ONE

I sat down in front of the large mahogany desk and stared down at my pale hands waiting for the wrinkled old prune to punish me. "Do you know why you're here, Miss. Batchelder?" he asked me.

"Vaguely," I muttered.

"Well if you don't remember than let me remind you," he snarled. "You set off a stink bomb during this morning's assembly. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Wasn't big enough," I muttered.

"Well since I can't suspend you because of your parents, I'll give you two months of after school detention as long as you don't pull a stunt like this again," he told me. I nodded and left. I went straight to after school detention. There were three other kids there. Luckily the teacher was passed out at her desk. The kids looked over at me as I took a seat by the window. A boy with strawberry blonde hair sat down on my desk. I leaned back in my chair.

"So what is a pretty thing like yourself in detention for?" he asked me. I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"First, get off my desk. Second, I'm not interested and third, I blew up a stink bomb this morning during the assembly," I told him, counting them off my fingers. "Any questions?"

A tall boy in the far corner, with long black hair and dressed in all black, smirked. "James, leave the poor rich girl alone," he said in a deep husky voice that sent shivers down my spine.

"Hey, I can't help it. My charms always come on when a girl talks about bombs," he said defensively. While they were talking to each other, I was slipping my feet around the table legs and I pulled it out from under Blondie. He fell to the ground but the teacher didn't stir. The mocha skinned girl burst out laughing and the black haired boy smirked. James quickly looked at me. "Okay, I can take a hint," he said and went to the back corner adjacent to the black haired boy. The mocha skinned girl smiled and walked over to me, a hand extended in front of her.

"Hi, I'm Monique but everyone calls me Nudge. But I don't know why. Do you want to be friends? If so we can go to the mall and shop a lot. We could talk about clothes and shoes and make-up and earrings and bracelets and necklaces and rings and…" she was cut off when James clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Sorry, we all call that the Nudge Channel because she talks a million miles a minute," he told me. He took his hand off and smiled at me.

"That's James but we call him Iggy because he loves bombs and stuff and he's a complete pig. He's also blind," she said pointing at James. "And that's Nick but he prefers Fang no idea why." I smiled at Fang and he smirked. "So did you really set off the stink bomb this morning?"

"Yeah and I got two months detention for it when I should've been suspended. Nope, I'll never get suspended because of my stupid parents," I said bitterly. Fang got up and walked over, suddenly interested.

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Ever heard of the scientist Jeb Batchelder?" I asked them.

"Yeah, the mega rich guy that funds this school," Iggy said.

"My dad," I said, annoyed. "Jeb is my dad."

"So that means if you get suspended or kicked out than your parents will pull their funds," Fang said softly.

"Yep, and I keep trying to get out of this hell hole," I replied. Fang held his hand out to me.

"Come with me, Richie Rich," he said with a small smirk. "I can help with your little problem." I took his hand and he took me out into the hall and to a custodial closet.

"What now?" I asked softly. He looked at me.

"You're not like other girls, are you?" he asked as he sat down on an overturned bucket.

"Nope," I replied as I sat down against the wall opposite him.

"So, let's get to know each other," he said softly. I nodded.

"Twenty questions and you go first," I told him.

"Alright," he sighed. "Color?"

"Blue," I replied.

"Black. Movie," he said softly.

"Mm, that's a toughie. I guess, Legion," I replied.

"Don't laugh but uh, Fantasia," he mumbled. I smiled.

"Which one?" I asked softly.

"Both," he replied.

"They're both good movies," I told him. "Okay, favorite band?"

"Green day," he replied.

"One Republic," I told him. "That and Maroon 5."

"Hobby?" he asked.

"I play guitar and sing," I said softly.

"I play guitar," he replied. "And if you tell anyone I also sing you'll regret it."

"I promise, just don't tell anyone I sing and we're good," I told him.

"Sing for me," he asked. I sighed softly. I softly sung 'Secrets' by One Republic. He smiled and pulled me into his lap. The next thing I knew, I had him up against the wall and my lips on his while his hands made small circles on my lower back. I quickly pulled back and touched my lips. "Sorry," he said and went for the door. I grabbed his hand and he looked at me. I pulled him a little closer and kissed him. I pulled back slightly.

"I think meeting you just made my life at this school so much better," I whispered to him. He smiled and pulled me closer.

"Gonna stick around for me?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," I said softly.

"The hottest girl in school wants to hang around just for a guy," he said softly.

"Not just any guy. For you," I said softly. "The best guy I've ever met." He grinned and picked me up, putting me over his shoulder. "Hey!" He carried me back to the class room and his friends looked at us, confused. "Damn it, Fang. Put me down," I snapped and hit his back multiple times. Iggy snickered softly. Fang decided to be a mega jerk and carry me all around the room. "If you don't put me down, I'll tell them what you told me earlier." His eyes widened and he quickly set me down on his desk in the back. He sat down in his chair and his hair hid his left eye. I smiled and sat in his lap.

"Hey," he cried as I leaned back against his chest. I suddenly felt my cell vibrate in my back pocket which was right against Fang's valuables. He smirked and slipped his hand in my pocket to get my phone. He took it out and handed it to me. I glared at him and answered it when I saw it was from home.

"Hello," I said warily.

"Hey, Max," came the familiar chipper voice of my half-sister, Ella. I smiled.

"What's up, Els," I asked as I leaned back on Fang causing him to groan with slight pain, putting a smile on my face and his friends snicker.

"Do you want to go to the mall as soon as you get home? You need new clothes and I just have to get you that new skirt," she pleaded.

"No," I said quickly.

"Please, please, please, please, please, Max," she begged as I walked over to the window.

"No," I told her.

"But Max, you never let me shop for you and you need something nice for the party tonight," she whined.

"Then I won't go to the party, it's just another one of Jeb's," I told her as I leaned against the wall with everyone but the still sleeping teacher staring at me.

"Max, it's not Jeb's. It's my party," she explained. "Please, Dylan will be there." I groaned.

"All the more reason not to go," I said bitterly. "I hate him and you know it."

"Max, just give him a chance," she begged. "Please, Max."

"No, not if Dylan's there," I told her.

"What about Ari? He's really excited and wants you to go," she tried. I hit my head on the wall.

"Fine, I'll go for Ari as long as I can bring some friends and Dylan stays the hell away from me," I caved. "But I have enough clothes so I'm not going to the mall."

"But Max," she whined.

"No," I told her.

"Don't make me get mom," she tried and I laughed.

"The mom card won't work this time, Els. Especially not after what I did this morning," I said with a smirk. "I see ya after detention."

"Detention," she cried as I hung up and closed my eyes. Iggy walked over and leaned against the wall beside me. I felt his arm slid around my waist.

"You want to lose that arm, Iggy?" I asked him.

"Not me," Iggy said from the other side of the room. I quickly opened my eyes as they laughed. I looked over and saw Fang. I smiled and put my arm around his shoulders.

"Do you guys want to come to a party tonight?" I asked them.

"Why?" Iggy asked suspiciously.

"I need some friends to help me survive the torment," I replied.

"Are we your friends?" he asked, curiously.

"Yep," I replied with a smile. Nudge squealed with joy. Fang gently gave my hip a slight squeeze.

"We have to go shopping," Nudge said excitedly.

"Oh no, I just told my sister I wasn't going shopping with her," I said quickly.

"But you have to come," she begged.

"No," I said stubbornly.

"Oh my god, this is a first. A girl who doesn't want to go shopping," Iggy snickered. I groaned and hid my head behind Fang's shoulder. They stopped laughing as soon as my arm fell around Fang's waist and had pulled him a little closer. "No way." I looked over at them and then realized how close I was to Fang. I started to pull away but he pulled me in front of him and wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning on my back and head on my shoulder. "Dude, what's your girlfriend gonna say about this?" Fang buried his face in my long brown sun-streaked hair.

"Iggy, I broke up with Lissa weeks ago," Fang groaned. "But she won't leave me alone."

"So you hook up with another girl, whom you just met mind you, to get her off your ass?" Iggy asked. "Since when were you two interested in each other? Have you kissed yet?" I looked down at my feet when he asked the last one. Suddenly the bell rang and the teacher woke up.

"Okay, kids, go home," she said as she left. I quickly grabbed Fang's hand and pulled him out to my jeep. He picked me up and set me on the hood. He gently caressed my cheek as the others came out unnoticed. I gently pulled Fang closer by his shirt. He gently kissed my lips as Ella walked up. I pulled back when I heard Ella and Nudge squeal with joy. Ella grabbed my arm and pulled me off the hood. The others quickly ran over.

"Now we have to go to the mall," Ella told me.

"No," I told her but Nudge forced me into the back of my jeep after taking my keys. Fang got in the back with me as Ella and Nudge got up front. I groaned and stuck my head out the window. "We'll see you at the party later. I'll have Fang call you with the address," I called to Iggy. Fang pulled me back in and buckled me in. I glared at him. Nudge started the car and started driving to the mall. Fang wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek. "You hate me, don't you?" I asked softly.

"Nope," he said softly and I gently kissed his cheek. "So, who's Dylan?"

"OMG, he's like the hottest, most popular guy in the whole school besides you and Iggy," Nudge exclaimed.

"And for the thousandths time, I'm not interested," I groaned and leaned on Fang's shoulder.