Me no owny Maximum Ride.

~* O *~

"Hey Max, come dance with us! You've been sitting down this whole time." Angel gestured to our group of friends as they were fooling around (whoops, did I say fooling around? I meant dancing) like idiots on the dance floor. She offered me a sad smile, knowing why I wasn't in the mood to dance but still asking out of courtesy.

I shook my head and forced a small smile in return. "It's alright. Thanks, though."

Angel gave me once last glance before putting her ornate mask back over her face and returning to our friends. I gave a sigh and looked down at my own mask, which sat in my lap. I was at masquerade ball, if you hadn't have already guessed.

I didn't know why I even came to this dance, knowing I'd be miserable. Not as miserable as I have been at past dances, but bad enough. They reminded me too much of him, and I definitely did not need that.

*Flashback*

"Wanna go to the dance with me?"

I almost choked from surprise and glanced up at him with wide eyes. I felt a taint blush spread across my facial expression and inwardly cursed.

"You-you mean as a date?" I stuttered, not looking him in the eye. Damn, I'm such an idiot. Why did I have to be so flustered around him all the time now? I finally admitted to myself that I was actually in love with my best friend, surprise surprise, but I didn't want to ruin our friendship or make it more awkward, so I reserved my feelings to myself and tried to appear as if nothing were different between us.

He placed his hands in his pockets and looked at his shoes. "Well, I mean, if you don't want to..."

To be daring, or not to be daring? Did this mean that he possibly somewhat liked me back? But, this was he whom we were talking about. The one whom I've known practically my whole life. My best friend.

"It's okay. Let's go." I instantly wanted to cover my face up. Did I just agree to go as his date? Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid–

"Cool. I'll pick you up at seven?" he asked, glancing up at me. The simple movement made my heart flutter, and I tried to recoup a normal composure.

I nodded. "Yup. See ya. And don't forget to wear a tux, or I'm not coming."

He gave me that dazzling smirk which, yet again, made my heart flutter. "I won't disappoint you. But make sure to wear a hot dress for me." With that, he gave me a wink and strolled away.

I could just imagine myself blowing air in and out of a paper bag; I was that close to hyperventilating. Well damn. I blame this all on the hormones. Bleh….

*End flashback*

I sighed again and looked up at all the other students as they laughed and danced and had a good time. I couldn't elude the nostalgia of him. Well, maybe I should just leave the dance and go home. I could come and pick everyone else up later when they were done, since we had used my car (limos/party buses are too mainstream) to get here.

Standing up, I instantly noticed a guy clad in black facing me. He was wearing a black mask that covered his face. His dark hair – oh gosh, it looked just like his. He looked just like him. But it couldn't' be he. That wasn't feasible.

Trying to retain a normal breathing rate, I cocked my head to the side. "Uh, anything I can help you with, or are you just appreciating the view?"

He instantly smirked. Oh, the agony, why did he have to look just like him? Having a nice laugh up there, o mighty universe? A good enough joke for ya?

The guy stepped back with one foot and gestured with his hand, silently asking for a dance. The music had slowed down and was now a soothing classical piece, perfect for the cliché slow/ballroom dancing.

I was about to decline, but something within me struggled against that. I opened my mouth to say 'no', to say anything, but no sound emanated from my mouth. Why couldn't I say it? What was holding me back? Appearing to him as a gaping fish out of water was probably not helping, either.

Oh, screw it all. One flippin' dance can't hurt. Sighing in defeat and acceptance, I put on my mask and took his hand. He soundlessly escorted me to the dance floor.

*Flashback*

A soft tune sounded throughout the gym, peaceful and soothing. Couples lined along the dance floor, dancing slowly back and forth in harmony.

"Dance with me?" he asked, offering his hand and beholding me with those unfathomable, onyx eyes.

I shook my head vigorously and stepped back. "You know I can't dance. Me plus dancing equals no way in hell."

I started to slowly inch away before he gently grabbed my wrist. "Oh no you don't," he said. Turning around, he started dragging me to where all the other couples were dancing.

I dug my heels into the ground but to no avail, muttering, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no…"

Reaching his destination, he twisted back to face me. He took my hand and placed it on his shoulder, before placing his own hand on my waist. His other hand released the grasp on my wrist only to intertwine his fingers with mine.

Speechless as I observed the whole thing, I peered at him in shock. Even after being best friends practically our whole lives, we had never been this intimate before.

He simply smiled at me. "Don't worry. Just follow my lead." And then we were off dancing, with my attempting to not step on his feet every two seconds. The places where his hands touched me (don't take this the wrong way, you perverts) were tingling with jolts of electricity, and it was almost undeniable I was blushing the entire time.

When the song had finally ended, we both stood there unmoving, seeing who would let go of the other first. I looked into his eyes and noticed a glint I had never seen before. Taking a deep breath, I moved to step back, but he tightened his grip around my waist.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, his eyes never leaving mine. Oh hell. Cue the butterflies.

"And I don't always?" I responded with a smirk, trying to keep it cool on the outside. Any voice crack? Nope! Point for Max.

He remained unfazed and released my hand, bringing his thumb up to softly stroke my cheek. My smirk dropped as I watched his face gradually lean closer.

"Uh…?" I was beginning to worry a little here. I mean, there was no remote possibility that Fang could actually like me like me, right? Right…..

"Max?" he asked, his face mere centimeters from my own.

"Hmm?" I mumbled, incompetent of looking away or possessing any real, coherent thoughts.

"Close your eyes."

And I complied as his lips delicately pressed against mine.

*End Flashback*

I had to admit; dancing with this mystery guy wasn't too horrifying. Sure, I had a fear of stepping on his feet every few seconds, but it wasn't the end of the world for me. Although, I couldn't clear my mind of him. I don't think I'd ever be able to.

Glancing around the room casually (did I want to stare into the eyes of this stranger the entire time? Heck no! Too awkward for my taste), I noticed my friends all giving me that go-off-and-do-it-with-him-already look and a thumbs-up. I rolled my eyes and looked away.

I caught the gaze of the black-clad stranger, and he provided me a smirk. I deliberately stepped on his foot, making him suck in a breath. Is it bad that his smirk made my heart beat faster for 0.00000001 seconds? And I didn't even know the guy. Maybe I was starting to get a little delusional.

As we were dancing, I couldn't help but compare the guy to him. Nearly the same hair, skin, and body structure. My heart swelled once again at the thought of him, and I decided I couldn't dance with this stranger anymore. The similarities were all too apparent, and I just couldn't take it any longer. He reminded me too much of him.

Stepping out of his grasp, I muttered a quick, "I'm sorry," before turning around and walking away. I kept walking thorough all the swaying mass of bodies until I reached the door that led to the parking lot. Without another glance back, I proceeded from the building.

The air was warm with a thin breeze, making the small wisps of my hair blow into my face. I found the nearest garbage can and threw my mask into the growing pile of trash. I found the wall and slid down against it until I was sitting on the cold ground. Drawing my knees up to my chest, I looked out over the parking lot, thoughts and memories of him plaguing my mind.

*Flashback*

"That one looks like a dinosaur," I said, pointing to a cloud in the sky.

"That looks nothing like a dinosaur. It doesn't even look like anything," he replied.

We were lying on our backs at the park, hands intertwined, basking in the last moments of summer. As cheesy as it sounded, we were picking out shapes from the clouds. And he had no imagination whatsoever.

We had been dating for a few months now, ever since that freshmen dance. Even though he was still my best friend, my heart still fluttered any time we made any form of physical contact. Pathetic, yeah, I'm aware.

After a few more minutes of watching the clouds, he turned on his side towards me and rested his head on his hand. "Max?" he asked.

"Yeah?" I responded, still looking at the sky.

"You know I didn't call you over here just to look at the clouds."

I finally turned to him and mimicked his position, still holding on to his hand. "Alright, then. Shoot."

He turned his gaze to the ground, his countenance faintly darkening. "My family and I are moving."

Well….. shit. "Where?" I asked calmly.

"Australia." He looked back up to analyze my reaction.

I stared at him with a blank expression. A moment passed. Then, "Hahahaha, good one. And I'm going to college in the United Arab Emirates."

He scowled and stood up, crossing his arms over his chest (did I mention he looked really hot doing that?) and looking away. "Max, I'm serious."

I stood up next to him and dusted the imaginary dust off of my jeans. "You can't…. you can't really be moving…. can you? And, I mean, really? Australia?"

He turned to me, his gaze resting on my eyes. "I know. I didn't believe it a first, either. But I really am going. I'm leaving before sophomore year starts."

I looked at him with wide eyes, mouth hanging open. I couldn't move. This couldn't be happening. My best friend-turned-boyfriend was leaving. Leaving me. And half way across the freaking world.

Fang noticed my lack of feedback and pulled me into his arms. I pressed my face into his chest as he rested his chin on my head. My eyes started prickling, but I refused to cry. He wouldn't want to see me cry. I needed to be tough.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, with his faintly rocking me back and forth. He finally pulled back but held onto one of my hands. I didn't want to let him go.

He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a lone rose. How it hadn't yet been squashed, I had no earthly idea. He held it out to me, offering it, and I slowly took it. I examined it in my hands, going over every thorn and bump on the stem. It was indeed real.

He started, "I know it's cheesy, and it won't last long, but-"

"I love it."

His eyes flickered with surprise. "You do?"

I nodded. "It's perfect," I said with a smile.

He grinned, actually grinned, and cupped my cheeks with his hand. "I love you," he said tenderly. My eyes almost burst out of their sockets. I opened my mouth to respond, but I didn't have a chance to say anything as he leaned down to kiss me.

We broke apart after a few moments, but he didn't release his soft hold of my face. "Wait for me, okay? I'll promise I'll come back. Just wait for me."

I smiled. "Always."

*End Flashback*

That was the last time I had seen him, as I was too depressed to see him off at the airport. We had kept in touch at first, video chatting and calling each other every single day. But as the days and weeks went by, we had gradually drifted apart as the tolls of high school kicked in, along with extracurricular activities and other crud, to the point where we stopped the calls and the texts all together.

And of course I missed him, so much that my heart ached at the mention of his name, but hearing his voice on the phone and seeing his face in a video chat made me realize how much I truly missed him.

High school just wasn't the same without him. Sure, I had my friends and everything, but it just felt dissimilar. I never dated any other guys. I would have felt like I was betraying him. Because in the end, I still loved him. And I don't think I could ever stop.

My thoughts were interrupted as the door that I had beforehand emanated from opened. My head snapped up to see who it could possibly be (how dare they enter the domain of the magnificent Maximum Ride), before discerning that it was the stranger clad in black.

Oh great. And I came out here just to get away from him.

"What do you want?" I demanded, as I stayed right in my spot. I didn't see the point in getting up for him.

He didn't answer, but went to reach for something in his back pocket.

I rolled my eyes. He seemed a little bit on the creeper side, to be honest. "Look, dude, I don't know who you are, but –"

I stopped as I saw him pull out a rose. And not even a fake one. At a loss for words, I looked at the rose, and then back at him, and then back at the rose. It couldn't be, could it…? No….

"Max," he said. "It's me."

Hearing his voice. That was all it took for me to jump up from my position and run into his arms. He welcomed me with a warm embrace, almost crushing me just as I was pretty sure doing to him. I breathed in his scent, assuring myself that he was actually real and actually there. It felt like a dream.

"You don't know how much I've fucking missed you," he said into my hair. "But I'm back, and we're gonna go to college together just like we've always said."

This was unreal. This whole thing was unreal. I felt that at any given moment, someone would jump out of hiding and exclaim, "You've just been pranked! Hardy har har!" But I felt him. And he was real.

I released my hands from his waist and stepped back, taking the rose in my hand.

"Too cheesy?" he asked, giving me that very schmexy smile of his that I've missed oh too much.

I grinned back. "Nah." And remembering what I had been regretting to say all those years, what I had been repeating over and over in my head to the point where I felt I was growing insane, I finally said it back.

"I love you too, Fang." (Meh)

~* O *~

Oh, the revulsion of this happy ending! And they live happily ever after, yeah yeah yeah….

Well, cough….. it has indeed been a while. Yes, I have been busy, but I also have had not too much incentive to write. I was always like, "Eh, I'll start the chapter this weekend," and then I'd be too busy sleeping or reblogging on tumblr or something.

Speaking of tumblr, I recently got one! It is AMAZING, and I advise each and every one of you to get one! If you want me to follow you, just tell me! But don't get one if you value your social and academic life too much.

A little late, but you guys all saw The Hunger Games, right? That, too, was AMAZING! I dressed up and everything with a bow and arrow and the signature braid. Oh, the amount of stares I received! I was basking them all in with pride. If you haven't seen the movie yet, you better watch out, cause I'm coming after you….

~aalaal