I hope you guys like it!

"Iggy! Let's go!"

"I don't want to," he mumbled, staring at the TV.

"Ella's in the car."

"So?"

"C'mon! Lets go!"

"Fine," he stood and followed me to my car where Ella was waiting. Fang had a swim meet today and he was shooting for a record in the butterfly stroke. Supposedly, I was his good luck charm, and I was supposed to go every time we challenged another school. One time, I hadn't been feeling great and wasn't planning on going. Fang had showed up at my house ten minutes before his race, "Where were you?" He demanded.

"I told you I wasn't going."

"Do you want our school to loose?"

"I don't really care if our school looses."

"Do you want me to loose?"

"No, I don't. But what difference does it make if I go or-"

He picked me up as I gasped.

I huffed, "I can walk."

"No, you can't." He hurried out the door and to my car, plopping me in shotgun and leaving his mom's car (the one he drove over here in) behind.

And sure enough, he set the highest record for our school that day.

Ten minutes later we hurried into our school's gym. The pool was on the first floor, the basket ball courts upstairs. We found a bench and quickly sat down as another race started. Fang's race was next.

Next Wednesday was the last week of school and we were being bombarded with finials. Ella reminded me about my lack of studying when she pulled out a study guide.

I wrinkled my nose, "Hey! No studying right now!"

"I won't have time to study tomorrow night, though." She sent Iggy a longing look, which he didn't notice

Right. The last school dance of the year, "Why are you even going to that thing?"

She raise an eyebrow, "Why are you?"

I blushed, "Uh, well, my mom made me."

"Then my dad made me!"

"That's a lie."

"Sh! He's about to start!"

I flicked my eyes over to where Fang was standing in a Speedo -ha ha- leaning forward, his toes hanging over the block. A blank firing gun shot off, and the swimmers shot into the water. I watched as they pushed against the water, each movement dragging them farther ahead. Fang was halfway through the first lap- he had a huge lead on the others. It always amazed me how he could do that. He pushed forward again.

"Think he's gonna break it?" Ella asked as she watched the wiggling forms.

"He still has plenty of time."

"I think he's gonna make it," Iggy said, as Fang flipped and headed back.

Fang ended up being clocked at 4:58:01, a new all time record.

That night, we all went to celebrate. We walked into Taco Bell laughing.

"Did you see the look on Robby's face?" Ella laughed, mimicking his expression. Her eyebrows almost touching her hairline, her mouth hanging open. I hoped she wouldn't swallow a fly.

Fang shook his head, still damp with water, one corner of his mouth twitched up. "Coach was ecstatic."

"I know! He was actually jumping up and down," I smirked.

"That's why he's called the Fang-A-Flyer." Iggy smirked.

"What? No one calls him that." Ella gave him a weird look.

"Are you drunk or something?" I raised my eyebrow.

"I wish."

I rolled my eyes, "Weirdo."

"Sorry, you'll have to excuse my brother. He's a little slow." Fang joked.

"You know, after all these years, it kinda does make sense." I smirked.

"Or you know, it's from when we dropped him on his head when he was two." Fang said.

Iggy glared, rubbing the scar on the back of his head.

After we ate, we dropped Ella off, then headed home. Iggy went back to his house to crack open the books, and Fang and I went back to my house. I plopped down onto the couch, grinning up at Fang. "You were amazing to night."

"Well, I owe it all to you."

"Whatever, you know that's BS."

Fang smirked, landing hard down next to me as I clicked on the TV. "Maybe, Maybe not."

The next day five hours after school, Ella came back over. We were getting ready for the dance together.

"How are you gonna wear our hair?" she asked me.

"Down," I said, yanking a brush through it.

"Make up?"

"None. You?"

"You're wearing make up. And eyeliner and eyeshadow."

"No way, that stuffs gross."

"You're gonna look gross if you don't wear it!"

"I will not," I said, pulling my shirt off.

"Which dress are you gonna wear?"

"The purple one," I pointed to the closet. It was pretty, very simple, a little flowy, not showy, and if I had to wear a dress, it was gonna be something comfy. "Which dress did you decide on?"

"The gold one," she smiled.

"You'll look so pretty."

"Thanks! You will too. If you do you're hair..."

"Then I guess I'll just look like a troll." I stuck my tongue out at her, then pulled off my pants, and clumsily stepped into my dress. Which, of course, ended up with me on my butt.

"You okay?" Ella walked over, prepared to help me up.

"Fine," I snapped, standing up, and making sure my dress wasn't torn. It had a small tear on the skirt but, hey, who would notice? "Sorry," I apologized to Ella for griping.

"It's okay," she helped me put on the sleeves and zipped me up.

"Aw! You look so pretty!"

I smiled, "Now lets see your dress!"

The next hour I spent helping Ella curl her hair and get ready. True to my word, I did nothing to my hair and wore no make up. When my mom saw Ella, she gasped. "Oh, you look beautiful!" she wrapped Ella in a hug. Then she saw me, "That's all your doing?" she demanded.

"Yep," I said, "we got to go get Fang, Iggy, Brooke, and Zack, so we gotta get a move on."

"At least wear a head band." My hair hung to my mid back. I had looked at it the mirror! The back was straight and smooth and looked like it was straighten with a flat iron!

"It's fine."

"Can I at least take your picture?"

I didn't want to be mean to my mom, so she called Fang and Iggy over along with Eden and Jimmy. So all four parents wound up with us in our front yard, along with Angel and Nudge, snapping pictures. After saying "Cheese!" one hundred times, we hopped in the car and left.

After we were about a block away, Iggy started fumbling with something in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Ella asked.

Fang mumbled something that sounded like, "Probably jacking off."

"Nothing," Iggy said quickly.

I looked behind me at him, "Either a stink bomb or a cherry bomb."

"And you were gonna set it off at the dance?" Ella she demanded.

"Gazzy would be so proud." Fang shook his head.

"Only in the bathroom!" Iggy deafened himself.

"You such an evil genius," she muttered sarcastically, but smiled.

We picked up Zack first, and he squished in the back, then we got Brooke and she squeezed into the front seat with me. Fang drove to the dance, held at some Senior Center. Our school had rented a huge ball room with wooden floors and pretty lights. Fang pulled up and we piled out laughing. I clung to Fang to keep from doing a face plant

"And then she-" Iggy said between laughs.

"What!" I giggled. "You better not Iggy, or I will-" Ella warned.

"She was all, 'Oh, God! Not the Prospector!"

Brooke laughed so hard she snorted, causing more laughter.

"You're like- a pig!"

"No!" she laughed.

We hand reached the ticket table and we all handed over our yellow tickets, and earned a blue "Good Job!" stamp on the back on the hand. I had more control by then, and I wasn't holding on to Fang anymore. We walked down a hallway and entered through double doors to find- a giant room, dark with only string lights strung on the wall and a flashing strobe light. Great. Just fucking great.

Fang's POV

I saw annoyance cloud Max's expression. A little tip, FA-ers need light to walk. Balance issues.

Max meet my eyes. We hadn't thought about this. Max hooked into my arm, and we entered the room. Music blared from speakers. A DJ had been hired and he sat across the room, with a a few machines spread on a table in front of him. According to Ella, we were "fashionably late". The dance had started at seven and ended at ten. It was roughly 8:30.

We walked on the hard wood floor, seeing a long chain of dry humping girls. Was that supposed to be sexy?

"Gross," Brooke murmured.

"Well, I'm gonna go find someone from that train to dance with," Iggy said, lurking in between the dancing forms. I looked at Max who was looking at a dejected looking Ella. Brooke ran towards some guy with his arms stretched open. Max let go of me and fumbled toward Ella. Ella nodded and Zack and I followed them to the nearest table.

"You guys can go dance if you want to," Max offered.

I raised an eyebrow and sat down, as Zack murmured, "That's okay."

"Why'd you guys even come then?" Ela asked, annoyed.

"Why'd you?" I shot back.

And, of course, this caused her to bury her head in her hands. Max glared at me and leaned towards Ella, whispering something and rubbing her back. And that's pretty much how the rest of the dance went. At one point, the DJ announced he was taking requests for the rest of the dance. Iggy asked Ella to dance. Zack went and stocked some poor girl. When the DJ said this was the last song, I stood up and pulled Max to her feet.

"What are you doing?" she asked as we reached the edge of the dance floor.

"Dancing." I tugged her into my arms as a slow song started.

"Fang- no."

"Yep." I helped her as we turned in slow circles. Some county hick song started, that I knew Max would love.

I must look just like a fool

here in the middle of the road

standing there in your rearview

and getting soaked to the bone

this land is flat as it is mean

a man can see for a hundred miles

So im still praying I might see

the glow of a brake light.

But your wheels just turn,

down the road ahead

If it hurts at all you aint showed it yet

I keep a lookin' for the slightest sign

that you might miss

what you left behind

I know there's nothing stopping you now

but I'd settle for a slowdown. I felt my muscles tense up. These lyrics were a little too close to home. I knew the song was about a girl who left some poor fool in the dust, but if you listen to the lyrics, you'll notice the similarities about Max,

I held on longer then I should

Leaving you might change your mind

those bright lights of Hollywood would fade in time.

But your wheels just turn down the road ahead She keeps moving forward.

If it hurts at all you aint showed it yet She doesn't let the pain (not physical but well, I guess... she doesn't act all wimpy about it No bitchin' and moanin'.) get to her.

I keep a lookin' for the slightest sign

that you might miss

what you left behind The few abilities she's lost.

I know there's nothing stopping you now but I'd settle for a slowdown. As we turned more circles, Max closed her eyes, her dress floating and trailing behind her. She smiled, her eyes still closed.

But your wheels just turn

down the road ahead

if it hurts at all

you aint showed it yet

your just a tiny dot

on that horizon line

come on tap those brakes

baby just one time

I know there's nothing stopping you now

Im not asking you to turn back around

I'd settle for a slowdown

come on just slow down

I'd settle for a slow down.

Later

After we took everyone home, Max, Iggy, and I walked to our house.

"Night guys," Iggy called, walking in.

Max smiled, holding on to my arm. We walked inside and went to the couch; sitting down. The house was pretty much dark, everyone asleep.

"The dance pretty much sucked." she said.

I turned the TV on, for light. "Well, the others had fun."

"Ella as so thrilled when Iggy danced with her."

"She likes him," I said, stretching 'like'.

Max rolled her eyes. "Mature." She stretched out her legs on the couch, leaning her head against me.

"I'm tired. And my dress isn't comfy anymore."

"Then go change."

"No." she mumbled. "Night."

"Night, Max."