Disclaimer: James Patterson owns, not me.

Chapter 10

"Miss Martinez would you be so kind as to answer the question?" Mr. Barten my AP Lit teacher asked. I looked up, slightly dry eyed from staring at the book Madam Bovine for so long. I was supposed to be paying attention for the past thirty minutes but my mind was wandering to gang issues.

"Um…." I bit my lip.

He sighed. "Pay closer attention in the future. As I was saying…" I'd like to say that I got my act together and paid attention for the rest of the period but as soon as the attention was off of me I went back to zoning out. It's not an uncommon occurrence in school, no matter how good my grades were.

I'd gone straight home with Angel last night and locked the doors, telling Mom and Ella not to answer the door to anyone. Mom tensed slightly and gave me a withering look, as if it's all my fault that there was a threat to our families safety (which it kinda was), and gave me a curt nod before heading to her room. I really missed how close we used to be. When she used to go out of her way to be all mother-like to me and bake chocolate chip cookies and make me feel loved.

She hadn't baked cookies since we moved to South Plainfield and I didn't give the gang up.

She really felt like I'd made the bad decision.

I would never tell her this, or my gang for that matter, but I wondered that myself sometimes.

Don't get me wrong, I love my gang. I love everyone in it, the bond that we share and the family that we create. But sometimes I feel that being in the gang, no less its leader, puts my family at risk as much as it helps them.

Last night was a prime example.

But it was too late to back out, even if you wanted to. A reasonable part of me answered. You're in too deep. The only way you get out of this is if you're thrown out. Or you die.

Okay, so maybe it's a sadistic side of me too, but it's always truthful.

It just seemed to me that no matter what I did, what I sacrificed, to keep my family safe it just wasn't enough.

The bell interrupted my little pity party and I quickly gathered my belongings eager to get to lunch.

Not that I actually invested money in the school lunches. Especially on Mystery Meat Monday. Eww. Nope, I brown bagged it every day.

I weaved through the massive hoard of ravenous students and made my way to the table in the back corner. My usual table. Ella and her friend Jennifer (I just called her JJ) were already there. I saw Nudge exiting the line, looking slightly queasy at the sight of the grey blob on her tray, and make her way over to the table.

"Does this even look slightly edible? I think they ditched the meat completely and went to kitchen scraps. Scraps isn't even a nice word for this, it's more like 'whatever they just cleaned off the stove and added gravy', I mean seriously." Nudge huffed as she sat down beside me.

"I think it just moved." JJ offered up.

Nudge looked horrified before pushing the tray as far away from us as possible. I sighed and handed her an apple I'd packed for her. Lunch always ended up this way. She beamed at me before happily snacking on her apple.

"So, I was thinking," she said between munches. "You should call that Fang guy back and ask him out for this Friday. Make up for the date you stupidly canceled."

"I wasn't being stupid!" I objected at the same time Ella gasped "You had a date?"

"Well she would have," Nudge rectified "If she hadn't canceled."

"Why did you cancel?" Ella demanded.

"Um, hello! Am I the only one who noticed the black eye I gave myself? Not exactly flattering for a date." I defended myself.

"Oh," Ella said, finally understanding my predicament. "But you should have told me! I would have done your makeup and picked out an outfit for you! Wait, who is this guy anyway?" Or not.

"Just a guy I met at a diner the other day." I said offhandedly.

"Just a guy?" Nudge demanded. "Try a smoking hot guy with extra sexiness on top!"

I rolled my eyes at her exaggeration. Well, okay, maybe it wasn't too much of an exaggeration.

"Get real Nudge." I said in exasperation while Ella and JJ scooted to the edge of their seats. Ella said "More, more, more! I need details! My big sister is finally growing up!"

I flicked her ear.

"Well, he was tall, black hair, olive skin, weirdly black eyes. Sexy though. Subtle muscles. And his voice! Wow, I thought I was going to pass out with all the heat!"

"Score one for Max!" Ella giggled. "Why haven't you mentioned him?"

"I didn't even go out with him."

"But you could have! You've met him more than once I take it! You have his number! What are you waiting for? Ask him out again!"

"I don't know…" I admitted, face flaming. This was so not a conversation I liked having.

"Why not?" She demanded. "Max, you aren't afraid to give people a piece of your mind. How different is it to ask someone out?"

"Apparently a lot." I muttered, more to myself than anyone else, but they heard me.

"I never thought I'd see the day that Maximum Martinez was afraid of a date!" Nudge mocked me.

I felt my anger spike. How had I gone from a pity party to an interrogation in less than twenty minutes? "I'm not afraid."

"You sure seem like it to me." JJ spoke for the first time. I glared at her and she shrank back a bit. I felt bad for traumatizing the girl but whatever. This was my business, not everyone on the god given earths.

"I. Am. Not. Afraid." I reiterated.

"Prove it." Nudge smirked, holding out a pink sequined phone. I glared at them all for about two seconds before snatching the phone and dialing the number I'd memorized.

It rang twice before beeping and going to voice mail. No message. Not surprising. This was Fang we're talking about.

"Hey Fang, its Max. Listen I would have called you when you weren't in school but I'm being pressured by my sister and very annoying friend. You remember Nudge? The one with the big mouth? Yeah, that one. Anyway, I was wondering if I could call in that rain check for a date? Maybe this Friday? You have my number, just let me know."

I clicked off before I tacked on some sort of stupid good bye.

Nudge glared at me, probably for that big mouth comment. Ella and JJ smiled broadly.

"Now, was that so hard?" Ella asked me.

…..

"Max! Phone for you!" Ella called. I picked up the downstairs extension and covered the receiver, never moving from my sprawled out position across my bed.

"Got it!" I called before peeling my hand away. "You got Max." I answered shortly.

"Good thing too." Fang answered. I sat up on my bed and blushed slightly.

"Hey Fang," I answered awkwardly. "I guess you got my message."

"That's a fair guess." He allowed. "So your annoying sister and friend made you call me? What about your attraction to my charming personality?"

"I told you that you should have bought one while you were at the mall."

He chuckled and that made me feel giddy. Wow, did I just say giddy? Damn, this guy is messing with my head.

"So does that mean my rain check was accepted?" I asked eager to move on with it already.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." He agreed. "Friday at seven?" he asked. "I'll meet you at the diner."

"Sounds good," I agreed, then… "Oh, wait. Shit. Seven? Um." I bit my lip. I had to at least stop by the warehouse before I went. "Make it seven-thirty?" I asked. That would allow for a quick stop.

"Yeah, that's fine." He agreed.

"Alright then I—" Someone sneezed. A girl someone. "Ella!" I shouted through the phone.

I heard a muffled "Oh shit!" and then the sound of a phone disconnecting. "Fang, I'll see you Friday. I have to go kill my sister."

"Have fun." He said simply.

….

"Max, I swear I didn't hear anything I was just seeing if you were done with the phone!" Ella squealed.

"You are a horrible liar Ella Maria Martinez!" I shouted as I held a pair of scissors to her favorite shirt.

"Please don't! It's not like you said anything blackmail worthy!" she begged, jumping for where I stood on top of her desk, holding the shirt out of reach.

"That's not the point! You always invade my privacy! Why can't you just stay out of it sometimes?"

"I'm your little sister! It's what we do. You protect your younger siblings and they repay you by snooping! Its common sense! Now please put the scissors down!"

"Promise me you won't do it again." I demanded.

"Fine."

"Promise me on your wardrobe." Sounds stupid I know but it's the only way to make sure she's serious.

She bit her lip. I took some fabric between the two blades. "Fine!" she screamed. I dropped the shirt onto her and she snatched it up.

"You're horrible." She muttered.

"I'm your older sister. It's part of the job description." I said loftily as I left the room.

Come on. You can't tell me you've never fought with you older/younger siblings before (unless you're an only child, then you're just lucky). Haha, this fight was actually modeled after a fight that I had with my sister. She's older than me and was being a big meanie and I took her favorite shirt and said I'd cut it up if she didn't let me in our room. I actually ended up breaking her wrist (BY ACCIDENT). Haha, she hasn't messed with me since. ANYWAY! Reviews make me feel warm and fuzzy!

Peace!