I wanted to thank everyone who's been reviewing! It makes my day getting on the computer after doing homework to see all of those review alerts in my email inbox!! ^.^ I love it when people review because all of you are really funny and very appreciative so thankyou.
Sorry about the lack of Faxness in that last chapter, there's a little more in this chapter and some Brigid-hate from Max!! Yay ^.^ I dislike Brigid! Is it obvious yet?? lol Spring Fling is the next chapter, in which I promise there is a TONNE of faxness for our daily faxness fix! And then the chapter after that is the start of summer which I loved writing so much!! So hold on tight!
Here's today's update! ^.^ Enjoy :)
Red. Green. Blue. Pink. Gold. Aqua. Purple. Black. Lilac. Urgh why the hell are there so many colours? Yuck, tangerine, so not going to happen.
I stared at all of the dresses.
This was the first shop of this morning and I was determined to make it the last but to be perfectly honest, there were no dresses in here that I wanted to spend a whole night in. And that night was getting, so, so close. Spring Fling was coming up in three weeks from today and I had to spend that whole day being pampered. Luckily, I'd talked Mum out of a hair salon and she agreed stating 'we'll save that for your Prom'.
If Prom was more important than Spring Fling than I so didn't want to have anything to do with it.
"What about this one Max?" Nudge asked, looking at green one.
"Not green," I told her.
"What colour then?" Ella asked.
"Um… blue?" I replied, more like a question.
"I think you should wear purple," Nudge decided, taking the skirt of a dress and pulling it to rest against my skin. "It looks so nice with your skin colour and for some reason brown-eyed people suit purple."
"True," Mum and Ella agreed. All four of us girls were brown-eyed girls. Mum was standing with the shop owner, both of them sipping coffee. It turns out that Mum had saved the lady's cat and she was giving us a twenty-five percent discount on my dress. Awesome. I bet Lissa never got discounts just because of a cat.
"Actually, I like that colour," I mused, indicating the rich purple of the dress Nudge was holding out. "But I don't like that dress."
"We have a lot of styles in that colour," Ms Beatrice (the boutique owner) assured me. "You want a mid length dress, right? What kind of hem?"
"I think one of those," I said, pointing at a red dress's skirt cut.
"A handkerchief cut? I think those are the most flattering on mid length dresses." Ms Beatrice set her coffee mug down on a coaster and came over to us. "It's a good choice." Ms Beatrice looked me over and smiled.
"I think I have the perfect dress for you," she gushed excitedly, clapping her hands. I prevented myself from groaning as she bustled off into the back room.
"Don't worry Max," Mum said reassuringly. "We'd be done if you could just choose a dress."
I grimaced and then remembered I was supposed to be into this. I vowed to accept this dress no matter what it looked like… Then I remembered my challenge to Lissa, felt mortification fill my heart, trepidation made me shiver and then I sighed. I was going to pick a dress that would make me look stunning, no matter what.
Ms Beatrice came back with a champagne coloured box. She placed it on the counter and took off the lid, unwrapped the white rice-paper and took out a royal-purple dress.
Now, you all know how much I hate dresses but I actually like this one. Why? I have no idea but something about it spoke to me. I took it from Ms Beatrice and went into one of the change cubicles and put it on. I felt vulnerable already but as I looked at myself in the mirror that feeling ebbed away as I became confident in myself. I pulled my hair out of its pony tail so that the waves hung around my shoulders properly and I actually felt… pretty.
The dress had thick straps that split in half so that one half draped around my upper arm and the other one was over my shoulder. It was midriff bearing and the skirt was a few shades darker than the tight bodice. The bodice had very dark purple thread sewn in the shapes of vines and flowers across it.
I turned to the left and to the right and frowned at myself. This was the right dress and I got to make Fang wear purple, yay!
I walked out of the change room and stood in front of my family, blushing and looking at the tiled floor with embarrassment.
There was silence and I winced.
"I know it looks bad," I muttered. "I'll just-"
"No Max!" Four voices chorused and I looked up in shock.
"Max, honey, you look gorgeous," Mum said, smiling proudly. "Wonderful choice Lucile."
"It was," Ms Beatrice replied, her hands clasped in front of her chest, her eyes shining.
"You look great!" Nudge and Ella trilled.
"When your hair and makeup is done, Fang won't be able to take his eyes off you," Nudge giggled.
Good, that was what I was counting on these guys for. But I laughed.
"Fang never stares at girls," I reminded her, thankful for my brilliant acting skills.
"He will when we're done with you," Ella replied. "Every girl in the school will be jealous of how beautiful you look." I rolled my eyes and blushed. Every girl loves being told she looks great, even me. Besides, I was hoping to look like that so I could show Lissa that she was wrong. Both about me and about Fang.
I got out of the dress and back into my jeans and t-shirt with relief and Ms Beatrice put the dress back into its box and Mum paid for it and carried it while Nudge, Ella and I went into the Men's formal store next door and looked at the ties.
"We could be so horrible to Fang," Nudge laughed.
"I don't want to be," I said. "We'll get that one because it's purple and black so he'll feel better wearing it."
"Fair enough," Ella replied. I took it off the rack and bought it then went back out to Mum. She smiled as I showed her the tie.
"He'll feel okay about it because this is the only colour he'll have to wear," I explained. "Black and purple fit perfectly together.
"You need shoes," Mum said. Oh yeah. We went to one of the many shoe shops and Mum looks at the heels. I was okay at wearing heels but I'd have to practise. I was willing to wear them because I thought they might look good with the dress and that would work to my advantage.
I picked out a pair of black heels with a purple satin ribbon that laced them to my feet and then the ribbons criss-crossed up my calves and tied half-way up with a small flower clip to secure them. They went perfectly with the dress.
Urgh, I was turning into such a girl.
"Lunch time I think," Mum decided. We went into the food court and Mum ordered us food and I lazed in my chair. I spotted Brigid and remembered Fang had developed a sudden interest in talking to Brigid. As far as I know, he sat next to her in calculus now and they talked all of the time.
Iggy said that they even met up after school last week to "go over calc work". They didn't go to either of their houses, they just met up in the coffee shop that was only a few streets down from the school but still he met up with her after school.
Before you start, no I am no jealous, I am just concerned. Brigid may seem nice and everything but she's just a flirt and she wouldn't get Fang. I disliked Brigid and didn't like Fang interest in her. It could develop into something more and then I would get knocked down a notch. Then I would be jealous. Not because I wanted to be Fang's girlfriend but because he was my best friend and I didn't want to be second best to anyone. Yeah, petty I know, but still.
I stood up and Nudge and Ella looked at me.
"Where are you going?" Ella asked.
"I'll be back in a second," I replied.
I walked over to where Brigid was sitting, a science book open in front of her. Studying for our exams I think. We had chemistry and general science in the same week and they were my last exams. Brigid looked up at me, her green eyes kind.
"Hi Max," Brigid said.
"Hey Brigid," I replied and pulled a chair out and sat down. "You don't mind do you?"
"Not at all." Brigid moved her other book and smiled at me. "What are you doing in town?"
"Shopping for the stupid Spring Fling," I replied.
"I'm doing that next weekend," Brigid said.
"Who are you going with?"
"Jacob," Brigid shrugged. "We've been friends for a while and he asked me so I said yes." She refused to meet my eyes.
"You wanted to go with Fang." Brigid looked up at me, startled.
"So does every other girl in the year." She sounded defensive. "But you got there first, I guess."
"Why does everything seem to think that Fang and I are together?" I asked with a sighed. "We're just friends which is why I came to talk to you."
"Oh?" Brigid's eyes weren't so kind anymore but it was more that she was on guard, not angry or annoyed or anything.
"Yeah," I replied. "Fang is my best friend and I don't want to see anything bad happening to him. You hardly know him so I don't see how you could actually like him for him and not just because he's hot and a total rock legend. So don't go making him like you unless you know what you're in for."
"Making him like me?" Brigid was confused. "Oh, you mean that Fang and I have been becoming friends. Look, Max, I understand where you're coming from, I give the same warnings to any girls who are prospective girlfriends for Jacob but Fang was fine before you came along. He'll still be fine." I could hear the clear warning in her words 'butt out'.
"That may be so but now I am a part of his life and you are not a prospective girlfriend for Fang," I said coolly, standing up to make myself clearer. "You are just a girl who likes Fang for the guy you think he is. None of you girls know anything about him and I am not going to stand back and watch him get hurt because he ends up liking someone who doesn't know what they're in for."
I walked away, Brigid staring after me in shock. I felt like a bitch. I really did but still, I didn't like Brigid. I didn't want her to be an integral part of Fang's life. She was just this too-smart girl who liked Fang because he was hot, he was a rock legend and he was smart. None of them got how Fang had a rock-solid exterior but a kind heart. None of them had seen him hold Angel as she fell asleep and none of them had felt the gentle way in which he could hold you.
Embarrassed, I shook those thoughts away. Fang would be mad if Brigid told him what I said but I could deal with him. It was okay.
I sat back down with Nudge and Ella just as Mum brought our lunch over. Ella and Nudge were frowning at me but I waved off their concern and laughed along with the others as we spoke about a whole heap of random things. But I felt Brigid staring at me until I saw her leave from the corner of my eye. I sighed and wondered if this would come back to bite me.
--
End of the week. Fang had been distant from me. I'd aced both science exams and thought I was ready to hand the Spring Fling in two weeks but first I really needed to talk to Fang. Iggy had mentioned to me that he had been talking to Brigid at lunch on Monday while I'd been studying and then he'd went to Iggy and had seemed out of it but wouldn't say why.
This afternoon Fang and I were supposed to be walking to the mall together. Fang had to work and I wanted to check with Matt whether Dad's payments had made it through so far. So I thought that would be the right time to talk to him.
"Fang," I said as we walked of homeroom but he only looked at me.
"Max, I know I said we'd walk to the mall together," Fang said. Oh no. "But I kind of have something I need to do before work."
"What?" I asked, slightly hurt even though I wouldn't admit it.
"I kind of promised Brigid I'd help her with something we were told in calc today that she didn't get," Fang mumbled. I saw Brigid waiting off up the path and I scowled.
"Oh." I could hear the steel in my voice. This was what I'd been worried about. Being put second to somebody else. Right now, I really wished I was in LA. "Okay, see you on Monday then." I walked away from Fang, feeling really hurt.
I was just out of the school gates, waving goodbye to Iggy went Fang jogged up to me, waved to Iggy as well and looked at me.
"What are you doing?" I asked, a little colder than I'd meant to.
"I cancelled Brigid," Fang replied. "She can get help from her brother who is a senior. She doesn't need me."
I blinked and felt bad for my dark tone before. "Oh… why?"
"I realised that I'd blown you off three times this week not including then," Fang explained. "We were supposed to study together on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and I forgot about all of those and then wondered why you were annoyed with me. So I figured I shouldn't do it again."
"Thanks," I murmured.
"By the way I have something I need to talk to you about," Fang added as we started walking.
"And what's that?"
"What you said to Brigid on the weekend." He left that hanging for a moment and when I didn't reply he continued. "I wanted to say thanks for being so worried about me even though I can take care of myself and also to tell you not be so worried that I'm going to replace you."
"Since when did you get so talkative?" I was smiling despite my comment, Fang was cool with everything and that was alright. I really couldn't lose him. It felt like I'd known him forever.
Fang laughed slightly. "No matter what, you're my best friend. You understand who I am and I get you. Nobody else has that with me so don't be so jealous."
"Jealous? You think I was jealous."
"You were on the verge of it."
"You're unbelievable."
Fang rolled his eyes and I looked away, unable to keep from smiling. We celebrated the end of exams as we walked down and we each grabbed a chocolate thick shake before Fang had to work and he tried to find out what I was wearing to the dance.
"Look, you're just going to have to wait and see," I said. "Be patient."
"I don't even get to know what colour tie I'm wearing except that you want me to wear my all black suit," Fang sighed, unhappy. "This is so not fair."
"Whatever, Trevor," I replied. Fang rolled his eyes at me as went into Music World. Fang went out back to change his shirt and I found Matt by the audio booths, dusting a CD stand.
"Matt," I said and he looked around and grinned.
"Hey, Max," he replied. "Come to check on the guit-box?"
"Only the payments," I replied. "Have they come through?"
"Perfectly," Matt replied. "Only two more months… or just over."
"Just over." Then I smiled. "I can't wait until Fang's birthday."
"He'll be over the moon." Matt replaced the CDs on the stand and smiled. "How are your guitar lessons going?"
"Okay," I replied. "I'm starting to get the hang of it but I don't think I'll ever be as good as Fang."
"Hang in there, you'll do fine." I smiled in thanks for his encouragement and then Fang joined us.
"Hi Matt," he said. "Okay Max, thanks for walking me, you're supposed to be meeting your Mum and Ella now."
"Oh yeah, thanks," I replied. I smiled at Matt. "Thanks Matt, bye boys." Fang was frowning at me now slightly but then he shrugged and waved to me as I left before turning to Matt to talk to him.
I felt so happy, Fang and I were okay and Fang's present was going to come through thanks to Dad. I owed him now, damn. Oh well the only black dot left on my mood was that challenge with Lissa. I hoped and prayed that Fang wouldn't find out because I was so sure he would hate it so much. He kept telling me not to let Lissa get to me, that she wasn't worth my time but she had really gotten to me and now I had a challenge hanging over me that I felt compelled to win.
Fang had better think I looked bloody gorgeous on the Spring Fling or I was going to kill him.