A/N I'm back! And I'm truly surprised at how many reviews I got saying that I took too long to update...sorry! Not really my fault! Thanks for all of the way!

READ THE BELOW \/:

Once again, we lost power for over a week (yes again, like Irene wasn't enough). Heard of snowstorm Alfred? Yeah. My town had 100% no power for more than five days because the power company had to clear all of the trees. Plows didn't show up, so the neighborhood men went out and cut down all the trees in the road, and shoveled. We handed out firewood, and because we had a bit of oil (generator), made coffee for everyone. We had halloween in the school parking lot because the town forbid trick-or-treaters on the streets. People, well, they didn't do so well in the cold (If you catch my drift, I just can't type it out...). I had a lovely ten-day-weekend from school.

They called us "The Forgotten Town" on the news(:

Yeah right. So please, give me a break.

READ THE ABOVE /\

Disclaimer: I don't own MR.

Iggy took me down the hill, and all the way to the volleyball courts. "Max, Max, Max. Did what I think what just happened happen?"

I trailed the tip of my foot in the dirt. "Uh...yeah."

Iggy smiled. "Thank god you caught them! I didn't want to tell you! Fang was going to today...but guess that's all good!"

"What? You guys knew and didn't tell me!" So Lissa was only in it for Sam...or was that real?

Iggy gave me a look. "Max. You would've killed the messenger." I sighed. I would have. "And Fang saw them only two days ago. It wasn't a huge secret."

"Fine." I bumped into him. "Thanks."

"No problem." Iggy said, and went to ruffle my hair, but missed a little, so he ended up rubbing my ear like a crazy freak. I laughed, and ran over the bridge.

Soon, the bugle rang for dinner, and I grabbed Iggy's hand, skipping up the hill. Iggy was suddenly wretched from my grasp, and pulled to Ella. I smiled when he put his arm over her shoulder, and walked to where Fang was. He was straying outside the crowd, so I pointed to Ella and Iggy. He gave a rare smile, and did a cat-call when they walked by.

"So?" Fang said, holding out his hand. I took it, and the smile kept on his face. The doors had opened, and I realized why he had taken my hand. Sam was waiting for me. Kit flanked on my right side, as if this was all planned out, and Fang made sure that Sam made no advance. I squeezed their hands, and Kit nodded, walking to the other side of the table.

Fang slid in next to Iggy and Ella, and had me sit on the end. On the other end of the table, Lissa practically sat on Sam's lap, but he didn't seem to really care, giving me cow eyes. I ignored him and started talking to Little Abby about her school.

Carter, acknowledging the awkwardness, smiled. "Alright guys! Looks like tacos again!" Iggy cheered, and Ella giggled at his childishness.

Nudge was across the way, waving frantically at me. She shot a thumbs up with a questioning look. I nodded, and she gave a huge grin, jumping up and down in her seat.

I smiled, and Fang leaned over, "Is Nudge okay?"

"Yeah," I whispered back, "she definitely is."

After eating about six tacos (crazy I know), the spoon song came on. Ice cream for dessert! Jack brought back a plate heaping with chocolate ice cream. I wrinkled my nose- I didn't like chocolate.

But I tried it anyway, how could I let an ice-cream opportunity pass me by?

It was delicious. And once again, I despise chocolate ice cream. Despise it. Thank you Camp Sami.

I threw a napkin at Iggy when some dripped down his chin, and Ella wiped it off. I had to admit, they made a good couple.

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Gabby spit her excess toothpaste into the woods. "Man." she said, putting the toothbrush in its pouch. "Good summer, good summer."

I nodded, recollecting all of the hilarious moments. Beep-beep beep-beep. "7:26." Gabby said quietly, clicking her watch. "I hate this watch so."

"What can you do?" We trudged up the hill, waving to Sam (the girl one)as she and her campmates slid down the hill.

Gabby sighed. "Summer's almost over, Max."

I looked over the Mohican cabins, at the sunset. "It's July 28th. We only have a few weeks left."

It did seem like everyone was getting a little less whoop-dee-doo-da-camp-fun spirt by the day. "Well, we still have Indian Ceremony."

"Don't forget Banquet!"

"Banquet?" I asked. No one had told me about a banquet.

Gabby face lit up. "Yeah! It's fun. Ask Part Two of The Package Deal." She meant Abby. I had started calling her and little Abby "The Package Deal."

We got to our cabin, and Gabby went who knows where. I walked into the HOL, the only place with laughter resounding from it. There sat almost all of the guys, Ella, Abby, and Jenny. Sam and Brad seemed to be MIA. Oh, well.

"Max!" called Fang as I walked in, Ella patting the beanbag next to her. I sat in it, and Iggy continued his story about the prank war between he and another kid in his school.

Fang was fashioning a bracelet on my left, as he had heard the story before, and I leaned over to watch him work. He was just like Big Abby, working fast with the intricate knots. "Cool," The pattern looked like faces. Suddenly, Fang knotted off the bottom, pulling the tape off the top.

"Here." Fang started tying it around my wrist, but I pulled back. It was black, brown, navy, and light-ish blue.

I shook my head. "It's yours."

Rolling his eyes, Fang tied it firmly around my wrist. "I was making it for you anyway."

"Oh..." My face was hot, even though I really liked how it was going. "Well, thanks."

He smirked, and asked Little Abby for more string, which she supplied. He tied a knot at the top, tethering all the strings together. He showed me how to make a forwards knot, and told me to just make ten on each color, on top of the other ones. (Does that make sense? If you're into bracelet making then you know what it means. It's a Chinese Staircase.)

It took me about 20 minutes to get the hang of it, but once I finished, I had Fang tie it around my other wrist. I was proud of the misshapen black and yellow bracelet. Then Fang showed me the backwards knot, and when I had made one of those, I gave it to Ella.

"Now you can make a diagonal one." He pointed to one on his wrist. I spent the rest of free time learning different bracelet designs from Fang, who gladly showed me.

When Adam finally called for Devotions, I was a little upset. "I'll show you again tomorrow if you want." I nodded eagerly, as I needed to be able to beat Fang.

We all sat in a circle, and Beth explained the devotion. "Alright guys. This devotion is going to probably be the saddest devotion we are ever going to do. What is...the most upsetting thing you've ever seen that has been close to you. I'll start.

"When I was about 17, I had a really close friend named John. John was the nicest fellow you could meet. He drove with the best of care, and took a lot of rides in his car. He loved that car." Beth looked up, towards the rafters. "One day he was driving in the city, and I was meeting him at a corner. I could see him coming down the street, when another car struck him from the side." Beth's eyes began to water. "They hit a building, and John was gone. The other driver was drunk. Drunk. He lived.

"We recently had a memorial. It was a terrible day. I...It was just depressing. To lose a friend so dear." She stopped, clearly unable to continue. Adam gave her a hug, pulling her head into his chest.

"I'll go." I sighed. I had to get it over with.

Adam handed over the stuffed animal, giving me a weak smile.

"Alright." I took a deep breath. "When I was six, my parents left me in a vet's office. They just let me there, and took a cat instead." (Yes, I know I had said she was a baby, but I'm changing it)

"Oh, Max." Ella breathed, taking my hand.

"I still remember when my dad would read me a book, or my mom would push me on the swings. I just never understood why they would leave me. What's wrong with me?" I started shaking, it was a subject that I didn't like going over. "Why wasn't I good enough?

"I just...what did I do wrong? I'm lucky that Dr. M took me in when she found me in the crate, but I just have always wondered what I did wrong." I will not cry, I will not cry, I WILL NOT CRY. I felt tears threatening to spill over. Damn.

"There's just always been the voice in the back of my mind telling me that I'm not even good enough for my own parents to love me. Why should anyone else?"

"Max..." Fang crawled past Ella, and pulled me into a hug, much like the way Adam had Beth. "You're perfect." he whispered in my ear. "The morons shouldn't have given you up, there's nothing wrong with you."

I pulled back without a word, and passed the stuffed animal to Iggy. Getting up. I headed to the door. "Max?" Big Abby called, watching me leave. I didn't answer.

I plunked down on the end of the porch. Tears streaked my face. It was the first time I had told anyone the way I truly felt about my parents leaving me. The door opened and closed next to me, and no other but Fang kneeled in front of me. "Don't cry." He wiped his thumbs across my cheekbones.

"Max look. I can't even pretend to know what not having my real parents is like, but I know it has to suck. I'm here, Iggy's here, Ella's here, were all here. We're your family now." He sat up next to me, throwing his arms around my waist, leaning his chin on my shoulder.

"Don't think about the dumb morons that left you. Think about the ones that you have with you know, that love-" He stiffened slightly at this,"-you for you. Now get your ass in there and act like the strong, kick-ass Max we all know." He gave me another hug, and left.

When he opened the door I was aware of all the feet shuffling and coughs. They had been listening in.

What pals.

A/N Okay so there was some FAX (YAY!) and a longer chapter for you. Woot!

Hope you lied it, etc.

The story that Beth told is a true story, it happened to my counselor. ):

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