A/N: This is my second author's note. The last one was lost when the phone rang and I majorly spazzed and accidently hit the back button, effectively losing my note, and all the thanks I had written. And I mean all the thanks. That makes me angrier than you can even imagine. That's what too much caffeine will get you- jumpy. Anyway, I'm assuming you all don't hate me anymore cause they kissed now! And I got more reviews this time, and that's all good.

5432run- Glad you loved the kiss! I knew it was what you were waiting for.

MelindaM- I love making my readers cry or almost cry. I know it sounds terrible, but it makes me feel good about my writing, lol.

brittany- Glad you liked it.

kim- Glad I got you hooked! It's great when people love your stories.

Vicki316- My suggestion to you is to go re-read the extended summary. It may give you some clues. But that's all I'm saying. My lips are sealed.

emmalee05- As honored as I am that you were reading the story simply because I was the author, I am thrilled that I turned you into a Jexie fan. They're GH's best couple right now in my opinion.

blackcherrymeg16- Glad you liked that they finally kissed!

Journeylover062- I'm giving you the same advice I gave Vicki. Go back and read the extended summary again. You may stumble on some stuff you forgot about in there.

JulesMorgan- Glad you liked it. I haven't heard from you in a while on this story and I was missing your comments and insight! I'm happy that you like the Carly/ Courtney/ Maxie dynamic.

Seth Cohen's girlfriend- That's actually a really good suggestion. I'd love to use it an upcoming chapter. Let me know in your next review if it's ok with you. I promise to give you credit but if you don't want me to use it at all, thats perfectly cool too. Don't think I'm forcing you into it!

AnAngelofAStar- Thank you! Finally someone saying it was worth the wait instead of giving my an impatient 'finally'. Glad you liked it!

Lauren- Aww, thank you. That was so sweet. I'm glad you look foward to reading my story.

kaceekittykat- That's alright, I know all about malfunctioning computers. Plus, I'm computer spaztic and I can't ever fix any problems I have (thank god for older sisters). So, I'm glad you were finally able to review and I am very sorry about your computer being a meanie.

Spoiledtink- School is going a little bit better. It still sucks, and it's hot and aircondionerless, and my gym teacher believes in running in the rain, but I'm coping. Thanks for caring and thanks for reading!

anon14- Believe me, I have something big up my sleeve. Huge actually! And you'll never ever suspect it! Hahaha (evil laugh)

brucasbrathangrl- Wow, your favorite fanfic ever! That's the nicest thing, thanks. I'm so glad you're loving it.

middiegurl08- You're a Journey fan? You're kidding me! Lol, j/k. Sorry that it didn't make up for him pushing her away : p. But I have big plans. Biggg plans.

tania- Glad you loved it!

This chapter has a song in it. I listen to music when I write and sometimesa song just fits with what I'm writing. So the chapter isn't based on the song, the song's based on the chapter (does that make sense?) Anyway, the song is The Brilliant Dance and it's by Dashboard Confessional. My suggestion is to listen to the song as you read it to really get the mood. If you can track it down though, don't feel like you need to go find it or the chapter will be boring and crappy. It still works if you just read the lyrics!

Chapter 7- The Brilliant Dance

It had been a few days since Maxie and Jesse had first kissed and they were no closer to working out their problems. Jesse continued to guard Maxie, but the two were very tense around one another. They both were longing to kiss each other again, and to hold each other again, but they knew that they couldn't do it. It wasn't to stop Maxie from trying though. She couldn't even count the number of times she had fought with Jesse and begged him to just try it with her. She had taken Courtney and Carly's advice and she was fighting for her man. But it was getting difficult. And Maxie was starting to feel like she was breaking.

Maxie attempted to put her hair up and put on lip-gloss as she ran into Kelly's.

"Georgie, I am so so sorry" she apologized.

"What happened?" asked Georgie curtly.

"I overslept. I have just been so stressed about…everything lately. Jesse especially. And I haven't slept well, and then I must have just not heard my alarm go off. I am so sorry"

"It's no big deal. It's just nice to see what your priorities are" said Georgie.

"Georgie, don't be mad. Please. I know I was late, but it was just lunch. No biggie, right?"

"Just lunch!" screeched Georgie. "Is that how you see me? Hmm, if you have time for me, you hang out with me, but if not, you just blow me off"

"I didn't blow you off!" Maxie maintained. "I accidentally overslept"

"There seem to be a lot of accidents with you Maxie. You accidentally forgot that you had a date the night that I was supposed to get that award, or you accidentally forgot that your brother needed you to baby-sit the day that we were going to get those prom dresses" said Georgie, adding extra spite to the word 'accidentally'.

"You know what Georgie!" yelled Maxie, causing the whole restaurant to stare at her. "I really don't need this right now! I am dealing with more than you ever have to. You live in your own perfect little world while the rest of us deal with reality. You have no idea about what I have to put up with! You have your perfect family and your perfect boyfriend. I have a screwed up family and a screwed up relationship if you can even call it a relationship! I live with my pregnant sister and her mobular husband while my overprotective mobular psychotic brother and his crazy wife and kids live right across the hall so that everyone can keep an eye on little Maxie! God forbid she gets to live her life how she wants to. She can handle shoot outs and kidnappings, but you even suggest having her live in, gasp, a dorm room, and everyone's frickin' heads explode!" she screamed as she let out a frustrated sigh. "I have to get out of here" she mumbled as she stormed out of Kelly's, leaving everyone to watch.

So this is odd,
the painful realization that has all gone wrong.
And nobody cares at all,
and nobody cares at all.

Maxie ran all the way to the docks, so desperate to get her anger out. She just wanted to have a temper tantrum. She just wanted to have something to punch. It wasn't fair, and she was done with putting up with it.

"Maxie!" called Jesse as he came out of the shadows from which he was watching her.

"You!" she growled, seeing the answer to what she was looking for. "I hate you!" she yelled, running over to him and punching him over and over in the chest.

He stood there for a few moments, just taking her beating as she cried and sobbed and just hit him over and over again. Finally, when he was certain that she was going to make herself sick, he grabbed her and held her tightly to himself.

"I hate you" she kept saying over and over again through all of her tears.

"Shh, shh. Calm down Maxie, its ok. I'm here now. It's ok" he soothed her, rubbing her back and smoothing down her hair.

"I hate you" she sobbed out one more time before basically collapsing in his arms, her tears showing no sign of stopping.

"Shh, it's ok" he told her as he held her tightly to his chest.

"No, no it's not ok!" she yelled, wrenching herself from his arms. "You did this! This is all your fault!"

So you buried all your lover's clothes
and burned the letters lover wrote,
but it doesn't make it any better.
Does it make it any better?
And the plaster dented from your fist
in the hall where you had your first kiss
reminds you that the memories will fade.

"Maxie…"

"No, don't even try to stand up for yourself Jesse. Because I don't want to hear it! You kissed me! Remember? You told me that you cared about me, and that I meant something to you. And then you were the one who pulled away. You were the one who ripped out my heart and stomped on it" she said as she angrily wiped at her tears which were still falling.

"Do you think that it was easy for me?" he asked her as his own voice became thick and his eyes got wet. "Do you think it was easy for me to just push you away like that?"

"It must have been! Because you did it so eagerly!" she yelled back.

"Eagerly! God Maxie, how could you say that I did it eagerly?" he asked as a lone tear made it's way down his face. "You are the most amazing woman that I have ever met, and I had to stop myself from being with you. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. The last thing I ever wanted to do was push you away"

"But you did it Jesse! You hurt me and you pushed me away!"

So this is strange,
our sidestepping has come to be a brilliant dance
where nobody leads at all,
where nobody leads at all.

"Things are complicated Maxie. I wish you would understand that" he begged.

"No, I understand. You're pathetic, that's what I understand. You are too scared of my brothers to admit your true feelings. You have this messed up version of loyalty and betrayal and all that crap!" she shouted. "Well guess what Jesse, you're ruining my life! I'm fighting with my friends, my family. I feel so sad, and so angry, all the time! I'm pissed off Jesse, and I hate feeling this way!"

"I'm sorry Maxie. I am so sorry. I never meant for it to happen like this. I never meant for things to happen like they did"

"Yeah, while the point is they happened Jesse. And you had a decision to make. And you picked the cowardly way out" she said as she finally stopped crying and instead angrily stood her ground.

"Maxie, please" he begged as the tears cascaded down his cheeks. "If I could take it back and do it another way, don't you think I would? But it can't work between us. The situation is just so…"

"If you say complicated one more time, I'm going to make you wish you were never born" she warned, causing him to crack a small smile.

"See, just look at yourself. You're a rapid little spit fire. You don't take anyone's crap, and you stand up for yourself. You don't need me"

"It's not always about needs Jesse. Sometimes, a girl just wants" she said softly.

And the picture frames are facing down
and the ringing from this empty sound
is deafening and keeping you from sleep.
And breathing is a foreign task
and thinking's just too much to ask
and you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.

"I know. I want you too. Hell, sometimes I feel like I even need you" he said just as softly as his tears subsided. "But the circumstances are… I just mean…if we had met a different way, if we led different lives…"

"Then you would be with me" she finished. "I hardly see how that one works" she scoffed.

"My life is too dangerous for you Maxie. I can't let you get involved in that"

"Newsflash. I'm involved already. Hell, I'm more involved than you are"

"I don't want you to see me when I've just been shot or beat up. I can't drag you into that"

"Jesse! Get it through you're thick skull! You are not dragging me into this! I'm already in!" she screamed, getting extremely frustrated with him.

"Things are complicated Maxie!" he yelled as she growled at him for using that word again. "And I can't let you be caught in any crossfire!"

"You can protect me from anything. You're my knight in shining armor, remember!" she begged.

"There's just more to it Maxie" he said softly, his voice taking on a pleading tone.

"God, I don't know how many more times I can hear you say that, or that it's complicated!" she said as she stormed off.

"Wait, Maxie, please don't go!" he called after her.

"What, suddenly you want me to stay?" she asked as she turned around to face him.

"I just can't leave this how it is" he explained softly. "I want to fix this"

"You want to fix this?" she asked in a voice barely over a whisper.

"I want to fix this" he begged.

This is incredible.
Starving, insatiable,
yes, this is love for the first time.
Well you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Yeah, well weren't we all once before we felt loss for the first time?
Well this is the last time.

"I'm done trying" she said. "Sometimes it's best to just give up" she said, unable to deal with the pain of throwing herself at him.

"You don't believe that. I know you don't believe that. I know why you're doing this. You're doing this so that I'll miss you. If you don't fight for me, than you just think I'm going to fight for you! Well, it's not going to work Maxie. It's too hard!" he yelled.

"Fine! I'm walking away! I'm doing exactly what you want me to do!"

"Wait!" he yelled.

"What?" she bellowed, the anger more than apparent in her voice.

"This isn't what I want" he said softly.

"What?" she asked him, her eyes narrowing, shaking her head back and forth in disbelief and frustration.

"This isn't what I want" he repeated.

"Than what do you want?" she asked as she took a step closer to him.

"You. This" he said as he pulled her to him and kissed her hard on her lips.

The kiss intensified as their tongues played with one another's. He was running his hands all over her. All over her body, just feeling her. She had her fingers threaded in his hair, lightly pulling on it as she made her way down to his neck, massaging it as the kiss deepened. They finally pulled away for air. Maxie attempted to catch her breath, looking to the side and gasping for air. But all of the air was knocked out of her as her blue eyes met another pair of baby blues. The expression on his face unreadable other than the obvious shock.

"Jason" she whispered, the blood draining from her face as Jesse spun around to see where she was looking.

A/N: Dun-dun-dun! What's going to happen? I'm a little bitter right now because I have a lot of homework to do and I don't even wanna touch it, so I'm going to do something you are all going to hate. I want twenty reviews before I update. And I define a review by more than a 'good job, update soon' type thing that some of you are fond of. I know you guys can do it! Just everyone review and than you'll reach that point!