A/N: I know I was supposed to update yesterday, but obviously that didn't happen. Sorry, but I didn't get home until late and then I had to do homework and shower and eat. So it just didn't happen. I'll update again tomorrow to make up for it. A guest wrote a review for this story with a song that actually does represent what's going on in this story really well. So if you want to check that out it's She Calls This Love by Reece Mastin. Check that out if you feel like it. Anyway here's chapter 3 and Fang and Max talk in this chapter!

Max shuffled into first period followed by Mark, right as the bell rang. They both looked like rag dolls. They both had a black eye and bruises all over. They limped slightly and both seemed to favor one side. Max had a Coke in her hand, seems to be a little early for soda.

They both moved to their desks and sat down with pained expressions on their faces. Mrs. Torres looked them over worriedly, but obviously decided not to say anything.

Mrs. Torres started off her lesson and I forced myself to stay engrossed in her words to distract myself from Max. I did happen to noticed that Max was taking sips of her Coke frequently and seemed to be getting a little more and more out of it.

The phone rang and Mrs. Torres rushed towards the phone right as Max raised her hand into the air lazily.

"Hello, Nancy Torres," Mrs. Torres answered. She held up a finger to Max as she made a noise to let the lady on the phone know she was listening. "Ok, thanks Pam." Mrs. Torres hung up the phone.

"Yes, Max?" Mrs. Torres asked.

"Can I go to the nurse?" Max asked. Mrs. Torres looked hesitant until she looked over Max's bruises and then nodded and wrote a pass. Max stood up shakily and threw her backpack over her shoulder.

"Nick, they need you in the guidance," Mrs. Torres told me as she tore off Max's pass and put it at the end of her desk. I sighed and stood up. Why could they need me in guidance?

Max stumbled over to the desk and it was then that I knew the Coke she was holding onto wasn't Coke. She's drunk. Mrs. Torres looked at her worriedly.

"Are you ok, Max?" Mrs. Torres asked her.

"Sure," Max slurred.

"Nick would you mind taking Max to the nurse on your way down to guidance?" Mrs. Torres asked me as she handed me my pass. Max threw her head back in laughter.

"I don't think-"

"Nick," Mrs. Torres warned. "I think she's a little light headed. I want to make sure she gets down to the nurse ok."

I felt a headache coming on.

"Fine," I mumbled and grabbed my pass out of Mrs. Torres' hand. Max stumbled out the door and I followed her.

Once we got out into the cool hallway I grabbed the Coke can from Max's hand. I sniffed it and the smell of alcohol assaulted my nose.

"You're drunk," I said thrusting the can back towards her. I got mad all over again and headed straight down the hall. I heard Max's footsteps follow me, heavy with Jack Daniel's.

"Good job, Sherlock," she replied sarcastically.

I just shook my head and kept my head facing straight ahead.

"I know you're not actually going to the nurse," I said, ignoring her drunken sarcasm. "So I'm not going to bother bringing you there."

"You're really on a roll today." Her voice was sarcastic again. "Nothing gets past you detective."

I spun on her and she froze in her spot. She gave me a slow devilish smile and my heart ached for her, but my mind overruled.

"Fuck off," I spat at her. I need to keep my distance from this girl.

"I kind of miss talking to you," she said simply.

I ignored her and kept walking straight ahead.

"I love you," she said breezily.

"No you don't," I mumbled. I love her though. I shouldn't love her, but I do.

"I'm pretty sure I do," she insisted. I looked back her to find her hopping unsteadily from tile to tile on the ground. She looked up when she noticed I had stopped walking. She met my eyes. Her eyes were so familiar that I found comfort in them. She smiled the kind of smile that a kid smiles when they get away with something. I also found comfort in the feeling I got at the sight of her smile.

"Why bother?" I asked gesturing to the Coke can in her hand.

"I can't get through a class with you without it," she said and she tossed the can in the trash can. It made a loud bang in the empty hallway. "But now that I'm talking to you I don't really need it."

I rolled my eyes and started on my way again. I guess nothing has changed. Max still needs alcohol and cigarettes more than she needs me.

"I know what you're thinking," she said making me come to an abrupt halt. I turned to face her and raised my eyebrows. She knew I was ready to hear whatever she had to say and I'm sure she knew that I wouldn't be easily swayed. "You're thinking I'm too crazy about that shit. I am a little crazy about it, but I'm addicted, and you know that. But I was more addicted to you so when you left I had to substitute you with something else. You're worse than my Marlboros."

I looked her over. Max is a good liar, but she's not lying. I don't know how I know, but I do.

"So I'll tell you what," I told her strongly. "If you quit smoking, and I mean really quit, I might be able to forgive you."

"You might be able to forgive me?" She questioned sounding a little ticked yet unemotional at the same time.

"That," I said pointing to the trash can that held her discarded Coke. "Is the reason you did what you did, or at least that's what you claimed. I love you, Max, but I can't be with someone who is going to cheat on me."

She nodded and then nodded again, a little stronger.

"I can do that," she said quickly.

"Don't talk to me until you have," I said sternly. She reached into the side pocket of her backpack and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She looked up at me almost like she was in pain and sighed. I held out my hand and she slammed the pack into my hand.

She cleared her throat. "Can I have the lighter back?"

I glanced at her before opening the top and folding it back. Inside, her unused cigarettes were lined up with the ends facing up to me. The lighter was slammed into a space that used to be occupied by cigarettes and I slipped it out. I tossed the lighter over to her and she caught it even in her drunken haze. I knew she was sober enough to know what was going on and to be able to think relatively logically.

"So we have a deal then?" I asked her. For both of our sakes I hope she can be strong enough to do this.

She nodded and looked at the pack in my hand longingly, but then she looked up at me and smiled.

"You have to earn trust, Max," I told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Been talking to my father lately?"

I didn't even humor her.

"I have to get down to guidance," I told her. "Are you all set with the nurse?"

"I was actually going to go smoke, but I guess not now," she told me. "I'll just go back to class."

"I have some Advil," I said. Her bruises did look painful, but I'm so used to seeing her beat up that I barely notice it now. I hate saying it, but it's true.

"Selling it or something?" She questioned with a smirk.

"I upped my work-out, I've been sore," I explained as I pulled my backpack around to get the pills. I don't think I'll ever stop taking care of Max. Even now we're not even dating and I'm taking care of her. I pulled the pills out of my backpack and poured two into my hand. I grabbed my water bottle out of the side of my backpack and unscrewed it for the first time today.

"GHB?" She asked with another smirk.

I handed her the water and the pills.

"We both know I wouldn't have to drug you to get you to sleep with me," I said. It was a bit of dig, but she didn't respond, just slapped the pills into her mouth and took two long gulps of my water. She still didn't deny what I said. I knew I could get Max to sleep with me if I wanted to. I wouldn't even have to commit or anything, I know she would do it if I asked. Even though she broke my heart, I still love and respect her enough to never do that to her.

"If you're waiting for me to deny it, I won't," she finally said. "I'd do anything for you, Fang." I felt the same way. If Max said she needed me to drive to Canada I would.

"I'm going to go to guidance," I mumbled and pointed behind me.

I walked away from Max quickly. Any more conversation with her might just make me lose whatever self-control I had left. I can't just get back with Max. I can't just forget what she did. I might love her, but that doesn't mean I like her.

I pushed into the guidance office and walked right past the office lady without a word. She was on the phone and not worth waiting for when I already knew where I was going. I headed down a straight hallway and back until I reached the last door on the right. It was cracked open and I walked straight in.

"Ah, Nick!" My counselor said enthusiastically. She stood up only to sit down when I sat down in front of her desk. "How's the start of the year treating you?"

Her hair was greying and her glasses were firmly planted on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes focused on me and only me. It was almost like she cared. I felt like telling her the beginning of my year has been horrible.

"Fine," I told her.

"Well, I'm going to make this quick since I pulled you out of class," she said. She pulled a packet of information out and opened it for me. "There's going to be a field trip next month with only thirty kids. It's all about computers and technology. I thought of you when I saw the information." As much as I hated it, it made me feel good that she thought of me. At least someone seems to care, even if it's her job to. Now I sound like a freaking idiot. Max is killing me.

My counselor pointed out a few key points and then handed the packet over to me.

"So think about it," she said calmly. "Don't feel any pressure, but just know that the spots are limited and it's first-come-first-serve."

"Ok, thanks," I said. I wanted to get out of this office. I felt like just filling out the forms in front of her. I would go. Any excuse to get out of school, and I like computers. I'm really not seeing the negative. "Is that all?"

"That's it for me," she said patting the packet. I stood up and pushed my chair in. I handed her my pass to sign and she gave it back after a couple swirls of a pen.

"Thank you," I told her. "I'll talk with my mom tonight."

She nodded and smiled before waving at me as I left her office. I hadn't realized how tense I had been in that office until my whole body relaxed once I shut the door behind me. I glanced at the clock on the wall. No point in going back to science now. There's only five minutes left of first period. For half a second I debated going to find Max but then I decided against it. I've reach my healthy Max quota today.

I was walking out to the parking lot after staying after school to take the science quiz I missed this morning while in guidance. All things Ride were waiting to hit me with memories when I walked out the doors.

Mark was parked by the front of the school unloading kids to give them to Max. Max was dressed in her soccer cleats and shin guards and some athletic shorts with an old t-shirt. I couldn't help but smile when I saw Mark hand Ace over to Max and Max beamed at him. He got so big. It's so weird to see him now babbling onto Max about nothing. He held a sippy cup in his right hand and looked around. As I walked closer I couldn't help but focus on Ace.

"Alright," Mark said quickly. "Thanks, Max."

"Remember that you owe me," she told him as she bounced Ace and he smiled back at her. "Say bye-bye."

Ace looked at Mark and flapped his hand. Mark smiled and waved at him before waving goodbye to all the other kids. I kept enough of a distance that they wouldn't notice me. I didn't want to talk to the kids. I missed them enough already and I didn't need to remind myself of just how much I missed them.

I watched as Max took control of the kids. Gazzy, Angel, and her little cousin Joey were hyper and excited but she held them in control. She let Ace poke her eye and shove his finger in her nose. I watched them walk across the parking lot in one big row holding hands together. I guess they had to watch Max's soccer practice because she led them over to the field and got them all set up in the bleachers. I walked to my car and slipped in. When I drove by, I looked over at the kids one last time. Gazzy was holding Ace in his lap while playing on his Gameboy and Angel and Joey were bent over a phone that I'm sure was Max's.

I drove out of the parking lot in a hurry. I wanted so badly to go over there and grab Max and slam my lips to hers. I wanted to tell her I forgave her and I wanted to hold Ace and play baseball with Gazzy and spin Angel as she danced. I wanted Joey to catch Max and I in the middle of making out and then point to his bare chest and tell me that we match. I'm in love with Max and everything that comes with her.

A/N: Did you guys like that Fang is making Max quit smoking before he'll get back with her? Hopefully you do because that's what's happening. Like I said I'll most likely update tomorrow but it is Halloween and I'm definitely going out so it might not happen. REVIEW PLEASE!