New chapter! Aren't you all excited? I know I am! Have fun reading, this is where stuff starts to unfold. This is one of the longest chapters in the entire story, just letting you know.

Chapter 2

MAX POV

Our real story starts on August 21st, the first day of my senior year at Bastidor Senior High. I got into my 2007 Prius after climbing up one flight of stairs from my basement of a room, and up another flight to where the other kids' rooms were, and yelling through Ella's bathroom door to hurry up, and then yelling up another flight to where the master was to Anne, telling her we were leaving. After waiting for Ella in the car another few minutes, we left to pick up Iggy, my best, and only friend. Yeah, I know it's sad, but the truth is, I kind of scare off a lot of people. The first time I met Iggy, he made a joke about me being a boy. I am a little bit of a tomboy, and I retorted with something about at least I wasn't a sexist pig. That was in 2nd grade, he apologized afterward and we have been friends ever since. Was that cheesy enough for you all?

"Heya, Maxiepoo, Ella." Iggy said with a smile as he slid into the passenger seat.

"You can get right back out of my car if you are going to talk like that," I replied, starting to back out of his driveway.

"Wow, someone had a rough morning, and I know it wasn't Ella. How are you this morning by the way?" He asked, turning around in his seat to look at her.

"I'm wonderful, I'm not sure what her problem is, though," Ella said.

"I would be awesome, except the step monster decided not to go grocery shopping yesterday, so I didn't get any breakfast. I left a bowl of Cheerios out for Ari, though. The other three girls can't spare enough calories for breakfast."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Maybe if you weren't so nice to that little munchkin..." I glared at him. He knew just as well as anyone I couldn't. If I didn't take care of Ari, no one would. "Or maybe you should start watching your figure too. You never know Maxie, maybe you would get a boyfriend!" He was grinning now. I looked in the rear-view mirror. Ella was too.

"What is with you and getting a boyfriend for me? It's just kind of annoying. Maybe you should get a girlfriend? Did'ja ever think about that? Hm?" I was annoyed at Iggy, but it would only last the car ride, or maybe the end of first period. And that made Ella laugh and blush at the same time.

Iggy's face got red and he turned serious. "You know perfectly well why I can't do that, Max." He said in a lowered voice, almost whispering. I took another quick look in my rear-view mirror and saw Ella with a confused look on her still slightly red face. Yeah, I did know why he wouldn't get a girlfriend. His reasons weren't necessarily that he couldn't, it was that I wouldn't let him. He has liked Ella for a while, and although she won't admit it to anyone but me, she likes him. But I said that Iggy couldn't ask her out until she turns 15.

"Oh, right. Only two more months, though." I whispered back. The radio was on, so I don't think Ella heard the second part. "I know you want to Iggy, but can you blame me? You are kind of a flirt, and I know you. I can't risk it with anyone. At least I'm telling you when you can. Anyone else I would just say never."

"Yeah. I know, Max, and I'm thankful for that, but it is still hard." Then he turned around and spoke in full voice with a bright smile to Ella. "Are you pumped for your first day of high school?"

"Yeah, I'm excited for not being stuck with the same old people all day. And I'm so happy I'm in the same school as you. And Max, of course." She looked away blushing again. I just smiled and pulled into the school lot.

We got out of the car, grabbed our bags from the trunk and started into the building. I passed a few people I knew, a few people waved, but mostly we just walked straight in the building. Iggy and I helped Ella find her locker and her first couple of classes since we were early. Then we left her in homeroom and headed towards our own. Homeroom was one of the only classes we never had together.

When I walked in, Mr. Cameron handed me my schedule for this semester. I looked it over as I sat down at a desk towards the back, and it didn't look too bad, so I just put it into my bag. I had open lunch, but would probably stay here and eat for at least the first week to make sure Ella wasn't alone. Then I heard it before I actually saw it. "Aieeeee, did you see him? He was, like, the hottest thing I ever saw! He was totally into me when I talked to him! Aieee!"

"Lissa, can you please quiet down and take a seat?" Mr. Cameron said, covering his ear with one hand and holding out her schedule with the other. Lissa and one of her other skanky friends sat down towards the front of the room, but not after she turned and sneered at me. Then she turned back to her friend and kept talking in that shrill voice of hers. I put on some headphones and started quietly listening to Evanescence, but before even the first song was over, I heard it again.

"AIEEEE!" It was even louder this time. "Oh, Nick, I'm so happy we have homeroom together. I can just tell, we are just a match made in heaven!" I slowly looked up and took my headphones out. Standing at the front of the room was a tall, very tan, boy, no, man. He surely could not still be in school, could he? He had dark brown hair, and while he was wearing all black, that's not what I noticed. His eyes were what entranced me. They were dark. Like really dark. They reminded my of onyx. They were like coal, but they shimmered slightly. They were beautiful. He was beautiful. I quickly looked back at the ground and put my headphones back in, but didn't start anymore music. I wanted to hear everything this boy had to say.

I pulled out a notebook and a pencil and started doodling. I was so deep in thought, I almost missed the bell, but luckily, Dylan Tomlinson, one of the biggest jerks in my grade, hit me with his bag when he swung it onto his back. He turned around and smirked at me before walking off to his first class. I gathered my things and started off to science. I was really hoping I had this class with Iggy.

Sure enough, when I got to Mr. Hermon's lab, Iggy was sitting there waiting for me. I sat down in the seat next to him. "So, let me see your schedule, and did you hear about the new kids? One's in our grade and the other is in Ella's, brother and sister, I think."

"Yeah, the boy is in my homeroom. I didn't know about his sister, though. Lissa's already staked her claim on him." I replied, handing over my schedule.

"Hehe, your locker combination is on here. I could break in! Muahaha-"

"Honestly, Ig. What is there for you to do once you break in? It's not like you could break in to anywhere that would have more valuables, like my house. You're an idiot."

"And that's why you love me... or rather, why Ella does." I glared at him.

"Two more months, Ig, you can wait two more months, can't you?"

"Yeah, I guess. So, tell me more about this new kid." At that moment, Nick walked in.

"That's him," I said, pointing to the door.

Iggy just stared at him for a second. "Are you serious? Good thing he is way too old for Ella, otherwise he might just sweep her off her feet! But you wouldn't let that happen, right?" He glanced at me worriedly before looking back at Nick, trying to shake Lissa off of him. She wasn't even taking this class so I knew she wasn't in it.

I nodded. "Right." Then Iggy stood up, walked over to the door.

"Lissa, do you really have to bother the new kid? He's only been here for, what, twenty minutes? Go to class."

Lissa let go of Nick and stood up straight, glaring at Iggy. "James, just leave me alone. Go hang out with my loser sister like you always do, and leave me and Nicky alone. We are soul mates." Nick turned around and gave her look saying, what-are-you-crazy?

"You wanna say that again, Lis?" I chimed in from my seat. I didn't bother getting up. Once she saw me and Iggy together she ran off to class. Yeah, Iggy was pretty protective over me, seeing as I had no one else to look out for me. And yes, Iggy's real name was James. Only my step sisters and Anne called him that, though. Well, and sometimes his mom.

"You can come sit with us, if you want. What's your name, new kid?" He asked Nick, reaching out for his hand.

"Nick Veleno, but you can call me Fang. And you?" He reached his out, too and they shook. Then they started walking to the seats next to me.

"James Griffiths, but everyone except Lissa and her twin call me that. To most, I am, Iggy the Great. Oh, and this is my sidekick, Maximum Elizabeth Ride." I rolled my eyes as he introduced me and they both sat down, N-Fang on the other side of Iggy from me.

"Why do you insist on using that to introduce us? Even if we were superheroes, I would be the hero and you would be my sidekick. And I would not be introduced using my full name." I said to Iggy. Then turning to Fang and reaching out my hand over Iggy to shake. "Max. Don't ever call me Maxie, Maxiepoo, or Maxine. Hardly ever call me Maximum. And never, ever, use my full name." He reached out his hand and shook mine. Then he reached it up to his face and kissed it. I looked at him quizzically and my face started to heat up. "What the heck? Where in the world are you from that you greet someone like that?"

"Sorry, I only do that when I meet a pretty girl."

That just downright offended me. My face got redder, but this time from anger. "What? Sexist much?"

He looked confusedly at Iggy, and then back at me, and then back at Iggy. "Sorry, mate, I'll reintroduce this charming young lady. This is Max Ride. Extreme feminist and difficult backstory. No boys in her life. Well, except me, but I'm the best friend and in two months, I will be dating her sister."

"Oh... Interesting. I'm sorry that I offended you, Max."

"I guess it's fine. Just don't do it again. And sorry about weirdo McWeird over here, and also, really sorry about Lissa... And Brigid, although, I'm guessing you haven't met her, yet. They are kind of my step sisters. I'm not proud of it, but they are."

"It's fine. What do you mean they are kind of your step sisters? You either are or you aren't, I thought."

"Oh, they are alright, she just doesn't like to admit it. And don't worry, she is nothing like them."

Then Mr. Hermon started the class. He handed out textbooks and got right to lecturing about Sig figs and Stoicheometry, and Newton. We all took notes and then the bell rang and we all stood up. "Hey, Fang, lemme see your schedule. See if we have any of the same classes." Fang handed over his schedule to Iggy and he scan through it. "Looks like you have this class with both of us, Art while Max and I have Pre-Calc, you and Max have Creative Writing while I'm stuck in normal English, then we have Chemistry while Max has Art, then we all have open lunch. Then, you and Max have gym while I have Home Ec, then you both go to Home Ec while I'm in history. Then for the last period of the day we all have music. That's cool."

"I think I'm going to stay here and eat for at least a few days to make sure Ella doesn't have to sit alone, I'm sure Iggy won't mind staying too, would you?" He shook his head. "What do instrument do you play, Fang?"

"I play guitar and sing, but I also can play piano, drums, bass, and flute. And I might as well just stay at lunch with you guys, I want to check up on my sister anyways." He said.

"Oh, yeah. What grade is your sister in?" Iggy asked. I glared at him. "What? I'm just asking! I'm still going to wait for Ella! Sheesh! Over-protective sister much?"

"She's a freshman. And no, you can't date her, even if you weren't waiting for Max's sister. I'm assuming she's your real sister if you're that overprotective of her." Iggy rolled his eyes at both of us as Fang responded.

"Well, she's my half sister. We have the same dad, but-" I just kept walking down the hall to the math rooms. I didn't really know why I was opening up to this complete stranger, so I was going to stop. Luckily, Fang and Iggy both sensed my feelings and decided not to talk about it anymore. By the time we got Fang to the art room and sat down in our Pre-calculus class, it was pretty much forgotten. The rest of the period went on as normal.

Was it awesome? It's still kind of getting into it, so no major drama yet, but I brought in Fang and Iggy! And hints at Eggy? Possibly yes, possibly no. The next chapter will basically be the same time, except from Fang's POV. I won't do this for all the chapters, just some where it's important to know what's going on with Fang and Max at the same time. I hate 3rd person, so I won't do that. Okay, this is getting kind of long. R&R please!