Sorry I haven't updated lately. It's been a crazy week. Anyway, this is definitely not one of my best chapters, but I wanted to update as soon as I could. The next chapter will be much better, I promise. Note: Below is a little weird side story I typed up when I was extremely bored. It has no plot whatsoever. I would've made it a new story, but I decided against it for a variety of reasons.

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The day the world blew up. Such a wonderful day, wasn't it?

I'm guessing you're confused, right? Me, myself, and my name, Max, will explain the extordinary day the world blew up.

So, I was minding my own business. Making out with Fang, being a human Barbie to Nudge, and telling Angel that it was impolite to control people, when Iggy set off the bomb, thus the saying about the world blowing up. Not that different. Nope, it was pretty ordinary day. So why am I telling you about it?

It was also the day my world got turned vertically. Yes, vertically, and upside down, and horizontally.

The day Dylan disappeared! Yes, he is gone. FOREVER! And, this, my friends, is the end of my banter. King Squirrel says hi. He and his elf minions shall rule!

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"Wait up!" a voice called from behind me, and I stopped for a moment so Tess could catch up me. Screeching to a hult, she stopped for a second to catch her breath before she followed beside me. "So, how's life?" she asked, her dark eyes fixed ahead on the sidewalk.

I shrugged. "Usual. Loads of homework for Algebra, short story for English." I replied, sighing. I never could understand why Nudge wanted to go to school so much. I mean, all you do is work and socialize. Both could be done outside of school, without all the pressure from teachers. "You?"

Tess glanced over at me, expression blank. "Same. Except for some weird homework in Family Consumer Science. Why on earth would we have to-?"

My phone, a gift from my mom, buzzed in my pocket and Lady Gaga played. I groaned. Why, Ella, why? Tess raised an eyebrow and I just glared back at her. Flipping open the phone, I glanced at the caller ID. Private call. Weird. I signaled to Tess to stop, and she leaned against a tree while I pressed talk and raised the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Thank God I got a hold of you," a voice gasped out heavily. The person on the end, breathing deeply. "Val, you could have been a little bit more careful," the voice called out again. Val?

"Who is this?" I demanded, getting a little nervous. Seriously, growing up how I did, private calls didn't exactly mean I was getting invited to a birthday party. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tess give me a confused look, but I just waved a hand in her direction.

"Oh, sorry," the girl, I'm just assuming it's a girl by the tone, apologized. "I'm Rachel. A friend of Fang?"

I froze up. The one thing that had been banned for the last four months had been said. My finger went to the hang up button and I was about to press it when I paused, thinking hard. If this was a friend of his, I could get info on what he's up to. In the long run, that could help us, and by us I mean the flock, get help with the whole saving the world thing. My finger inched away from the button, and I glowered into the receiver. "What do you want?" I asked icily, getting straight to the point.

The girl-Rachel?-had calmed down. "I get you probably wish I didn't call," she told me straight, sighing at my tone.

"You've got that right," I told her. "Again, what do you want?"

"I've got a message for you. Apparently, you'll know what it means. Does a place called The Galaxy Emporium mean anything to you," Rachel asked.

I couldn't help but chuckle. The Galaxy Emporium? Yeah, I suppose you could say it meant something to me. Actually, it's just around the corner from where I'm standing now. The first time the flock and I had stayed with my mom, Gazzy had found the place, insisting that it was the coolest thing ever. The store's filled with cheesy toys, prank items, and a bunch of other assortment of things. For weeks, I had to deal with going there every day. "Yeah, sure, why?" I said carefully.

"That's all I have," Rachel told me. "That's the sign." A click on the other hand, the dial tone, and a call disconnected. I stared down at the phone, totally perplexed.

"Max, are you all right?" a voice asked. I turned around to face Tess, my face a white as chalk.

"I've got to go," I said blankly. Turning on my heels, I raced toward the house.