Wow. Been a while, hey? I feel really bad about that, btw. And this chapters kinda a filler cause I got nothin. writer's block sucks, ladies and gents, don't ever wish for it. Not that any sane person I know would actually wish for it, but that's not the point here. . .

Actually, the point is me finally updating!! After God knows how long! Honestly, please don't hate me!! And this time, its not cause anyone I know died lately. Really, I've been pretty funeral free, thankfully.

But anyway, a nice reviewer by the name of Mo- The Reviewer (THANKS, BTW!!) mentioned that Nudge and Gazzy aren't really present in Max's whole "experience" so far, and I was like, wow, I totally didn't notice that, and I always hated in the books how JP sorta left them out, so this chapter is kinda Nudge and Gazzy focused. Not much happens, really. Maybe a little Fax towards the end. A baby amount.

REVIEWERS: Luv you guys!

bookluvrxoxo: I have to admit, when you said October 19, I was completely lost as to what you meant. But I get it now :P

feathers789: Ha ha don't be too disappointed, I've got some twists up my sleeves they'll take these two lovebirds (oh, the irony :P) on a wild ride. Just you wait *evil grin*

Draco: Like the name btw, do you happen to be a Malfoyfan? never liked the guy, but he was okayin Deathly Hallows I guess. . . anyway, yeah, all that stuff you mentioned was so pointless! It had nothing to do with the actual story. JP sucks at tying up loose ends, if you ask me.

Madeline Cullen: Oh, thank goodness, I was so hoping I did the Flock in character lol

Meepisms: I'm glad :) Your expectations heve been passed by me? Wow, didn't see me passing anyone's expectations. . .

Well, that about sums it up. I'm so, so happy to be getting reveiws on some of my other stories, so I'm letting you in on a little secret:

Right now, I'm working on an AU Percy Jackson and the Olympians, AND another Max Ride story, mostly about their time at the school. I'll prolly make it AU too, because I've changed some stuff, but everyone's still got wings, and was still raised in a lab with tests, and Jeb's still a tool. . . ecterea. So stay tuned!!

Kisses,

{--Inky--}

Kryptonite

Chapter Six: Le Part-ay and Le Part-ay Cake

Max POV

It's funny how time passes so slowly it feels as though it's peeling your skin away from your ligaments as it goes when you're waiting for something.

And I only just realized how morbid that sounded. Ignore that, and let me try again.

Time creeps along when you know something exciting is going to happen.

There, better, I think.

Dr. M told me that I started school on Monday, and I honestly never thought I would ever say this, but I wish it would start sooner. I know; the world must be post-apocalypse for me to want school! Nudge comes home every day telling all these long-winded ('cause with her, everything is long-winded, trust me) stories about her day, and now I'm curious.

As a girl who's never had a formal education that wasn't Google or National Geographic or Dog the Bounty Hunter and his scary wife (no offense, but lady, crazy hair much?), I was thoroughly ready for a new experience, even if it involved textbooks and homework. The adventurous part of me was hoping it would be fun, but the rational part of me kept trying to squash those thoughts with ones of detentions I'm likely to get. No wait, that I'm guaranteed to get. You know, 'cause of the whole "screw the establishment" thing I've got going on.

It was Saturday, and an ecstatic Nudge bounded into my room where I was reading an old book of Dr. M's, propped a chair under my doorknob to lock it, and pulled me into the scary, cluttered vortex that used to be my closet. And just stood there.

"Uh, Nudge?" I whispered, but I'm really not sure why.

Her ear was pressed against the closed closet door, her curly hair flattened out against the wood. "Hmm?"

"Do you do this often?"

"Nope. Shh."

"Wh—"

"SHH."

I chose that moment to quit trying to ask why in Hades we were hiding in my closet from the imaginative whatever. After another minute of pure, undignified fiddling, Nudge turned to me and whispered, all conspiracy-like, "I have a plan." Seriously, she sounded like she was planning on blowing up Korea or something.

So, me being me of course, I laughed. And Nudge just gave me this weird look, so I stopped laughing and let her finish explaining her supposed plan-to-blow-up-Korea.

"Okay, so it's Gazzy's birthday today, and I have this whole thing planned for him, with cake and balloons and everything, and— Oh my God, does Gazzy like chocolate cake, even? How do I not know this? I mean, he has to right? Why wouldn't he like chocolate cake; it's, like, the best thing out there, and when I feel really bad, I just have to have a chocolate bar and—"

"Nudge!"

"Oh, yeah, right. Okay, so I've got everything worked out, and Gazzy doesn't know about it, so you absolutely can't tell him, okay?

"Umm, okay?" I said, but it came out more like a question than a statement. She nodded enthusiastically once, turned abruptly and dug around in my piles of clothes until she pulled out something unidentified. I couldn't make out details because it was so dark, and most of the light from the cracked-open doors was falling on Nudge's face. But it looked safe. Not a mini-skirt or a dress.

I hoped.

"Put this on— oh, don't worry, it's not that bad," she added, upon seeing me pull a face," and come down in ten minutes. Iggy's distracting Gazzy downstairs on the Xbox, and I've still got to get Fang up, so don't try anything!" she warned, and I was honestly scared for my well-being. Who knew Nudge had an ugly side? "And hurry!" Then she slipped out of my closet and disappeared.

I did as she said, pretty much to the tee, and stood off to the side in the kitchen downstairs. I was the odd one out, not quite part of their close-knit family, despite how well they accepted me. Imagine my surprise when Gazzycame bounding up the stairs, Iggy on his heels, eyes widening, and sweeping across the room before he ran up and gave me a huge hug. Like, monster-bear hug. Me. The outsider. He moved on to hug everyone else, but he chose me first.

It literally blew my mind.

I swear, there could have been smoke coming out of my ears. It was that much of a monumental moment.

Awkwardly, I patted him on the back, and he grinned a huge, eight-year-old grin up at me. Then he was gone, moving on to twirl his sister, Angel, around. She laughed heartily, and he set her down.

We all curled up in the living room, Gazzy sitting on the floor in the middle of the room with a large stack of gifts surrounding him just begging to be opened, and eventually, Dr. M brought in a ginormous chocolate cake, iced and sporting nine lit orange candles and everything, and Iggy thought he'd be funny and smash Gazzy's face into it. This started a full blown cake war, during which Nudge and I hid behind the couch to avoid the flying dessert. Dr. M didn't seem to give a flying whip about the icing practically coating her walls, carpet, couch, not to mention her kids, and watched us from the kitchen doorway, smiling and shaking her head.

At one point, Fang jumped over the back of the couch and hid with Nudge and I. There was chocolate smeared all over his face, which he proceeded to wipe off, then slap his hand on my cheek, effectively, well, pissing me off a little.

"Oh," I said, "it's soon now, buddy!" He just quirked an eyebrow. A fair challenge, I say.

I won't indulge you the dirty details, but let's just say it ended with seven kids scraping chocolate cake out of places they didn't even know existed, let alone could house cake.

And just for the record, I totally schooled Fang. He won't agree, but it's just 'cause he's saving his pride. Especially after the whole "saved by a girl thing", too.

And he lies.

I did not squeal. Not once. Don't believe him.

Plus, there was cake down the back of my shirt, so if I did squeal— which I didn't, by the way— I had a solid reason.

So, there it is.

Not my best work, I admit, but there it is.

Orville says hi. And he wants you to review, cause he gets to read them all to me, and when I'm happy, he gets more treats. . .

So he says review.