I'm going to start this out with an apology/explanation/excuse thingy.
My keyboard is broken (Mom spilled water on it, and yet everyone blames me since it was my water. UNFAIR!), so the delete, space, and quotation mark keys are broken. One of the reasons it took so long for me to update is that I had to type it messed up and weird on this computer, then e-mail it to myself, then copy and paste it onto a different computer, then fix it there.
Another reason is because I had my Duke TIP SAT-thing, then I was at Wizarding World of Harry Potter, then it was Christmas, then it was New Years, then it was snowing, then school started back up, then I had the spelling bee...
Ahem. As you can tell, I've had a lot on my plate lately. Not that that's at all
excusable. I haven't updated for a MONTH; I'm turning into the kind of FanFic authors I abominate!
You probably aren't reading this anyway, so I'll take this opportunity to inject some of my favorite words ever: Conscience. Bungle. Wreak.
On with the chapter!
"Max... "Ella called tentatively from my doorway, sounding afraid. "I just did
something I think you wont approve of. "
I shot her a look over my shoulder, putting in my fancy-schmancy earrings. "Its
okay to wonder if you're adopted. I do too sometimes."
She rolled her eyes, then seemed to remember something sombering. "No, really," she said, sounding uncomfortable.
I swiveled around in my spinny chair, savoring the Double 07 effect it gave me.
"Do tell."
She squirmed a little, then said, "Dylan called earlier…"
I cut her off, demanding, "How does he have this number!"
Ella merely shrugged, then forged on, saying, "and he asked for you."
"What did he say?" I asked, my voice tight and strangled, though I was pretty sure I knew.
She took a deep breath, then in a big gust, said,
"!"
With that, she threw up her hands as if to protect her face.
"You did what?" I cried, my voice shrill. "What the h-e-double bendy straws did do that for?"
She seemed to regain some of her confidence and replied, "Because we-er, you-still need to make Nick jealous."
I groaned, putting my head in my hands. "I thought we were done with that." I mumbled through my fingers.
Ella shook her head vigorously. "Nope."
"Is this really inevitable?" I groaned miserably.
She chewed her lip, seeming to almost kind of sort of regret her impulsive act of evil sisterhood, then said, "Yep." Way to shatter the illusion, Ella. Thanks a lot.
"But, there's one good side to this…" She said suddenly, a sly grin spreading across her face.
"Oh, yeah? What's that?" I grumbled miserably.
Her grin grew wider. "I have an excuse to put you in a dress."
PAGE BREAK PAGE BREAK PAGE BREAK
I took a deep yoga breath and closed my eyes.
"Well, go on," Ella said, grinning. She, of course, looked radiant in her costume. I, on the other hand, was pretty sure I looked like an inarticulate bumble.
"What if I really, really don't want to?" I asked per pitifully. She rolled her eyes and made 'go on' motions.
The second I walked in, I was Dylan. How could I not? After all, he was wearing a bright blue hoodie and "designer" sunglasses with his hair swept to the left. He gave me a flick of the head-a desperate attempt at coolness-and sauntered over.
"Why aren't you dressed up?" I asked, furious that he had gotten away with it and wondering if I could change in the ladies' room.
He shot me an appalled look and said, "I am!"
From behind me, Ella squealed, "Awesome Justin Bieber costume!"
FACEPALM.
While I shook my head, trying to dislodge that image from where it had been seared into my brain, he grabbed my arm and said, "You look really nice…I'm glad you came."
Fighting the urge to say that I wasn't, I told him that yeah, of course I did.
"Come over here where it isn't quite so loud," he said, dragging me by the elbow to some desolate corner of the cafetorium.
"Why are we here?" I said irritably. I wanted to see Tess and Iggy and them.
"I have something I want to tell you," He said, his voice quiet and gentle, looking up at me with puppy-dog eyes, the insufferable git.
"Well? Get on with it!" I replied irritably.
"Max…I really like you. I mean, really, really like you. And I was wondering if…" He said simply, his voice trailing off. "If you would like to…you know…date?"
He looked up at me hopefully, the most horrifically sickening pathetic look on his face. There was a moment of utter silence, then I spoke.
"Okay, I don't know if it was the McDonald's I had before we got here or what, but I seriously just threw up in my mouth." I announced. He gaped.
And gaped.
And…gaped.
"Well then," I said matter-of-factly, "if that's all you have to say, I guess I'll be going."
With that, I whirled around on my heel and waltzed over to the cluster of who I knew to be my friends.
"What are we all admiring?" I asked, sticking my head into the clump.
"Iggy's costume," Tess said in an awestruck voice. I noticed that she was wearing a bright pink wig, and looked at her questioningly.
"Nymphadora Tonks," she explained unhelpfully.
"Uh…right Yes. I totally know who that is." I replied awkwardly.
Suddenly, I noticed Iggy's costume. It was, in a word…indescribable.
His purple velvet pants went up to his waist and flared out at the bottom, while his bright orange shirt's top two buttons were open, showing off his oversized money sign bling. A leopard print-lined lime green coat went down to midthigh, and he was posing variously with a leopard print pimp cane and a huge, floppy lime green hat. He was poised precariously on top of leopard-print shoes with hollow heels containing a-hopefully plastic-goldfish and some water.
I gaped to put Dylan to shame.
"Iggy." I said. "Way to make me feel inadequate."
"Aw, Max, you're adequate!" Nudge squealed, encasing me in a huge hug. "You're costume is FABULOUS, and you look FABULOUS, and it's this whole entirely FABULOUS ordeal!"
"Well worded, Nudge." Ella said appreciatively.
For the first time, I noticed Nudge's costume. She was bedecked as a monarch butterfly in bright blue and black, with wings, shimmery make up, the whole nine yards. It was all very Nudge-esque.
Suddenly, I noticed something. "Where's Nick?"
"Um…" Tess said with her head cocked to the side, considering. "Last I checked, he was getting a Coke from the snack bar…thing. He should be back…now!"
She turned and waved at someone in the corner of the room, coming steadily nearer…Nick?
Yes, Nick. In black-on-black suit, a white Phantom of the Opera mask, and with his hair slicked back and a single blood red rose in his breast pocket alongside a-you guessed it-black handkerchief.
"Oh. My. GOSH, Max! It's like you planned on coordinating!" Ella squealed, clapping her hands and jumping up and down.
"You didn't?" Nudge said, confused. "But…you totally match!"
I was already halfway across the cafetorium by the time Nudge had said that.
"FALKIN!" I screamed. "You've lost me my originality, boy!"
He turned to look at me, and his eyes widened. At least, I'm pretty sure they did. Hard to tell when he's wearing a mask.
I stopped in front of him, hands on my hips.
"I didn't mean too," he said, as close to sheepishly as I think he's ever gotten.
"Yeah, yeah." I grumbled.
"Really!" He cried. I rolled my eyes.
Sorry, couldn't think of a good way to end that. I can't apologize enough for the delay.
R&R!