A Fang POV! Those are extremely hard to write, if you didn't know. At least they are for me! So, this week, this chapter goes out to the song Royals-Lorde. I love this song so much! I'm working on an a cappella cover of it right now actually. You're lucky I'm posting, again. I just end up having so much homework. All the time. It never stops. Make it stop! Moving on with the chapter!

Chapter 7

FANG POV

After I finished my homework, I just couldn't get Max out of my head. I tried listening to music, I tried sketching. I even tried playing my guitar. Everything led back to her. The music that played on my shuffle all reminded me of her. When I took out my sketchpad, I ended up drawing her. When I started strumming my guitar, I ended up writing part of a song about her. I had to clear my head, this girl was taking over. I decided to go for a walk. I yelled to Melanie, Nudge and my adoptive mom, that I was going out and I'd be back later.

I started walking. Since we had only been here for about a week, I didn't really know where I was going. Eventually, I ended up at what must have been the mall. I decided to go in, just to see what was there. They had the usual stuff, Younkers, JCPenny, Target, a fair sized food court, and then, then there was FlyingBeats, only one of the best music stores ever. I decided to go in to look around.

It must be fate. She was there. "Hey, Fang. Do ya need anything?" Max asked me.

"No, I was just in need of clearing my head. I took a walk and ended up here. Do you work here?" Why did I just tell her all that?

"Yeah, I need some sort of income, don't I? If I ever want to get out of the step monsters wrath. What's on your mind?" Oh my god. I couldn't just tell her she was on my mind. And does she really hate her family that much?

"Nothing, just stressed about being in a new place and everything. And I would love to work in a place like this. What's your discount like?"

"I get about 40% off instruments and music. Sometimes, if music isn't selling, I can get it even cheaper than that. Come over here, I wanna show you something." What? I followed her into a room that had guitars covering most of the walls and even some of the floor. She walked over to a rack, picked up a guitar, and plugged it into an amp. Then she sat down on a stool next to it. "This is what I'm saving up for now. This, and an apartment when I turn 18." The guitar was beautiful. It was an electric Fender Blacktop Jaguar. It was so sleek, and the way Max played it! I think just about any boy would die. Of course I kept my cool, on the outside at least.

"That is a beautiful guitar. How long have you played for?" I asked her, while still watching how her fingers moved around the neck. She was playing Evanescence's Bring Me to Life. Good to know we like the same sort of music.

"Well, Iggy got me my first acoustic when I turned 13. I have had my eye on this beauty for about a year now, I just never had enough to actually buy it. But Matt, my manager, lets me play it anytime I want." Then she started humming the melody for the chorus.

"Do you sing?"

"Sometimes. Not normally. I'm not so good."

"Will you sing for me?" What? Where did that come from? Did I really just say that?

"Umm," She turned her head where she thought I couldn't see her blushing.

I reached my hand out and pulled her chin back up so she was facing me again. "Hey, it's okay. I get it. I don't really like people listening to me sing, either. You don't need to."

"Maybe sometime. Just not while I'm working. Which I should probably get back to work, unless you need help finding something..."

"Yeah, you probably should. I don't want to come in between you and your life." What? There is seriously something wrong with me. Max got up to put the guitar away and left the room. I stood up and looked at the price tag. $500. Sheesh! That's a lot of money. That's enough to pay for a month of rent in a fairly good apartment! Then another employee came in. His name tag read Matt. Max's manager.

"Hey, could you tell me if anyone has expressed interest in this guitar?" I asked him, already knowing the answer.

"Well, no one has put down a payment, but we do have a young lady who has had her eye on it for a while."

"Well, could we maybe make a deal on it? I'd like to buy it as a present for someone." Matt looked around for a second. I decided to just tell him. "Okay, I'm actually a friend of Max's. She was just in here showing it to me, and I want to surprise her with it."

Matt just stared at me for a second. "Are you joking? Max has friends besides Iggy, Ella, and Ari?"

"Well, we just met today. I'm new at her school. But who's Ari?"

"You don't even know who Ari is? How do you expect me to think you are an actual friend of Max if you don't even know her little brother she adores? Have you already fallen for her in one day?" Matt was laughing as he said this. By the look on my face, he must have realized that I had. "Oh, man. You are in too deep. The name is Matt. I'm not going to promise anything, but if you are falling for Max you are going to be in trouble. She doesn't date. Ever. This guitar might help, though. When do you want it payed off for?"

"Fang. Umm," He wanted to get it for her birthday, but he didn't even know when that was. "Do you happen to know when her birthday is?"

Matt laughed again. "Man, you are too funny. I'll go look in my records quick and be right back." After a minute, Matt came back. "In my records it says she'll turn 18 on March 15, this next year. That's eight months from now, if you give a payment for August now. She might have enough saved up by then. How about a Christmas present? You could pay $100 each month until then, and pick it up Christmas Eve."

I thought that sounded really good. I was starting to like this Matt guy. "That sounds brilliant, man. I can pay the down payment today." Then Matt brought me over to the register and I thought of something else. I looked around to make sure Max wasn't to close nearby. She was across the room, helping some little old lady pick out piano music. The music was loud enough she wouldn't be able to hear Matt and I talking. "Could you do me another favor?"

"Sure, what is it you need?" Matt replied as he started typing into the screen.

"If Max asks about the guitar, could you tell her some random guy put down the payment? I want it to be a surprise, but I don't want her to pay for the whole thing in the time I have to pay the payments."

"Yeah, sounds good." I turned around to look at her. She was so beautiful, even in her black skinny jeans and yellow work polo. She looked up and smiled at me before going back to working with the lady. "Man, you've got it bad. But if I know Max, she is going to at least accept you as a friend. She just smiled at you, if my eyes don't deceive me!"

"You think? That's all I could ask of her." Matt said everything was set, and I payed him the $100 with my debit card Melanie got me. I was probably gonna have to get a job soon. "Hey, Matt? You don't happen to be hiring do you?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, one of our part-timers just quit because she got pregnant. I could really use a replacement for her. Come back tomorrow around 4 and I'll get you an application and we'll do a quick interview, but you seem like a shoe in. And if Max says you can work here, I don't think I'll have a choice."

"Thanks, man! I'll see you tomorrow."

I started for the door, but before I got there, I heard Max yell from behind me, "Wait up, Fang!" I turned back around to see Matt taking over helping the little lady and Max grabbing her bag, coming towards me. "I just got off. You want a ride home? Or are you still trying to clear your head?"

"Nah, a ride would be nice. I'm not exactly sure how to get back home, to be honest."

Max laughed as we walked out of the mall. We got into her Prius. I told her what street I lived on and she knew right how to get there. When she pulled up, Nudge came running out of the house. "Fang, where in the heck did you go? Melanie and I were worried to death!" She ran up and hugged me. Then she saw Max. "Forget I said anything! I'll just go back in the house." She turned around and ran back into the house. Max gave me a weird look.

"She thinks we are dating or something. She's an odd little one. Do you want to come in?" Please say no, please say no.

"Sure. Nudge seems just like Ella. Ella said something similar when we got home from school. What is with freshmen girls? I wonder if I was like that..."

"I'm sure you weren't." We walked into my house. I yelled to Melanie I was home and she ran out of the kitchen and hugged me, just like Nudge did.

"I was worried sick. I know you said you were leaving, but you were gone so long. Next time call me! Who is this, Nick?" She said looking over my shoulder at Max. I think Nudge picked up some of her talking habits when we got adopted by Melanie.

"This is Maximum Elizabeth Ride. But she goes by Max." I replied, turning to smirk at her. She just rolled her eyes at me and walked forward to shake Melanie's hand, which Melanie ignored and pulled her in a hug. "Max gave me a ride home. I ended up at the mall and she was working in the music store."

"Naturally, Nick would end up in the music store." Melanie said while releasing Max and rolling her eyes. "Did you kids eat dinner tonight?"

I shook my head and Max said, "I should really be getting home. Anne isn't going to like me being late."

"You call your mother by her first name, too? What a shame. Why do you teenagers do this to old poor people like your mothers? And you will stay for dinner, I can call you mom if you would like-"

"NO! If you want to call my mom, she's dead. I mean, Anne's not actually my mom, she's my step mom, and she won't be too happy if she knows I'm here. I really need to go." I just looked at Melanie. She knows that it isn't because I don't consider her my mom that I call her by her first name. It's because I put mother with bad people in my life. My mom gave me up. Melanie is too good to be called my mom. But she struck a nerve with Max, and I didn't want Max to have to think about that. I wish she would have told me about her real mom before.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, honey. You are always welcome here. At least let me get you some food to eat on your way home. I have grilled cheese made for dinner." Melanie turned to walk back to the kitchen. Max looked at me, and with my eyes I told her to follow her. So she did, and I followed behind her. Melanie handed her two sandwiches on a paper plate and gave her another hug.

"Thanks a bunch, Mrs. Veleno, but I really better get going home. I'll see you tomorrow, Fang, Nudge."

"Oh, no, darling. Call me Melanie, just like Fang and Nudge do. And anytime you need something, my door is open, as is my home."

"Okay, thanks, Melanie. Bye, guys."

"I'll walk you to your car." I offered. Nudge wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at me from where she was eating her sandwiches. I stuck my tongue out at her and followed Max back out to the driveway. It was really dark, it was almost 10, after all.

"You really didn't have to walk me out here. I would have been fine on my own."

"I know. I wanted to. And I wanted to apologize for anything Melanie brought up. She didn't know. I didn't know-"

"I know. It's fine. Really. I just really need to go. Anne will probably kill me I'm so late. I hope to see you at school tomorrow, okay Fang?" She unlocked the car and I opened the driver's side door for her. "Forever chivalrous, are we?"

"It's how Melanie raised me. 'Always protect those you care about, you never know when you will be the one that needs protecting.' The little things always count in the end."

"Well, then. On that note, I really need to go. Thanks for dinner. See you later, Fang."

I leaned down and kissed her hand that was still on the car door. "Yes, I do hope so, Max." She shut the door and started to back out, but I didn't miss the blush, or the smile that crept onto her face as she did so. I went back up to the house, grabbed a few sandwiches and went up to my room. I was really glad we moved here.

Awww! Fax is so adorable! I wish I was Max so I could have Fang... Anyways, Melanie is really sweet, and Matt is going to be mentioned a lot more, I hope... See you all next week, baby!