MAX'S POV

About half an hour later, I was riding shotgun in my mom's car, on my way to Phoenix, Arizona. My red and white swim suit was being worn under a white tank top and jeans shorts, and my white sneaker-clad feet were on th dashboard.

"Max," Mom said, "get your feet of the dashboard."

"Sorry, Mom," I muttered.

We were travelling at maybe 110 km/hr, but my mind was speeding along at about 180. My mom had already called J.J's mom to let her know that we were coming to visit. We were going to meet them at the beach. However, despite the fact that I was super excited to see my best friend, that was not why my mind was racing. Knowing J.J, she had probably called Sam, and he was on his way to the beach at that moment. That was why my mind was racing. And not just my mind, my heart too.

'Sam,' I sighed mentally, as my feet found their way back to the dashboard. I could hardly wait to see him again.

"Max!" Ella's voice broke through my thoughts. "Max, get your mind off of Sam. We're here."

I was not thinking about Sam," I lied.

"Suuuuuure," Ella drawled. "'Cause I haven't been calling your name for the past, four minutes trying to get your attention. I even tried saying, 'Hey, look. Fang's here.' You didn't even budge. You're only ever that out of it when you're thinking of Sam."

I turned around to glare at her. "Why would you think Fang would be able to snap me out of 'La-la-land'?" I asked her.

"I dunno," she sang, a smirk on her face.

First J.J, now Ella. Oh, hell no. I did not have any feelings for Fang. He was just the guy who drove me home after an awful date. He was not, like, my knight in shining armour who saved me from the clutches of death, and we were going to ride off into the sunset, and get married and have many little Max's and Fang's running around this big old country house, and then when our children grew up we would sit in our rocking chairs on the porch and talk about the good times we had, and grow old together and die together and be buried beside each other or anything like that. No, that would just be creepy. Creepier than me pulling a Nudge in that sentence.

I was about to say so, when a series of rapid knocks resonated from my left.

"Max," came a muffled but recognizable voice.

"J.J," I said, deciding that I would set Ella straight later.

I flung the door open and enveloped my friend in a fierce bear hug. Girlish squeals pierced the aur and Ella covered her ears.

"Gosh, you guys," she complained. "It's only been a week. Can you imagine if it had been six months." She said it nonchalantly, but I knew my sister was thinking of Tess.

Tess had been Ella's first friend when we moved to phoenix. Within weeks, the two girls were inseparable. Until Tess had to move. Though the two girls Skyped almost every day and sent e-mails all the time, I knew that Ella still missed her best friend like crazy.

So I smiled a bit at her comment. Then smiled even wider when an ebony haired, green-eyed girl snuck up behind Ella and caused her to tear up a bit by saying,

"So, it's been six months? Feels a bit longer."

"Oh, my gosh, Tess," Ella screamed as she hugged her best friend. "I can't believe it's really you! I can't believe you're really here! What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming? You cut your hair. It was mid back when we Skyped last Monday. We have so much to talk about. I still can't believe your really here. OMG!"

"You've been hanging out with Nudge too much," I commented.

"Oh, shut up, Max," Ella said, a huge smile still glued to her face. "C'mon, Tess. Let's go down to the beach."

With that, the two girls left J.J and I as they walked briskly to the beach, chattering animatedly.

"So," I said to J.J. "Is Sam here?"

"Yeah, he's here," she said simply.

An involuntary smile spread across my face. "How is he? Is he ok? Is he excited to see me?"

"Whoa!" J.J cautioned, holding her hands up in the universal 'Whoa, Nelly' gesture. "Calm down, Eager Beaver. Sam has some stuff to tell you."

"What does he have to tell me?" I asked, now slightly worried.

"I think it's best if he tells you," she replied, and started the trek to the beach.

"J.J, just tell me," I pleaded, not moving. "J.J!" I called as she kept walking.

She turned around then. "You coming, or what?"

Okie. Another chapter is up. I really hope you guys like it. Feel free to PM me with any ideas you guys have. Idk when another chapter will be up. So Merry Christmas to you all and to all a good night... and a happy new year too.