Journal NOT a Diary!!!
Max's Journal
March 1, 2010
The only time I came out of my room was for lunch, not breakfast or dinner. Thank goodness there was a bathroom attached to my room. And when I did come out for lunch, I fixed my plate, avoided eye contact and questions from anyone, and disappeared in my room. So yeah, there's a days stack of dirty plates in my room.
But earlier today, after the breakfast I once again didn't show up for, I was laying on my bed, thinking about possibly calling Cindy Wynn. There was a knock on my door. I bolted up, hitting my head on the top bunk. "Ow! Who is it?"
"Fang."
I sucked in breath. Fang. I wasn't ready to face him yet, maybe when we were sixty and on our death beds I would look at him.
"Max, open the door," he said.
I didn't answer. My breathing was heavy, and I was ready to pound my head against the wall, not the top bunk of the bed. I shouldn't have yelled 'Who is it.' Maybe he would think I was asleep. Asleep! That's a good idea. I dove under my covers and closed my eyes.
Then I heard laughing. Fang had picked my lock and came right in without a sound. "You think that's going to fool me, Max?" I didn't answer, pretending I was deeper asleep. He sighed. "I hate to do this, Max, but I have no choice." He reached down and started to tickle me. I couldn't help but smile.
"Stop!" I said, slapping his hand away. He didn't stop. "STOP!" I sat up fast, banging my head on the top bunk. "UGH!"
"Sorry," he said. "I saw what you said on Arizona News."
"Naw dip, Sherlock," I said sarcastically. "Why do you think I've been in here the past few days?"
He shrugged. "That's what I figured. "That reporter got a lot out of you."
I groaned, letting myself fall of the bed hard, and of course, I had to hit my head on the wall. I groaned louder and pulled the covers over my head. Not only did I despritly wish this coversation was over, I had a pounding headache. "What's your point?" I mumbled.
"My point? That you can't change the past, and you have to face it sometime. So lets pretend it never happened.
"Bella and Is."
"Well, Is and Bella will probably still bug you about it, but other then that, how about we forget that ever happened?"
"I'll come out of you can get those reporters to leave."
He sighed. "Okay. There's only a few left. I'll go get rid of them." He stood up and walked out. I peeked over my covers, waiting until he closed the door behind him to sit up, or course, hitting my head again. I groaned as I supported myself with my elbows.
I threw the covers back with a sigh and stood up, careful to dodge the bar of the bunk. Gently I opened the door and peeked through. Everything seemed fine, the usual screaming, the occasional Gazzy/Iggy explosion. I opened the door the rest of the way and sneaked out. Was I seriously considering calling Cindy Wynn??? She's a reporter. Reporters do anything for good stories. If I called her, I would have to be very careful what I saw. There's only one person who can help me now, a master of words.
Nudge.
I pounded on her door and burst in without an answer. Nudge was sitting on her bed listening to her IPod, and took out the ear buds when she realized it was me. "Oh, Max. At least your coming out of your room."
"Yeah, yeah. Nudge, I need--UGH!!!" I had hit my head again against the door. "REALLY????"
Nudge giggled.
"Anyway," I said, rubbing my forehead. "You remember the....news station?"
"Arizona News? Yeah."
"The news-lady, Cindy Wynn, was the one to get me to say.....certain things......and said she was a relationship blogger on some magazine, and gave me her number to call if I needed anything. But she is a reporter who will do anything for a good story, so I can't say anything embarrassing unless I want it everywhere tomorrow."
"You mean Broadway Teens? I read that all the time, Ella gets those monthly editions and lets me read them. I've seen that article. Cindy Wynn is the advise person. Yeah, I'll help. But there's one problem, and we'll need--"
"You Angeled?" Angel said from the doorway. I jumped.
"I suppose you know why we need you," Nudge said. Angel nodded, a grin on her face. "Max, call her. Angel, keep up with their conversations."
Shooting Angel a glance, I dialed Cindy's number and waited as it rang. Then a voice came up. "Cindy Wynn, relationship advice columnist. How may I help you?"
"Cindy--it's Maximum."
"Ah, Max, is it alright if I call you Max?"
"Uh..." I waited to see if Nudge would give me any pointers, but she didn't. "M-Max is fine. Everyone calls me Max."
"So....Max.....I suppose you want advice with the boy? Tell me the latest news."
Nudge says careful! Angel said. Don't say Fang's name! Say Nick!
"Well, F--Nick and the others were at home and saw everything. Then...I camped out in my room the last few nights, not coming out, and now....."
Really? Return of Fnick?
Yep! I thought. I continued with Cindy. "He came in my room and agreed to forget everything I said." STOP, STOP, STOP!!! I told myself. You're giving her WAY too much of a juicy story!! I can just see the headlines now: MAXIMUM AND NICK--WILL IT LAST?
"When did that happen?" Cindy asked.
"Today." I covered my mouth, not wanting to give her anything else.
"Ahh, you called me right on time, Max. I understand you would not want this in Broadway Teens. It will stay between us, all right? Now, first of all, don't hold in your real feelings. Let it out. How do you really feel about Nick?"
Watch it, Max, watch it!
"Oh, um..." I didn't trust Cindy not to put it somewhere. How could I answer her without saying too much? "I...." What I said next spilled out of my mouth before I could stop it. "I'm totally and completely in love with him."
My hand flew up to my mouth again as I turned bright red. I did NOT just say that!!! I pressed the end button before I could say anything else and glanced up at Nudge and Angel, their eyebrows raised in shock. "You don't think...." I started. "You don't think she could be so foul as to publish that somewhere, do you?"
"It's the press, Max," Angel said. "They'll do anything for a great story."
"Can you read her mind? Is she going to...." I couldn't say it.
Angel pursed her lips. "Sorry, Max."
Amazingly, no. I didn't run screaming to my room. I went in in family room and waited as Fang chased away the reporters. Then Mom turned on the 12 o'clock news, where Cindy Wynn was reporting the recent news, a phone call. It sounded strangely like....NO!!!
"I'm totally and completely in love with him," said the TV recording. It sounded like I was quoting Twilight.
"There you have it, folks," Cindy said as the TV panned away from the recording and on her. "Maximum dishes more truth about the boy Nick. No news yet about the girl she fought in the Mesa mall store Macy's. Reports as soon as possible." Then it cut to commercial.
Unfortunately, Fang had to walk in when Mom turned on the TV.
Fang's eyes shot towards me, along with everyone else's. My grew even more red. No way she would do it that quick! I knew she would do it, but only two and a half hours later??? Of course, grins were spread on Is and Bella's faces. Sam looked lost in her little world, didn't even hear the news report.
My face dropped in my hands. I felt Nudge stand up beside me and walk off. Someone else sat in her place. I didn't realize that everyone was gone until ten minutes later, when I heard Mom clank dishes for lunch in the kitchen down the hall, making me peek though my fingers. Even Is and Bella were gone, and Sam. Who was sitting beside me? Who else?
I waited until he spoke. "Those reporters will do anything for a good story. Since when have you been talking so formally?"
Since about 10 o'clock this morning, I thought. I stood up and walked towards the kitchen, leaving Fang sitting by himself.
So I've just watched Mom and Iggy cook lunch, now I'm sitting in the living room writing in this. I don't know where Fang is, probably trying to escape Bella. I just hope next time I'll be writing about something GOOD that happened, not bad.
--Maximum