Hey guys! I wish there was a half-smile emote or a smirk or something. Anyways, thanks for being patient, fair week was insane. Seriously, 4-H, white clothes? I had to wear white pants, a white shirt, and this really stupid green cap to show a pig. A FRICKIN PIG. WHITE CLOTHES. WHY. But my piggy is gone now, sold. :) Bye, Perri.
Enough of this emotional crap. Read on!
Max's POV, Chp 9
"Oh, Maxie, sweetie, so great to see you again. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Brigid's voice was dripping syrup as she pretended to be my best friend in front of all the other models.
In an equally sweet voice, I tilted my head to the side slightly and gave her a melting smile. "Oh, yes, Brigid. When was the last time we talked?" I pretended to think for a moment. "Oh, I remember! Was it when you told me that I am, and I quote, 'a whore who doesn't deserve this job nor do you have half the looks I do,'?" Brigid's smile dropped off her face and she scowled at me.
"I still stand behind my words, Maxine," she sneered, forgetting the bystanders snickering in the background. "Look, I'm going to be a model here, and I won't let you stand in my way. I swear to you, Maxine Ride, I will find a way to ruin your life."
"Ooh, them fighting words!" Iggy joked, walking next to me and slinging an arm around my shoulders. His expression darkened for a second. "If you even think about hurting Maxie," he warned, before he was grinning like the goof he is again. Not to be outdone, Fang stood on my right and wrapped an arm around my waist. Gazzy stood in front of Iggy and took my left hand while Angel went and took my right. Only Dylan stood apart, looking with mild interest at the fake redhead.
"Look at her," Brigid said to Dylan, contempt dripping from her every word. "Two boys by her side and a couple children under her thrall. See what she does? Even as a reporter, she stole my boyfriend the day he started working there. To be close to me, I'm certain."
"Oh, that's a load of bull," I scoffed. "He's half your age and you know it. I kissed him so you wouldn't molest the poor kid. His first day, she cornered him by the copy machine and wouldn't let him leave unless he agreed to date her. I saved his sorry ass by pretending to date him for a bit." Brigid was livid, she started spluttering, trying to explain herself to everyone.
Iggy couldn't take it any longer. He burst into laughter, quickly followed by Gazzy. He doubled over, trying to speak but the words were smothered in laughs. I caught a few words like poor guy and molest. I leaned slightly into Fang's shoulder and noticed his faint smirk.
Five minutes later, after Iggy and Gazzy had smothered the last of their laughs, Brigid decides to doom herself even further. "Let's get to the interviews!" she chirps, regaining her "professional" composure. "Let's start with you!" Brigid smiles at Angel, a clearly fake one.
She led Angel out of the room and into another, smaller lounge across the hall. Dylan left the room, muttering about how he'll be in another room until his interview. Iggy and Fang untangled their arms from around me, Fang's hand lingering longer than Iggy's. Iggy and Gazzy retreated to the bar to make more bombs of sorts that I'll undoubtably have to confiscate later.
"I'll give her five minutes, whaddaya think?" I nudged Fang lightly. He rolled his eyes playfully before giving his optimistic answer of "two minutes, tops."
"Why don't we make that a bet? If she stays in for over two minutes but under five, you'll be my slave for a day." I smirked at him mockingly. "Unless you're too chicken."
Fang nodded. "And if she doesn't last over two minutes, you're my slave." I tilted my head to look up at him and he held my even stare. One hard handshake later, we were loitering in the hallway with a stopwatch.
"One minute thirty, you're cutting it close, Fangy-boy," I grinned at the tall model. A flicker of gold shone in his black eyes as he flashed my a blindingly white smile.
"Oh, I'm not worried, Maxie-girl."
"One-fifty." I shot him a victorious look. "Fifty five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Two minutes." Not five seconds later, we were startled by an aggravated shriek and Brigid stormed out of the room. Her hair looked like she'd been pulling at it.
Not even noticing us, she breezed past looking for the bathroom, muttering about a demon child. Fang and I managed to make it about ten seconds before breaking into guffaws.
"She looked like a clown!" I howled, holding onto Fang for support.
"Beware the demon child!" Fang was laughing, actually laughing. It was a nice change from the blank expression he usually kept up.
We stumbled into another small lounge and collapsed on a small couch. Still chuckling, Fang threw an arm onto the back of the couch behind my head casually. I scooted slightly closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder. Our laughs died down and we relaxed together, happy.
"Max." I turned to him, suddenly noticing our proximity. His face was still slightly flushed from giggling. I realized he was leaning closer as my eyes started to flutter shut. What the heck was happening? Were we going to kiss? Did I want this?
"Fang." Our noses touched and my eyes snapped open, staring into his obsidian irises.
"Have I proved you wrong yet?" His voice was barely over a whisper, but I heard every word clear as day. However, that didn't help the confusion that crossed my features.
Fang's POV cuz I haven't in a while
I still remembered the day we met. How she called me an arrogant, snobby, self-centered narcissist. How I promised I would make her swallow those words. How I would show her that some models were different. How some models cared.
"The day we met. Aren't girls supposed to remember all the gushy stuff?" I taunted lightly. Her brief scowl was gone and she pressed her forehead against mine.
"You said all models weren't jerks and I punched you." More laughter rumbled in my chest and I smiled. I seem to be doing more of that lately.
"Have I succeeded in changing your mind about models?"
"I dunno. Show me." I tilted my head slightly so the sides of our noses rubbed together and leaned in closer. I felt the ghost feeling of her lips on mine when the most cliche thing that could possibly happen happened.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. All I could think was that it better not be Iggy, or he would be very, very, very sorry.
Hey, guys. So I have another chapter ready, but for fun, I think I should make you work a little for it. So I love reviews, especially funny ones. If you can make me laugh out loud at a review within the next, say, 24 hours from when this is posted, I'll give you the next chapter and creds. It can be anything, from totally random, bad pick-up lines, whatever. Cool? ~Hellisa
