Max's POV

I knew I'd get an… interesting… response to my… attire… ahem. But what I wasn't ready for was Fang telling me we were friends. That all of us were friends. When he said that, I think all my barriers came down. I became a more confident person. I became a risk-taker, a dare-devil, one confident chick!

Okay, maybe that, or his response just made my brain go on the fritz and now I'm completely insane. These are all possibilities. But still! I have friends now!

And his actual reaction to my bathing suit was priceless. He couldn't stop gawking! I mean, it wasn't like I was TRYING to impress him. Fang may be a badass boy, but he's kind of been jerk-ish since I met him. The only really nice thing he's done so far is allow me to pass out on his shoulder last night without waking me. Though, him being a boy, I guess I'm not too surprised he did that. But now he claims he's my friend, and he was so nice in how he did it, too!

I have friends. I have friends. I HAVE FRIENDS!

Anyways, so I started up the water war again by pushing Ella underwater by her head, and she squealed and fought with me underwater for a minute. Meanwhile, Gazzy and Iggy started pummeling each other with water again, and Angel and Nudge started splashing each other. Then Fang came to Ella's rescue by jumping in and tackling me underwater and away from her. So then it was Fang and Ella against me, Gazzy and Iggy against each other, and Nudge and Angel against each other. Eventually we all started rotating around who was attacking who, till the point where there really weren't teams anymore, we were just pummeling each other with water and dunking each other under the water.

After we were all thoroughly done gulping down pool water and beating each other senseless, we got out and mom had made dinner. It was pasta with meat sauce and garlic bread, and of course I heaped giant portion-fulls onto my plate.

Then we talked and laughed about random things for a while, and then I noticed Fang being all quiet in the corner. So I went over to join him on a lounge chair and we stared up at the stars together while everyone else was up at the patio eating and joking around.

"What's on your mind?" I asked him.

"Well, I've got to be honest, a lot." He said.

"Like…?" I prodded.

"Well, for one thing, you and your sister. I'm just like you in the friend department. I haven't exactly excelled at that either, you know. I'm pretty sure we're friends, but I'm not sure how I feel about that." He told me honestly.

"How so?"

"Well, I'm usually a very closed off person. I rarely talk. I'd rather hang in my room all day listening to music or drawing than hanging out like I did today. But yet, I had such a good time, and last night was fun too. And now I sound like Nudge!" he said in a joking, yet panicking voice.

I laughed, "Yeah, I guess this whole thing's got me pretty confused too. But it's nice to see that I can make friends, even if we do make up the biggest oddball group I've ever seen."

"I'm an oddball?" He said sarcastically.

"You can make yourself invisible, and are practically emo, not to mention, you said it yourself, you're usually silent!" I said defensively.

"Emo? I'm not emo."

"Yes you are." I insisted.

"No I'm not! I like black, and I'm quiet. Is that a crime?"

"Do you listen to dark music, write dark poetry, never show emotions, or cut yourself?" I ask him.

"Sometimes, no, not always, and never have, never will." He said listing each answer off on his fingers.

"Good to hear. But you're still part-emo then." I said with a cheeky smile.

"No fair!" he said in a whiny voice, which had me laughing even harder.

"Well, it looks like everyone's getting ready to go home." I mentioned, as I saw Nudge, Iggy, Gazzy and Angel get up and begin to collect their stuff.

"I had fun." Fang said as he stood up and began to grab for his bag.

"Me too, Fang. And thank you."

"For what?" he asked, surprised.

"For being my friend. For helping me enjoy this day in this ridiculous outfit, for not running for the hills and calling me the weirdest girl alive, even though I so clearly am. Just… thanks." I said.

Then I surprised myself momentarily by going straight up to him and giving him a hug. I don't even know why I did it, I just did. And it didn't even register in my brain that he was shirtless, unprepared for the hug, and everyone could see us. I just had to let him know I meant every word.