Hey everyone! So, just because I love you guys, I'm gonna give it to you! But remember, REVIEW!

Disclaimer: James Patterson is too brilliant and not to mention my favorite author. Why would I want to steal his work? Also, none of the songs that are mentioned belong to me.

Also, I have to thank Fluffy Bunnies Are So Cute for the song reference and for the inspiration!

Max Pov.

"Maximum! Come on! We're gonna be late!" I hear Nudge screaming at me from the front door.

I glance away from my reflection in the mirror and toward my bedroom door. "I'm coming, just give me a sec Nudge!" I look back again at my reflection in the dresser mirror and suck in a big breath.

Ok, Max. You can do this.

With one quick glance at my curled-to-wavy-perfection hair, I grab my music bag from my mattress and sprint to the car, my Chuck Taylors smacking the hardwood floors. I shove on my faded jean jacket as I slip out the door and to the car.

I get in the backseat and Nudge backs out of the drive way. Ella, who is in the passenger seat, rambles on about how my hair looks great and how she thinks she did a fantastic job picking out my concert attire.

Not that I think she did bad, I mean, I love the black and white hawk tank top she designed and the black skinny jeans, and not to mention the black Chuck Taylors look great.

But the makeup she did was a little too much.

I mean, I don't think it was necessary for her to paint on so much eye shadow- the "smoky look" looks great, but it when she did it, she put so much I couldn't keep my eyes open. It took a long time for me to convince her to take it off and to the same thing, just not as much. I mean, the dark color surrounding my brown eyes kinda looks cool, I have to admit.

The eye makeup she did was cool; it went with my dark attire. She tried to put lipstick on, but of course, being me, I was difficult with the process, but in the end, she got it on me (with Nudge's help of course). I'll just have to wipe it off before I go on stage.

"Are we picking up Angel?" I ask Nudge who glances back when I speak.

Nudge opens her mouth to reply but Ella answers for her. "Honey, does it look like we're picking her up? We're already late! We'll be lucky if we barely get there before you perform! But in answer to your question, the answer is no. Angel is meeting us there with Iggy and Gazzy."

"Thank you for the long yes or no answer," I say sarcastically.

Ella doesn't reply, but continues her talk about how many people are going to be at the concert.

I review my three songs-which I wrote of course. One is called Catching my Breath and the other is called Battlefield, which I wrote while I was sipping my coffee last night. The last one is the one I reviewed with Jeff, Ready or Not. Iggy and Gazzy know all songs, even when Battlefield was short notice. It's 6:45 and the concert starts in fifteen minutes. Of course, I don't really mind if I miss it…

But then again, this could be a big break for me. Jeff said if the judges liked me, they would offer me a record deal.

And not to mention I would kick Lissa and Brigid's asses.

And also I would walk off that stage knowing I have left Fang sitting with the judges with his mouth hanging open.

Fang, with his mouth hanging open and his eyes as big as dinner plates, staring at me while I stare back at him, knowing he wasn't expecting my performance.

Oh the thought…

I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. I continue to stare out the window and gaze at the passing buildings as Nudge drives to the Phoenix Trade Center.

(A/n I'm not sure if there is a Trade Center in Phoenix, so, just bear with me here!)

Nudge pulls into the parking lot right at seven o'clock.

I hear loud screams coming from the building.

Nudge rolls down her window to the waiting parking director.

"Hi, we're performers for the concert." Nudge says to the guy.

"Ah, go to the bottom part of the parking deck, that'll be forty-five dollars Miss." The guy peers into our car. He spots me and smiles. "You're that chick in the People magazine. I read that Nick Walker was talking to reporters about you and how you were his High School sweet heart! I have to say, I am honored to meet the girl everyone has been calling the mystery girl!"

Fang said…WHAT?

"Uh, thank…you?" My answer comes out in a question. Ella hands over the money and we pull ahead with a little rush to our parking spot.

We walk into the building and my jaw drops at the sight. We walk down the steps to the main floor and walk around the area. The concert has started and there are these two guys singing One More Night by Maroon 5.

They're pretty good too, except one of them, I can't tell which, but he sounds a little flat.

We walk around the giant floor and I am gazing at the balcony that wraps around the entire stadium. The only section that's blocked off are the seats behind the stage, and two or so rows that look like they're reserved for the judges.

This place is packed. There is not one empty seat that I have seen, and every time I think it's empty, someone's occupying it. Nudge, Ella, and I weave our way through the thick crowd and stumble to behind the stage. We are about to go through, but a security guard stops us.

"We're performers, but we're just a little late." I tell him.

He asks us to see the backstage passes.

I take the passes Iggy and Gazzy gave me from my music bag and hand them to the security guard.

He looks at them and hands them back. He waves us through and we walk backstage to find Iggy and Gazzy.

Iggy and Gazzy are talking in hushed whispers when we find them.

I tap Iggy on the shoulder. He whirls around, wide-eyed, but then he recognizes me and relaxes.

"Oh, hey Max. How's it going?"

I shrug. "It's going," I reply with a glance around the big hallway. There are many performers and I recognize two of them.

Lissa and Brigid.

They see me with my friends and Brigid gives me the finger.

Well then.

I roll my eyes and turn to Iggy. "When do I go on?"

"Oh! Yeah, well, I decided since you are a surprise, I saved you for last." Iggy says with a grin as if saying, oh yeah, I'm brilliant.

"How far are we until me?" I ask.

"We have about twelve…" Gazzy pauses as the previous performers come off the stage and the crowd goes wild with applause. When the noise dies down, he continues. "No, make it eleven performers left."

I nod and look at the next performers dancing to the beat of Broken by Seether.

No to be mean, but the way they sound and move… it's very disturbing.

I shudder at the contestant's performance.

My friends do the same.

The performance is over, thank God, and the next contestant goes on. She starts singing to a song, one I have no idea what because she is mumbling the lyrics and staring at the floor.

We talk about Iggy and Gazzy's career with Ella and Iggy hand in hand, talking about their future. In case you didn't realize, Ella is going to be living with Iggy, as in, leaving Nudge and I, as in, going with him on his concerts.

Yeah, I know. I'm still not able to grasp that concept.

It's only when Gazzy mentions paintball fights, I realize I haven't seen Fang.

"Hey, where's Fang?" I ask.

"He's sitting with the judges. It also works out better for us, because, your performance will mean more to him when he sees you for the first time."

"Iggy is so brilliant, don't you think Max?" Ella asks, looking up at Iggy who has that same cocky grin on as he did before.

"Yeah, as brilliant as a chicken," I scoff.

"But chickens aren't smart….oh, I get it now!" Gazzy says with a chuckle.

Nudge has her arm wrapped around Gazzy's waist. Ella's hands are laced with Iggy's.

Me? I am the lonely duckling.

"Hey Gazzy, have you been keeping track of the contestant count down?" I ask, glancing anxiously at the stage.

"There are four left after this."

"Thanks." I say. The previous contestants come off the stage and Lissa and Brigid go on.

Oh, this otta be good.

"Hey guys, looks who's going on next." I say, grinning. Now, if I remember right, they can't sing to save their sorry lives.

"Oh ho, check these losers out." Nudge muses with a hint of laughter in her tone.

I grin as Lissa's nasally voice speaks into her microphone.

"We are going to sing Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Simpson." Lissa says, taking her position beside Brigid, whose back is facing the crowd.

The music starts with its preppy upbeat tone.

Lissa begins to sing…but here's the thing.

It wasn't her.

I threw a wish in the well,

Don't ask me, I'll never tell

I looked to you as it fell,

And now you're in my way

Lissa has turned around after singing the first verse and she struts up the long walkway that leads to the center of the main floor.

But that's not her voice.

I'd trade my soul for a wish,

Pennies and dimes for a kiss

I wasn't looking for this,

But now you're in my way

I look back from Lissa's horrible dancing to my friends. Their mouths are hanging open.

"Something's not right." I say. "We all know this is not their singing."

Everyone nods in agreement.

"Let me go to the sound booth and check it out," Iggy says, detaching himself from Ella.

"Good, but hurry." I urge. I can't believe Lissa would go this far to be with Fang. Cheating? On television? I turn back to watch her fake singing and awful dance moves. Brigid turns around finally to the crowd, revealing her cleavage showing blue dress. She struts up the walkway, swaying her hips exaggeratedly while her fake voice says the lyrics.

Your stare was holdin',

Ripped jeans, skin was showin'

Hot night, wind was blowin'

Where do you think you're going, baby?

Lissa and Brigid do some sort of weird dance while pretending to sing their song. They do all of these weird hand motions, like the "call me" sign and the "crazy" sign.

Hey, I just met you,

And this is crazy,

But here's my number,

So call me, maybe?

It's hard to look right

At you baby,

But here's my number,

So call me, maybe?

Hey, I just met you,

And this is crazy,

But here's my number,

So call me, maybe?

And all the other boys,

Try to chase me,

But here's my number,

So call me, maybe?

Lissa begins to sing, but something in the sound falters, and her singing goes back to the way it's supposed to sing. Her fake voice fuzzes and now Lissa's left with her actual voice.

So she had computer edit her and Brigid's voice.

You took your time with the call,

I took no time with the fall

You gave me nothing at all,

Lissa notices Brigid's awful voice and she glances at the sound booth. Her jaw drops but she quickly recovers. Lissa screeches the lyrics after Brigid's failed attempt.

But still, you're in my way

I beg, and borrow and steal

Have foresight and it's real

I didn't know I would feel it,

But it's in my way

Your stare was holdin',

Ripped jeans, skin was showin'

Hot night, wind was blowin'

Where you think you're going, baby?

By now, Lissa is sobbing while she's singing. Brigid's trying her best to sound good, but it's not working. I hear footsteps and I see Iggy jogging up to us with a slightly busted lip.

"What happened?" I ask.

"You were right, they had a guy edit their voices and play the edited version." Iggy glanced up at the stage.

I follow his vision. I laugh at the sight of Lissa and Brigid's performance, ruined, but they are still at it, trying to make it work. I have to hand it to them; they have guts to keep embarrassing themselves like that.

"Anyway," Iggy continues, "you won't believe who the guy was up there."

I turn my head to him, as does everyone else. Ella is busy taking a tissue from her purse and dabbing his bleeding lip.

"Who?"

"You remember Ari, right?"

I groan and the memory of his torture, but I smile internally at my victories against him. "What about him?"

"He was the guy guarding the CD. I can't believe he still has that mean punch."

"But you remember what I told you about him right?" I ask.

"Yeah, I owe you one for that, kick him in the balls, and he'll go straight down. Then kick him on the side of the head, and he's out like a light."

"Wow, it's comforting to know that you actually take into consideration of what I have to say." I say sarcastically.

"Guys! Shush, the girls are ending the song!" Nudge exclaims from Gazzy's side. We turn to hear the last of their performance.

Before you came into my life

I missed you so bad

I missed you so bad

I missed you so, so bad

Before you came into my life

I missed you so bad

And you should know that

I missed you so, so bad

It's hard to look right

At you baby,

But here's my number,

So call me, maybe?

Hey, I just met you,

And this is crazy,

But here's my number,

So call me, maybe?

Brigid starts twirling while singing and Lissa is doing this hooker-like dance.

"Well," I say, glancing at my friends, "We know what Lissa does for a living."

I turn back to the stage and my friends chuckle from behind me.

And all the other boys,

Try to chase me,

But here's my number,

So call me, maybe?

Before you came into my life

I missed you so bad

I missed you so bad

I missed you so, so bad

Lissa and Brigid finish their song crying. The crowd is now laughing at their awful performance, making the girls cry even harder.

Before you came into my life

I missed you so bad

And you should know that

So call me, maybe?

Lissa and Brigid run off the stage as the crowd laughs at their squeaky ending.

Lissa and Brigid stop in front of me. Lissa's mascara is streaming down her cheeks, and her eyes are puffy.

I almost feel bad.

Almost.

Lissa opens her mouth to speak, but I hold up my hand to stop her.

"You shouldn't have cheated." I say dismissively.

Lissa and Brigid start screeching and four security guards come and haul them away.

"Well, that was terrible." Iggy says.

"Three more to go guys, and then we're on." Ella says.

"I kinda hoped they would at least wear something appropriate." Nudge muses with her head leaning under Gazzy's chin. He is standing behind her now with his chin resting on top of her head and both of his arms are wrapped around her waist.

It Kinda reminds me of Fang and I way back when I lived with him, I would stare out the window at night lost in thought and he would just stand there behind me with his arms wrapped loosely around my waist, his nose buried in my hair. I still remember his soft lips brushing against my ears as we would listen to the sounds of cicadas and crickets….

I shake my head clear of the memory.

It's only then, do I realize something.

Where's Angel?

I think I will cut it off for now.

But before you get mad and start on your rant, the next one is going to be extremely long, so, I want to save my fingers for the chapter!

And if you guys review, I might not let you guys have to wait a few weeks, I might give it to you tomorrow…

Review!

~Fly on~