Chapter 6- Crazy hormones

Max's POV

School was over, but the day wasn't. I still had to work. Yes, I did say work. I worked at a News Agency in a Shopping Centre. I was fairly well paid, and the uniform wasn't too bad. But there were certain things I didn't like to put up with.

I walked out of the toilets in my uniform (long black pants with a yellow and black shirt). I made my way to the News Agency and was pleasantly surprised that Tara was working today. She was the only person I had really connected with since I had started this job here.

"Hey Tara," I called to her. No customers were in the News Agent at the moment.

"Max!" she called back to me, relief evident in her voice. "I was hoping you would be working today. I'm so bored!"

I laughed. It was amazing how a good friend could lighten your mood in an instant. Tara was so happy that it was affecting me already. I could forget about today and move on...hopefully.

I walked over and joined her behind the counter. "So, what did you do today?" I asked her with a smile. Tara was seventeen, one year older than me, and went to an all girls' school.

(A/N: Keep in mind that the procedure Max underwent took almost a year so she's fifteen, nearly sixteen, now.)

She rolled her eyes. "It's so boring going to an all girls' school," she informed me. "All anyone ever does is bitch."

I laughed.

"But I'm looking forward to this weekend," she continued.

"Why?" I asked, bewildered.

"The disco. Hopefully I'll dance with a totally hot guy…"

"That's right, the disco is this Saturday, isn't it?"

She smiled at me. "Are you going?"

"No," I said.

"Aw, why not?"

I hesitated before I replied. "I'm not really the dancing person," I told her. This wasn't exactly true. The truth was that I didn't know why I didn't want to go. I liked dancing, it's just I don't like how all the guys ask me to dance with them when I go. It's awkward and I'm never interested in any of them. I've never been really interested in any guy…until now.

"Is there something on your mind?" she asked me.

I cleared all expression off my face and shook my head.

"No, why?" I asked casually.

"You seem distracted," she said.

I shrugged, wishing that she would change the subject. I glanced away from her curious face and saw a customer walk in. I groaned and quickly ducked down behind the counter.

"I'm not here," I hissed at her.

As you've probably guessed by now, Nick had just walked into the News Agency. I didn't think he saw me (I have quick reflexes), but I could be wrong.

Tara was eyeing me like I was insane. Then she looked up and saw who had walked in. Her mouth dropped open and I heard her gasp.

"Who is that?" she whispered to me, staring at him.

"I'll tell you later," I hissed at her.

A small smile spread across her lips and she stood behind the cash register, waiting.

I heard, rather than saw, Nick approach the counter. I saw Tara take the thing he was purchasing from him (It looked like a birthday card). She was smiling a little too much.

"Hey," she said as she scanned the card, still smiling. I was a little annoyed at her obvious flirting. I wonder why that is…I shuffled slightly and tried to get a better look at what was going on.

"Hey," he said back. Then I saw the top of his head poke over the counter and look at me.

"Hey Max," Nick said, amusement in his eyes.

I heard my sharp intake of breath. How had he known?! I slowly stood up, trying to keep some of my dignity.

"You're right, Tara, I can't find it anywhere," I said, creating some ruse that he would never belief.

He grinned at me and I forgot to breathe for a second. How could anyone be that gorgeous?

"I'll have to tell the manager," Tara said, playing along. I knew that she was trying desperately not to laugh.

Tara handed over Nick's card and he handed her some money in return. She opened the cash register and placed the money inside.

"Thanks," he said to her. Then he turned to me. "See you tomorrow, Max," he said, still smiling.

I watched him leave, and then collapsed against the counter.

Wait a minute. How had he known my name?

"So, what was all that about?" Tara asked.

I sighed in defeat. "He's a new guy at our school," I explained.

"And…?" she prompted.

"You saw him."

"Oh."

"Exactly. All the girls are going crazy over him," I told her.

"Including you?"

"…Sort of," I admitted.

She grinned at me. "He is gorgeous. Too bad he's younger," she said teasingly. "So, why just sort of? Why not a definite 'yes'?"

"I don't know. I think it's my crazy hormones," I told her.

She laughed. "This is good. I was starting to worry about you, Max. You've never shown any interest in guys. For a while I thought you might be a lesbian," she admitted.

"It's just that no other guys have jumped out at me. I mean that figuratively. I don't understand why he's any different…"

"Maybe he's meant for you," she teased. I punched her playfully in the arm.

"Well," she said, becoming serious. "Maybe it's because he's new. You know how most guys you know for too long don't seem datable? Am I making any sense?"

I laughed. "I don't think it's that. I'm still fairly new to this school myself." I'd been at this school for about six months.

"Hmmm, well I don't know. But he is hot."

More customers were trickling in now, and we gave up our conversation. But just because I wasn't talking about him anymore didn't mean that I wasn't thinking about him.

Nick walked into the News Agency. He strode over to a rack with cards on it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a movement. He glanced over at the counter and saw a girl standing behind the counter, looking down at something.

His brow furrowed, but he turned back to the card rack. After a few moments of deliberation, he chose a birthday card. It was his little sister's birthday in a couple of weeks. She was having a party that he was supposed to supervise, since his dad would be working. He wasn't too happy about that. He would have to sit and watch little kids running around and screaming for the whole day. Greeat.

He approached the counter. A tall brunette smiled at him and he handed over the card.

"Hey," she said as she scanned it. He heard a shuffling sound come from behind the counter.

"Hey," he said back to the girl. Then he stuck his head over the counter and found Max.

"Hey Max," he said to her. He heard her sharp intake of breath and he inwardly smiled.

"You're right, Tara, I can't find it anywhere," she said. He grinned at her and almost laughed. Now she was trying to create some ruse so she wouldn't feel as embarrassed. He wondered why she was hiding from him in the first place.

"I'll have to tell the manager," the brunette said.

The girl named Tara handed the card back to him and he gave her the money. He glanced at Max and once again realised how beautiful she was. But he also noticed how innocent she seemed as well. But she was strong as well, that he could tell.

"Thanks," he said to Tara. "See you tomorrow, Max." He was faintly surprised that he was still smiling. He turned and walked out of the store.

He walked to the food court. He was starving. The food court contained heaps of little fast food shops and tables and chairs were situated in the middle. He quickly scanned the room and was surprised to see James, Luke and Daniel sitting at a table eating hot chips.

James raised his head and spotted him. He smiled and motioned him over with his hand. Nick walked over to them. He still wasn't sure if he liked them yet. But they seemed alright. He just had a problem with trust.

As Nick approached their table James pulled the only spare chair out. He sat down.

"What are you doing here?" James asked.

"Getting a card for my little sister," he replied.

"Is it her birthday?" Luke asked.

"Yeah."

"We're just chilling. I wanted to look at a new pair of drumsticks," Luke said.

"Is there a music store here?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. It's not very big though. It only has the basics."

"Awesome. I might check it out later," he said.

"Hey, I think I need to go to the News Agency," Daniel said with a grin. The other guys laughed and Nick couldn't help but feel like he was missing out on a joke.

James seemed to notice his confusion because he said, "Max works there. Daniel just loves to stop by and visit her."

Nick's fists clenched under the table. He forced himself to smile. What was getting into him? He was feeling way too protective of Max.

"I've got to go," he said, standing up. "Bye."

"Bye," James said in a confused voice.

Nick walked away from the table and decided it was time for him to leave the shopping Centre. He grabbed out his phone and dialled his dad's mobile.

"Hello?" his dad asked.

"Hey. Can you pick me up?"

"I can't, I'm still working. Can you walk?"

"I'm at the shops, dad."

"Yeah, I know you can walk from there. It isn't that far."

"What time do you finish work?" Nick asked.

"In half an hour."

"I'll wait till then. Can you pick me up on your way home?"

"Okay. Sure."

"Bye," he said as he closed his flip phone. He stopped walking for a moment and scanned the shops around him. He spotted the music store up ahead and decided to check it out. But as he walked past the Food Court he noticed that James, Luke and Daniel weren't there anymore. He smiled. He really was starving. He changed course and went to line up at one of the food shops.

I sighed to myself. Today had gone forever. And it was still going. Three customers walked in to Agency and headed straight for the counter. One picked up a 50 cent pack of stickers as they headed towards me.

Great. (Note the sarcasm)

Tara was off stacking shelves or something. One of the boys, someone I recognised from school, gave the packet of stickers to me.

"Hey," he said with a cheesy grin. Was that his idea of being seductive? 'Cause it sure wasn't working.

"Hey," I mumbled back as I scanned the stickers. This was the part of the job I hated. Heaps of guys came in here and flirted with me. I was totally not interested.

I handed the stickers back to him with a receipt. He grinned at me again.

"Do you have a pen?" He asked. The other guys were behind him trying not to laugh.

"Yes," I said warily. I picked up a pen and held it out to him.

"Maybe you could give me your number," he said, pushing the blank side of the receipt at me.

I grinned. "Sure," I said, a plan formulating. The guys in the background choked in disbelief. The main guy grinned even wider. I took the receipt off of him and hastily scrawled something.

I re-read it before I passed it to him.

He looked down hopefully at the piece of paper, and then scowled. I smiled sweetly at him and he turned around and stalked out of the shop. I waved after him. "Bye," I called. The two other guys followed after him quickly, asking what was wrong.

I thought of what I wrote on the piece of paper. In your dreams! It had read. It wasn't the best I could come up with, but I didn't want to make him cry. Maybe now he would give up on me. I smiled to myself.