When I woke up the next morning, my eyes felt heavy. I rubbed them only to find they were wet. In fact, my hair was stuck to my face, my pillow had two dark spots on it, and my eyes were red and bloodshot and hurt. I had been crying in my sleep - and I had been crying a lot, apparently, too.

I rubbed my face clean and washed it over and over until it looked okay. Until it looked like it was just sleep deprivation or something. And only then did I think about what I'd dreamed. I thought long and hard until it came to me. Of course. It just had to be... Fang.

I shook my head, defeated. What was wrong with me? I had to stop this insistent want and need for him. He was with Lissa. Lissa was a bitch, yes, but she still had him. And I didn't. Why couldn't I accept that? Was I really that idiotic and masochistic as to wish this upon myself? It was such a sick thing. I should be over him, shouldn't I?

But then There's Dylan... He's always been sweet. Always so nice to me. Why can't I like a guy like that? Why can't I have fallen for Dylan? He seems a much better choice when faced with the heart-breaking boy who crushed my heart without knowing it when he accepted Lissa's requests. Maybe it was my fault? I never asked. I was too slow. I didn't make the time limit. And now I'm screwed over by a bitch who stole the guy who stole my heart. Twisted. Just sick and twisted, my life is.

And now, I fix my hair. I need to look as good as I can, don't I? After all, if my hair is good, then people will look at that and not see my tear-stained and red face with dull lifeless eyes, right? But no one seemed to notice it before... It only happened the first few weeks, though. Then I'd bottled up the tears, saving them for Friday night when the weekend would erase the traces.

I wish it worked now.

I shook those thoughts out of my head and scolded myself for even thinking them. How could i allow myself to be so damn weak? How could one boy do this to me? Why did he have to matter so damn much to me? Even when he wasn't supposed to matter to me... even when he was supposed to only be a friend.

I closed my eyes for a long moment and just breathed deeply. I held myself together the best I could so far and I was still me. I was not going down without a fight. I would not let myself become subject to torture - become victim to emotions and feelings over a single dark clad boy. I would do the best I could to keep myself as me. I would do the best I could to not let anything change me.

When I picked up my phone, I sucked in a breath and held back the tears. I wouldn't allow waterworks over him again. I just couldn't. And it wasn't healthy either, now was it? My phone told me he'd tried to call me about twenty three times. Damn. And then the latest thing he'd done was send me a text. I read it.

Max, what's up? Ur not picking up ur phone. I just wanna say karaoke will be nine pm at Karaoke Crazed. U no where, ryt? Cya tonight. - Fang.

Oh great. I hope my eyes won't stay red. I hope I'll look okay... Wait - what am I thinking?! I can't go on like this. He's driving me to insanity. He's turning me into Angel or Ella or maybe even Nudge... and he's doing that to me without even doing anything at all! This is crazy.

I called the girls up and got them over. They did me up and by the time it was eight thirty, I was 'stunning' from Ella, 'gorgeous' from Angel, and a ramble from Nudge that was put to an end by Ella and Angel, thankfully.

I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror, gasping when I caught sight of myself. I was hot. I was never hot. But I was now. My eyes were smoky - the brown framed perfectly by the dark charcoal make-up they'd put on me, my skin was practically glowingwith radiance, my nails were french-tipped, my hair cascaded down my back in perfect golden-brownish or honey-colored (I didn't know what else to describe it as) waves, my lips were full and dark and glossed, my dress - I can't believe I was wearing a dress - was form-fitting, short yet long, black, and was just plain perfect, and my shoes were three-inch heels, which I looked at Angel, Ella, and Nudge with disbelief when I saw them, and were sleek and black. My entire ensemble was brilliant. They'd outdone themselves (even with the footwear). And I made sure to tell them that.

Then I left for a long walk to Karaoke Crazed.

When I got there, it was nine fifteen. I walked up to the front desk and asked about the group. A lady named Caroline, according to her name-tag, led me to a door. I entered the room and got a pleasing reaction to my new look. Fang's eyes seemed to pop out of his head when he saw me. Good. And Lissa looked absolutely furious. I smiled at her as I looked and saw Dylan staring at me, jaw dropped.

" You're tongue's hanging out of your mouth, Dyl," I giggled. Yes, I giggled. I mean, why not? Show them I changed... a lot. That should help, right? "I think you might wanna close it." I winked and he blushed a deep red color as he snapped his mouth shut. I looked to Lissa and Fang, "Hey, thanks for inviting me." I batted my eyes softly and saw Fang gulp. Lissa looked like she was about to snap. Oh, how I wished she would. At least then I'd have a good reason to have punched the living daylights out of her. I could say I was defending myself. And Fang and Dylan would be witnesses.

But, unfortunately for me, she seemed to realize it, too, and just glared at me saying, "Such a skanky dress for such a wimpy little boy."

I bit back a glare and smiled sickeningly sweetly at her, "Awwe, thanks Lissa. But yours is sluttier and shittier than any other dress I've seen in my life. Oops, nevermind. I've seen you wear worse."

She huffed and grabbed a microphone, "Your turn!" she threw it at me.

I rolled my eyes and caught it easily. This girl's anger issues were worse than mine. Lissa picked the song before I even had a chance to look for one. She smiled evilly at me and I looked to the screen.

Poor Lissa. When I got done singing, she looked mortified. She obviously thought a girl like me couldn't have sang so perfectly. But that was just the thing. I was one of the best out there.

I handed the microphone to her and said, "Your turn."

She took it and I grabbed the song book from her hands, punching in a number before she could even blink. When the song came on, she looked shocked. She sang it though, obviously not wanting to be shown up by me. But boy did she suck. She was worse than a seal arf-ing! She was off-key, didn't hit the right notes, and just plain sucked. I felt kind of sorry for her.

But Fang was smirking slightly and Dylan looked like he might burst out laughing at any second. I walked to Dylan and sat between him and Fang, sitting closer to Dylan than Fang. If I was gonna do this, I better do it right.

I smiled at Dylan, "what've you been up to, Dyl? I haven't seen you in forever."

He looked pleasantly surprised that I was talking so sweetly to him, "Nothing much really. Just hanging around."

"Can I hang with you?"

He smiled widely, "Definitely."

Oh, this was going to be fun...

When the last song was sung, I was thinking 'Finally!' Dylan looked disappointed, Fang looked... well, I guess you could call it, impassive? And Lissa? Oh she was pissed. Completely and utterly furious with me. Her face was completely red. I, personally, thought it looked like a pudgy and sickly red fruit that I wouldn't dare to touch, let alone eat. I snuck a picture of it to show Nudge, Ella, and Angel for when I got back home.

I walked home, telling Fang, Dylan, and Lissa I was leaving. Fang had no emotion on his face - which was a weird memory-tugger since he'd been so different with Lissa lately - while Dylan looked sad and Lissa looked overjoyed. Of course.

When I got to the house, I was bombarded. Nudge was going on and on and on and boy, it hurt my head, because she wasn't the only one! Angel was talking my ear off, too. But so was Ella. Damn I was gonna go deaf if this continued!

"Guys! Please!" I cried out as loud as I could, desperation thick in my voice. "Stop talking!"

They all shut up, blushing deep crimson. They each muttered an apology in turn and I sighed.

"Tell us what happened!" Angel requested as soon as they'd pulled me into the twins' room.

I smiled, which they took as a good sign. I took a deep breath and spilled out the entire story. From Lissa to Dylan to Fang. Oh, they loved this just as much as I did. Lissa... Heh. She'd been so mad.

"That's great Max!" Ella gushed, "Now it's time for phase two!"

"Phase two?" Nudge said before I could even ask.

Angel smiled a sinister smile that both terrified me - me! - and made my heart squeeze from how proud I felt. That was my sister! And Angel said, in such an innocent and sweet voice - with a pure face to top it off! - something I couldn't believe. She told us exactly what 'phase two' was...