A/N: Looks can be deceiving. Let me tell you, they are.

Chapter 26

Max POV

Could Fang's confession be true?

Could it really be true?

Anyone! Please give me some answers! I need them now!

I grimaced. I forgot Mom's throwing a ball tonight.

"Nudge! Stop pulling my hair! I don't want to be bald tonight!"

Nudge stopped pulling my hair. "Oh, so you do care about what you look tonight."

I blushed. "I do not!"

"Ari! You so owe me twenty dollars!" Nudge yelled out the door.

"Damn!" Ari also yelled from downstairs.

"Nudge, I just don't want my head to be so shiny like Mom's freaky glass orb, OK?" I checked my face in the mirror. I frowned because I totally look like a princess.

"Hey! I heard that, Max." Mom dropped the shoes she was looking at.

I yelled. "Sorry, Mom! But, you gotta admit, that orb is freaky."

"It is not! It's. . . intriguing."

"No, it's not. Its diameter is Nudge's waistline!" OK, it's not really Nudge's waistline. I was teasing her.

"My waistline is not that wide!" Nudge look horrified.

I eyed Nudge through the mirror. "Nudge, let's face it. You are getting pudgy."

"On, snap!" Ari said as he entered my room. "Max just called you fat, Nudge! Oh!" He burst out laughing and collapsed on my bed.

Nudge threw the comb she was using to comb my hair at Ari. It hit him straight in the nose. "Shit!"

"I'm here!" Ella shouted. "What did I miss?" She was carrying two dressed behind her back.

Ari walked toward her and took the dresses. "You just missed Max calling Nudge fat."

"I am not fat!" Nudge shouted quickly.

"And Nudge throwing that stupid comb in my face!" Ari continued. Ari showed his face to Ella. "Is my nose bleeding? 'Cause it feels like it. I feel something wet spurting out of my nosetrils. Is it? Is it?"

"No, Ari. It's not bleeding. And that sounds really gross." Ella walked behind me. "She looks good."

Nudge waved the mascara wand in her face. "That's an understatement, sis. She looks fantastic!"

"OK, OK. I just said that because I know Max's reaction if you call her that," She whispered at Nudge's ear, a little too loudly. "She gets all bossy and grumpy!"

"I'm still here! And I heard that!" I got off the chair. Mom helped me with the dress. I strapped on the shoes.

I took a deep breath.

"Let's get this over with."

"You are a graceful dancer, Miss Ride. I must admit that I am very much impressed."

Dude! I'm dancing with a guy who's suffering seizures!

"Mademoiselle, you look magnifi-zent!"

And you make me puké!

"Miss Ride, what are your interests in life?"

What I'm really interested is you getting away from me.

"My lady! My wish is your command!"

Oh, really? Then I wish that you're dead.

"I will do anything you want, my sweet!"

Get the hell away from me!

Those bachelors are even worse than Fang described they are!

God! I wish this whole ball thing is over.

Wish granted.

I saw Fang walking towards me.

"May I have this dance?"

"Sure, why not?" I laid my hand on his. Fang pulled me to the dance floor. I moved closer to him. "You won't end up like them, will you?"

Fang chuckled softly. "You mean dance like a chicken and spit out sappy phrases?"

I laughed with him. "They are worse than you described."

"I know." He pulled me closer.

I sniffed his shoulder. Oh, God. . . "You really came." I whispered.

"Told you I will." Fang whispered back.

"Do you mean what you said?"

"What?"

"You know, the confession thing."

We locked gazes. Something hot was creeping up my neck. "It's a once in a lifetime thing."

"Yeah, but you still haven't answered my question."

Fang softly sighed. "Yes, I did."

"How can you love me? Of all the pretty girls out there, you picked me. How? Why?"

"You're different. The moment I first saw you, I felt this connection. Like I've-"

"Known you all my life." I finished for him.

Fang nodded.

Fairytale-like fantasies whirled round and round in my brain. I shook my head. "This is getting ridiculous."

"Admit it, you like me." I saw Fang's all-too familiar smirk.

I slapped his arm. "Of all the idiotic remarks I've heard all night, yours was the stupidest of them all!"

"Yeah, but the most legit one too." His face turned serious.

"Shut up."

"Just admit it and I promise I'll stop bugging you about it."

"Promise?"

He nodded.

"OK, I do like you, just a little."

"Ha!" Our dance ended and Fang's smirk turned to an annoying grin. "I was right!"

I stood there, appalled. "You knew all along?"

Fang shrugged. "Maybe." He then started to leave the room backwards. He ran and left outside.

I followed him, despite the shocked stares at me.

Man, it's hard to run in a dress and heels. I took off the heels and carried my skirt.

I sprinted after him and suddenly, he stopped at the gazebo where Fang told me he loves me.

"Because I love you, Maximum Ride."

It all came back rushing to me. Oh, God.

"Fang, I'm beginning to hate you."

Fang turned around and patted the space beside him. I sat down.

"Didn't you say that before I got stabbed?"

"I did. But I didn't mean it. You just annoy the heck out of me. I mean, with all those cocky grins and uneasy stares."

"You made me feel like a completely different person," Fang whispered to the wind. He looked up to the sky.

"How different?"

"I don't talk that much. Or express that much emotions before."

"Yeah, your mom mentioned that."

"How did you know?"

"Your mom told my mom and she told me."

"Ah. Mothers. They're irritating, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Like force their daughters to a ball to find some husband because their daughters are not capable of finding the perfect husband."

"Speaking of which, have you found him yet?"

Yes. "No, I'm still waiting. And he is not in there." I pointed at the house

"You only have a few weeks left."

"Yeah. This is getting harder by the minute."

Fang stared at me. I continued to stare at the sky. Then, Fang's hand cupped my chin. He turned my head to him.

"Can I kiss you?"

WHAT? "Huh?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Is he kidding me? His face was perfectly serious. "Uhh. . ."

Fang's hand left me. He burst out laughing.

"Gotcha!"

"What- FANG!"

"I can't believe you fell for that." He was clutching his stomach for laughing too hard.

"Ugh! You know what? I'm leaving!" I stood up to leave but Fang's grabbed my wrist.

"Don't."

I turned to him and laughed. "Gotcha!"

"You!"

"Me!"

We laughed together. "But seriously," Fang turned serious again. "Can I kiss you?

A/N: RnR?