A/N: So it's been a long, long, long time since I've updated but worry not- I have not forgotten about this story (hence the reason this chapter is being posted). And I promise you, this chapter will bring you the action and comedy the last one was lacking. So sit back and enjoy the read. (See what I did there? … You know you're impressed.)
Oh yeah- and if there's any issues with this chapter tell me and I'll edit out my mistakes. BECAUSE NO ONE LIKES MISTAKES! :D
For those of you that are under the age of five or for those of you that are home-schooled- stay there. I mean it. School is not worth it. I mean, by the time I got out of it I had a new reputation, syrup all over my shirt and several new friends and enemies. That's too much for one day I'll tell you! Let me explain...
After I got off the bus (which consisted of sitting next to girl who couldn't speak anything but Chinese, and being forced to inhale fumes more nauseous than the ones that leave Gazzy's rear end) I was done with school for the rest of my life. But Ella had other plans.
Evil, evil, evil plans that involved the forbidden art of socializing. And get this- she wanted me to talk to these people as if they weren't out to kill me. Who did she think I was? The president of the peace-corps-society?
Anyways, when we entered the big building she lead me to a table to introduce me to her friends. There were four of them- and immediately I resented two of them because of their straightened dyed blonde hair, shirts that covered less than a wash towel would and their shorts that looked like underwear. Where was Nudge when you needed her? She hated girls like that.
"Hey guys!" Ella called, walking up to them, dragging me along by my wrist. "What's up? This is my sister- Max."
I gaped at her. She had used my real name! What if these girls were secretly Erasers? Then they would recognize my name, calculate my face with their records, kill me and then the world would fall into chaos and explode!
She glanced at me warily.
"One second," she told her friends.
"What?" she whispered, urgently, standing a few feet from the table.
"The world's gonna explode!" I told her, truthfully.
"Max," she scolded me, disappointed, "Can you just meet people without making up lame excuses?"
"It's not-"
"Whatever! Just try to be a normal teenage girl for once. Okay?"
She turned around and went to talk to her friends, leaving me standing alone in the middle of a sea of people. My stomach could've been punched by a million Erasers and it wouldn't had hurt as bad as it did then. Why couldn't I just be a normal teenager? You should know, Ella.
I was snapped out of my daze by a quick tapping on my shoulder.
I whipped my head around, instinctively in full-on Max-mode. To my surprise it was Josh! He was here! At my school! He was going to kill me and my family.
"Max?" he asked, smiling at my stance.
"Josh," I replied curtly, staring him down.
"What's wrong?" he questioned, immediately looking worried about me. Good actor, huh? Two can play at this game, buddy.
"Oh, nothing," I sighed, wondering how I could break him. Then I remembered something. "How'd you know my name's Max? I never told you."
"Uh, oh I, um," his eyes immediately flashed with worry, but then he went back into actor-Josh mode. "It was on your phone so I assumed your name was Max. Am I right?"
I gave him evil eyes and he squirmed under my glare. I whipped out my phone and held it in front of my face. He looked relieved and I wondered why, because I could see what was on my phone. No name.
"Sorry, Joshy," I cooed. "No name here."
He coughed.
"Uh, it's on the back."
I flipped it over and felt my face redden at the sight of a sparkly blue sticker with the letters M A X on it. Nudge.
"Who do you work for?" I spat. He was good. Real good.
He looked at me like I was a helplessly confused gnome person.
"What are you?" he asked. "A helplessly confused gnome person?"
He was a mind reader too!
He laughed a little at his lame joke (I know I thought the same thing, but that's besides the point) then awkwardly stopped.
"Look," he calmed me, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I'd just like to start over. Is that okay?"
I sighed, confused. Half of me wanted to start over and be friends, while the other side wanted to stab him and kill him and punch his brains out. Quite a dilemma if you ask me.
But maybe... I could satisfy all of Max. Or me. It's difficult to explain my thoughts to other people, so please bear with me. I could pretend to be friends with him. That way- I can get to know all of his little secrets and finally defeat him! And he doesn't have to know anything about me. Oh, this'll be good.
"You know what?" I asked him, but really told him. It's one of those questions that you just don't answer. English is strange like that. "I think we should start over. I'm Max."
He laughed and held out his hand.
"I'm f- finally... glad to see that you're okay," he stumbled. "My, uh, my name's Josh, though. Not anything else. Because if you thought it was something else then you'd be wrong. Because it isn't. Yeah..."
"What are you talking about?" I asked. First thing to figure out about him- his name.
But before he could answer an alarm went off.
"U AND A IN 3, 2-" I was about to shout out to my flock when Josh grabbed me and put his hand over my mouth.
"AMPHGRRPHMA!" I tried to shout 'Get off me you horrible person!' (By the way, I wasn't saying 'horrible person', if you catch my drift...) but it wasn't very well heard.
No one noticed our little scene, since they were all running around too. With order, though, as if this were totally normal. Talk about unobservant.
"Max," Josh whispered, just loud enough for me to hear, but not loud enough for anyone else to, right in my ear. He slightly moved his hand from my mouth to my cheek, "That's the school bell. It means to go to your next class."
He couldn't see me, but with his hand (that really shouldn't have been) on my cheek, I'm sure he could feel my face burning up.
"Oh," I said, raising my chin a little to show authority, using my own hands to move his away from my body, "I'll just be going then."
He held onto them and brought me closer. And what does he say- having me so close to him? The way that me and Fang stood many times, so long ago?
"See ya, then."
I pulled away and marched up the stairs to find my next class, grabbing my binder in the process.
But, as I hard as I tried, I couldn't help but notice the fact that when he pulled me close and whispered in my ear, not only did my heart skip a beat but- I think I liked it.
So- get this- there's actually a class about how to cook food and sew clothes. I mean- it's true. It's called "Home Ec" and my mom signed me up for it. Why you ask? Well, to tell you the truth, I'm trying to figure out the same question.
But after several lectures about how to succeed in high school and how to be a good student and all sorts of other boring stuff that'll never help me in ten years, I was ready to bake some darn pancakes.
The teacher's name was Mrs. Leaptop. She had short gray hair, delicate small glasses that rested just on the tip of her nose, the squeakiest voice I've ever heard that didn't annoy me so much I wanted to cry and the most bizarre clothing choices. So, naturally, she was immediately added to my "List of Awesome Looking People." Do you have one of those? You should make one. They're quite helpful when Halloween rolls around.
"Today we're going to be making pancakes. Girls- you must put your hair up," she told us. I stifled a laugh. The class was only girls except for the two boys in the back who I swear I saw making "kissy faces" at each other. Now, now, don't go making assumptions. They could be practicing their roles in "A Sea of Fish."
We had to split up into groups- six groups to be exact. In my group were the two boys and a girl. The girl had jet black hair with brown and blonde highlights. As far as I could tell, her natural hair could've been red based on how many times it was dyed. She had rings. Many rings. Rings on all of her fingers, in her ears and in her nose. Her clothing was nothing but black. It wasn't scary black though- like with the lace and spiders, it was more of a normal black. Black skinny jeans, black converse, black tank top and a black sweatshirt that said "AEROPOSTALE" across it. What's that? A country?
The two boys were... different, to say the least. One had short red hair and little red lips. He wore a scarf around his neck and showcased uber long eyelashes. He introduced himself as Tom. The other had jet black hair that was shaped very strangely. A little wavy, a little straight, a little long, a little short. His hair just looked confused. Poor hair. He had a colorful rainbow of clothes. He called himself Charles. Apparently Tom was an amazing chef and Charles couldn't cook for the life of him. Oh the fun we will have.
"Alright guys," I said, once we were settled. "We're making pancakes. So who wants to go get the ingredients?"
Tom look super excited and was about to beg to go get ingredients before the girl cut him off.
"Who made you boss?" she asked.
I just looked at her. I've always been boss. It's who I am. Boss. And you don't mess with the boss.
"No one but myself," I responded, "And that's good enough for me."
"Is it good enough for Josh? I've heard you've gotten pretty... close with him..."
"I barely know him!"
Tom and Charles' eyes watched back and forth. One bag of popcorn and they would've looked like they were at the movies. The movie where the protagonist named Max defeats the antagonist named... well... I don't know her name. But that doesn't change the plot!
She rolled her eyes at me.
"Of course you don't. That's why you two were making out in the cafeteria."
"We were not making out!"
"Whatever. I'll go get the supplies," she told us, surprising me and disappointing Tom. He looked up at me with begging eyes and I just shrugged my shoulders.
When the girl returned she was only holding a bottle of syrup.
"Hey- we need a lot more supplies than- WHAT THE-!"
I was interrupted by the rush of sticky syrup penetrating, soaking and ruining my new shirt.
"You did not just do that," I said, looking up at her, but not moving my head from it's fixed angle at my shirt and the syrup all over the ground.
"What?" she asked, "Too weak to fight back?"
She did not know what she got herself into.
I smirked.
"Hug?"
Her jaw dropped and she put up her fists.
I did the same.
A/N: So, the next chapter's already written so the minute I get ten reviews I'll post it! I promise! :D And if I don't get ten reviews, then don't expect anymore for this story... :O, I know. So... maybe get your friends to read? REVIEW!
(See? I'm getting better at this whole bribing thing! Except I mean it this time. 'Specially since I've been really busy...)
XD
LLAMAS!
