~∞ ROSES ∞~

Chapter Fourteen: You Smell Like Roses

Lunch-

"Hey Max," Lissa said, sliding into the seat next to her. She was sitting alone, waiting for Nudge, Fang, and his friend, Iggy, to come to the lunch table.

Max glanced up at the girl with long red hair, who appeared next to her. "Um, hi, Lissa. You smell like roses," she replied instinctively, noticing the distinct scent as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her right ear.

"Yeah, it's my perfume," Lissa replied, waving it off, smiling. "So, tell me all about you and Fang!" she chirped, scooting closer on the bench towards Max.

She unconsciously shifted her body away from the girl who had suddenly joined her lunch table. "Why do you ask?" Max shot back, her eyebrows raised.

The red-haired girl shrugged the grin still apparent. "Oh, I don't know. Just it's that Fang and I are old friends," Max's eyebrows shot up even more. "So I was just wondering how you two have been doing!"

"Oh. We're… fine," she responded, relaxing her tense shoulders. "We're good."

Lissa smiled slyly. "How good?" she teased, watching the other girl's mouth drop open. Max began to get out of her seat, a bit creeped out by Lissa. "Sorry. I like to bug Fang a lot; I shouldn't bug you," she apologized, eyes wide.

Max nodded. "It's okay, just… a bit… odd."

"Sorry!" Lissa apologized again. "I'm really sorry, Max. So um, Max, can you answer something?"

"Shoot."

Lissa took a deep breath, not wanting to be chewed out by Max — the girl with the tough reputation. She didn't know why Max was always 'feared' or didn't have many friends. Lissa actually thought Max was pretty nice. "Okay. So how did Fang get you to say yes? Like, we all saw you turn him down in the cafeteria, what changed?"

Max chuckled inwardly. Lissa would make a good reporter, she mused to herself, before thinking about the question she just asked.

I can't say he took me to his house, which is actually my old house, and we went outside to the backyard to a gazebo he didn't even know about, that I knew about, causing me to break down and say yes, especially when he gave me a rose! She shouted in her head. So, instead, Max smirked. "He got down on his knees and begged."

She burst out laughing. "Really? Fang Walker, begging?" It wasn't that Lissa didn't believe Max, but more like she was appalled that he actually did beg. "I have got to see that," she laughed.

Her laugh was a whole-hearted laugh; not like one of those pathetic, superficial giggles some girls did. And that's when Max decided she liked her.

"So nice meeting you, Max," Lissa laughed, her cheeks flushed from smiling. "Fang's here." She leaned forward and gave Max a quick hug, before hopping off the lunch table bench.

Max watched Lissa practically skip over to where Fang was heading her way, — in his completely black attire and tousled hair — gave him a small smile, and left the cafeteria.

Fang finally reached Max with a smirk playing on his lips. "What was that?" he wondered, his obsidian eyes sparkling in the light. He had entered to see Lissa hugging Max — something he swore he would've never thought he'd ever see.

"Lissa," she replied, stuffing her mouth with her lunch. Max didn't care if Fang was disgusted by her unmannerly eating habits; if he made a move to correct them, he'd be dumped before he knew it.

Yet it didn't bother him the slightest bit. Fang watched Max eat with an amused smile at his lips and he scooted closer to her, placing his arm around her shoulders. She stiffened at the touch, but soon relaxed to it. He could hear little gasps erupt from the girls in the cafeteria, as if their worst nightmare was coming true.

Now that he thought of it, that was probably what was happening. All those girls he had toyed around with were jealous that he wasn't single; jealous that he might have found one he wanted to keep.

But was it obvious that he felt different towards Max? That she intrigued him, making him want her even more? That she made him truly talk, and laugh, and smile — a feat none of the others had even accomplished? That he felt drawn to Max as if she was the star, holding him in place with her gravitational pull? That he felt as if he needed her to live? Even — dare he say it — to love?

Fang shook his head. Fang Walker does not fall in love, he scolded himself, scowling. Not after Mom got her heart broken by Dad. Even if the girl is just amazing, and beautiful, and all you could've asked for. You can't fall in love; love is what tears you apart.

"Fang?" Max asked. "You there? Fa-ang! You're looking like you're constipated or something," she said, smiling. His face was all scrunched up and he seemed to be in deep thought.

"Hmm?" he replied. Max rolled her eyes and waved a hand in front of his face, not even fazing him. She sighed and chucked a carrot in between his two eyes, and Fang snapped out of whatever daze he was in. "What the hell was that for?"

Max shrugged innocently, as she took a bite of her sandwich. "What was what for?" she asked, enlarging her brown eyes. "Is something wrong, Fang?"

He chuckled and leaned forward, so their two noses were almost touching. Max's eyes widened even more. "I don't know, is something wrong?" Fang replied, before he buried his face in her neck.

She let out an un-Max-like squeak as he began nipping at her neck. His long hair tickled her neck and face, and she closed her eyes, hoping no one noticed them. Fat chance, she thought dryly, but she tilted her head back, unconsciously wrapping her arms around his neck.

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch period, and Max jumped back, glancing around, only to notice people gaping at them, without even trying to hide it. She looked a little more and realized they were staring at her.

Max waved it off, thinking that it was normal for Fang to do that, but for her to allow that was unusual. She turned back to Fang and he smirked.

"You smell like roses," he commented, making Max's cheeks flush. For some reason, the entire cafeteria gawking at her doesn't affect her, but four words from Fang, and she burns up. Great. "I like it," Fang winked, before he got up and walked towards the exit.

She sat there blinking for a couple of seconds, and slowly got up, throwing away her trash. When she reached the glass doors of the cafeteria, Max gasped, shocked, before it turned to fury. "FANG WALKER, YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

Down the hall, he chuckled, receiving strange looks from the people passing by. His stomach grumbled. Damn, Fang thought. If he was going to die, couldn't he of eaten lunch first?

…

"Soo…" Nudge began. "How's plan W.T.F.B.I.T.C.H.E.R. going?"

Max rolled her eyes, and reveled in the softness of her pillow. "You won't ever give up that name, will you?" she muttered, smiling.

Nudge scoffed. "Not when it's as awesome as it is. But stop avoiding the question. Do you think he's falling in love with you, yet?"

She rolled over on the bed, so Max's back was now on the mattress, rather than her stomach. "I don't really know. I mean, I'm pretty sure the way he looks at me is different, and the way he acts is how he normally does, but I don't know if he only looks at me like that because he's never dated and dumped someone like me before," she sighed.

"Well I think it's because he's interested; I mean, the way he looks at you," Nudge commented, studying her nails. "It's just different. More intense, like he's studying you, or memorizing every move. It's quite hot, actually." Max stared at her incredulously. "Hey! The only reason I don't like him, is because he's a player! Fang is ha-wt, y'know?"

Again, Max rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Nudge. Whatever you say," she smirked, closing her eyes.

Nudge was silent for a moment, before she opened her mouth to speak. "Max… How do you feel… about Fang?"

Max's eyes flew open. "What?" she asked incredulously.

"You… It's not just he that looks at you differently. You do, too. I mean, you look at him differently," Nudge explained hesitantly. "So honestly, how do you feel about him?"

Max took a deep breath and stretched her arms. "I don't know, Nudge. I really don't know."