Hey there!
Mx2Blue326 here. Sorry to disappoint all you Japanese-loving fans out there but it's my turn to write the authors note. I guess we'll just keep switching off between chapters, so I hope you're all okay with that. :) So anyway last time we kinda cut it off right at a really juicy part! Lame, yes, but how else are we going to keep you guys awake? Haha. So today the story goes on - keep reading to find out what happens next. (BTW: We're going to try something new and make the majority of the chapter in Dylan's POV. Wish us luck!)
Oh wait! One sec. Hold your horses and don't scroll down to the chapter yet. Only one more little thing I promise. On behalf of NarutoLover7890 and myself, I want to thank each and everyone of you who have either put our story on your "alert list" or "favorites list" or left us a fabulous review! You guys are amazing and the reason we keep writing this story! We love hearing your feedback and love the incentive to keep writing - it keeps me especially eager to try my hardest to type up a new chapter and post it for you guys! So... YOU'RE THE BEST! Thanks okay, now you can go back to reading. :)
Disclaimer: Do we look like James Patterson? No? Good. Keep reading. If you said "yes", Max will personally come and kick your butt. Thank y'all! (AKA all rights go to James Patterson).
And we're off!
Chapter 3:
Flashback (A/N refresher; w/e you want to call it - just to refresh your memory):
Dylan's POV
A cold breeze swept by us, sending her hair flying, and creating a halo around her perfect angel face. I open my mouth to tell her that I was just kidding, but, instead of the lie came the truth.
"Max, I love you."
Max's POV
I look up and search Dylan's face. His face is none-too-discreetly turned away. I can see the tip of his ear is bright, bright red. It's something I figured out fairly quickly. Whenever Dylan is embarrassed or angry his cheeks flush and his ears turn maraschino cherry red. I reach over and place my hand on his arm. Slowly, he turns his face to meet mine. His eyes are tender and filled with something else I can't place. Hope? I ignore this and wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself closer.
"I love you too." I say, my voice a little higher than usual in surprise. My heart, warm with gratitude towards this boy who has always been there for me ever since the 2nd grade. I couldn't have asked for a better guy-friend!
"You do?" He pulls away and surprise and wonder light up his face. His broad lips break into a dazzling smile.
"Of course, I do! How can I not? You such an amazing guy, Dylan. I'm so glad I was paired up with you in 2nd grade. Remember? I was supposed to lead you around school on your first day?" I exclaim not wanting to hold back the flood of emotion I feel toward our deep friendship.
"Uh... yeah." Now he just sounds plain confused. His brows knit together as if he's trying to figure out a difficult math problem.
"You and J.J. are the best! I love you guys so much, you're like practically the brother and sister I never had, well besides Ari, but he's so young! I'm sure J.J. will let me stay at her place while my father, Anne, and Ari move to Arizona." I prattle on, half my mind already far away trying to figure out if J.J.'s room would be able to hold another twin bed. Hmm... maybe if we moved all her bookshelves (filled with those Manga books she's obsessed with) and the bean bag chairs!
Dylan's POV:
Hurt, anger, and resentment coursed through me.
"How could I have been so stupid! This is Max we're talking about. Why did I even have the slightest inclination that she might actually be in love with me? What was worse was that she thought I meant that I loved her, like a brother or a cousin or something, not that I was in love with her."
These bitter thoughts sprint their way across my mind. Part of me is relieved. Our friendship isn't messed up. Things aren't awkward (kinda), they will go back to the way they're used to (maybe), everything will be okay (possibly).
"NO! Everything will not be okay! You just poured our your heart and soul to this girl and she totally took it the wrong way," another voice in my head chimed in, oh so cheerfully.
"No, not heart and soul. He just admitted the pent up feelings for this girl in the totally wrong way!" Wow, even the voices in my head don't like me. Sheesh!
"Dylan? Dylan? Earth to Dylan!" Max says smiling, waving her hand in front of my face.
"Oh... yeah what's up? Sorry, I zoned out." Yep, that's a good way to smooth things over. Pretend nothing unusual happened.
"I was just explaining to you that I sadly don't think that Jeb will let me back out of this one. Maybe if I go along with him he'll buy me a car when I get my permit." Max says dejectedly.
"Uh, yeah. I'm seriously going to miss you." Wow, way to "smooth things over". I'm such an idiot.
"I know right? If he does not let you guys visit I will kill him!" Max exclaims.
"You know you better get back if you ever want to see that car and permit." I say. I need to get away. This has been too much.
"Uh, yeah I guess I should go." She sounded slightly confused. I got up brushed the sand from my jeans and headed back up to the sidewalk. I heard Max get up behind me and dust herself off. Her light footsteps echoed behind mine. She may be fast, but now that I've grown I have really long legs. I know it took her a big effort to try and keep up with my long strides.
I paused as I reached a fork in the street. I almost thought of leaving her there and turning to the left, in the direction of my house, but I didn't want her to be left alone in the dark. You never knew what was lurking in darkened alleyways. LA may be sunny during the day, but it becomes another world at night.
"Well, I'll see you around..." I said awkwardly as we reached her doorstep.
"Yeah, totally." She said back, and turned to the doorway. Do I think she even reconsidered and turned back towards me? I don't know, I didn't look back.
I don't think this night could have been any worse.
*ooOoo*
Max's POV
"NO! MAAXX!" J.J. was screaming, almost right into my ear. "You can't leave me alone with HIM!" she yelled, pointing at Dylan.
"What's so wrong about Dylan?" I asked with a smirk on my face.
"Well, nothing is actually wrong with him, it's just that he's a guy."
"Well, you two can become the greatest girl-guy friendship out there." I sighed as I slowly lifted my duffel bag onto my back.
"Oh, here. Lemme help you with that." Dylan said as he grabbed it from my hands and swung it over his right shoulder. He seemed to have recovered from his lapse at the beach the other night. No use pondering it now. I was about to fly right into my personal hell. A life without them. I would be plenty busy trying to get Jeb to move us back here.
"Oh, thanks." I smiled and lifted up the handle to my suitcase. Wow, I would miss them them like nothing else in the world... I just couldn't stand the thought of a new school, new people, new house, new EVERYTHING. But was this my fault? Nope. Was it Jeb's? Bulls eye.
*ooOoo*
"Next!" One of the flight attendants from the desk called over to us. Her blond hair was pulled back in a preppy pony tail and a full tooth fake smile beamed at us. I guess she thought it to be welcoming but she looked like one of those people right off a loony farm. Even better, one of those "Barbie as (insert occupation of your choice)". White tooth smile, perfect hair, and 100% FAKE. Wow, normally I don't actually notice other people, let alone give them a second look. This is really messing with my head! Ugh, she's still beaming. Giving J.J. and Dylan my final hugs goodbye, I grab Ari's hand and headed into the jet way. Ari and I were going to sit together on the plane, while Jeb and Anne could sit by themselves, in the dark corner of 'Max's To-Scream-At-Later-When-The-Chance-Arrives' seats behind us.
It was nicely air-conditioned and the seats were my favorite type of blue-navy, of course. With all the leg room from the first class seats that Jeb's secretary had likely nabbed for us, and my purple iPod, I would be all set for the flight to hell. As I glanced out the window, over Ari's feathery head, I saw the little lights. That would be LA get smaller and smaller before it disappeared entirely beneath the heavy blanket of clouds. I sat back and cranked the volume up.
This should be an interesting plane ride...
Well, I hope your looking forward to some hilarious incidents happening on one flight. How many Max's does it take to screw up a plane ride? Oh, that's right - ONE! The only thing next chapter is going to be about is the flight on the plane, getting off the plane, and maybe meeting some new...neighbors, or classmates, or future BF's (EEEK!), not to give out too much! x]
Fly on!
Mx2Blue326 and NarutoLover7890