Late update? Yes. Am I sorry? Yes. It's probably because of all the work I have to do... and the fact that I try to make the chapters of this story kinda longer.

Reviewers! I love you! You guys are just amazing. I appreciate all your comments so much.

Plus... one of you asked if this is going to have Fax in it. I probably didn't say... YES! This is a Fax story! I've got some pretty... well... interesting and sweet scenes between Max and Fang typed up already.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Happy reading! x

I stared up at the fan on my ceiling, watching the blades turn around and around, hypnotizing me into a sense of oblivion. I couldn't help letting the thoughts run through my mind as I lay motionless, my fingers playing with the material of my duvet. It felt like someone was wheeling the same freeze frames through my head again and again-

Jeb's confused face.

Sandra's embarrassed face.

Fang's amused face.

Mum's... disappointed face. Had I gone too far? Was this mess my fault? It couldn't be, right? It was Jeb! What kind of a person comes back home after years and years without any kind of communication whatsoever?

I couldn't be expected to treat that with respect.

I slipped my legs out from beneath the duvet and sat up, stretching my back until it cracked. I padded out into the hall and stood outside Mum's bedroom door, shifting my feet nervously and waiting for some sound to indicate she was awake. Nothing. I sighed and grudgingly prepared for school.

In half an hour, I had downed a glass of juice and was dressed in my worn school uniform – the grey skirt, white blouse and navy blazer that was torn at the cuffs. I struggled with my navy and gold striped school tie before running out of the door and banging it hard behind me to let Mum know I was gone.

I loosened the tie distractedly as I entered the school grounds ten minutes later, keeping my eyes peeled for the back of Ella's head. I saw her eventually. Her back was turned to me, and I saw her shoulders shake gently as I approached, obviously laughing at something the person opposite her had just said.

I yelled her name, but she didn't seem to here.

"ELLS!"

Finally she looked over her shoulder. I grinned and waved...

My grin faltered as I got closer. Ella turned so I could see the entirety of the huge smile on her face.

"Hey Max!" She stepped forward. I had stopped moving by now, staring over her shoulder at the person she had been talking to.

"Um..." I looked back to Ella. "What're you-"

"You know Nudge, right?"

My gaze fixated on the fidgeting girl. What – what was Nudge doing here? In my school? Talking to my best friend? Staring at her feet like she was too fucking scared to even face me!

"Why are you here?"

It came out harsher than I had intended. Ella stared at me, confusion in her face, while Nudge cleared her throat slightly awkwardly and shifted her feet.

"I-"

"What do you mean?" Ella demanded. I looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What do I mean?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "This is her first day. Nice welcome."

"She's Jeb's adopted daughter!" My voice cracked slightly at the end. I turned back to Nudge. "What are you doing here?"

She mumbled something.

"What?"

"Max."

I ignored Ella and continued to glare at Nudge.

"I- I go to school here."

Silence.

"You've got to be kidding."

"Max!"

"What?" I turned on Ella, my eyes flashing, my stomach hurting. What was Jeb's problem? Why couldn't he and his family just get on with their lives and not include me? I didn't want to meet them. I didn't want them to go to my school. I did not want Nudge to talk to El-

"How could you be so bloody rude?"

What?

"What?"

"Nudge has just arrived in this town, in this school, and you come in and make a big deal of her even being here!" Ella was waving her arms around wildly. I felt my jaw slacken slightly. "What's your problem?"

I waited. I breathed. I tried to breath. Kind of difficult when you just want to strangle you're supposed best friend for not being on your side.

"My problem." My eyes narrowed. "My problem is that I don't have a Dad and she" I pointed accusingly at Nudge, "does."

Ella stepped forward and touched my arm gently. I continued to glare at her regardless.

"It's not her fault." She said gently.

Woah.

"Have fun without me." I muttered, before slinging my bag back over my shoulder and turning on my heel to march away from them. A strange tight feeling consumed me from inside. Me and Ella hardly ever had arguments. We had a rare kind of friendship where we understood each other perfectly – we didn't need to bicker like five year olds to sort out differences. After all, it is the differences in us that makes each person individual, right?

This was different.

This wasn't about differences. This was about me and my family. Ella had always understood. Backing up the adopted daughter of my ex-father is not what I would call understanding.

I shoved open the double doors that led to the school building roughly with my shoulder and continued to storm to my first lesson. Instead of morning registration, we had started to go straight to our lessons and have it there. I stared at the ground as I walked, my fists clenched. Somewhere along the way, I managed to bump into someone and swear loudly, staring at the spilt contents of my bag in annoyance.

"Smooth."

"What are you doing here?" I was practically screaming by now. Why? I had no clue. If Nudge had moved to the school, then Fang would too, right? I sighed and rubbed my face tiredly with my hand.

Fang's mouth tugged up at the side into a crooked half smile.

"Nice to see you too."

"That wasn't what I was attempting to insinuate." I got down onto my knees and began to shove the books back in my bag. Fang picked up my homework journal and began to sift through it slowly. I glared up at him, although he probably couldn't see it, considering the fact that his face was hidden behind my journal. All I could see was his low slung jeans and black shirt.

"Give it back." I reached out a hand.

"Biology." Fang snapped the diary shut.

"Give." I waved my hand impatiently and Fang smirked, dropping it so some papers fell out. I sighed again. Why? Why me?

"Coming?"

"What?"I stood up and pulled my bag with me.

"Biology." He said again, smirking at me like I was some sort of idiot. I wasn't. I just got it.

WE HAD BIOLOGY TOGETHER.

"Get yourself another escort." I grunted, pushing past him.

Fang didn't seem to be in the mood for following instructions. I heard the light padding of his feet as he walked after me. I tried my best to ignore him, but annoyance got the better of me and I spun around, facing him angrily. We were only a few feet away from the Biology lab.

"Listen." I said quietly. "I don't want you to be here. I don't want anyone to know that I have anything to do with you or your family in any shape or form. I just want things to be the way they were before. That's not too much to ask, right?"

He didn't speak. He simply looked down at me, his eyes flickering over my face with a slight glint in them, like I was somehow amusing him.

"Just please, after this, leave me alone?"

Fang grinned and raised his hand in a two finger salute. "Yes, sir."

I rolled my eyes and turned to push the door open to the Biology lab. Professor Lanks looked up when I entered. I smiled tentatively at him. The professor was a great guy – he was one of those cool scientists who are old with white, wild hair and gold rimmed glasses perched on the ends of their noses. His lab coat seemed to be surgically attached to him. We always had got on pretty well.

"Max." He smiled and waved. "Welcome."

I was about to move to sit down when I remembered Fang. I sighed and glanced up at him before clearing my throat to gain the professor's attention. "This is Fang. He's new."

"Really." Professor Lanks moved forward and took hold of Fang's hand, looking straight up into his eyes. Fang's mouth quirked up at one side in what some people may think was a charming smile. "Are you a scientist, young man?"

Fang laughed quietly. "I enjoy it."

The professor nodded. "So does Max. Sit next to her."

"What?" I stared at him in horror.

"You'll be showing Fang around, am I correct? Stick with him in the lab. I can see you two doing great things together."

"You don't even know him!" I protested.

The professor turned away from me and waved away my comment. "At the back."

I groaned and looked at the two seats side by side at the back of the classroom. This was not what I was going for. Fang walked ahead of me and collapsed into the seat which was mostly in the shadows. I remained where I was, mouth slightly agape.

"Max." I looked at Professor Lanks.

"Sir, I like working on my own." I said quickly. He smiled.

"Time for a change."

He didn't get it. That was the problem! Everything was changing! Too much was changing.

I huffed loudly and walked slowly to the seat next to Fang, dragging my bag along behind me. I dropped into the seat, making as much noise as possible, but the Professor seemed completely oblivious to my efforts to make a fuss and began the lesson on enzymes. I pulled out my Biology textbooks and a pen, before shifting as far away from Fang as I possibly could.

It was pointless.

The entire lesson was completely pointless. I didn't understand why it was that Fang could have this effect on me without even... doing anything. The kind of feeling when you know someone is looking at you... and then I turn to catch him in the act, but he never is looking at me. He is totally focused on Professor Lanks, which is annoyingly uncomforting.

"What's the matter?"

I jumped slightly when his warm breath hit my neck. I snapped my head around to face him, and found the two, dark magnets attached to me.

"What do you mean?" I hissed.

Fang's eyes flickered down to my notebook, where I was drawing a person lying in their own pool of blood with a knife above their head. It was pretty good, I have to say. Slightly morbid. But good.

I glared at him. "Is there something wrong with it?"

Fang raised his eyebrows. "Of course not."

"Well, shut up then."

I could see him grin in the corner of my eye.

At the end of the lesson, I stood up quickly, stuffing the books into my bag and raced out of the room without considering my customary wave and smile at Professor Lanks. Why should I say goodbye to him? I was mad. At him. At Fang. At everything. I marched to my locker, throwing it open and searching until I found the blueberry muffin I had been hoarding there in case of emergencies.

I collapsed onto the ground, legs crossed, and began to eat.

"Comfort eating, huh?"

I looked up to see Ella smiling tentatively down at me. I rolled my eyes. "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry." She lowered herself down next to me. "How was Biology?"

"Crap."

Ella didn't speak for a few moments. I wasn't surprised. I loved Biology. It was one of the few subjects I actually concentrated in. "Seriously?"

"I had to sit next to Fang."

"Fang."

"Jeb's new wife's son from her old marriage."

"Oh, Max." Ella reached out and took my hand. I didn't pull away. "I'm sorry."

I looked up to meet my best friend's gaze and smiled slightly. "I've been overreacting. I'm sorry too."

She grinned at me before somehow reaching over and swiping up half of my blueberry muffin.

I didn't do much more than glare at her. I was just happy I had my best friend back.

...

"What are they doing?" I hissed.

"I don't know. Why don't you just go over there and find out?"

"Because I don't want to talk to them."

Ella sighed. "Max, I have to go to my Extra English class. Just walk past them or something."

I chewed my lips nervously, looking out the window at Jeb's kids who were gathered together at the gates. Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, Fang... they were all there. Waiting for something... or someone.

"I have to go." Ella repeated. I sighed and looked up at her.

"Fine. See you tomorrow."

"Call me." I nodded quickly and waited for Ella to disappear before finally mustering up enough courage to step out from my hiding place into fresh air and daylight.

Don't see me, don't see me, don't see me...

I began to climb down the stairs...

Don't see me, please don't see me...

I approached the group, my eyes trained on the traffic lights on the opposite street...

Don't-

"Max!" I winced and looked at Nudge. She smiled and half waved at me. I forced a smile back and tried to ignore the eyes that were trained on me.

"Hi. Why aren't you guys going home?" I asked, shifting my backpack.

"We were waiting for you."

Brilliant.

"Oh, really?" I laughed awkwardly. "Why's that?"

"Your mum said you would walk us home." Angel said quietly. I looked at her.

"Really."

"Is that alright?" Nudge asked, looking anxious. I bit my lip.

"Mmm. Course."

We walked.

They talked.

I shut out all sound and glared at the pavement.

"You know." I looked up to see Fang walking next to me. "They like you."

I stared at him. "Who?"

He gestured in front of him. "Nudge. Angel. Even Gaz."

"I'm honoured." I muttered. Fang smirked at me. "What about you?"

Oh, jeez. I lost it there. What was I thinking? Asking Fang if he liked me... I tried to push down the embarrassed blush that was working its way up my neck.

"You're adequate."

Adequate?

"Adequate?"

He grinned. "I've seen better manners."

"Who are you to question my manners?" I demanded.

Fang continued to grin. It was actually a pretty hot grin. You know. In the least... attractive way possible. Because obviously I wasn't attracted to the idiot.

"I don't even care." I said suddenly, remembering myself. "You lot know the rest of the way. I'm off."

He didn't protest. None of them did. It was like they expected me to go storming off in the middle of our little journey home. I took the ordinary route to the Bridge and climbed onto the edge, allowing my legs to dangle down.

Peace, at last.

I sighed and lifted my head so the wind brushed against my cheeks. Darkness was just seeping into the sky.

I sat there for a while, enjoying my own company and the sound of the leaves rustling gently beneath me.

"Dinner time."

You cannot be serious...

"What's the matter with you?" I demanded, flicking my head around to look at the boy at the end of the bridge, hands in his pockets, the hood of his black jumper pulled up over his head so I could only see the slight light reflecting off his eyes.

He shrugged. "Your mum's worried."

I groaned. "Why?"

"Because it's seven thirty."

"What?" I pulled my phone from my pocket, ignoring the 10 missed calls and looked at the time. He was right. I had been out here for hours. "Crap."

I jumped up and pulled up my bag, walking past him and making sure my shoulder bumped against his. I walked for a while, listening to the sound of his feet as he followed me.

"Why did you bother?" I asked at last.

"Bother?"

I rolled my eyes although he couldn't see it. "Bother coming to get me."

He didn't speak for a while. When he did, I had to strain to hear his voice. "Your mum was worried, Max. No one knew where you were."

"Except you." I said quietly. He didn't reply.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, and Fang didn't offer a good bye when he turned off towards his house. I paused to watch him slouch away.

I couldn't help but allow my mind to dwell on his words.

It was pretty obvious what he meant by them. He thought I was a selfish brat.

I gritted my teeth and shoved open my front door, banging it closed behind me to let the neighbourhood know I was back.

She has serious issues. Like... anger management? :P don't worry I'll sort her out eventually... or more like Fang will.

So... Like? Don't? REVIEWWW! x