Max
I walk through the door and into the kitchen, hoping to steal a cookie. Instead of cookies I find my mom standing in the kitchen making cow eyes at some tall guy with sandy hair. I think he has glasses too but I can't tell from here.
"Hi Mom." I say uncomfortably.
She turns around and I think she's blushing. I'm shocked. If you knew this woman, you would be shocked too.
"Max, this is Jeb." She says.
"Hi Max, it's nice to finally meet you." Jeb says, putting his hand out.
"Hi." I say quietly, cautiously shaking his hand. He's a man, I don't get along with those.
"Jeb and I knew each other in high school and we ran into each other right after everything blew up at home. He helped us move into our house-he even painted you and Ella's and Angel's rooms." Mom says.
"Oh, thank you." I say awkwardly to Jeb.
"He's also staying for dinner so you girls can properly meet him." Mom adds.
"Okay." I say, trying to smile politely at Jeb. It probably just makes me look sick.
"Excuse me." Mom says, leaving me in the kitchen with Jeb.
"So, how do you like it here?" Jeb asks.
"It's pretty cool." I shrug.
"Have you made a lot of friends?" He asks.
"Surprisingly, yes." I reply.
"Surprisingly?" He asks.
"Yeah, I don't make friends easily. I'm quiet and anti-social. My sisters aren't like that at all though. They're really friendly and sweet." I explain,
"Then it's a good thing I get to meet you first; that way you have more time to warm up to me." He smiles. He seems nice-but so does my dad when you first meet him.
I nod and look down.
"So what's your favorite subject in school?" He asks.
"Creative Writing." I reply.
"Oh yeah, you're the one writing a book, right?" Jeb asks.
I nod.
"What's it about?" He asks.
"It's a secret." I reply.
He nods and doesn't say anything.
"So, what do you do for a living?" I ask.
"I'm a cop." He replies.
"Do you like being a cop?" I ask.
"It's a good job and I get to help people so yeah, I like being a cop." He replies.
"Was that your first career of choice?"
"No, I used to want to be a scientist."
"Why aren't you one then?"
"My life made an expected turn and I was offered a job here as a cop so I took it."
"How did you meet my mom again?"
"I used to live by where you all lived so I was visiting."
I nod, satisfied with the answers he gave me to my questions.
Mom comes back into the room. "You two didn't kill each other while I was gone. Can I take this as a good sign or were you two just about to start?" Mom jokes.
I smile, "No Mom, we were actually getting along."
"Where's Ella?" Mom asks.
"She's at Nudge's house." I reply.
"Oh okay, I like that girl. She's very chatty but also very sweet." Mom says.
"That's Nudge." I shrug with a smile.
"You have a friend named Nudge?" Jeb asks.
I nod.
"Why is she called Nudge?" He asks.
"I honestly have no idea. It's her nickname. Her real name is Monique." I answer with a shrug.
Later...
We eat dinner with Jeb and then he leaves. Mom looks like a teenage girl getting her first kiss when he kisses her on the cheek. Mom closes the door and leans against it, smiling up at the ceiling, then of course she sees me and realizes I'm spying. She blushes, "Max!"
"Yes?" I ask innocently.
She just shakes her head, too embarrassed to talk.
Fang
Ms. Monroe insists upon talking to me about Max all through the car ride to Iggy's parent's resturant, all through dinner and all the way back to her house. When we get there I have a great idea. I ask Ms. Monroe if I can leave for. While and she says it's fine as long as I get back by 7:30PM. It's only 5:30PM so I have plenty of time.
Max
I head up to my room and hear a knock at my balcony door. I grab a knife and cautiously open the door. Fang turns pale at the sight of the knife and he has something behindhis back. I put the knife down.
"Hi." I say.
"Hey, I have something for you." He says.
"Really? What is it?" I ask.
He holds a bag out and takes out that dress from before. He bought it anyway. I look from the dress to him to the dress and then to him again. I don't know what to do, then I hug him.
"Thank you Fang." I whisper, near tears. It's not the fact that I know have something toswear to the dance, it's just the fact that he cared enough to buy it for me.
"You're welcome Max." He says, hugging me back, stroking my hair.