When we got back I told the others we could give this school a chance, but if something was up, we were outie.

Everyone thanked me then an awesome idea was stated by Nudge and Ella.

"We need new clothes!" the screamed in unison.

So we planned the last week before school started (apparently they knew I'd say yes so they already had us enrolled!) to go shopping for clothes. Mom told us they'd have all our books and supplies there so we could spend all our money on clothes.

Joy.

So the next day we headed to the mall. Mom has a huge van so six bird kids, one regular kid, and three dogs (I'm including Akila and Magnolia but none of the dogs are mentioned much) with enough room so we don't get claustrophobic or kill each other (or if Gazzy has an…attack).

I sat shotgun next to mom, who was driving. Gazzy and Iggy sat in the next row so if they were planning anything stupid I could hear them. Angel, Ella and Nudge sat in the second row. They were talking animatedly about cute skirts and boys they would meet at school. I pity the sucker who has to give them 'the talk'.

It better not be me.

Fang was in the last row by himself, how he likes it.

Poor little emo boy.

We arrived at the cursed mall five minutes later. Everyone filed out of the can and stated walking through the parking lot to the doors. Fang silently walked up behind me, so close that my back was touching his front, and whispered very slowly in my ear, "I am not emo."

"Uhm…what?" I tried playing dumb, but Fang knows me waaay too well.

"Don't play dumb, you know what I'm talking about. Angel told me."

I. Am. Going. To. Kill. Her.

"What else did she tell you?" I asked, trying to distract him.

"She told me you know my secret. And don't try to distract me, I know you too well." Damn.

"Which secret would that be?"

"Why I won't call Dr. M 'mom'. You know. I know you know. Why would Angel tell me if you don't?" he said. I was at a loss. What to say?

"Fang, I know your not emo, those are battle scars, but you better not wear short sleeves unless you want people to label you 'emo boy' like we have." There, that should have worked. I hope, I really don't want to discuss Fang and his emo exterior at the moment.

"I don't plan on it and don't think this is over, we're talking later."

I gulped, but luckily we entered the mall then.

"How do you guys want to split up? Boys-girls or oldest by themselves and younger with me or smaller groups by themselves and I go sit in Borders?"

No one even said anything, Angel, Nudge and Ella ran one way and Iggy and Gazzy ran the other. Leaving me, Fang and Mom.

"Alright that was odd. Ok I'm off to Borders, look out for them and behave." My mother said while walking another direction.

Leaving me with Fang again.

"Ok where should we go first?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"Don't care. Just not preppy stores, we both hate that stuff anyway."

"Oh yeah, Fang, like I'm gonna run straight to Areopastel. Yeah right. So Hot Topic or Spencer's first?" I guessed those would be ones we'd both like and they were right across the hall from each other.

The Great Fang then started playing Eenie Meenie Miney Moe. Wow.

His finger stopped at Hot Topic.

"Hot Topic it is then" he said.

We walked there and before we entered Fang grabbed my hand. I looked at him questioningly so he told me, "I really don't feel like dealing with people flirting with either of us today."

I agreed so shrugging; we entered probably the coolest place I have ever seen.

Wow. It was the greatest.

Fang was probably in Heaven right now.

We walked around, occasionally picking things off racks that we liked. Can anyone explain to me the purpose of Hello Kitty merchandise being in a punk store?

I wound up getting a few pairs of bright colored skinny jeans and some acid washout jeans, along with a few band tees I thought looked cool, a stud belt, and a few hoodies. Fang got mostly the same, tight jeans and band tees. He also got hoodies and (to my surprise) a button down, flannel pattern, black, grey and white shirt.

I then realized I needed underwear.

I handed my stuff to Fang and told him to hold my place for a minute. He looked at me quizzically but obliged.

I walked to the back of the store to the bras and panties.

Wow, these were really cute. They had all different kinds with designs and colors. In the end, I picked out a black with pink skulls set and a black and white stripped with lace set.

When I got back to Fang he was in the same spot I left him. I took my clothes back from him and stood there as if I had never left.

"What'd you just get?" he asked. I held up the underwear and had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen a fraction of a inch.

A normal teenage guy's jaw would have been on the floor. Fang remained calm like it was nothing (which in reality it was) and said, "Nice choice."

He then added, "I hope I get to see them on you" and leaned in to me. My eyes fluttered shut and I leaned in to him. Our lips met in the middle. It wasn't really a steamy kiss, but a sweet kiss that made me want more.

Made me want him.

Our moment was ruined when the cashier rudely said, "Hey, you can make-out later, I have other customers."

Fang put his clothes down and then took mine out of my arms and put them on top of his on the counter.

"I've got it" he said. I didn't want him to, even thought it was mom's money.

We finished paying and walked out of the store, still holding hands.

Spencer's was much different then I had expected.

It was all inappropriate shirts and sex toys. I did, however, see a purse that I liked. It was a simple black bag, which was actually quite large, with studs on it that matched my belt.

So I bought it.

We left and realized we had everything we needed.

"There aren't even any other good stores here. What should we do?" I asked.

Of coarse right then we walked past Victoria's Secret.

"Oh, I'm sure your need something from there. I don't mind making a quick stop." Fang said while stopping us right by the entrance.

"Uhm nope, I'm good. Hey, how much money do you have left?" I asked him while he was still chuckling about his little joke.

"Uh like thirty bucks, I bought your clothes too remember?"

"Give it to me." He did as I told and I took the remainder of my two hundred dollars. Together we had around one hundred and seventy five dollars.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the Apple store. After some search we found the perfect iPod. It was a black, eight GB iPod Touch.

We both agreed on it and walked out the store proud owners of a new iPod Touch.

We figured we could share it and use Fang's laptop to get music and videos on there.

We still had roughly half an hour before we were to meet the others outside Borders.

We found a nice bench outside Sears to wait for a while and sat in silence, the way we both like it. Until…

"Ok, we have to talk. I know you hate talking about feelings and stuff but so do I. I've held this in for way too long, longer then I planned. Max, I really like you. I have since we were little at the school. And not just a little kid crush, I knew we were meant for each other, and that you're the only girls I ever want to be with. There. Feel free to run and fly away now, like always."

Uhm. Wow. That was big. Fang doesn't say that many words at one time unless he's been bottling it for a long, long time. I couldn't even focus in on anything.

Fang got a really sad and pained look on his face, but it was also anger, too. But what was he angry about?

"Fang." He wouldn't look at me so I put two fingers on his cheek and made his eyes meet mine.

I didn't know what to say, so I just leaned my head to the side and kissed him. And not some half-ass kiss either, a kiss that I hope said everything I couldn't formulate into words.

When we finally broke apart, Fang smiled. Not a smirk, no half smile, a full-blown Fang smile.

This definitely wasn't my Fang.