It took me such a long time to start this.. sorry. /:

Well on the bright side dance started up again (:D) but my old teacher can't do Tuesdays anymore so I have a new teacher (D:). And I got into symphonic band, which is the highest band you can get into in my school. :D So yaaaaay! But I have lots of homework. Math every night. Usually 60 problems or so. So blame my math teacher for the late update. :/

And for people who watch Dance Moms, there's a girl in my dance class named Maddie. Except it's spelled M A D D Y.

I decided that I'll do individual thanks but I'll do them for people that have been reviewing each chapter & being helpful & supportive and stuff :) So it'll be a surprise who I put in & stuff. Basically, I'll thank everyone that helped me through my first story. Cause if it weren't for those people this thing wouldn't have made it past chapter one. Sounds awfully cheesy and I'm sorry for my cheesiness but yeah. Omg that reminds me. . .today I told my friend that if she tied my Converse for me (cause I was too lazy to bend down) I'd tell her a secret and I told her that I secretly love string cheese and she said 'I make it quite known that I enjoy cheese.' I was cracking up.

Another funny friend convo.
Friend: Wait so what kind of mix is your dog?
Me: I think it's like German Shepard, Golden Retriever, and like Chow or something.
Friend: OMG IT WAS A DOGGY THREESOME

Disclaimer: Am I a middle-aged man? NO. I'm a teenage girl. So I don't own Maximum Ride.

You guys still don't know my name. I find that amusing. Do you find that frustrating or does it bother you or anything? Idk just wondering. Lmao :)

Nudge didn't say anything.

"Nudge," I prodded.

She sighed and looked down at her hands. "Well, I didn't like that my parents didn't tell me we're moving right away," she said, the words pouring out quickly. "They've known since yesterday and I went to school and cluelessly lied to you - not intentionally!" she added hastily, when she saw my raised brows. "I really thought that Fang had the stomach bug. He was just staying home from school to kinda figure out how to deal with the situation and stuff and start packing. Then Fang went to school today and told everyone I had the stomach bug - but I was just packing." Nudge was crying by now.

"Nudge, Nudge, it's okay," I soothed. I felt a little weird. I wasn't good at this comforting thing. I sat down on the bed next to her and rubbed her back lightly, awkwardly. "Can you still explain to me how you ended up in my room?"

She gave a small smile. "So yeah, I was really mad. And I told Fang I was gonna run away and he told me that wouldn't fix anything and I got mad and I wanted to prove him wrong. I only realized that I really didn't have anywhere to go once I was out the door. I'm really sorry about kinda breaking into your house, but the back door was open and I saw Ella in the dining room. She told me to go hide in your room and just hang out. She brought me up a snack and stuff and we talked and painted our nails." She wiggled her pink nails. "And I've been here since after school," she finished awkwardly.

"Don't tell my mom," were the first words out of my lips.

"Ella didn't. I didn't. My mom is gonna start panicking and call your mom, though."

"Yeah, I know," I said. I stood up and started pacing. (A/N: Pacing really does help you think better. I learned that in science. The brain works better when the body is in motion. And the brain is really bad at paying attention for more than eight to twelve minutes. So my science teacher lets us get up and move around all the time. Awesome, right? I'm sorry, this is long.)

After thinking for a while, I turned back to Nudge. "Okay, so, we can't exactly hide you forever. Your mom is gonna get upset and call the police and they'll question Fang and he'll probably end up at the police station answering questions. And you know what the first thing he's gonna say is when they ask him if he knows where you might've gone?"

"Max's house," she said, realization dawning in her eyes.

"Exactly. So you can kinda stay over tonight, but I don't think it's a very good idea. You mom is gonna be worried sick."

Nudge frowned, thinking.

"I think you should go home, Nudge," I said quickly. "Not because I don't like having you here, but because I don't want your mom getting upset over this when she's already got so much to deal with."

"I guess I see your point," Nudge said reluctantly. "Will you call Fang for me? If I call him he'll yell at me."

"I guess." I'd probably cry at the sound of his voice.

"Okay." She sounded relived. "He'll be mad."

"I know. I'm harboring a criminal on the run."

She grinned and nudged me. See what I did there? Oh God, I'm doing that stupid thing again. "G'head. Call him."

I had to hit at least five speed dial buttons until I found Fang's. I'd set him as a random number, not caring for numerical order. He was number 74.

I quietly pressed the speaker button and waited. When Fang picked up, all he said was "yo."

"Yo," I said back sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Can I talk to Nudge? She's not picking up her cell."

His voice was emotionless. "She's not really here right now. . ."

I smirked. "Do you know where she is?"

"Nope."

"I do." I could hear the grin in my own voice.

"No kidding. You know where Nudge is. For real?"

"Yes, for real," I said proudly.

There was a pause.

"You gonna tell me where she is?"

"Well, yeah," I said. "I'm gonna let you talk to her. But she's scared you're gonna yell at her. So that's why I had to call you instead of her."

Nudge slapped my arm and mouthed 'shut up!' to me. I ignored her.

"I'm not going to yell at her," Fang said calmly.

"Yeah, I know that," I sighed. "The thing is, you have to talk to your mom and calm her down before I send her home so she can stop being an idiot and running away to my house." I almost clamped a hand over my mouth, realizing that I'd told him exactly where Nudge was. But I acted totally calm and collected.

"Hold on. I'm gonna come over and talk to her."

"Yeah yeah yeah. Be quick. And sneak in. Don't let my mom know you're here. If she sees you just tell her you need to borrow my science book."

"I got it. Bye." He hung up.

I frowned at the phone. "He always hangs up before I can say bye."

"ZOMG HE DOES THAT TO ME TOO!" Nudge blabbered on and on about how she'd called him after cheerleading practice one day to come walk her home and he'd hung up without letting her say bye. For some reason this issue was a big deal to her and she got a look of concentration on her face as she chattered on about Fang's annoying habit. She didn't even notice when Fang appeared in the doorway. I smirked at him and he brushed a hand over his mouth to hide his silent chuckle. He listened to Nudge's rant intently.

When she paused to take a breath, we both applauded politely. "That was a very impressive word count on one breath," Fang said.

Nudge's head whipped around so quickly that her ringlets smacked me in the face. I batted her hair away from my nose so I wouldn't be breathing in her coconut shampoo. I mean, sure, who doesn't like the smell of coconuts? But I was pretty sure I'd end up getting high.

"DON'T KILL ME" were the first words out of Nudge's mouth.

"Wasn't planning on it," Fang said, lightly kicking the door frame.

"Good," Nudge said in relief.

"I was planning on killing Max because she's the one who's encouraged this whole thing," he said calmly.

He said it so casually that I didn't really register the meaning of the words until Fang had tackled me and I found myself on the floor with my shoulders pinned and Fang leaning over me with a victorious grin.

I looked at him seriously and tried to catch my breath, since he'd slammed into me and knocked the wind out of me. "I have ways to kill you and make it look like an accident."

He smirked and tightened his hold on my shoudlers. It was getting pretty uncomfortable.

"Seriously. I wouldn't even need a lawyer."

"I'm sure you wouldn't, Maxie darling."

"You remind me of those incredibly annoying cartoon characters that are always designed to annoy the good guy," I told him.

He rolled his eyes. "That's such a stupid description."

"Oh, and something else," I continued.

He looked confused. "What?"

"You remind me of something else, too."

"What?"

"Dead meat."

I shoved him off me and pushed him onto his back. I was unforgiving and pretty dang pissed, so I had no mercy and 'accidentally' kneed him in the stomach before pinning his shoulders and kneeling on his abs. The boy seriously has some really nice muscles under there. Seriously. When I slam into him by accident, I'm pretty sure I get bruises.

"Cant," Fang gasped. "Breathe!"

I snickered and did a little ninja roll to the side. Am I cool or what? I mean, I'm sorry. That's just so epic, I just can't even. (A/N: My friend always says 'I can't even' and never finishes the thought. Drives me nuts.)

"Knees of steel," Fang muttered as he sat up.

Nudge was bouncing up and down on my bed. "That was weird but OMG FANG-" I grabbed the object closest to me and threw it at her. It just so happened to be a dog toy from Ella's short-lived dog adoption phase. She'd given it to one of her friend, but had decided to stuff all the dog toys under my dressers instead of giving them away.

"What the hell is this?" Nudge demanded, picking up the rawhide bone thing.

"A dog toy," I said casually, as if it was as common as having a sock lying around on the floor.

"You don't have a dog," Nudge reminded me.

"Yes I do." I patted Fang's head. "Sit."

Fang snagged my wrist and twisted my arm. I cried out and slipped away from him. "You're evil!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I thwacked him over the head and Nudge tried to stifle her giggle when Fang gave her a death glare.

"This is why you don't hang out with girls," Fang said, fingering the back of his head where I'd hit him. I'd hit him pretty hard. I was so proud of myself.

"Oh please," Nudge scoffed. "You'd be a wimp if you didn't."

"But he already is," I said.

Nudge furrowed her eyebrows. "Whuuut?"

"Fang is a wimp," I said stubbornly.

"Oh. Well that's true." Nudge grinned.

Fang's cell phone started talking to us. Specifically, his mom's voice that was his personalized ringtone for his mom that she'd recorded.

Fang you had better pick up your phone this very instant or you are in some huge trouble. I mean it. Fang. . .FANG ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE. I KNOW YOU'RE THERE.

Nudge and I snickered as Fang flipped open the phone. He barely got to say a word before his mom's shrill scream shattered through the tiny speakers on the phone.

"WHERE'S NUDGE?" Yes, I totally did bold/caps lock/underline/italicize that. Her scream was that loud.

"She's right here, mom," he said calmly.

"LET ME TALK TO HER," she said, still loudly, but not quite as loud as before.

"Okay, gimme a second." Fang unsuccessfully tried to calm his mother down before she spoke to Nudge. I stood up and looked down at Fang with an angelic smile.

"May I please speak to your mother, Nicolas?" I asked in a disgustingly sweet, sugarcoated voice.

"Of course, Maximum," Fang said, doing a weak impersonation of my angelic sweet-talk voice. I snatched the phone and stood on my desk chair to talk to her.

"Hi, Mrs. Thorne," I said. My voice was still in super-sweet mode. I swear, I should be an actress.

"Hi, Max, can I please talk to Nudge," she begged. Normally she would've replied just as sweetly as I had, but now she was stressed and really needed to talk to her daughter.

"Okay, but before I give her the phone, I have to say that I'll miss you so much when you move and I'll come over to lend you a hand whenever you need me." I smiled evilly at Fang; an oppurtunity to organize him and help his mom crack the whip was too good to pass up.

Fang's mom's voice was calmer when she spoke again. "That would be great, Max," she said, calm and cheerful again. "I'll miss you so much as well."

I smiled. "I'll let you talk to Nudge now," I said in a voice so awfully sweet I think I gave myself a cavity. I handed the phone to Nudge and skipped out the door, swinging my arms like I was a perfect ballerina exiting the stage. (A/N: Or Maddie, for Dance Moms people ;D OMG I NEED TO STOP WITH THESE NOTES) Fang was close on my heels.

"No," I objected, shoving against his chest. "You need to go support your sister."

"She can support herself perfectly fine," Fang said. "She needs private time to talk to my mom."

"Stubborn," I muttered.

"More stubborn," he shot back.

"Even more stubborn." I was stubbornly going to win this.

"Most stubborn person on the planet," he said truimphantly.

Damn, can't argue with that. So I settled for narrowed eyes and a seriously out of character snooty hair toss. I crack myself up.

He laughed and leaned against the wall. "So. . . ." he said, drawing the word out awkwardly.

I crossed my arms. "So."

He chuckled. "Wanna make out?" he teased.

"Oh my God, shut up!" I forced a laugh and smacked him across the chest even though the awkward energy in the hall had just skyrocketed. Thankfully, Nudge opened the door to my room and peeked her head out.

"Max?" she said. "I hafta go home now. You do too." She pointed at Fang.

Fang shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Let's go. See ya." He peered down the stairs to make sure my mom wasn't lurking down there and then tip toed down the stairs with more silence than I would've thought he was capable of. Well, actually, more silence than I thought a guy could be capable of. Fang had always been way too silent. Nudge was more noisy; the strap of her backpack got caught around the door handle on the way out and almost tipped my mom off to her presence.

I sighed and flopped down on my stomach on the floor. My life was like a snowball going down a hill, gathering speed and sticky snow and problems with every roll until it was just one big ball of stress and anger and confusion and did I mention stress?

It sucks.

"Is your room always this messy?" I asked in horror.

Fang shrugged and sat down in his desk chair. "No."

"I don't believe you." I tiptoed around the mess until I found a clear place to stand. It was Saturday, and Fang's mom had invited me over to help them pack up. I'd accepted so quickly that she'd barely gotten the time to invite me before I answered. I hated having a big gaping empty Saturday ahead of me. Usually Fang and I did something, like go bike riding or something like that. But there was a lot of cleaning up and packing to do. I tried not to dwell on the reason for that, instead thinking about how messy Fang had allowed his room to become.

"Well, first," I said, puffing out a black trash bag, "we get rid of some of this crap."

"Go ahead," Fang said, folding his hands behind his head. "I love watching a girl do a guy's work."

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when there are no real guys around." (A/N: Can't take credit; got that joke from The Clique.)

He threw something at my head and I ducked just in time. "Gimme that trash bag."

I pulled it out of his reach. "No. You'll decide what's for keeps and what's crap, and toss it in while I hold it open." I stretched my arms as far as they would go to hold open the trash bag.

Fang started sorting through the mess on the floor. "Here," he said, dumping a bunch of makeup in the bag. I stared at it in horror.

"Fang!" I screeched. "You wear Maybelline?"

"It's Nudge's," he explained calmly. "There's a mirror inside my closet door that my mom never took down and she uses it to apply her makeup everyday, then forgets about the makeup and leaves it in here."

My mouth was still dropped open and my eyes were still wide.

"You'll start catching flies soon," Fang said casually, tossing in a couple ripped socks.

I snapped my mouth shut and glared. "I'm just surprised that you wear makeup."

"Seriously, are you not hearing a word I'm saying?"

"You're a good liar," I teased.

"Shut up, Ride," he said.

"I've always found it cliche when people call me by my last name, Thorne," I shot back.

He threw something else at me. I ducked again. "I'm not a target!" I cried.

He rolled his eyes and stuffed a bunch of note sheets in the bag. "You are for me."

"Thank you," I said sourly. "And you're still my dog, right?"

Now it was his turn to scowl. I grinned and tossed the bag at him. "Jeez, kidding."

"I wasn't."

"I take back my last statement, then."

"Here's a box," Mrs. Thorne said briskly, setting down a big cardboard box. "You guys should start packing little things up. Like all of this crap." She grinned and patted Fang's dresser top. He certainly did have a lot of useless crap crowding it.

"Can you throw this out?" Fang said, shoving the bag towards his mom.

"Throw it out yourself, mister," I chided. "Your mom doesn't need to be bothered with this."

He stuck his tongue out at me. I marveled again at how much he's opened up since we became friends. It's a nice change.

"C'mon," I said, moving behing him and shoving him. "Go put it at the curb."

"Fine," he muttered, and got up to go put the bag at the curb.

Mrs. Thorne gave me an approving look. "You're a blessing, Max."

I laughed. "Thanks, Mrs. Thorne."

"Sweetheart, please just call me Kate." She smiled.

I smiled too. "Sure. I'm just gonna start packing this stuff up," I said awkwardly, moving in front of Fang's dresser.

She disappeared down the hall, a bunch of flattened cardboard boxes in her arms.

Sorting Fang's stuff occupied me until I heard a tiny ding from his laptop that immediately captured my interest. Ninja-like, I silently moved across the room and pressed my finger to the touch pad. The black faded away to show his Gmail account. There was a brand-new one on top. The name in the name part thingy was Brigid Dwyer.

Can't a girl catch a damn break?

First dealing with a jealous Lissa. Then Dylan. Then Brigid. Then Halley. Now Brigid again.

I swear, someone, somewhere, is out to get me.

I checked behind me to make sure Fang wasn't in the doorway. I peeked out the window and saw that he was having trouble with the garbage cans; he'd knocked one over, which caused the whole row to fall over, and several to roll into the street. He was sprinting back and forth, struggling to keep all the garbage cans on the curb. It was a really funny sight, and it bought me some time.

The subject line read 'Hey Fang!' with a cutesy little smiley face.

How adorable.

I clicked it open and quickly read through it.

Hey Fang! :D I haven't talked to you in a while but I was wondering if you'd be interesting in going rollerblading next Friday. I only have two tickets so please don't bring anyone else. Text me whether you can or can't come. See you at school :D

-Brigid

I could've sworn that the 'don't bring anyone else' part was directed at me.

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and knew I had to act fast. I quickly clicked the 'mark as unread' button and minimized the window. I rushed over to Fang's dresser and resumed sorting through the stuff as if I'd been here the whole time.

"I don't even know how to start organizing this," I said. I realized I sounded kinda bitter and tried to tone it down a bit. "Oh, and you laptop it making noises." I pointed at it acusingly.

"I'll check it later," he said dismissively. "We need to sort this right now."

"Agreed." I reached into the mess and came up with a trophy. I turned it over and read the plaque. "You played hockey?" I asked in surprise.

"In middle school, yeah." He shrugged like it was no big deal.

"You have like, six trophies! Why'd you quit?"

"It wasn't for me. I got bored of it."

I smacked his head. "Bad Fang. I never quit stuff."

He looked at me like I was crazy. "Yes you do. You do it all the time."

"Shhhh," I warned, packing up the trophies.

We went on and on like that for hours, us arguing and stuffing everything in either a trash bag or boxes. By the time we decided to finish it another day, the sky was darkening. We'd gotten at least a quarter or Fang's room cleaned and packed up.

Afterwards we sat out on Fang's front lawn with popsicles even though it was fall and only days from Halloween.

"When's the exact date?" I asked awkwardly.

"Of what?" Fang sounded confused.

"You know," I said, subtly widening my eyes, "when you move." I practically whispered the last part.

"Oh." He looked up at the stars. "The day after Thanksgiving."

"Where are you having Thanksgiving?" I asked, hoping to divert the topic from Fang moving.

He shrugged. "The McDonalds drive-thru, maybe?"

I frowned. "That's stupid. Come have Thanksgiving with us. It's not like my mom cares."

He tilted his head. I found myself getting disoriented by how black and bottomless his eyes were. They were like, the sky, or something. . .

I shook my head to clear it. I realized that Fang had been asking me a question while I was lost in my own little world. "Huh?"

"I said, she really wouldn't mind that?"

I snorted sarcastically. "No way."

"Hmm." His face was happier now. "I'll try and convince my mom."

"You do that." I bit off the last of my orange popsicle and read the joke. "Ew. These jokes are horrible." I got up and tossed it in the garbage can at the curb. I only realized that Fang had been following me, just inches behind. I almost smashed into him before his strong hands caught me and I was looking into those eyes again.

Dammit, I'm such a sap!

"Sweet dreams," Fang said, looking amused.

"Mhm," I said, incredibly incoherent.

Why must Fang tease me? Why must he kiss my forehead and look all mysterious and crap and look like he's gonna say something else but never says it? It's so annoying.

He released me. " 'Night."

I turned away, trying not to let my annoyance and confusion and incoherency show. " 'Night."

I thought I head Fang say something else to me, but I was too far away to hear.

I'm sappy.

Hey, go look this up. Go on YouTube. In the search bar, type in Maddie Ziegler - Disappear. I swear, I'm watching this every single second of the day. It's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. I can't stop watching it lol.

Once again, so sorry for the sososo late update. My excuse this time is homework. And dance. And band. And my sick dog. Who's throwing up all over the place :(

Oh, and one more thing: I told you last chapter I'm gonna do two more chapters and then end it. I've decided to extend it to three more after this so it'll end with exactly forty chapters. I always have to have stuff evened out like that lmao.

-dancerxforlifex3