Hey everyone!

Happy late New Year's and Merry Christmas. Hope you all had a wonderful break and enjoyed time off from school. I know I did...
So here is the new chapter, and I'm not gunna lie... it's kinda weird.

I didn't have my beta go over it because I wanted to get it out as soon as I could.

So sorry if it totally sucks and sounds retarded...

But, I still hope you enjoy! : )

Chapter 8

"Dad?"

His smile seemed to light the room and it only grew wider as he stepped toward me. I could see Ari watching intently from the side of my bed.

"Oh Max, I've missed you so much." His arms reached behind me and pulled me into a hug.

I stood there awkwardly, my arms hanging limp at my sides as I watched my mother from over his shoulder. Let's just say it was a mix of shock, surprise and confusion. So I could call it her 'pissed off' face.

The room went silent again, I knew everyone was watching the awkward father-daughter moment.

I managed to pat his back somewhat comfortingly before a soft cough came from Ari. My dad finally let go, and turned to his son, also smiling brightly. It really pissed me off.

"Ari, my son, look how much you've grown! You're practically a man!"

He walked toward him, his arms open for a huge and his laugh echoing against the walls. At the last second, Ari turned his body away and clutched his arm, peeking at me from the corner his eye.

My dad faltered shortly and looked at him sadly, dropping his arms to his sides. "Ari..."

But he was cut off by a screech from the hallway.

"Ewww! Oh meh God, how gross!" And suddenly my half sister Ella appeared at the door, I look of disgust and horror on her face.

"Dad, can we like, get out of here? This place is disgusting, I swear I just saw a rat run across the hallway!" I rolled my eyes and watched as Ella entered my room, eyeing everything like it just came from a dumpster.

I quickly looked at my mom and gave a questioning look, she responded with a shrug and a glare at Jeb.

"I'm sure it was nothing sweetheart, why don't you come say hi to your sister and brother."

"She is not my sister." Ari and I ground out at the same time. I shot him a smirk and couldn't help but notice the disappointment on Jeb's face.

Yeah, well get used to it Jeb.

Ella shot us a dirty look, but dropped it and sat on my bed, whipping out her expensive cell phone.

Scarlett shifted uncomfortably toward her mom, giving Ella a disapproving look as she passed her.

"Well, you kids have grown up so much! Just loo-"

"Yes Jeb, that usually tends to happen when you haven't seen your kids in almost five years." My mother snapped, she was now standing and had her arms crossed over her chest. Jeb sighed loudly and looked down, looking totally defeated.

Suddenly Elda got up and walked up to him. "We'll, it's nice to meet you, I'm Elda, Scarlett's mother. You have such wonderful children, I'm so glad my daughter will be rooming with Max."

Jeb looked up, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he shook her hand. "Thank you, they truly are wonderful."

I was about to snort at his remark, but Ella beat me to it. "Puh-lease, wonderful? Um yeah, have you seen the way they dress?" She looked up from her phone and her eyes scanned my outfit.

"I'm pretty sure they shop at like, Goodwill or something. Faded t-shirts are so last season. Oh wait, they were never in style." She sneered at me, all the while her fingers flew across her keypad.

I clenched my fist and glared at her, picturing myself grabbing her phone and smashing it against the wall and shattering it into tiny pieces.

"Didn't know being a stuck-up brat was the new attitude." She dropped her smile and rolled her eyes at me.

"Enough you two." My mother snapped.

"And Jeb can I ask what the hell are you doing here?" Her eyebrows were raised and she waited for his answer.

"Well, I'm here to see my baby one last time before she starts college."

I huffed loudly and stood by Ari, "I'm not your baby anymore Jeb. I grew up a long time ago, without you."

I knew my words hurt him, his eyes showed the pain and he opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out.

Good. Let him hurt, the same way he hurt us.

I knew Scarlett was looking between us the whole time, probably thinking what a dysfunctional family we are. I really felt bad for her and her mother seeing this whole scene play out.

"And I'm his favorite daughter, Ella Batchelor."

She smiled sweetly to Elda her white teeth shining in that annoying way of hers. I personally think Jeb picked her up in The Nursery of Hell. Just a thought.

"Um, hello Ella nice to meet you. This is my daughter Scarlett, Max's new room mate."

Scarlett looked Ella up and down, clearly showing distaste the way her eyebrows moved up. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to her right foot, still staring at my so called sister.

" 'Sup."

Ella wrinkled her nose and turned toward Jeb on her shiny designer flats.

"None of them have manners," she turned to look at us, "And clearly they know nothing about personal hygiene."

I clenched my teeth together and tried so hard not to beat the crap out of the devil child.

"Ella!" Jeb scolded, he shot her a look that Ella quickly blew off.

"I'm so sorry Ella has some..." he looked at his daughter with a frown.

"Issues with people who she thinks are much prettier and more popular than her." I smirked at the scowling Ella, pleased with myself.

"Popular? Prettier? Yeah, and I'm sooooo jealous of your rock star\punk\emo room mate. Please, you all would die to be me, I mean I see none of you wearing Jimmy Cho flats." She looks at all our shoes with her eyes wide and nodding in disapproval.

"Those are hideous, these so called sneakers are nearly falling apart. Look Ari, I can see your big toe. And Max, sandals are so ghetto."

She crossed her ams and glared, challenging us to contradict her fashion sense.
That's right about when everything started looking red. My fists blanched at my sides and all I wanted more than anything was to kill Ella.

"Well, would you look at the time, nearly time for Jeb and Ella to hit the road."
I looked at my mom as she watched Jeb with a stern glance, his face a shade of what looked like purple.

Ella sighed loudly and already was opening the dorm door, her manicured hand grasping the handle.

"About time, I'd never thought we'd leave. Come on daddy, let's go before we catch some, infection here."

She completely ignored all our glares as her eyes were fixed on 'daddy.' She looked exasperated and anxious to leave the dorm hall.

Jeb looked between her and me, his face pained with having to choose between his two daughters.

What a tough choice.

He finally sighed and shook his head, "Ella, I'm sorry sweetheart, but we are not leaving yet."

We all gasped in surprise and I'm pretty sure Ella nearly ripped off the door from its hinges.

"Whaaaaaat!?" She screeched, sounding more like a dying cow.

"Max, I want to take you out to dinner. Just one last time. Please, and then we'll go."

Did I mention he usually tends to be a suck-up when he wants something badly. And it annoys the hell outta me.

"Sorry, no can do. I need to still," I looked around the room trying to come up with an excuse. My eyes landed on my new Mac laptop that was sitting on my bare desk.

"I still need to set up my new computer for class, sorry Jeb."

He sighed loudly and shook his head.
"Max, we both know that'll take less than ten minutes, and you haven't even gotten your schedule for your classes. Please, just dinner. And I'll leave you alone until you accept me back into your life."

Hmmm, which will probably be NEVER!

I stared at him and thought about his offer, just one dinner, and he's gone for good. Seems simple enough.

"You promise to stay away, not just from me but from mom and Ari?"
His eyes flickered between mom and me, I could see his mind trying to find a way out of this proposal.

"Don't worry that shouldn't be too hard, it's not like he likes seeing you guys anyway."

I ignored Ella's comment with great difficulty and kept my eyes trained on Jeb.
"Alright, fine, I'll stay away from them. But that won't last forever Maximum, you are going to need me one day." He fixed his glasses and cleared his throat.

"So are we ready for dinner? Elda and Scarlett you are more than welcome to join us if you like. My treat to everyone." He smiled warmly and watched as Scarlett shook her head at her mom.

"We would be delighted to join you and your family. Thank you so much for the invitation." Elda returned the smile as Scarlett slumped her shoulders and mumbled, 'Just great.'

I feel your pain too Scarlett.

Jeb laughed out loud and ushered us outside the dorm like he owned the place. My blood was boiling by the time reached the car.

"Oh and daddy, can we like go to a nice restaurant. All the places here seem disgusting and like totally gross. And you know how I can only eat fresh foods and prime steak."

I rolled my eyes as Ella got in the car with Jeb, already thinking of a plan of putting some kind of rat poison in her 'prime steak.' That girl is going to be seriously messed up in the head.

"Hey Max, maybe we can put some kind of rat poison in Ella's food." Ari whispered from the back seat.

I smirked at my brother; I guess great minds think alike.

"You will do no such thing Ari Ride, our else she will probably sue us and take all our money. Do you want that to happen?"

Ari shook his and softly said no as I continued to smirk.

"Just saying mom, we aren't making any promises."

Ari laughed and my mother simply shook her head, "You kids are too much."

~ After dinner and back in Max's dorm ~

After dinner Jeb and Ella decided to leave because Ella had to go to some big sale at the mall to get her dream purse that she had been dying to get.

And gratefully, no one stopped them.

"Oh Max, I'm going to miss you so much."

My mom was currently suffocating me in a giant bear hug and crying on my shoulder. I patted her back softly and rolled my eyes over her shoulder to Ari who's recording her dramatic goodbye.

"I'm going to miss you too mom, but don't worry, I'll be fine and I'll come home for the holidays. I promise."

I pulled away as she blew her nose and wiped the new tears that fell from her chin.

"You'll be fine? Max, you can't even cook! I mean, how are you going to eat?"

Did I ever tell you how she worried about the dumbest things sometimes? Or how she changed her mood in front of Jeb, being the big tough mom and now she was loosing herself.

I guess I have that affect on people.

"Val, I can promise you that I am an exceptional cook, I will gladly make sure that Max eats." Scarlett smiled politely at my mom who suddenly ran over to her and also crushed her in a hug.

"Or you know, I can just go out to one of the many restaurants around campus."
I said softly as mom also cried onto Scarlett.

She finally let go and turned to me again with red eyes.

"Okay sweety, we have to go now, but please call me for anything. And also make sure to put your dirty underwear in the purple hamper, okay? And make sure you brush your teeth every morning and also at night. And take a showe..."

"I got it mom. Brush teeth, dirty hamper and take showers daily. I think I know my normal routine."

I looked behind her and saw Scarlett suppressing a laugh. I shot her a glare and she quickly turned and straightened the comforter on her bed.

"Okay, and like I said, call me for anything." She pulled me into another hug and this time I hugged her back with force.

"I will mom. I love you so much and take care of Ari, don't let him eat too much candy."

She laughed as we pulled away, "I won't. Take of yourself now."

I followed them out the door and watched as they walked down the hall. Ari suddenly turned and smiled. "Hey Max, can you maybe get some numbers for me? I them 'em tall, blond and with a nice butt." I shook my head as mom grabbed his ear and yanked him past the corner.

I closed my door and leaned against it, smiling at my roommate.

"So this it huh?" She laughed at me and shook her head.

"Oh Max, you're such a goody-two-shoes, its almost cute. You know nothing about college do you?"

I gave her a confused look just as there was a knock on the door. I stepped away as Scarlett grabbed the handle, she looked at me.

"And Max, just have fun."

I was about to question her when the door flew open and about ten girls came rushing in, yelling and giggling as they filled the small dorm.

I guess they all knew Scar since they hugged her and bombarded her with loud squeals and questions.

"So girls, meet my roommate Max. Max these are The Girls."

I greeted, hugged, air-kissed and tried to laugh as all the girls introduced themselves to me.

"Um Scarlett, they're all really nice and all, but what are they doing here?"

They all laughed together and it sounded like a giant squeaky toy.

"Well Maxie, they're here to party!"

Thats when some girls pulled out cases of beer and alcohol filled bottles and raised them in the air. All while chanting, 'Par-ty, par-ty, par-ty!'

I just about had a freaking heart-attack.

So yeah, not one of my best chapters, but at least I wrote something.

And I promise you, the next chapter will be filled with Fang ;D parties, boys, drinking and maybe Max getting drunk...

And if you guys can give me 75 reviews, I will make sure half of the next chapter is filled with tons of FAX!

It's your choice...