Chapter 2

MAX'S POV

I changed into fresh black skinny jeans, a silver chair belt hung down, I smiled at myself, my mother would freak.

I had a black halter top and a plain black silver chocker. My new combat boots fit nicely as I turned in front of Nudge and Angel.

"Nice." They both said nodding.

"Never would guess you were Maxine Alexandra Mazy Avery." Angel added.

I smiled, "Better go." I said, sliding on my black sunglasses and walking down. Fang and two other boys were with him, a blond 10 year old boy, and a red haired kid with blueish-clear eyes, blind. I felt sorry for the kid.

They stopped as I met them in the halls.

"Hey Max," Fang said, smirking.

I smiled slyly as I walked up to them.

"Hey,"

"Meet Iggy and Gazzy." He gestured to each boy.

Iggy, the blind kid, reached his hand out, "P.s," He said, noticing my confusion. How'd he know where I am, and notice that im confused. " I'm not blind."

Now that makes sense. I saw that each boy had a pack.

"Come on," I said, leading them down the hall, "We have to stay in the same hotel room, is that okay with you or will I have to grab another?"

The boys each shot me a cocky grin, of course. I opened up the door to the hotel room and lead them in. The two girls were laying on the couch playing tic tack toe.

"Guys meet, Gazzy and Iggy." There was a chorus of hello's...

At midnight people started crashing. Angel and Nudge shared one of the queens, Iggy on the other. Gazzy was on a cot, all sound asleep. As I lay on the couch, my wallet tucked into the side of my jeans, so if anyone tried to steal it I know. Fang lay on the floor, staring at me.

"Close your eyes and go to sleep." I said, getting pissed.

"Why don't you?"

I glared at him in the darkness. We laid there in the darkness. neither wanting to sleep without the other going to sleep first. But soon, I fell into a deep, peaceful, sleep.

I woke up in the morning to the smell of bacon and pancakes.

"Mmmm." I mumbled, opening my eyes. The first thing I noticed was my wallet was missing. I jumped up and looked around. My wallet was sitting on the table. Everyone was at the table. I tried to calm myself as I walked over and grabbed my wallet. It was black with a white skull.

I glanced inside and saw I was only missing twenty.

"You know," Iggy said, handing me a plate of 3 pancakes and 2 pieces of bacon. "You got a lot of cash."

"Yeah, it's called jacking from my foster homes." I said, sitting in a chair and pouring maple syrup over my pancakes.

Iggy tossed a newspaper ad I saw my preppy, rich, stupid self and the words, MISSING at the top.

I smiled, "Hey looks like that Maxine is missing."

Fang leaned back in his chair, smirking. He could not know, I thought, if they do, I'm screwed.

"You and Maxine could be sisters." Fang said, knowing something.

He knew.

"Maybe we are and she just the better end of the deal." I lied, shrugging.

"Is that so?" Iggy asked, amused.

"Could be." I said, getting nervous.

"Than why in you wallet is a credit card with the name 'Maxine Alexandra Mazey Avery'?"

"Moron!" I cursed.

"So, Ms. Preppy, why did you leave?" Fang asked.

"I finally had it." I told the truth.

"I don't buy it." Fang said.

"Why's that? Because I was rich?"

"Yeah! You had it all, money, a home, parents, you're even famous."

I was getting pissed.

"I may have money, but my home was my prison. And do you know how many times my parents lie to me, hit me because I wasn't good enough? My parents have said to my face they only adopted me because I was free publicity. I get told that they would love to see me die tomorrow! And add to that I have no one to go to, do you know how many friends I actually have?" I yelled, standing up, "I have none! Most hate my guts and the others would love to see me drop dead like my parents. And do NOT get me started on the paparazzi. They follow me around to see me screw up. I can't even walk down the street without getting attacked! You think it's all play and no work being rich, it isn't. I would give up everything to-to have a normal life, go to school."

"Oh yeah?" Fang asked, getting up. "You at least can wake up in the morning and not worry. We, wake up to a hungry stomach, and afraid we might not get anything to eat. We don't have parents, we barely see money, and you know what? No one loves us. At least someone cares enough to alert the police about you!"

"Oh yeah! Like my parents really care, my mother cheats on my dad, my dad cheats on my mom, and do you have any idea what happens when guests are there?"

"What do they do? Take your picture?" Fang asked, sarcastically.

"No, they get drunk and take their anger out on me. My parents just sit there and watch! My parents never stopped it, they would laugh. I lived in a prison where I was beaten. If I wasn't perfect, I'd be hit. Over and over. I would. Than my mom would get a big old doctor to hide all the evidence. You have no idea!"

Fang said nothing, they all stared at me.

"And scars?" Iggy asked.

"Easy, they'd get covered up. All but one." And with that I lifted up my shirt for them to see my name, my full name, carved into my back. It was faint, but it was there.

"What the…?" They started but I pulled my shirt down again, and glared.

"They took a knife a couple months ago, and my dear mother caved my name, having the body guards hold me. She said if I told anyone she would go kill me, I know she would so I was quiet. I can't really leave, she's been watching me, very carefully. Yesterday was the first time I've been out of the house alone, except for a trip to Hot Topic. I was just seeing what would happen, what the press would do, what she would do. And than I left, here I am."

And with that, I walked over to my bag threw some clothes into it, and threw it over my shoulder. I pulled out my wallet tossed down two hundreds and said, "The room is paid for 6 more days, enjoy." I walked out, Angel and Nudge on my heels.

"Wait!" Fang called, he, Grazzy, and Iggy were outside with their bags, "Where we going next." I smiled.