Well… hello. I'm so sorry guys. I completely underestimated how little time I would have between events and random vacations… anyway, you probably don't even want to listen to me so here's the chapter. xP Thanks to Haley for being my beta!

Max POV

He reaches toward me, grasping my arms firmly. I gasp, my breaths coming in little pants, eyes wide. I try to pull away, but his grip is too strong. There is a predatory glint in his eyes, as he forces my shirt off. Goosebumps rise on my skin, and I finally realize what he is about to do. Then I scream and scream, but there's nothing. I'm helpless, completely helpless.

I shoot up in bed, gasping. It was a dream, Max, I remind myself over and over. Just a dream. I shiver, remembering his cold, clammy hands over my skin, and I wrap my blankets over myself, in an attempt to feel warm. It doesn't work, and I know there's no way I can go to sleep now, so I put on a sweatshirt and wander downstairs in search of something to distract me.

I'm still cold, so I wander over to the fridge and grab some milk. While it's warming up, I boot up the computer and start surfing the net, not really paying attention to what I'm doing. My mind is still on my horrible dream. I haven't had a flashback like that in a while, I think, typing something into the search bar. Why did it come all of a sudden? I've been doing such a good job of pushing the memories away…

It isn't until I'm clicking on the first post when I realize what I'd typed into the search bar: Fang's Blog. Why? Don't ask me, I have no idea. I read it anyway.

"It's all good, Max and I are friends now. I still hope for more, but I'd rather be friends than just… somebody that she used to know. Yeah, I've been listening to that song by Gotye a lot recently. I'm so glad nothing like that happened to the two of us.

"Sorry this is so short. I would write about something else, but Max is honestly all that's on my mind right now. Max, if you're reading this, I love you, but I'm not going to force you into loving me. You're my best friend. You've always been. I'm not going to lose that over this."

After reading this, I stare at the screen blankly for a few seconds. The microwave beeps impatiently, but I make no move to get up. Fang is so different from Dylan… I try to stop my thoughts, and turn them around, but it doesn't work. He's not pushy, or demanding. He's more… real. Less fake. He really loves me, I realize.

My leg has fallen asleep, so I shake it out and get up to grab my milk. It's then, that I realize I'm not cold anymore.

Ella POV

My phone lights up and I frown, glancing over at it. It's almost 1 am — who'd be texting me at this time? (A/N: like, all my friends. ANGIE. Sorry. By the way, I gave up on the text talk.) I smile when I see Iggy's name. "Hey, I can't sleep."

"Hey! Me neither," I text back. Because I was thinking of you, I think, but I'm way too chicken to add that. Iggy's a grade above me and he has so many girls to choose from; there's no way I can have a chance with him. I mean, even my best friend JJ — okay maybe not BEST friend but we're still pretty close — likes him, and there's no way I can tell either of them how I feel. Although, I think JJ knows already.

"Okay talk to me then :)" Iggy replies.

"What's up?" I ask him, unable to come up with a better answer.

"Nothing much. Hey, are you going to the dance next week?"

Only if you take me, I think wishfully. "I don't know, maybe. Nudge will probably make me come, though. Are you?"

"Now I am ;)"

I smile. "Oh, shut up you flirt." Yeah, I'm definitely secretly enjoying it.

"Only for you, milady."

I stifle my giggle. "Hey, d'you know what's up with Max? She's been acting really weird lately and zoning out a lot."

It's a while before his reply; enough time for me to become worried. "I thought she was avoiding Fang, or something, before Nudge's birthday party. She probably found out he likes her."

"…Fang really likes Max?"

"Uh, yeah, you didn't know?"

I think for a moment, remembering how his eyes always dart to Max and away again, how he stares at her when she runs, how he holds the door open for her and random little gestures. "Well I guess I kind of knew. He's pretty obvious, isn't he?"

"Yeah I'm surprised she didn't figure out earlier."

I smirk. "Well, she's Max. She's completely oblivious to these things. XD"

"Lol, yup...what about you?"

"Huh?"

"Are you oblivious to these things?"

I blink. That was an unexpected question. "Uhm, I don't know."

"Hah, then you probably are."

"I'm sure no one likes me."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

I blush. What does that mean? Is he hinting that someone likes me? Not him, for sure. "WHO?!"

"Oh, I couldn't possibly tell. ;)"

I groan in frustration. "Iggy Johnson, if you know something, now is the time to tell me, or I will come murder you in your sleep."

"Hmm, well, you'd have to crawl into the bed with me to do it, so I wouldn't mind too much."

I sigh. "Iggy, whatever am I to do with you?"

"Let me sleep?"

"Haha, okay. Good night. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Love you, I add in my head.

"Cya. :)"

I stare at my cell phone screen until it fades, wishing I could keep talking to him forever.

Iggy POV

Yup, Ella's pretty oblivious, alright. I roll over onto my back, setting my phone on mute. My eyes close as I slowly drift into sleep, my thoughts on Ella. Should I ask her to the dance next week? I'd finally know if she'd like me or not. But I'm not sure if she'd say yes. If she doesn't know I like her by now, it probably means she hasn't thought about it, or she would have guessed that I did, right? So therefore she doesn't like me.

Maybe I'm over-thinking this.

You'd think I have a lot of experience with girls. Not to be bragging or anything, but I know a lot of girls like me or wouldn't pass up the chance to date me. It's all part of my charm, of course. But when it comes to asking one out, or even just to a dance, I'm completely clueless.

Maybe I should ask Fang. Well, he's not very experienced with girls either — he's never dated anyone, and look at what happened to him and Max. Although they seem to be good now. Whatever; he never tells me anything.

Gazzy wouldn't understand. He's just my fellow pyromaniac buddy, and I'm pretty sure his hormones haven't kicked in yet. He couldn't care less about girls.

Maybe I could ask Nudge. Surely Ella's best friend would know? There's always the chance that Nudge could spill, but I don't think so. She's usually good with hooking up people. I smile, deciding that I'll ask her first thing in the morning, and fall asleep still smiling.

As soon as I wake up I text Nudge, "I need to talk to you. Get online."

"…Can't I just call you?"

"No, I don't want Fang to hear this…"

"*sigh* Okay wait a moment."

I hurry up and open up my instant messaging program, waiting for my computer to say "Nudge Collins is online." When it does, I immediately say "message to Nudge Collins", and begin typing.

"Okay so the dance is next week, and I really really want to ask Ella, but I don't know if she'll say yes, and I don't want to be rejected, but I really want to ask her, and I want her to know that I like her, and I want to know if she likes me, because I can't stand not knowing, but I'm so scared, WHAT SHOULD I DO?!"

"Whoa, chill. o_o"

Yeah, this is Nudge talking. I take a deep breath. "Well?"

"Ask her," she types back immediately. "She'll say yes."

"But what if she doesn't?"

"My gosh, Iggy. She is crazy about you. She'll say yes."

"She is?"

"…yes, please don't tell me you haven't noticed."

"Honestly? I haven't." Does Ella really like me? Or is Nudge lying to me to keep me happy?

"Nudge, if you're lying…"

"I'm not, I promise." Well, I've never known Nudge to be a liar…

"But she never gets it when I hint that I like her, doesn't that mean that she doesn't think about the fact that I like her?"

"…Well Ella probably thinks she doesn't have a chance."

"What? Whyy?"

"You're a year younger than her, and have a bunch of girls to choose from, I guess."

"That's stupid. Ella is amazing. Why wouldn't I like her?"

"Um… okay, anyway, just ask her."

"Okay, I will." I grin. "Thanks, Nudge. Don't tell anyone?"

"Of course. ;)" She signs off and I'm left sitting there with a goofy smile. A moment later I grab my phone, ready to text Ella and ask her to the dance, but then I realize… I can have a little fun with this. My dreamy smile is replaced by a mischievous one as I start to form a plan.

Ella POV

"Max, are you okay?" I shake my sister's shoulder slowly. She's been zoning out for, like, the past ten minutes, and her cereal is probably cold by now. Max startles and flinches away from my touch. I blink in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm—I'm fine, Ella. Just… not hungry." She pushes away her cereal, untouched except for a couple of bites, and goes upstairs. I frown slightly, remembering what Iggy had said last night. Does it have to do with Fang?

I should probably help. I mean, I'm her sister, right? Surely I can give her some advice or something. I finish my cereal hastily and follow her up the stairs, knocking twice on her closed door. "Max? It's me, Ella. Can I come in?"

Silence. Then… "Yeah."

I open the door to see Max sitting at her laptop, just staring at the Google home page blankly. "You know, it's not going to change if you keep staring at it like that," I joke weakly.

Max chuckles a little at my lame attempt at brightening the mood. She snaps her laptop closed and turns to look at me. "What do you need?"

"I don't need anything, I just wanted to talk to you." Max's curious smile fades and her face turns wary. "You haven't been yourself lately and I just… what's wrong, Max? You know you can tell me anything."

Max sighs and stares at the ground for a moment. Then she looks up and says, "Yeah, I know, Ella, but I'm not really ready to tell you everything yet. It's just… Fang." Yup, I was right.

"What about him?"

"You know we're really close. Best friends. Like, brother-sister close."

"Yeah," I reply, nodding. "Go on."

"I found out that he likes me…" Finally. "…and then I started avoiding him because it was really awkward…" Yup, I know that too. "…but then he asked me if we could just start over as friends."

I nod. That sounds like Fang — always thinking about Max instead of himself. "But isn't that what you want? To just be friends with him? Isn't that why you were avoiding him, because you didn't want anything to ruin your friendship?"

Max frowns. "I thought that was it. But…I don't know, Ella." She looks at me, her usually guarded eyes helpless. "I really don't know. I haven't felt this way around someone since…Dylan." Her gaze drops to the floor as my heart gives a pang of sympathy.

Last year, Max went out with Dylan. He was such a sweet guy, and he was cute too, and we all thought he was the perfect match for Max. It was like he was made for her. When they got together we were all so happy for them both, until one day they broke up. For no reason. Max was the one to end the relationship, but she wouldn't say why.

All I know is that she just got really quiet for long periods of time, just zoning off. Sometimes she'd burst into tears, which was really uncharacteristic of her. I tried to coax her into telling me why, but she wouldn't tell any of us. She'd just say "I don't want to talk about it" and run away. She did a lot of running away, then. She still does now. She's not the same Max she was before she broke up with Dylan.

I reach out and give Max a hug. "It's okay, Max. I don't know what went on with you and Dylan, but this is Fang we're talking about. He wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you. You know that."

Max draws back and looks at me carefully. "I know, Ella. It's just… I don't think I can handle this. I can't have that type of relationship with Fang. Not now."

I nod. "It's fine, Max. I understand. He'll understand. So, just be friends for now." I smile at her. "It'll all be okay." I give her another hug and leave.

Some Eggy there for ya. And most of Max's backstory. :3 Who's excited for Nevermore?! AHHH! Hope it's Fax. I'm working on a songfic that I hope to have up the day it comes out, so keep an eye out. It's "By Chance" by JRA. REVIEW!

~Stunningfire