A/N: HEY! My friend hates unicorns and pie. She likes Legos. Just thought I'd share that useless information. It's funny how much you learn in my math class, such as manners and how to remember peoples names, favorite color, favorite sport, etc. and we even get English lessons. He even taught us how to write a sentence! It's surprising how many people in my class CAN'T write a sentence properly. It was sad. I think the teacher cried a little at how sad it was. Anyway enough of my rambling on with the story! WAIT! HOLD THE PHONE! I probably won't be switching POV's just to see how it turns out. It's all about experimenting my friends! If you are not my friends then oh well. YOUR LOSS! On with the story! :D
Oh and Disclaimer: I own nothing. JP owns everything but Marcus and the teachers and everything that I made.
Max's Pov
Ella was constantly out, I'd go with her every once in a while just to keep a smile on mom's face, but I would walk off on my own and meet back with them later. Iggy and Fang repeatedly showed up, but I'd never go with them, simple excuses always let me evade having to see them again. I don't know why, but I'm always uneasy around the two boys. I felt bad about leaving Ella alone with them, but every time she comes home smiling so I don't mind too much.
A week passed by too fast and soon it was Monday. I woke up to the smell of mom's famous waffles. I quickly dressed in a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, threw on the first graphic tee I found, put on my gemstone necklace, the one I couldn't live without, and ran downstairs. I wolfed down the waffles, hoping to leave before Fang and Iggy come to pick us up. But while I was hopping around, trying to get my Vans on, they showed up. Ella laughed at me attempts to avoid them and shook her head at me when I fell on my butt. I immaturely stuck my tongue out at her and slipped on my shoe. I went to the stairs, grabbed my black backpack and my over sized sweatshirt that said "Who Cares?" Ella made a face at my sweatshirt and I rolled my eyes.
"Some of us can't stand the cold." She shrugged and walked out wearing a floral top over a teal colored tan-top, white short-shorts, and pink flats. It was at least fifty degrees Fahrenheit outside, I don't know how she could stand that but she could.
I followed her, plugging in my headphones, and patted my hands to Look What You've Done by Jet. Fang was driving and Iggy was harassing him, telling him to play some radio station that Fang hated.
"Iggy, it's his car, his radio, his music. So shut up and deal with it," I snapped after Iggy's twentieth attempt to get Fang to change the station.
"Touchy," Iggy muttered, but shut up. Ella gave me a look and I tilted my head, asking her what was up. She just shook her head. I sighed. I wanted to be able to understand her, but it was hard to connect with someone that was practically a million miles away.
I didn't expect Ella to wait, but she did. She walked with me to the office, nervously playing with the threads of her shirt. After we received our schedules, I stopped her and put my hands on her shoulders, "Listen, everyone will love you. They always do. This school won't be different, now relax, head up high, and smile. Jeez, you look like you're about to hurl. Just breathe." She gave me a weak smile and I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, because that's your smile that you use to win people over."
She rolled her eyes at me and I beamed at her, "There's the Ella I know. Now, go knock 'em dead." She smiled at me, a real smile and gave me a quick hug.
"Thanks, sis. Now, go use that advice and," She winked, "Knock 'em dead!" She started walking away and all confidence left me. I was alone again. I looked down at the schedule. My locker would be near my second period class, that didn't help me at all. I sighed and started aimlessly walking the halls.
I walked for a while before I stopped and leaned against the wall. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, clearing my mind. I had five minutes to find my locker, open it, put my stuff away, and find my first period class. That's easy enough. I looked at the map again and started walking in the direction I came. I soon found my locker. I opened it with the first try and stuffed everything (including my sweatshirt, I had a sweater on underneath) but my binder in there. I closed my locker and looked at the map again; my first period class was on the other side of the school. Great. I looked around, the crowds were thinning so I speed walked to my first class. I made it with one second to spare. The bell rang the minute I stepped into class.
The teacher smiled at me. "Wow, first day here and you're not even late!" I shifted slightly, what do I say?
I shrugged, "Good sense of direction and a map." Was that okay? I tried not to stutter, it was a bad habit that I grew into. I never stuttered unless I was nervous or scared.
She smiled at me, "Well, I'm Ms. Baker; I'm your science teacher this year. You can sit by," She stopped and looked around, tilting her head slightly, "Marcus, you're supposed to be sitting there," She pointed to an empty seat and a boy with brown hair got out of his seat next to this red head that was giggling, and slumped into the seat.
He threw his hands up, "Happy?" She smiled smugly.
"Yep!" She chirped and gave me an apologetic look; "You can sit by Marcus, hon." I held back a sigh and went to sit next to him. I didn't bother trying to talk to him. But that seemed to annoy him.
"Are you going to ignore me this entire period?" I shrugged.
"Depends on if you keep talking," I replied easily. Maybe I was finally coming out of my shell, maybe pigs are flying.
He chuckled a little but stayed quiet. I liked Ms. Baker, she was still young and had a lot of energy, unlike many of my old teachers who always seemed to hate teaching and never seemed to like any of us.
After a moment he leaned in close, too close, and whispered, "So, whatcha doing this weekend?" I rolled my eyes and shoved him away a little.
"Not spending it with you," I replied. It was so easy to hate Marcus that it was easy to talk around him. He was like the annoying boy version of JJ.
"So you're free, cool. How about I meet you at the local theater? I hear Project X was a good movie."
I rolled my eyes and turned to him. "I guess you don't know what no means, hmm?" I asked and he smirked at me.
"Well, sweetheart, no one has ever said no, and if they did they meant-"
"No." I replied more firmly this time.
"Fine, let's go as friends." He seemed oddly desperate to get me to say yes. I looked at him warily. It was weird but he seemed like a good friend. But then I remembered the giggling red-head and now this. I can put two and two together. I'm most likely a bet. I could make this interesting and see if it really is a bet. I shook my head.
"Busy." I needed to make plans; or some fake ones at least.
"Oh really?" He asked and I shrugged, "What are you doing?"
"I don't appreciate stalkers," I commented and the person behind us laughed. It was well hidden behind a cough, but I heard it. I stiffened slightly. I always thought that I wasn't made for high school life. I was made for something more exciting, something that involves paranoia and wariness to others. I hate being the only person that's always looking over their shoulder for some unknown threat.
He rolled his eyes, "And I don't appreciate liars."
I turned to face him, "You think I'm lying?" He nodded.
"I know you're lying."
"I'm going swimming. So I can get better for the auditions for the American Swim Team." That was true, but I didn't know when I was going to do it.
He gave me a look, then did a once over. I rolled my eyes, "You don't look like a swimmer."
I shrugged, "You don't look like molester."
He smirked, "Touché." I should've been freaked by that but I knew he was just trying to get under my skin. He was pretty good at that. But I guess I was tired of being pushed around. I hated being the mat that everyone wiped their feet on. For once, I wanted Ella's confidence.
"What else do you do?" I then realized I let him know a part of me. In a way, I let him in. He took that as invite to ask me everything.
I shrugged again, "What do you do?"
"Skateboard." I didn't believe him. My eyes flicked to his hands, the little calluses on his hands marked him as a guitar player. I'm not really good with guitars, but I've always wanted to learn. But with all the sports I was juggling, I just didn't have enough time to learn.
"Sure," I said and he looked shocked. "I'm not that stupid," I commented at his face and he shook his head.
"Err. Uh, s-sure you're not." It felt good to not be the one stuttering this time. Different. I liked it.
The first four periods were mostly easy. First period was Science with Ms. Baker; second period was History with Mr. Donzella; third period was music with Mrs. Hephunay; and fourth period was Spanish with Mr. Canto. Music was easier than Spanish but harder than Science and History. You don't do much in music, but you have to learn an instrument. I was assigned the guitar (of course) for this quarter. The test at the end of this quarter is I have to play a song with barely any mistakes.
Now I had lunch. Great. I was bound to be lonely and look like a freak. But when I got to my locker I saw Marcus leaning against it, flirting with a random girl. When he saw me he seemed to forget the girl, "Ah, MAXI!" I stopped and looked over my shoulder, hoping that I wasn't being called across the hall. People were staring. My breath caught in my throat and I all but ran to him.
"Shut up you idiot," I hissed at him, trying to control my breathing. He sensed my discomfort and did nothing to ease it.
He made it worse, "Ah, Maxi, don't be shy!" He put his arm around my shoulder and I rudely shoved him off.
I felt the stares slowly turn away and my lungs finally seemed to be able to hold enough air for me to survive. But the girl was still glaring at me. "You're toy is waiting," And I shoved him into the girl.
"Who's she?" He asked and she scoffed, calling him colorful names as she stormed down the hall.
He laughed, "You're an ass," I said to him when he was done laughing. He shrugged.
"Hurry, I'm starving." I gaped at him. He was waiting for me? Weird. "Well come on! Don't just stare!" I shook my head and spun in my combo.
I grabbed my lunch, just about to close my locker when he grabs my sweater, "Really? What happened to being starving?"
He shrugged, "Something came up." He was inspecting my sweater and shook his head disapprovingly. "We're going shopping this weekend." I was quiet for a second, and then I burst out laughing. A boy …that wants…to shop? How peculiar.
"Sorry, can't, I'm busy; I thought we already had this conversation." I shoved my sweater back into my locker and slammed it shut. We were alone in the hall and the late bell already rung, "Wow, late for lunch, that's new."
"Come on," He dragged me to the lunch room and I stopped him right before he could open the door.
I shook my head, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water. I gulped, I couldn't find my voice. "I-I-I c-c-can't," I shut up, angered by my stupid stutter. I shook my head, "N-n-n-no." I took a step back and shook my head again, staring at the door as if it would eat me. He gave me a look.
"You'll live." He reached for me and I shook my head, taking a step back. No, he doesn't understand. He will never understand! He doesn't know what it's like to be scared. He has all that confidence and a gigantic ego. He doesn't need a constant bump up. He doesn't need his little sister for support, if he even had a little sister.
Why'd we have to be late? Now everyone with notice the doors open, everyone will shut up and watch us walk in, Marcus will make a big deal about it and I'd be noticed. I'd be in the lime-light and I think I might throw-up just thinking about it. I heard a sigh and felt someone leading me away from my nightmares. No one knows why I have such a bad fear of people, of being on-stage. I just…freak out and everything goes down the drain. The only time I'm ever some-what normal is around my family, JJ, and when I'm occupying my brain with sports. And now, apparently, Marcus.
I felt myself sit down and Marcus sat down in front of me, studying my blank face. "You okay?" He asked and I nodded a little. Then I realized I had no clue where we were and blinked a few times, as if coming out of a trance. I looked around and asked him where we were.
"Teacher's lounge," He shrugged. I gave him a look.
"We're not allowed in the teacher's lounge." Another shrug. He was starting to annoy me.
"You need to relax, and listen to what you're sweater says, Who cares?" He shouted the last part and I quickly leaned forward, putting my hand over his mouth, muffling his scream.
"I CARE!" I hissed, removing my hand. "I can't get in trouble!" He gave me a look.
"Don't buy a sweater if you ain't gonna listen to it!" I rolled my eyes at his English.
"I bought it because I was going through a 'rebellion' phase." I used air quotes around rebellion.
He laughed, "What'd you do?" I froze. Should I tell him? I shrugged and took a bite of my sandwich. It was peanut butter and nutella.
"I…" I bit my lip, thinking about it.
"Fine, don't tell me," He lifted his hand in surrender, "But I want you're sandwich, Miss. Let's-Make-Marcus-Starve!" I laughed a little and handed him the other half of my sandwich.
"You're welcome!" I yelled as he tore through my sandwich. I laughed at him.
"Thank you," He said through the sandwich, but it sounded more like, "Shank Chew!" I rolled my eyes and opened my bag of barbecue chips. Halfway through he grabbed my chips and dumped them in his mouth, innocently hiding the bag behind him.
"Ass." I commented, crossing my arms. He laughed at me, giving me the amazing view of chewed up food in his mouth.
"Gross," I muttered whacking his arm, "Swallow you idiot!" He laughed, but swallowed obediently.
"So, what'd you say?" He waggled his eyebrows, "You, me, Project X." I couldn't help it, I laughed. It was funny; the entire thing was just hilarious. He mock-glared at me and sighed, "No?" He sounded depressed, but I wasn't the kind of person to accept just to make them happy.
"Sorry, but I'm busy." He rolled his eyes.
"You're not sorry."
"You're right. I'm not."
The teacher wouldn't let me do anything in PE because I didn't have the uniform yet, so I had to sit around doing NOTHING! That was an hour of my life that I wasn't getting back.
I took the local bus home. I met up with Ella after school and told her my plans and she said sure. She didn't seem to mind so no one else minded.
The bus was the bus. It wasn't filled with kids, but there were a few here and there. There were a few old ladies, a pedophile in the corner, 'gang members' in the back, and normal workers in the front and middle. I sat by myself, leaning against the window, staring at the sky. It was clear today, all blue no white or gray, just blue. I smiled a little, I liked the rain, but I liked clear skies better. Clear skies meant I could go running later. I needed to run; I haven't run in a week. I'm slacking off, that's not good.
When I got home, Ella, Fang, Iggy, and Nudge were waiting for me. They weren't just there, they were waiting for me. The minute I stepped through the door Ella and Nudge crowded me, throwing me questions left and right. My head started hurting.
"Guys, give her some space," I heard Fang say and suddenly the questions died.
I let out a breath, "So what's up?" Ella glared at me and Nudge patted her back. I gave the two a look. "Kay' I'll be upstairs." I'm not used to being unwelcome at home, but I guess I should start getting used to it…
I was in my room, lying on my bed, throwing a rubber ball up at the ceiling then catching it. I played this for a while but I soon got bored. I changed into some running shorts and a black tank-top. I heard that there's a park nearby. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and grabbed my iPod. Everyone was in the backyard so I quickly wrote a note "Out for a run, be back in an hour or so" and signed it. I put the pen down and ran out the front door. I broke into a sprint, the sun beating down on me. I sprinted to the local park, glad for the trees' shade. I stopped only after my fifth lap around the entire park, the fields included. I stopped at a water fountain, drinking water in sips, not gulps. I found it harder to run with a lot of water in me, I once threw up because I drank too much water and started running, so many things wrong with me.
I ran to one of the more isolated trees and sat down by it, leaning my head against the trunk, listening to Pink, Don't Let Me Get Me. A good song, but I prefer the songs from her 'I'm Not Dead' album. I closed my eyes for a second, that's it, and suddenly a little girl came running at me at full speed.
"HELP!" She shrieked, running with her arms outstretched to me. I noticed the big mean looking pit-bull chasing her. I ran to fill in the space and picked her up. I used my leg to keep the dog at a certain distance. I placed her down behind me, squatting down to the dog's size. I grabbed his collar and told it multiple commands but it seemed deaf to my voice.
"Sit, Marley," I heard a familiar voice say and I looked up at a smirking Marcus. I glared at him. I ignored his roaming eyes and remembered how I must looked right now.
"Of course, you would be the owner of a dog that would chase a little girl through the park."
"Aw, Angel, you were having fun!" He said looking at the girl hiding behind me. I rolled my eyes at him.
"Of course she was, because that's what I got from her screaming help," I snapped back. I had a thing for little kids, a weak spot so to speak. Not like I would tell anyone that.
The little girl, Angel, stepped around me and wrapped her arms around my waist, "Is Marwey gonna eat me?" She asked in an innocent voice, not even saying 'Marley' correctly.
I looked down at her and smiled, I took her hands and unwrapped her from me and squatted to look at her, "Of course not, sweetie, you're too cute for him to eat!"
She grinned at me, exposing her missing teeth. I laughed a little and she threw her little arms around me. She had straight blond hair that stopped mid-back, it perfectly bordered her heart-shaped face, and she had sparkling blue eyes that looked like clear skies. "So Max, you rethinking my offer?" I rolled my eyes and looked at Angel.
"Is Marcus always this annoying?" I asked and she giggled.
"Um… I'm right here!" Marcus said and I waved my hand dismissively. She nodded.
"Mhhm! And he bring-" Marcus covered Angel's mouth and gave her a look. I laughed at his face. He was blushing! Oh my gosh!
"Sorry about my sister, she can be a blabbermouth sometimes." I shrugged.
"At least she has good stuff to say!" I said, swatting away his hand and smiled at Angel.
"Anytime you want me to fight off my annoying brother, just call me," Angel said, giving her brother the funniest stern look ever. But his fake scared look was even more amusing.
I noticed the sky turning pink and knew I had to go soon. That's my cue! "Sorry guys, I have to go." I said goodbye, gave Angel a hug and reluctantly gave Marcus a hug before I ran home. When I got there I ran up the stairs and took a quick shower, then changed into pajama bottoms and a baggy black shirt that said "Hollywood". When I was on my way downstairs I heard the others still here.
Before I could even be tempted to eavesdrop, I turned around and walked upstairs. Was I wanted down there? Did Ella love me? She kind of had to? But did she? What about Iggy and Fang? Fang was cute, but did he even care? So far no. Iggy was fun but too… persistent. That could get annoying. Nudge was bearable but talked too much. Did I even like these kids? Ella did, so I had to for the next couple of months. Until then, I had Marcus and Angel to go crying to.
But did I even belong here? Was I wanted?
So far the answer's no. I doubt it will ever change, because in reality nothing changes. Not the way you want it to that is. But after a while, you get used to it.
A/N: :) See look the second chapter is already up! Now you don't have a reason to kill me for all the time it's going to take for me to get the others up. I'm not good at planning :( Anyway tell me what you think of this story. R&R now goodnight my peoples! SLEEP WELL!
Dreams last for so long...even after your gone!
~~Dream Beyond Infinity~~
Don't Stop Dreaming
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