…hi? Sorry I disappeared for so long. But here it is! Again, I just owe the storyline. MR is all James Pattersons.

Enjoy!

I Don't Talk When I'm Angry

Thoughts raced through my head only to be cut off the second his lips met mine. I stood there, too stunned to even push him away.

In the background I heard noises but they were indistinct and muffled. Lights flashed all around us but they were dim.

After an eternity, Nick hesitantly pulled back and searched my face for any obvious clues to my emotions. Time sped up. The lights got brighter and screaming got louder.

Trembling, I stepped back. Emotions surged through me and they varied like you wouldn't believe.

Clenching my jaw, I fought back hot, angry tears. "You are out of line, Mr. Walker."

Still shaking, I took off my heels and started running to the direction of the car. Ella and Nudge ran after me.

"Max—"

"Just get in the car," I grumbled, fumbling with the door handle.

Nudge may talk a lot but she knew how to take a hint.

Ella unlocked the doors we all slid in.

Nudge got shotgun, so I had the back to myself. Goosebumps rising on my arms, I stared out the window as we past the club.

Photographers. Witnesses. My stomach clenched with dread.

Oh, God, I thought. Oh, God, please.

Shaking from cold and worry, I pulled on an old sweatshirt Iggy must have left at some point.

"Max?" Ella started tentatively.

I didn't answer.

"Um…"

"We're sorry," Nudge finished for her. I was glad to hear her sounding a bit more stable.

I took a shaky deep breath and continued to stare out the window.

"What to explain anything—"

"There's nothing to explain," I snapped. "You left, my cell died, I hitched a ride. That's it."

That shut her up.

"He just proved what I knew all along," I whispered.

~3~

Neither Ella or Nudge said another word the whole ride. I spent my time staring out the window fighting back tears.

Stop it, Max, I told myself. The Great Maximum Ride does NOT cry. Big girls don't cry.

But that was just it. I wasn't a big girl. I was a young, naïve, seventeen year old girl with a crummy life.

And then, to make things worse, I had lost my first kiss to Nick freaking Walker. Of all the guys the entire freaking world.

A half hour later, we pulled into my driveway. We just sat there for a couple minutes, in silence. My brain kept telling me to reach for the door handle but my body wasn't listening. I didn't think I could take Fiona. I was unstable, to say the least. Who knew what I would say or do once I got inside that house?

"Why don't you stay over at my house," Ella offered, seeing my struggle.

I shook my head. "I'm fine." I gave them a small smile then opened the car door.

"Call tomorrow…" Nudge's voice cut off once I shut the door.

I walked into the house with about as much confidence as a gold fish.

But, hey. At least it was something.

Ella's P.O.V.

Nudge called Iggy while I backed out of Max's driveway.

After about five rings he answered and Nudge got an earful of colorful words.

"It's kind of a big deal, Igs," she persisted. "How big?" She gave me a look. "Um…big like…Max got into some scrapes. Sort of," she added. "And we wanted to get you caught up."

She tapped her fingers impatiently. "You're such a drama queen," she exclaimed. "Gosh…okay, we'll pick you up in five. Bye."

She hung up and gave me a look.

I chuckled. "Seriously, Nudge. Did you really think he was going to be pleased, getting up at one in the morning?"

She huffed. "Well he didn't have to swear at me."

I just shrugged. Iggy could swear all he wanted; there were bigger problems on hand.

~3~

Nudge and I got ready for bed while Iggy made us a midnight snack. Although he could be proven as the worse tease in the world, he really was a good guy. And a good cook to boot.

"I feel like crap," Nudge groaned, taking out her contacts. "We are terrible friends, Ella. TERRIBLE. Why the heck did we leave her like that? We must have been high, I swear. She's gonna lose her car," she fretted.

I grimaced. "I know. But honestly, want I really want to get to the bottom of is this Nick Walker thing."

Nudge nodded, her eyes big behind her nerdy black rimmed glasses. "Did you see the way she stared at him in loathing? And they way he was looking at her? I have never, in my whole seventeen years of life, see someone get so rejected."

Grabbing a sweatshirt, I pulled it over my head. "And the paparazzi," I added.

Nudge bit her lip. "She gonna make the cover of People magazine, easy. And O.K. And Us. Oh, God," she shrieked. "What if we do too?"

I clamped a hand over her mouth before she could start revenging on. I had promised mom that everything would be quiet. The problem was: Nudge wasn't quiet. Lots of adjectives describe Nudge but sadly, "quiet" wasn't one of them.

Oh the shames of the world.

"Stop freaking out," I whispered forcefully. "Just…don't." I took my hand off her mouth. "It's too late at night. Let's get Iggy clued in. Then we'll talk about the horrendous possibilities."

She gave me look but followed me out of the room, shutting the light off after her.

~3~

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Iggy exclaimed, taking a sip of hot chocolate. "What happened? I'm still confused."

"That's just the thing," I replied, sitting down with my own hot chocolate. "We are too. Pretty much, we got there, we listened to Nick perform, he called Max up and she danced. Then we heard about a party at this Club 9 place."

Iggy gave me a look but I ignored him. So what if we were under age? The guy didn't even ask us for an I.D.

"Nudge and I wanted to go," I continued. "Max didn't. She said she was going to take a taxi back home. Nudge and I were so excited, we didn't even think about what could go wrong. So we went ahead. Then, around 12:10, she shows up and drags us away like she was being chased. That's when she announced that she saw the evils at the concert."

"Which, in itself is a bad thing," Nudge commented, joining them at the table.

I nodded. "Then, while we were running for the car, Nick Walker comes out and begs Max to stop. Max was about to get all KA-BOOM on him, you know, in that special way Max has when he suddenly kisses her. I mean, WTH?"

Iggy shook his head in disbelieve. "Good God. Max and Nick Walker. Kissing. And you're telling me that she didn't, like…kill him. I mean, he's still alive?"

Nudge nodded and stirred her hot chocolate. "She was so shocked she was trembling."

Iggy still looked dazed. "I'm sorry, I'm still stuck on the fact that he's still breathing."

I sighed in exasperation. "Iggy! Try and help? Please? I mean, why would Nick Walker do that?"

He snorted. "Oh I don't know. Maybe he, I don't know, likes her?

Nudge and I glanced at each other.

That complicates things.

So? What'd'ya think? REVIEW!

Peace out~ d-and-s86