MAX POV

The move from our latest house to sunny Aurora, Arizona had been totally unexpected and definitely not favored. But then again, when is it ever? Moving is something our family has always done, while constantly settling in new houses and new schools while still trying to live a half-normal life. And even though it never works, I still put up with it for my parents benefit and refuse to let them down. Normal is as far as it gets.

Sometimes I dream of being the normal teenage girl; the one who shopped at Gucci couture instead of Hot Topic; the one who had troubles with her boyfriend, and the one who didn't know how to use a gun.

I'm not depressed, just so you know. I'm no teenage delinquent who's been to juvi too many times to count. I may seem like one, but trust me, it's all my parents working. They chose to have the life they have as federal agents. They chose to become the best of the best in the F.B.I and Secret Service. They chose to have to constantly move and almost be killed on multiple occasions.

It's tiresome, I'll give you that. The constant work of trying not to be killed by literally hundreds of enemies (that seriously should start a gang or something), the depressing nature of a life revolving around killing, the phrase that has nearly killed me mentally growing up- "I have to go; who else will protect the president?" But, in the end everything is supposed to be worth it, right?

I sure hope so. Cue mental scoff.

To add to this tear-welling intro, with Mom gone for days while on cases and dad off protecting the president wherever he goes, I practically live for myself.

There's no use in making friends if they'll only be there for a few months and "special family time" is out of the question. So, I'm by myself- constantly with a pair of headphones in my ear and a gun on my belt, usually roaming about or looking for some sort of excitement that has nothing to do with breaking the law.

And for those of you who think that because I have so many ties to federal law enforcement I'll never get arrested, take my word for it- you are so wrong.

Okay, okay. Back to reality and out of my seriously boring mind.

So here I am, driving to Aurora, Arizona with my parents blasting American Idiot by Green Day over and over again on my I-pod just to annoy my dad. He-he. These are the times I praise rock bands and their tendencies to make their music really loud. Finally, he snapped.

"MAXIMUM!" Jeb Ride, my father, yelled trying to get my attention away from this freakishly-awesome song that was playing.

"Yeah?" I answered innocently, my mischievous smirk unmistakable.

"Turn off your music. And were almost there. Your mother has already called all the neighbors to tell them to stay inside and we need three people two scout the house because of its size. Will you do it?" he asked me.

Here's the thing-by "will you do it?" he actually meant "you have to do it anyways so don't even bother being sassy"

"Sure" I said.

By "scout" he means go throughout the house with a pistol looking for people trying to kill us (sometimes in the stupidest of ways). Yes, I know how to shoot a gun. In fact I own seventeen, one for each of my birthdays. My dad started to give them to me and teach me how to use it when I was thirteen. Haha. Be afraid.

We pulled into one of those crazy expensive call-the-cops-if-you-haven't-cut-your-lawn neighborhoods and I inwardly groaned. What ever happened to cheap government salaries?

"What is it, honey?" My mom, Valencia Ride, asked me from the front the front seat.

"Please tell me we aren't living in one of these houses. They're so big, and you know I hate big houses." I exclaimed, mentally cursing Obama and his need for protection.

"I know you do but you can spend time with the neighbors. The lady across the street is one of your dad and my neighbors from a long time ago and she has a fifteen year old, and two seventeen year olds. You can hang out there." She said, trying to make me happy by smiling but failing under my glare.

"Girls or boys?" I asked just for her benefit.

She visibly perked up, "fifteen is a girl," she smiled wickedly, "seventeen are boys"

And of course, her being the seriously jacked-up mom she is, had to wiggle her eyebrows.

I stared at her, "Really mom, really? Seventeen-year old boys equal sexist pigs. Which is equivalent to dogs when they see a peace of bacon on the counter that they can't reach."

Her smile dropped, "Okay, totally ruined that for me, thank you. But really, Anne tells me her daughter would love a new friend. It'll be fine."

"Okay it's on the next street so be alert and ready you two." My dad said and I instantly straightened and put myself on full alert while tightening the straps on the bullet-proof vest I had on over my t-shirt. Dad pulled up in front of a huge three-story house that looked beautiful and slightly bigger than the ones around it. We all crouched low and got out, running to the trunk of the car. Once we got there I took the key dad handed me and opened it. Inside was one of those metallic government issue briefcases that you see in the movies. I undid the latch and opened it. Inside were three pistols. I took them, handed one to mom, one to dad, and kept the last for me.

Dad turned to me "It's a pretty regular floor plan. Front room then living room attached to kitchen and dining room. Bedrooms off to the right and left along with bathrooms. Max, you and Val take the front I'll take the back. Be safe"

"Yeah dad" I replied, a small slime creeping up to my lips, the sign of rising adrenaline for me.

Mom and I ran low in opposite directions, using the perfectly trimmed bushes on either side of the house for protection until we ran in front of the house, crouching under windows and finally coming to the door. She went up against the wall on the right side of the door and handed me the key. I took it and silently turned the key in the lock and opening the door an inch.

Mom opened it the rest of the way, careful not to hit the wall behind it while I advanced inside. Mom slipped in after me and went off to the right checking every bedroom, closet, bathroom, or room throughout. I did the same on the left and dad did everything else. There was nothing as far as I could see, just regular bare rooms that most likely would never be used; simply for show.

We went through the entire house until finally meeting back in the entry hall before declaring it was safe.

"Okay I want you to meet our neighbors Max, come on and please try and be nice" mom pleaded with me, using the key component- bambi eyes. She could be so childish some times.

I rolled my eyes. "Am I really that bad?" I asked her

"Yes" she replied simply.

I gave her my signature death-glare and she flinched.

"Fine" I said and followed mom across the street.

FANG POV

Apparently today we are getting knew neighbors. Like I care. My sister and mom have been going on about this for the past hour non-stop, raving about "the golden days" and how her and Val were "so close they were practically sisters." She's a little crazy at the moment and looking a little hyper because apparently they are F.B.I. agents, my mom's latest dream job.

I was banging my head against the wall repeatedly, waiting for this conversation to stop so I can watch some T.V. when the phone rang. I looked up, desperately pleading mentally that she would leave the room and leave me to watch some blood-curdling horror movie in peace. But then again, how peaceful can a blood-curdling horror movie be?

Mom jumped out of the chair in excitement and looked around for the phone. "That's probably them" she said, her eyes scanning the room for the phone.

"How do you know?' asked Nudge, her eyes lit with excitement of new people.

Mom looked up at us, a huge smile spreading across her face. "I'll show you," she said.

She finally answered the phone and chatted for a moment until she hung up, only seeming to get even more excited.

"Okay Nick," I involuntarily flinched at ther use of my real name. "We are going to use your room because it looks down at the street."

Me, Nudge, Iggy (my brother) and Dad all followed mom up stairs to my room, all of us confused.

"This is why I love his family. Well, I love Val too but this just makes it all the more exciting! They have had people come after them when they go to a new home so they call all the neighbors and tell them to stay inside for ten minutes while they look at the house. Now watch what they do."

As if on cue a black car with tinted windows was speeding down the street and stopped at the house in front of us. The first people to come out was a man and a woman, crouching down with what looked like bullet-proof vest on. The next was a girl, seeming close to my age.

She was tall with brown hair that had blond streaks and beautiful brown eyes. Her body was tense and I knew she was on alert for anything that might happen.

The three of them went to the back of the car and the girl un-locked it. She pulled three things out. They looked like…pistols? The girl gave one to each of her parents and took one for herself.

Oh. My. God. Isn't that girl a little young to be handling a gun? She looks my age! Her dad ran to the back of the house while the mom and girl went to the front, using the bushes on the sides for protection until they came to the door and woman opened it. I could see lights being turned on throughout the house as they roamed and sometimes the girl coming through the doorway and checking closets and bathrooms, gun pointed and ready.

Why do I feel like I'm flashing back to an episode of NCIS?

After ten minutes the three of them came out and started walking towards our house. The woman looked up at my window and smiled and my mom waved down to her. "Okay let's meet them….and Nick please try to be nice" Mom pleaded with me.

I shrugged. She sighed.

The doorbell rang and mom hurried downstairs to answer it with all of us trailing behind.

She opened the door to let the neighbors in and we all went into the living room.

"Kids this is Valencia and Jeb Ride and their daughter Maximum." Mom introduced us.

"My name is Max" Max growled and glared at mom.

Nudge Gasped. "OMG. Your glare is like just as scary as Fang's. And his is very scary. One time this guy was bullying me and Fang stepped in and just glared at the guy and him and his friends just ran off. It was pretty cool. But what makes it so scary is how silent he is. It's like he's mute. Not that you are Fang it just is really scary with your emo clothes and emotionless thing going on. Not that your emo either, 'cause I know your not. OMG you should play a vampire in Twilight. Oh that would-" At the mention of the annoying vampire movies she made me watch for her birthday, I clamped my hand over her mouth to make her shut up.

"Sorry" she said but it was muffled by my hand.

I looked up at Max and saw that her and her parents were shocked. That's what usually happens with Nudge when she first talks to people. "Fang, Iggy, and this is Nudge." I said, pointing with the hand not occupied with Nudge's mouth.

Nudge waved ecstatically, grinning wildly against my hand.

Slowly, I took my hand of Nudge's mouth hoping she wouldn't continue with her rant. She didn't. Thank God.

"Well you can call me Val and my husband Jeb" Mrs. Ride said with a warm smile.

"Where's the bathroom so I can take this thing off. It's so uncomfortable." Max said, pointing to her vest.

"Yes, go down the hallway and the second door on your left is a bathroom." My mom pointed towards the hallway.

Jeb checked his watch. "Oh, the moving truck should be here. Can Max stay here for a few minutes? I want her to get to know you guys so that she won't be lonely when we leave," he smiled sadly.

"Lonely?" mom asked, perplexed.

"Well, I work for the secret service so I won't be here for some periods of time and Val is often gone for a couple of days when she gets a new case. Sadly, for those times max is alone and we would have someone from child services take care of her but the government thinks she's old enough to be alone since she's seventeen and knows how to use a weapon"

Nudge's happy voice chimed in, "Oh my gosh I would love it if she could stay here sometimes. We could gossip and I could show her around town and tell her about the school. And shopping. She and I could go shopping, like, all the time. Although I doubt she really needs it because she could pull off like any look. I mean, she's so pretty. OMG, Max and Fang would look so cute together. They-" I once again put my hand over her mouth to stop her ranting.

Val and Jeb exchanged a look and quickly got up and started for the door. I heard Val whisper to Jeb "We might want to leave before Max hears about shopping and gossip"

"Good idea" Jeb whispered.

As soon as mom showed them out Max came out of the bathroom. She had on black skinny jeans and a black t-shirt with fireworks on it. In her hands she had her vest and she looked so much more comfortable to have it off. "Where are my parents?" she asked, her eyes scanning the room.

"Your moving truck is supposed to be here any minute so they left to help out," mom answered.

Max nodded and sat in one of the recliners. She looked at each one of us and seemed to be sizing us up. She looked at Nudge and Iggy and smirked, obviously noticing how un-muscular they are. Iggy looked hurt.

Then her eyes landed on me and her smirk dropped. My shirt reveals the muscles on my arms and I can see in her eyes that she knows I'm a lot stronger than the rest of my family. Now it was my turn to smirk.

She glared at me and I glared right back. I have nothing against her but a challenge is always worth it in my book.

Mom must have noticed what was happening, "Nikolas, what did I tell you! Be nice and stop glaring at her"

Max and I slowly dropped our glares. "Well, I see no reason to hate you so I'm going to go now" Max said and got up and left.