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Chapter 2: The Shopping Trip of Doooooommmm

Remember just now I said I could just pass out?

Well I could just dieeeee right now.

Okay, imagine this. Me, Max. With Ella, Nudge and Angel. With lots of shopping bags. In the skirt department. Do I see eyes widening and hear those horrified gasps? Yes, me, Max. Looking at skirts with girly girls. There weren't even skirts mentioned in the list. But damn, Nudge and Angel have those dreadfully adorable Bambi eyes. You're lucky you've never seen those. Man, they're good.

Thankfully I made them promise not to get me any skirts. But I should have anticipated that they would make me "at least try them on". And those Bambi eyes – they could rule the world with it!

"Ohmygosh, Max, look at this! You look so adorable in it! Are you sure you don't want to get it? I mean like, everyone will be going ZOMG MAX IS SO PRETTY! And all the guys will want to take you out and like maybe you could get some ice cream or something. Mmm, I love strawberry-flavoured ice cream! They taste so yummy! And they're pink. Don't you like pink? I love pink."

I rolled my eyes. "You promised."

Nudge's face fell. Then she picked up another skirt, which was shorter than the one I was already wearing. Dang.

"Max, what about this? You have to try it!" Have I told you that those Bambi eyes were lethal?

"Come on Max, be a sport," Ella said, grinning.

"Whatever," I grumbled and grabbed the skirt before slamming the door to the dressing room.

My day just can't get worse, can it?

Well it just did.

Because when I went out of the dressing room, guess who I saw? Fang. With Iggy and another younger kid. Ella, Nudge and Angel were already in stitches, even though they were trying to stifle their laughter. They are so going to get it later.

Fang's eyes widened as he looked at me. I blushed. How would you feel if you best friend gave you an up and down? Awkward. Yep.

"Er. Hi," I said. I fought the urge to run back into the dressing room and hide there until they were gone.

"You should wear skirts more often," Fang said.

"Oh please, I look horrible in this," I said. Well, it's true. And skirts are so uncomfortable. They restrict your movement.

"Nope," he said. I was at a loss for words. Thank goodness that little kid saved me.

"Fang, is that your girlfriend?" the little boy asked. "She's pretty." I take it back. He did not save me at all.

"Uh. I'm not Fang's girlfriend. Nuh-uh. No. Nope." So much for coherency.

"She's Fang's best friend," Iggy said. "Or maybe something more. Ah, I wish I could see." He raised his eyebrows at Fang.

"Sexist pig," I muttered under my breath.

"I heard that!" Iggy chuckled.

"I'm the Gasman," the little boy smiled. "You can call me Gazzy."

"The Gasman?" I said, confused. "Riiiggghhhht."

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Iggy said.

"So, what're you doing here?" I said, trying to change the subject.

"Shopping."

"In the skirt department?" I said, incredulous.

"Men." He pointed at the other side of the aisle. Ah. Right. It was right next door. Uh. Okay. Then the girls walked up to us.

"Oh. Um. This is Ella, Nudge and Angel. Guys, meet Fang, Iggy and, er, Gazzy."

"Hey! It's nice meeting you, but we have to go now. Curfew, ya know," Ella said. "Come on Max, let's go. Bye!"

I was grateful and all for her saving me, but apparently Ella forgot I was still wearing the skirt. A saleswoman chased us as she dragged me towards the counter.

"Hey, you have to pay for that!"

"I know," Ella said. The woman frowned and walked away. I could hear the boys snickering at the back. Idiots.

Boys, can't live with them, can't live without them.

"So, Max… I bet you like Fang right?" Ella shot me the evilest look of the century. We were walking back home, after the ludicrous incident at the shopping mall. Note to self: Don't ever go shopping with Ella, Nudge and Angel ever again.

"ZOMG, they're like so perfect for each other! Did you see how Fang was looking at Max? I bet he was thinking that Max was so hot. Because Max is! Gosh. We should go shopping again next time! It'll be so fun! And we can look at more skirts! That'd be soooo cool – " I put my hand over her mouth. Geez, that would get annoying. Oh wait, it already is!

"Fang loves you, Max," Angel said quietly, looking at me. "Just like you love him."

"And how would you know, Angel?" I said, giving her a small smile. Little kids are so adorable.

"I'm not little. I'm going to be seven," she said. Huh?! Angel bit her lips. It was as if she read my mind. I laughed at myself. As if. Hmm. Must be a coincidence.

"Angel, it was as if you read my mind." I laughed. She smiled angelically at me.

"Must be a coincidence," she said.

"Yeah…"

"Mmmm! Mmmmm mmmmm mmmm!"

Oh right, my hand was still clasped over Nudge's mouth.

"Sorry," I grinned.

"You don't look sorry at all," she grumbled. I shrugged.

We reached my house and I dumped all the shopping bags I was holding onto Ella before opening the door.

"Bye Nudge, bye Angel. Thanks for accompanying us!" I said. Well at least I had manners. They waved goodbye and went back to their respective homes.

I grabbed back some shopping bags from Ella and went into the house.

"Mum! We're back!" Ella shouted. I sighed. Sometimes, I just can't believe we're sisters. I dumped the stuff onto the dining table and went to look for Mum to return her the extra cash. She was probably in her study anyway. I knocked and went in.

It came as an unpleasant surprise to see Jeb Batchelder in there.

"Hello Jeb. Fancy meeting you here," I said, my voice dripping with irony. What the hell was he doing here!

"Hi Max. I heard about your chalet. Have fun!" I ignored the comment.

"What are you doing here, Jeb?" I growled.

"I came here to see your mother, of course. And you and Ella too. Wow, sweetheart, you've grown." He plastered a smile on his face. Fake. Ella wandered into the study, wondering what had taken me so long.

"Oh," she uttered in surprise, when she caught sight of Jeb. "Er. I better call Mum." Yeah, she better, before I ripped his throat out.

I hated this man. I bloody hated him. Everytime I set eyes on him, I felt like screaming and kicking and ripping his hair out. I don't want to talk about it. Let's just say that I have a long and disturbing past which this man had been a huge part of.

"Oh, Jeb, you're here," my mum said faintly. "Max, why don't you and Ella go up to your room and pack your stuff for the chalet?"

I grunted and obliged. Anything to get me away from that eyesore would be fine.

"Let's go! Should I call Nudge and Angel over again to help pack?" Ella grinned.

"Noooooooooo," I said firmly.

"I bet you'd rather Fang come over," she said cheekily. I flushed. Why that little – "Max and Fang, sitting in a tree. K-I-S- ahhhhh!" she screamed and giggled as I chased her around the room.

Ella could just win an award for taking my mind of things.