually filled out my swimsuit surprisingly well over the summer. I blush warms my cheeks as I think of Dylan, the lifeguard at the local pool perusing my body ever so slowly when I use to pass him, making me feel faintly tingly all over. I am completely under-experienced when it comes to the area of flirtation, seduction…sex. And it has never really bothered me all that much. That is until I started getting a few more glances from boys and I realized that I am actually a hot-blooded female, with needs. Ah it sounds so blatantly sexual and just gross. But I'm nearly 19 and all I have to my name is a few slopping, forgettable kisses. Actually maybe a slight boob grope at the end of senior year from Sam, the over eager, ridiculously horny football star. Doesn't really count but.
With a sigh, I step away from my perusal in the mirror, wrap a towel around my body and open the bathroom door to be confronted by my fashionista sister Ella.
"MAX, why did you take so long!" she practically yells at me, "Now I only have an hour and a half to get ready, hardly any time at all!"
I send her a death glare that normally stops anyone in their tracks, but goes completely unnoticed by her.
"Move, move, move! It's the first day back at school and I need to be looking my absolute best!" She squeaks as she barges her way past me, almost ripping my towel off me in the process.
I can't help but laugh, as she unloads her whole makeup bag around the sink, muttering under her breath the whole time.
"I don't think an hour and a half is going to even come close to the amount of time you would need to look even slightly bearable," I say as straight-faced as I possibly can manage.
She turns towards me with her mouth in a perfect 'O', and then closes it to gnaw at her lip worriedly. That's when I realize that she is a lot more nervous then I thought she was and it probably wasn't the most appropriate times to be making jokes.
"Oh El, calm down, you're a knock out already without any makeup on, why are you so nervous?" I ask leaning on the bathroom door.
"Because it's the first time I'm going to see Riley since he left to go to Europe with his family at the start of the break, " she replies biting her fingernails.
"Stop that, and I think if Riley really likes you, he will like however you choose to look." I reassure her.
"Ok, I guess," she answers back, looking a little more positive.
There is my sisterly advice done for the day. Sometimes its so hard when you have a little sister that is the most girliest human being on the planet, and you're the one she comes to for advice and you have absolutely no experience in any matters to do with boys. Sometimes you just have to wing it.
I walk into my room, chuck on a pair dark denim shorts, and a cargo green tank-top, run a comb through my wet hair and leave it fanned out around my shoulders to dry, put a light coating of mascara on my lashes, and rub my ever-faithful chap stick across my lips, smack them together, and I'm done. All up taking exactly 10 minutes. I pack my over-the-shoulder knapsack with the bits and pieces necessary for college, and lope down the stairs, jumping the last five when I'm almost at the bottom.
"Max, what have I told you about jumping down the stairs like that, I swear one day you will break your ankle, and I will not be there to help you," she scolds me as she places a pile of hot pancakes on the table.
"Yes, Sir!" I salute as I sit down and help myself to four pancakes covered in maple syrup.
"And slow down, take a breath between each bite," she says with a half smile on my face as I literally inhale my breakfast.
"They I just so delicious," I moan with a mouth full of food. God I am an attractive soul.
A grab my plate, pop it in the dishwasher and run back upstairs to quickly brush my teeth. I check my watch and its almost quarter past seven, Nudge should be here anytime soon to pick me up.
Nudge happens to be my closest friend, and has been since I first met her at the start of my freshman year. She has to be the biggest motor mouth ever, constantly spewing out the most useless things. But she also is a massive romantic at heart, loves fashion and is one of the most kindest, caring people I know. Quite the opposite to me actually. Probably why we click so well.
A car horn toots from just outside our house, so I quickly grab my bag, my cell, my house keys and sprint back down the stairs. I stop and give mum a kiss on the cheek then I'm flying out the front door towards Nudge's red mini cooper.
As I close the car door the first thing that hits me is the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the second thing is the high pitched sound of Nudge's voice as she lectures me about my choice in clothes.