HA, HA! YOU SUCKERS FELL FOR IT! I amazed at how gullible you all are. I'm not that horrible! Well, actually I am, for tricking you like that. But anyway, here is the next, well-deserved chapter. J

I tiptoed into the dingy, ugly house that I called my own. I made it up the stairs and into my room, locking the door. As if a locked door would keep Lara from beating my ass. Yet, it still made me feel safer. It would probably give me some time to get out the window.

I fell onto my bed, quietly, and cranked my ipod up, not giving myself a chance to think about what Fang had said.

Oh, Fang! He was just to much! And I was the one person who he could not live without? What about Ella, his sister? Or Iggy, his best friend? Nudge, the perfect girl? Gazzy, the cutest boy? Why me? What did I do to deserve such confusion? This was almost worse than a beating from Lara. It was a beating. My brain was beating me senseless. I was, in the most literal term, senseless. And the thing was, I wanted Fang. So bad, I wanted him.

Ugh! Why pick on me, God? Haven't I suffered enough? My phone rung and I checked the caller ID. Oh, God, it was Nudge. I let it ring. Then a text message appeared.

R u O.K.? She had said. I didn't reply. Max? Fang didn't mean it!

The texts went on and on for a while. Finally they stopped coming all together. I just sat there, replaying Evanescence. My Immortal, Everybody's Fool, Bring Me To Life. Whoops, better not listen to the last one. I switched to Airplanes, B.o.B and Hayley Williams came on, and I relaxed. Then I listened to my Paramore, then Blondie, all my Bangles, through the Eminem, Patsy Cline, and finally Britt Nicole. When She Cries. God, that song was so inspirational.

I put When She Cries on replay and cried myself out. Then, I finally found peace in my sleep.

XXXxxxXXX

The next morning, I dressed up in a plaid shirt, some skinny jeans, and a New Found Glory hoodie.

I grabbed my phone, Ipod, backpack and book report. Then I left before Lara could catch me.

I walked to school, which was only three blocks away. Not to bad, and walking kept me in shape. Fitness was always good.

Classes started normal, other than the fact that almost every class I had was with Nudge, Ella, Iggy, Gazzy or Fang. Most of my classes had several of those people. So I spent the day avoiding most of them. I got to class early and sat with some nerds, then the table was full before someone I knew could walk in. I could tell Nudge was really pissed about that by the way she glared.

Lunch was the same. I went to the other side of the cafeteria, put my hood up, and ate with the Goths.

By last period, I was exhausted, and sat in the back of the room with some particularly preppy looking girls. And Lissa was there. They kept laughing and whispering, while I tried to keep my attention on Mr. Mercer. Drifts of their conversation floated towards me, and I sucked it up, leaning closer to hear the whole thing.

"Yeah, that's her…hangs out…Nick…and Monique…nerds." Then more laughing. Finally they stopped whispering and Lissa turned around, efficiently whacking me in the face with her long, red hair.

"Hi. I'm Lissa. And you're Max, right?" I nodded, very interested in this girl, but trying not to show it. "Yeah. Aren't you supposed to be hanging with Monique and Ella up there?"

"Well…" I said, hesitating. "It's kind of complicated." I replied.

"I see. Aren't you going out with Nick?" She asked. I made an incredulous face, which was how I really felt.

"No! No, no, no! Where did you hear that?" When I denied the question, a slow smile spread across her face.

"Oh, no where. You two were just so close. Guess there is nothing going on between you two. Too bad, you could have been really cute together." Lissa then turned around, and I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Okay, stopping there, because I have to go make dinner. The next chapter will be up, pronto. Also, if you could do me the biggest favor ever, and go read my other story? I know a lot of you have, but, being the selfish brat I am, I REALLY want more reviews. That story has some big shoes to fill after this one!