Disclaimer: I wish I was cool enough to be JP.
A/N: You guys are awesome, the number of reviews I receive is insane (: xXalltimeloveXx, are you reading my mind? (; Anyhow, your wish has been granted, even though I wrote this before I got your review. (: Oh, and the song Max was playing/singing last chapter was Know The Enemy by Green Day (: Enjoy!
"Hey, guys!" Iggy hailed us from where he was stood with Dylan, Sam, Ella and Nudge. Me and Fang had managed to survive both Art and Drama without arguing (too loudly) about who was going to rule the world (me), or any more encounters with Lissa.
"Yo," Fang did the nodding thing, and I came very close to slapping him, because it should be impossible for someone to do that without trying.
"Hey!" I grinned and slapped them all a high-five as Fang gave Iggy a lip twitch.
"Fang, Ella. Ella, Fang. Nudge, Fang. Fang, Nudge." Iggy went round the group, introducing everyone in the same strangely confusing and typically stupid way. Anyone else notice he introduced Ella first?
"Fang thinks he's gonna rule the world," I rolled my eyes, especially as Ella snickered.
"Have you seen her bedroom? She's already bombed it! It's just a matter of time before she starts everywhere else..." So much for sisterly support. The guys snickered and Fang gave me one of those half-smiles while Ella slapped Nudge's palm in a high-five.
"I'll make you go cry in the emo corner," I warned as I raised my hand threateningly. Ella immediately shied away, giggling.
"Leave me alone!"
"Never!" I vowed as I grabbed her and started tickling her around her neck; she's especially ticklish round there, as me and Mum had found out. Excellent threat.
"Max... please... stop!" she managed to gasp out between giggles. Everyone was watching on amusedly as I expertly twisted her round and caught her in a headlock.
"You sorry?"
"Maybe..." I tightened my lock, just enough so it'd hurt a little, but not enough to really choke her or anything. I'd never hurt one of us. Actually, that said, I wouldn't really hurt anyone, unless they were really threatening me. I'm not like that. I'm tough, but I'm not cruel.
"What about now?"
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" I released her, laughing. She glared at me and rubbed her neck. "You'll pay for that," she said darkly.
"Right," I raised my eyebrows cockily.
"You will!"
"Of course I will." I rolled my eyes again, then turned to Fang. "Coming to get a drink with me? I'll show you the caf."
He nodded silently, then stood. How can you be that quiet? I mean, seriously? Nudge would explode if she even tried.
"Bye, you two..." Ella said suggestively, winking at me. Oh God. I can only imagine the conversations we'll be having later, though I can assure you they'll be made up mainly of threats. None serious, but still.
"See you in math, Max!" Iggy grinned. I was physically restrained by Sam from going over there and slapping the smirk straight off of his face.
"My army will destroy you, Ig!" was my parting shot as Fang and I walked into the huge crowd of people gathered around the door. Crap. Did I mention I'm kind of claustrophobic? People started pressing into me, shoving me this way, and that, and in the end I just gave up trying to make my way in any particular direction, just letting the crowd move me and trying not to hyperventilate. I just don't like small, enclosed spaces, okay? Mum said it was something to do with being locked into a dog kennel by someone when I was really little.
It seemed like forever, but I finally emerged from the crowd into the cafeteria, which was, ironically enough, almost free of people. I say that because I don't include slavs as people; they're like mindless clones whose minds have a one-track mind: boys. Actually, I take that back. They have a two-track mind: boys, and which oompa-looma was easiest to blackmail make-up out of. I swear they wear stage make-up. No joke.
Once I'd gotten over my claustrophobic moment, I started looking for Mr Tall, Dark and Silent. He wasn't too hard to spot: he was easily one of the tallest guys around, and he didn't have a crewcut. That immediately ruled out half of the males in our school, seeing as they're all brawn and no brain. Idiots. See, Iggy, Sam and Dylan are idiots too, but they're my idiots.
"Hey. Fang!" I called over to him where he stood, watching his feet intently. What's gotten into—oh. "Oh, Lissa, babes! I didn't see you there!" I mocked her and Brigid, speaking in a falsetto voice, all dramatic hand-gestures, as I came to stand beside Fang. She narrowed her heavily made-up eyes at me, but this time, the bright pink powder on her eyelids was slightly too powerful for my eyes. I keep my distance from their neon-colours when I can.
"Max." she said my name like I was vermin, which, last time I checked, I'm pretty I'm not. But then, I didn't look in a mirror every five seconds like some people I could mention, so it could've all changed since this morning when I cleaned my teeth.
"What's up, babe?" I gave her my biggest, fakest smile. Fang wasn't fooled, though, I could see his lips twitching.
"Oh piss off, Maximum," she said my full name like an expletive. And you know what? I think it'd be pretty damn cool if it was. An expletive, I mean. Hahahah. Imagine that. "Whenever you feel like dumping the losers, and hanging around with a real girl... call me." she flicked a piece of paper at him, not watching as he let it fall, fluttering, to the floor. Then she stalked off, shooting me the bird, back to her own little army of clones.
"Lucky you," I said sarcastically to Fang as I leant down to retrieve the paper Lissa'd thrown. As I'd suspected, her phone number was scrawled across it in pink glittery gel pen, a small lip-stick mark in the shape of her lips underneath it. Lissa's logo. "Ew."
"Tell me about it," Fang groaned. I glanced up at him.
"You're used to this?"
"Sort of," he shrugged. Well, I wouldn't be surprised. The boy wasn't bad-looking, as far as boys went. "What do you want her number for, anyway?"
"Oh, she's my best friend! I lost it the other day." He rolled his eyes.
"Max."
"What?"
"What evil plan are you concocting?" Damn, this guy'd known me for a day, and he could already see right through me.
"Prank calls," I winked, then grabbed a drink from one of the coolers, throwing a couple of coins at one of the lunch ladies. She caught them with a smile. Hey, everyone loves me. Deal with it.
"Max, you're not seriously-"
"Yes, yes I am."
"...You're evil, you know."
"Thank you. I thought you'd have learnt that by now." I rolled my eyes, and he glanced at me again with one of those killer half-smiles.
"Yup," he said, just as the bell went.
"Math," I pushed a door open, and he surprisingly caught it, holding it open for me courteously. Gentleman Fang. Hahaha.
"I thought Iggy said we had it last." I gritted my teeth audibly.
"Iggy. Is. Not. In. My. Math."
He chuckled, and- wait. He chuckled? Well, shiver me timbers (I had a pirate moment. Leave me alone), isn't that the first time I've heard him laugh? I probably shouldn't make a point of it, because that would just be awkard and embara-
"Did you just laugh?"
Smooth Max, real smooth. He looked at me like I was insane (it's not my fault).
"Yeah," he said like I was mentally retarded (okay, first insane, now mentally retarded. What is this, imply insult Max day?). "It's a natural expression, usually used when someone finds something mildly amusing."
And people call me a smart-arse.
"Mildly?" I stared him down. "You sayin' I'm not funny?"
"No... but Michael McIntryre is, and he just joined my army."
How the hell does he manage to turn something like that into a recruitment? Seriously? This guy has issues.
"Yeah well, I have..." I'm not struggling. I'm just simply gathering my thoughts to give a completely relevant and intellectual answer. "Scooby Doo." He just looked at me. "What? He's a talking dog! What's not funny about that?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Everything?" I smacked him feebly as we came to halt outside the door, lining up with the other poor victims about to have math information going in one ear and out the other. "That reminds me of the time Angel wanted a talking dog."
I smiled at the memory; I'd bought Angel a little black Scottie dog for her fifth birthday, a couple of years ago, and she'd completely fallen in love with it, carting it about everywhere. Constantly. She'd even named it Total and clipped little felt wings onto it. Thank God he wasn't real, poor thing.
"I gave her that doll, you know," I watched him as he leaned against the wall opposite me. Again, effortlessly cool. Idiot. I hate him when he does that.
"Seriously?"
"Yup. She's in my army, you know."
His eyes widened.
"No fair."
"You can have Gazzy. Happy?"
"Very. I won't need gas bombs."
"That's barbaric!"
"Never said it wasn't," he winked as we followed the train of the students into the classroom, glowering at him.
I'm so going to kick his non-world-leader-worthy butt.
X X X
"WHERE WERE YOU IN MATH?" Iggy pretty much burst my eardrums as Jane pulled up the car next to me and Fang where we were waiting for her at the end of school. Dylan and Sam were getting lifts, but seeing as I lived next door, much to Jane's annoyance, it was kind of pointless walking all the way back.
"James," Jane chided. She was the only one that ever called him by his real name, and another reason I couldn't stick her (not literally, for you less intelligent people out there).
"For the last time, Ig," I said, clambering in beside him. "I am not in your math class."
"Skiver," Iggy muttered under his breath, not taking any notice. Fang slid (who slides into a car? It's impossible! You climb in and look clumsy as hell, everyone knows that) in beside, shutting the door behind him.
"As if," I rolled my eyes at Ig.
"Mr James wasn't pleased..." he rolled his eyes to the heavens. "Says you'll need to copy up the work missed. Shocking, Maximum, just shocking."
Okay, that was so it. I elbowed him, hard, in the stomach.
"Mum! Max's bullying me!" WTH? Wimp. Jane heaved an all-suffering sigh, probably at the thought of putting up with us both for another ten minutes. Me and Iggy are bad enough in a room with metres between us, but put us in an enclosed space where we're practically touching. World War Three (WW4 will be mine and Fang's battle, in which I, of course, will emerge victorious).
"You bully each other," she said as she took a sharp turn, throwing me into Fang, and Iggy into me. Ow. Talk about uncomfortable, Iggy was pretty much right on top of me. Can't. Breathe. Poor. Fang.
"Well, hello there," he said in a deep voice. I shoved against him, throwing him against the car door.
"Piss off," I glared as I pulled myself off of Fang, who was looking slightly breathless.
"Language, Maximum," Jane gave me a look through the rear-view mirror, using my full name because she knows it annoys the hell outta me.
"Yeah, Max," Fang whispered in my ear, one of those half-smiles visible. I rolled my eyes, and dug my shoulder into his side. Crap. Ow. I forgot he was metal. I settled for glowering at him (I'm pretty good at that) and he winked at me.
When we finally piled out of the car, Dylan and Sam were both sat on the front porch, waiting for us.
"Hey!" Sam grinned, jumping up to meet us.
"We come in peace," Dylan added, hauling himself up and rubbing his eyes a little.
"Well, I sure as hell don't," Iggy said, making no sense as usual, and earning himself a glare off Jane for language.
"Idiot," Fang rolled his eyes, stealing my line. Jane let us in, stepping in first and quickly moving to the side to avoid being trampled by the annoying ball of hypernesss that is Iggy.
"We're going to practise!" Iggy yelled as he started running up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
"No shit Sherlock," I muttered under my breath so only Fang could hear. He shot me a half-smile.
"Get a move on, Max," Sam rolled his eyes, shoving me forward a little. I kicked back with my heel, hitting him where it hurts with the back of my Converse. "Ow! Really, Max?"
"Yup," I grinned.
"I hate you, you know."
"You love me really," I winked as he raised his eyebrows in disbelief, then ran after Iggy before he could retaliate. Sam took off behind me, and I heard Dylan saying something to Fang that sounded like 'Immaturity at it's purest..." He can hardly talk, though, seeing as he's the one that got dared to wear one of Nudge's dresses and walk up and down the street in her high-heels as well. In broad daylight. See, most intelligent people would just leave it right there. Sigh. Of course, Dylan didn't. We're scarred for life.
"What song we doing?" Ig asked once we were all up in the attic (don't laugh. It's huge), sitting down behind the drumset me and Fang had helped him haul back to his house last night.
"Not bothered," Sam and Dylan replied at the same time, both of them tuning their guitars, perched on their amps.
"Max?"
"Uh..." I plugged my microphone in (I need it, considering how loud the lunatics play), considering. Not Paramore, we'd rehearsed our covers of them last night to death (I could never be sick of them, but the guys are). You Me At Six? Nah, not in the mood. Fall Out Boy? Meh. Hey, I know.
"Sam, you got Break Your Little Heart down yet?"
He grinned and nodded.
"Hellova riff, that," he winked. "But I got it covered."
The other guys gave me thumbs up, so I ran over the lyrics in my head mentally. Then I glanced at Fang, who was sat in the window. He was watching me.
"All Time Low?" he asked when he noticed me looking at him. I nodded.
"Awesome band," I said with a smile. He nodded.
"Seen them live a couple of times."
"We're better than them."
"Really?"
"Just wait and see."
With that, I nodded to Iggy, who set the beat easily. Sam came in right on time with the riff, grinning as he played. Dylan started plucking away at his base as always, keeping the other guys in line.
I took a deep breath, winked at Fang, who, if I wasn't mistaken, looked a little impressed, especially at Sam's insanely swift guitar playing, then burst into the song.
Wide awake, my mistake
So predictable
You were fake, I was great
Nothing personal
The last two lines were my favourite lyrics to sing. Ever. I'm walking
Who's laughing now?
(Who's laughing, who's laughing now?)
I'm wasted, wasting time
You talk for hours
But you're wasting lines
A pretty face but the chase
Ain't worth the prize
I built it up, then jumped into the chorus, singing it out loud and grinning at Fang as I bounced around, drawing closer, then further away from the guys. I'm gonna break your little heart Party queen, cause a scene
Watch you take the fall
Laughing all the way to the hospital
'Cause there's nothing surgery can do
When I break your little heart in two
I'm gonna break your little heart in two
So ridiculous
Little dress, maybe less
So conspicuous
The music was charging me, lifting me, as it always did. Sam was playing along with me now, learning into me when I came close. You're falling I'm gonna break your little heart
Who's crashing now?
(Who's crashing, who's crashing now?)
I'm wasted, wasting time
I'm moving on
But you're left behind
A pretty face with the chace
Ain't worth the price
Watch you take the fall
Laughing all the way to the hospital
'Cause there's nothing surgery can do
I'm gonna break your little heart
Show you to the door
Sew yourself shut
Now you're begging for more
'Cause there's nothing surgery can do
When I break your little heart in two
Up and down, up and down. The floorboards were creaking, but none of us cared as the guys started jumping along with me, just enjoying ourselves. 'Cos hey, if you can't have fun with your best friends, who can you have fun with? Don't be so sentimental, no
This is love is accidental, so
Give it up
This was never meant to be
More than a memory for you
Sam burst into another solo, almost equal in difficulty to the one he'd had to master in Misery Business. Hell, he could play guitar. I'm gonna break your little heart
Watch you take the fall
Laughing all the way to the hospital
'Cause there's nothing surgery can do
(When I break your little heart in two)
I'm gonna break your little heart
Show you to the door
Sew yourself shut
Now you're begging for more
'Cause there's nothing surgery can do
When I break your little heart in two
We finished like we had yesterday, a final head-bang scrambling my mind for a few seconds. Then slow applause came from Fang, who really did look impressed.
"You're good," he acknowledged. And believe me, even just that from Fang is like God's praise. "But you look like you could need another guitar player."
Yeah, that was exactly why I'd been practising my ass off with Amy at every chance I got. So I could help the band more. And plus, I'd been jealous of Sam's skills.
"You play?" Sam asked, surprised.
"Yeah!" Iggy answered for him, looking excited. "Show him. Fang rocks."
"And you'd know how?" Sam questioned as he passed his pride and joy to Fang. He'd saved up for months to buy that thing.
"Webcam," Ig shrugged. "He's good. Seriously good."
I rocked back on my heels as Fang started fingering the strings, finding the right places for his fingers. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. I was meant to just bring Amy in one time, enjoying the guys' shock at seeing her, then astound them with my home-learnt riffs (I'm just that awesome)...
Then his fingers started moving. They were clumsier than Sam's, but they were quicker, too. His head moved left to right as he played Beat It by MJ without a single missed note. Damn. He was good. He glanced up as he let the last note ring, then handed the guitar back over to Sam, shoving his hands in his pockets as we clapped. He was embarrassed. Modest.
"Wow," Dylan clapped him on the back, grinning.
"You're awesome!" Sam exclaimed as he turned his baby over in his hands, checking for places with even a hint of dullness (he shines the thing every night. Yeah, he's an idiot).
"Told you so," Iggy smiled smugly. "So, Max... can he join?"
"What?" I was shocked, I'll admit it.
"Can he join the band?" he repeated slowly, like I was an extra-thick little kid (okay... oh, shut up).
"Since when was that an audition?"
"It wasn't," Iggy rolled his eyes. "But Fang said it: we need another guitarist. Give him a shot?"
"But..."
"It's not like you guys aren't close already. So what's the problem?" Exactly the thing I'd thought about the pair of them earlier. Ironic.
"There isn't one, he's pretty damn good," I conceded. "But I've already given in the sheet for Friday, and we aren't allowed any changes or substitutions... maybe after, though?"
"Oh," Iggy said, disappointed. All the guys looked let down, actually. Hey, so was I. I wanted Fang in just as much as anybody else. Just... it wasn't like I'd hoped for it, or anything. He wasn't one of us just yet.
"Don't sweat it," Fang shrugged. "It's cool. Afterwards, sure."
Of course Iggy had already told Fang about the band slam. Of course he would be coming. Of course.
We were just discussing the set list for Friday (with Fang's help), when there was a light tap on the door and Jane walked in.
"Out, you guys. It's a nice day, and you've been rehearsing too much lately, anyway. You'll be fine. Get out."
WTF? We were getting kicked out for practising too much? How the hell did that work? Jane glared at me like she could hear my thoughts and started literally sheepherding us out, like actually pushing me. I'm telling you, I'm filing an assault file with the police first thing tomorrow. I'm not joking.
Iggy protested multiple times, but in the end Jane just gave him a fiver to shut him up, enough for ice-cream for all of us. Hmm... something's up. Normally she doesn't mind us practising, as long as we don't interrupt her yoga (what is it about saying one word that isn't a real word repeatedly and contorting your legs? Do enlighten me) and she was pretty stingy about money.
Something tells me she's up to something... and it can't be good, knowing Jane.
"So what do we do now?" Dylan grumbled once we were wandering the streets aimlessly.
"Music store?" Sam suggested. We all shot it down, seeing as, quite frankly, none of us could be arsed walking to town.
"Café?" Fang shrugged.
"Nah, Lissa hangs around there."
"Ugh."
"Yeah," I seconded. "Hey, we could always go skating!" It was like a band tradition. Every Friday, after school, we'd go to the local skate park, and tear up the ramps with our boards. Obviously we couldn't do it this week, though, thanks to the Band Slam, and we had nothing better to do...
"Might as well," Ig shrugged. "Did we all leave our boards?" We all nodded, thinking of the wood with wheels we'd spent hours pouring over, painting every last millimetre to perfection. Besides our instruments, which would always be number one in our hearts, they were like our children.
Fang didn't complain, so we all traipsed down to the park, bored as hell and wishing we were still practising.
"Hey," Fang nudged me with his shoulder, and I looked up at him, so not in the mood. To my surprise, he gave me one of those smiles that seem to light up the world just a little bit. "I recruited Harry Potter."
"No way! He so sticks with Dumbledore!" I protested.
"Not this time."
"Fine..." I muttered, sounding like an angry three year-old (it's my speciality). "Malfoy kicks his butt any day of the week, anyway."
"I get Ron."
"Hermione beats him, hands down!"
"Whatever you say. Lockhart."
"He's insane! Fine, I get Voldermort."
"That is so completely unfair it's amazing."
"What? You should've claimed him earlier," I smirked. "You would've thought that the Lord of Darkness would be the first person you recruited."
"...I hate you." he muttered darkly, but the spark in his eyes said otherwise.
"You know you don't," I grinned before running to catch up with the guys, who'd typically run ahead. I heard Fang's almost silent footsteps behind me, and smiled. Weird. It'd been a day, maybe even less, and already it was like he just fit in. Like he was a piece of the puzzle we'd never known we were missing, but now he was here, he just slotted in like he'd been there all along. It felt good.
A/N: Sorry, I couldn't think of a way to end it, but hey ho. The song was Break Your Little Heart by All Time Low, and the riff in it really is awesome. Such a freaking catchy song (;
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