A/N: Hey all the dedicated readers out there! I haven't abandoned you - yay! I have just got back off holiday and my best friend was over for a few days and then my computer was mucked up and aye-aye-aye. But here it is!

Enjoy!

-Sammi

Chapter Three

Fang's POV

What the hell was I thinking? Good freakin' question. Honestly, I didn't know. But just seeing Max like that… out there… with him. There was a burn in my throat from when I tried to say his name. And a sore freakin' face from where Max hit me. It was stinging.

"Ow!" I exclaimed. After doing so, I instantly regretted letting my pain show. Max was dabbing my eye with some anti-swell ointment and enjoying the expression of discomfort on my face. Not that she minded. For her, this was obviously a well deserved pay-back.

"It's your own fault, Fang." Max sighed.

She has a point. Angel thought at me.

Great! I now had three girls against me. I didn't mean to be so unpleasant to that Oliver, dude. Well, okay, maybe I did, but with good reason! He kissed Max. Does nobody get what sort of situation that puts me in? Puts the Flock in?

Max looked strangely pleased with herself. It was almost as if she actually enjoyed hitting me. I mean, yes, I supposed she had done so before, but still. Besides, she was not exactly chuffed with my choice in girls. It is only fair I don't like her choice in guys. After all, I had been right before.

I grimaced again in pain as Max dabbed the last of the ointment – more like burning acid, I wouldn't put it past her – onto my face.

"All done, baby," she smiled sweetly. My heart melted like chocolate on a hot summer's day. "I meant that in the childish sense, not the – whatever…" Max mumbled as she flushed.

I knew what she had meant, and normally would have come out with some witty come-back, but thought best of it. One black eye was enough, thank-you-very-much. I did not want to muck up my undeniably good looks completely. Michelle would never look at me again. Leanne, however… I thought to myself.

Two girls, Fang? Angel thought to me, shocked. Are you trying to break Max's heart or something?

She stormed from the room, her blond hair whipping wildly around her face. Ange had grown up so very much.

"What did you do?" Max asked accusingly.

"What makes you think I did anything?" I snapped back, a little meaner than I meant.

"Whatever, Fang," Max said, shaking her head and following Angel from the room.

It meant I was left alone in the kitchen. Left alone to ponder my thoughts. How I hated to be left alone with them. Not thinking about my actions made it so much easier for me to follow through with them.

Max's POV

"Angel, what's up?" I was sitting on the floor outside one of the four bathrooms in this massive house. We need a lot of bathrooms with 6 bird freaks and three humans living in one space! Anyhow. Angel had locked and barricaded (with what? I don't have a clue) the door and had been in there in over an hour. She had rushed away after the incident – I say incident because I don't actually know what it was – but I knew to find her here. It was her favourite bathroom. I don't know how one can have a favourite place in which to pee, but hey-ho.

"Noth-hic-ing," Angel weak reply came from the other side of the door.

"Angel, I am many things, but an idiot is not one of them." I laughed at my own joke. I couldn't help it.

"It's nothing, Max, really. Just… y'know?"

Honestly, I had no clue. But it had a while since Angel had been in there and I had to get her out somehow. Not only that, but she needed to eat and be well rested for tomorrow; for another joyful day of school. So I lied. "Of course, honey. Now come on out. Dinner's ready."

The sound of large and rather heavy objects scraping along the floor and the click that indicated the unlocking of the door alerted the fact I had won her over. Her eyes were blotchy and red, her hair slightly messy now, but she was still my Angel. I gave her a one arm hug and led her to the kitchen.

*

The atmosphere at our usual table was, well, awkward. We had another member today and it made us all nervous and on our guard. All except Fang, who invited her over. Yeah, you got it; Melanie had joined us for break. I should really call her Michelle, but Melanie sounded better. Michelle it is, I don't want to confuse anyone.

Michelle was pretty; even I had to admit that. She had deep tanned skin that was completely flawless, long platinum blonde hair that was tied back into a long, thick ponytail and electric blue eyes that flicked to each of the Flocks faces. Melanie was captain of the girl's soccer thing and had too many footballs to the head obviously. Okay, that was mean – but it seemed accurate. Why did Fang go for a girl like her? He had never been interested in anyone like that. Fang liked girls with brains, and someone he could have a meaningful conversation and the occasional argument with. Melanie seemed to agree with whatever Fang said to keep him happy. He grinned, but I knew it was a mask. Underneath he was no doubt bored and couldn't wait for the bell to go. His eyes locked onto mine and I smiled. My heart pace suddenly sped up and my mouth dried out. Stop it, Max, you are being stupid.

"Max! Hey, Max Ride!"

The sound of my name snapped me out of my current dream-like state. I looked around and smiled when I saw Oliver's childish face grin at me from the other side of the hall. He beckoned me over and I lifted my bag.

"Sorry, guys, I am wanted elsewhere," I grinned. Fang was sitting upright and his brow dropped. He was so not happy.

"Okay! Bye, Max!" Mel – Michelle, said cheerily.

I grinned sceptically at her and joined Oliver. He wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed me lightly on the cheek.

"I thought it was stuffy in here and wondered if you wanted to take a walk?"

Oliver was good looking. It was easy to see, his scruffy dirty blond hair made him seem like an almost-surfer-dude. Today he wore tight black jeans that undoubtedly made him look gorgeous and a plain light blue tee. Around his neck he wore a black leather necklace with some sort of silver Asian symbol charm. Without realising, I had lifted a hand to examine it further.

"It means freedom," he smiled. "It was a gift."

"It's nice," I mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

"You like it?"

I nodded. Oliver took his arm away from around my waist. I was fully aware now that I actually enjoyed haven't it there; it didn't seem foreign. Yet at the same time I was guilty – I had been pretending that it was Fang. My hair was lifted from of my neck. I tensed, ready to let loose my wings if need be, but it was then resting on my shoulders once more. An added weight was added to round my neck. His necklace.

"It's yours." He smiled.

"Oliver, I can't take this," I shook my head and lifted my hands to remove it. He grabbed both of them and laced his fingers through mine.

"I want you to have it."