A/N- Hey guys! You could say I wrote this to take a teensy short break from my other story, First Words. I don't like to say I got writer's block (because it's only been three chapters! Eeek!) and I felt bad for not updating in like forever. :\ I know what plot and major events to put in First Words but I don't know how to slowly add them in, you know? So if I ever get stuck, I'll come to this story. (which is only going to be three chapters long...a three-shot?)

Enjoy!

Joke of the Day: What's the fastest way to determine a sex chromosome?

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.

She was seven and he was nine

"Watch them grow up and fall in love," Jeb Batchelder, Max's father, joked.

"They're only kids! I can't imagine twenty years from now," Fang's dad chuckled.

Valencia and Anne rolled their eyes. They were all sitting on lawn chairs, watching two kids playing up in a tree house. The one with curly blond hair and big brown eyes was Max, and the other with dark hair and obsidian eyes was Nick.

"Oh, my, my, my," Valencia, Max's mother, said while shaking her head. "Talking about the future already? I'm worried about Max getting along with her other classmates," she said, remembering the phone call she had received from the principal the other day. Her daughter punched a girl, Lissa, for making fun of her name.

"Well, you never know…" Fang's mom answered, shrugging.

Up in the tree house, Max could hear the adults' conversation. She knew they were talking about her and Fang, a new nickname Max had given to her best friend, but she couldn't understand what they were saying. What did Daddy mean by "fall in love?" She knew what 'love' was. Max loved Mommy and Daddy a lot. But how could you "fall" into it?

It must hurt, she thought. But she decided to ask Fang.

"Fang, what's 'fall in love' mean?" Her high-pitched voice held curiosity and innocence. She was positioned on her knees, hands on either side. Meanwhile, Fang was playing with his toy truck, imitating vehicle sounds. He paused what he was doing and pondered her question.

"I dunno," he shrugged a moment later. "But I wouldn't want to fall. You could get a boo-boo." Fang recalled the time he fell off the swing. He tried not to cry at the pain when he scraped his knee. Then Daddy came to the rescue and placed a Band-Aid with Batman's picture on it. He thought it was so cool.

"That's what I thought!" Max exclaimed. "I'm never gonna fall in love," she said with her arms crossed.

"Me neither!" Fang declared, making the same gesture.

Max grinned at him. She noticed the glints in his dark eyes. To her, they looked like the stars that shone. Like pretty lights, she thought. They both continued to play together while their parents kept chatting.

X X X

"I'm bigger than you," Fang said one day. "I can beat you up." He lifted up his sleeve to reveal muscle, but all Max could see was a skinny tan arm.

"No you ca-an't," Max sang, holding his teddy bear in hostage. On the outside, Max held a tough face. She tried to show her best friend that he couldn't hit her. But on the inside, she was terrified. He was bigger and older than her. By two years.

"Yes I can! And I'm strong!"

Then, he charged towards her with the speed of a nine year old and she ran. She sprinted out of his bedroom, through the front door, and to her own house. She scrambled up the backyard tree with one teddy bear leg in her mouth. Fang was close behind and Max started to panic. She reached the tree house and scooted as far away from him as possible.

Max was scared and he knew it. Fang trapped her in a corner and made his best villain face to add the dark effect.

"Give it to me, Max."

"No," she stuck her tongue out, clutching his valuable stuffed animal to close to her chest. Fang stomped his foot at her stubbornness. Max's heart jolted and her breathing started to get heavy. Her fingers were clammy and she trembled.

"Give it. Or else," he growled, arms stretched. Max's eyes widened and brought her knees up close to her body.

"No," she said again. As he hovered over her, Max squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for him to throw a punch.

Then, Fang came down and started to tickle her. Surprised, she automatically let go and laughed uncontrollably. She giggled and screamed while Fang grinned evilly.

"S-stop!" she shrieked between laughs. Her stomach ached and she needed to breathe.

"No," he said in a mocking tone, imitating her voice.

"P-please, F-Fang. Y-you can h-have it b-back," she begged. He didn't stop.

"P-promise Fang!" she said between gasps.

"All right, all right." He let go of her and snatched up his teddy bear. "Just don't do it again."

"I won't," Max promised, taking in short breaths.

X X X

"…and they were like 'muah' 'muah.'" Max puckered her lips and made kissy noises in the air. Fang showed disgust as she told him about Mrs. Martinez's soap opera.

They were sitting down on a picnic mat in front of Max's driveway, sharing ice-cold lemonade and sweet strawberries together in the hot summer heat. Fang's hair was plastered to his sweaty tan forehead and Max's was stuck on the back of her neck.

"That's ew-ie." He wrinkled his nose.

"Well, someday you're going to have to kiss! When you grow up!" Max exclaimed, licking the juice off her pointer finger and thumb. She then wiped it on her pale yellow shirt, making it stain.

"Oops," she said looking down. "Mommy's gonna be mad."

"I don't want to do that stuff," Fang replied to her other comment. He gazed down at the trail of ants that were traveling close to his shoe. "Never never ever."

"You say that cause you're little." The younger girl went mother-like on her best friend. "You'll be a big boy soon, though," she reassured him.

"I'm already a big boy!" He stood up carefully, placing his hands on his hips. "I'm a man!" he said proudly, sticking his chin out.

"Uh huh." Max crossed her skinny arms to her chest. She tried not to laugh. "Prove it."

"Okay. I will," he said a bit pompously. "I'll do anything."

Max looked at him, eyes glittering with mischief. "Aaaanything?"

"Anything."

"You suuuuure?" Max taunted. An idea formed in her mind.

"Yeah." Confidence was in his voice.

She pretended to ponder for a moment, putting a finger to her lips. Then she stood up and faced Fang, arms still crossed.

"I dare you to… KISS ME!" she screamed, and ran down the sidewalk with arms flailing. She looked back to see Fang running after her, his brows furrowed in determination. He tried to catch up to her and prove that he was a big boy.

"Max! Stop!" He shouted.

She refused to listen and continued to scream, avoiding him. Meanwhile, Jeb chuckled and shook his head at them behind the window. "Just two kids…" he murmured, a small smile playing on his lips.

A/N: You can guess that I got the inspiration from Mary's Song by Taylor Swift (:

And thank you Sierra156 for her gorgeous editing!

Answer: Pull down its genes.

*passes out cookies, cupcakes, magic lanterns, sparkly ponies, organic lollipops, and stickers to lovely readers who click the bottom blue button that says REVIEW*

Have a beautiful day!