DEDICATED TO: Sierra156 for her extremely fantastic hilariousity! And Amazing Grace for telling me how lines work (yeah I get it now! =D Thanks) And to LadyT123 for her AHMAYZING review! That's my special type of amazing that is reserved for stuff like this response to my complaint about fanfiction not letting me update- I quote:
"Its because Fanfiction is jealous of ur supah sexy writer skizzelz"
OMG I LAUGHED FOR SO LONG I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT.
Hehe, I just realized that I gave Ella two middle names. Whoops. Which do you guys like better- Louise or Cynthia?
Ooh, another Nudge chapter!
NPOV
I smiled happily to myself as I jogged through the park, iPod plugged in and Taylor Swift blasting in my ears. Ella had promised me yesterday that I could come over for a sleepover tonight and she would dish the details on her date to me. Maybe we could prod Max about Fang some more, too. Those two really needed to get together, and by all of the power invested in me as a friend of both involved, I would get them together if it was the last thing I did.
Yesterday during babysitting I had been trying once again to get Fang to talk to Max about his feelings. Once again, he kept refusing, insisting she would hate him if she discovered how he really felt about her.
Well… he did have a fair point. Max herself kept denying how much she liked him, although I absolutely KNEW that she did. Ella had even told me that Max had broken down in tears once when Ella confronted her about it. It was obvious she had problems with acknowledging affection.
But I was sure I could help her bypass them.
Smiling to myself, I refreshed my determination and sped up my pace. I was feeling good today, slightly adventurous. I had a goal and I would complete it. Case closed.
I was about to continue on my normal running route when something strange caught my eye. I stopped right in the middle of the path and surveyed the scene, wondering what was different. All I had noticed was something weird, but I had failed to notice what that something even was.
Good going, Nudge.
Just when I was about to give up looking for the difference (I always did suck at ISpy) and just keep running when two other people came jogging up the main trail. The girl stopped just around where I was standing and started peering curiously off of the trail. "Hey Tim, it looks like someone went down the Hidden Path," she remarked to her companion. "And they weren't very careful about preserving the disguise."
Tim shook his head in wordless disapproval before simply continuing to run. The girl sped up and followed him, leaving me looking at the spot she had called 'Hidden Path'.
How mysterious.
Grinning slightly, I stepped off the trail in the direction the girl had been inspecting. Now that I knew what I was looking for, I could clearly make out a path scratched in among plants and shrubbery. What else could I do but follow the trail?
I turned off my iPod, bundling up my earbuds and sticking them in the pocket of my running shorts. Once they were safely stowed away, I set off carefully down the path, picking my way in the clear spots squashed down by the first trekker. They were still really fresh marks, and I could tell this person probably only had gone down it maybe ten minutes before.
The Hidden Path was really pretty, however unimaginative the name might have been. Lush greenery was everywhere: spreading luxuriously across the path, stretching between tree boughs, overflowing from the undergrowth- absolutely everywhere. It was like a winter wonderland, minus the winter and plus a ton of plants. So maybe it was just a wonderland.
I smiled to myself as I inhaled the fresh, clean scent of the trees. As I walked towards a bend in the path, I found myself impulsively closing my eyes to drink in the quiet atmosphere. Luckily, my feet somehow managed to carry me successfully further down the path without crashing into any trees. I couldn't make myself worry too much about that possibility though. It was just so peaceful here, with only nature and I. Smiling gently to myself, I opened my eyes.
Scratch that: Hidden Path had Nature and I, plus two teenagers making out in the middle of the path and a small black dog sitting on the side watching them.
I gasped, taking a step back and getting ready to apologize with all of the air in my lungs. Then I stopped. Neither of the pair had noticed my presence, and were still twined together. The girl was almost lying down in the boy's lap, her long, tanned legs spread straight across the trail. Her arms were looped possessively around the boy's shoulders, and the curtain of blondish brown hair running down her back and over her shoulders shielded her face from my view. I couldn't see the boy's face either, as it was angled away from me so he could kiss the girl better. The boy was kneeling beside the girl and bending over her, cradling her head and back and pulling her as close as possible to him. It was obvious that they had been kissing for quite awhile before I had stumbled upon the scene, and I could feel a blush rising to my cheeks at intruding.
In a way, the couple was really cute. But it was also somewhat kind of rather extremely nauseating to see them so fully intent on each other. I doubt that if I had run up and forcibly ripped them apart, they would have given a single glance in my direction. With this in mind, I took a silent step back, trying to soundlessly back out of this awkward situation. Maybe if I could just go back the other way…
"Max…" one of them murmured, their voice low and husky.
Wait a second. What the…?
I snapped my attention back to the couple, completely riveted all of a sudden. Was that who I think it was? How many Maxes live in Raine Valley anyway? And how many of those Maxes are female? Because it was the BOY who I had just heard breathing the name, not the girl, and this BOY'S voice also happened to sound very familiar!
OhmiGod, It all fit!
"ZOMG MAX FANG ZOMG ZOMG ZOMG!" I squealed at the top of my lungs, sprinting back towards them, unable to control my ecstasy. Max and Fang sprang out of their embrace and scooted to opposite sides of the path, both staring at me with wide, panicked eyes. It was as if I had caught them stealing cookies from my secret stash, only ten times more priceless. "ZOMG HOLY SCOTTISH FLAMING PAJAMA PANTS JUNIOR!"
"Scottish flaming whats?" Fang murmured questioningly.
Max was gaping at me, open-mouthed, and ignored his comment. "Nudge? Where did you come from?" she asked weakly, her voice sounding almost timid.
"ZOMG MAX! I was running and I saw this break in the path and this random girl came up and she was like, 'OMG, someone went down the Hidden Path!' and I was like oh sweet a hidden path that sounds cool! So then I went down it and I was admiring how pretty and green and fresh and clean everything was and then I turned a corner and bam! You were making out with Fang in the middle of the path! Are you two together now? ZOMG YES I'm so happy for you awwww didn't I always tell you you would be a beautiful couple? This just proves that you need to listen to me more often!" I practically screamed. This was so exciting!
Max looked like she wanted to sink into the ground. Fang, on the other hand, looked slightly amused. "Well, I do enjoy ruining things," he remarked, almost contemplatively.
"What? Ruining things?" I asked, momentarily distracted by the odd comment.
Max shot Fang a meaningful look, then turned to address me again. "Nudge, we aren't really going out," she informed me quietly.
Now it was my turn to gape at her. "What? Why not?" I demanded. "Then why were you snogging each other's faces off in a public park?"
"Snogging?" Fang murmured again, staring at me curiously. "Nudge, have you gone British on us?"
I chose not to answer this stupid question, and continued questioning Max instead. "Why aren't you going out? Tell me now!" I commanded. "Spit it out!"
Max was now looking as if she'd rather be at the doctor's office than here. "Well, he never asked me out," she muttered defiantly, staring at the ground.
Instantly, Fang had stood up and was across the path, glaring down at Max out of heated black eyes. "What?" he demanded. "Really, Max?"
Max turned her face up to glare straight back at him. "Really," she retorted. "You never asked me out, so we aren't a couple."
Fang sighed, touching his hand to his forehead in a defeated motion. "Damn, Max, do I really have to spell it out for you?" he asked, exasperated.
"I have no idea what 'it' you're talking about," Max replied pointedly.
Fang closed his eyes, probably in an attempt to calm his annoyance at Max's childish responses. I didn't blame him. After all, this was what I had dealt with for this whole month while trying to persuade Max she did indeed lurve Fang. Max could be incredibly annoying when she wanted to be- which was in fact quite a lot of the time- and was expert at pestering people until they gave in to her.
And she says I'm manipulative.
I watched the exchange between Max and Fang in great interest, forgotten on the side of the path as the two had a battle of wills. Max wasn't about to let Fang assume that since she had probably just given him the best kiss of his life and minutes before had been lying in his arms in the middle of a public park, she was automatically his girlfriend. Nope, he had to specifically ask her.
And Fang didn't want to. Knowing him, he probably thought it totally unnecessary.
But whatever Fang thought, he was going to have to bend to Max's will this time. She knew what she wanted, and she was going to get it. It didn't matter to her that Fang towered intimidatingly over her while she sat stubbornly on the ground, somehow fiercely pretty despite the tear tracks marking her cheeks, the miserable state of her ponytail, and the dirt spread liberally all over her sweatshirt, shorts, and legs.
Max's ability to look stunning in horribly disadvantageous situations could be highly annoying. However, right now it was working to my advantage. Fang couldn't stay mad at Max when she looked like that. Awww, that's so sweet! I almost squealed again, but managed to hold it in with a valiant effort. I didn't want to ruin the moment or anything, after all. It was better to be a silent spectator at the moment
Fang knelt down next to Max on the path, wiping some dirt off of her forehead as he did so. Max looked him clearly in the eyes, apparently over her bashfulness now that it was obvious she liked Fang as more than a bestie. "Max," Fang started, his lips quirking in a slight smile. "Will you go out with me even though I already said I love you which usually implies you want to date the person?"
HE TOLD HER HE LOVED HER? I could barely hold back my squealing this time. That was so adorable! A tiny 'eep!' of joy managed to escape my lips, but luckily neither lovebird noticed it, and the moment lived on. Phew.
Max laughed, the stubborn expression melting off her face in an instant at Fang's words. "Sure," she replied agreeably, grinning up at him and allowing him to help pull her to her feet. "See? Was that so hard to do?" Max teased.
Fang rolled his eyes. He touched one hand gently to Max's chin, smiling softly at her in a way that made me want to coo with happiness. "You're way too stubborn," he remarked conversationally.
"And you smell bad," Max replied airily. "But I put up with you anyway, so you have to deal with me."
Fang considered this for a moment, his expression thoughtfully serious. "I do not smell bad," he declared after a moment's pause. "I smell delightful."
Max snorted. "Sorry to insult your oh so manly odor," she murmured, grinning at Fang. "Do you want a band aid to put on the wound in your ego?"
Fang actually grinned, suddenly moving in closer to Max until their faces were less than two inches apart. "Can I have a kiss instead?" he asked innocently.
Max swallowed, then stepped back and shook her head. "Not from me," she replied somewhat shakily. "Go ask your mommy."
Fang snickered, and Max shoved him roughly off the path and into a tree. Fang grunted as he hit the tree, turning and scowling at his new girlfriend. "Jerk," he accused.
"Wimp," Max replied easily, smiling sweetly back at him.
"Idiot."
"Asshole."
"Enough with the endearing nicknames!" I cried, breaking up their ridiculous argument. "I'm still here, you know!"
Max gave me an exaggerated double take, a look of fake astonishment on her face. "What? Nudge, where did you come from?" she asked, purposely overly surprised. Fang smirked, looking between me and Max with great interest.
"Very funny Max. Don't forget that I could very easily describe in great detail the position I just found you and Fang in to Ella!" I threatened, smiling wickedly at the very thought.
Max paled instantly. "You wouldn't," she hissed.
"I would, and will," I promised.
Max went silent for a moment, internally fuming at me I'm sure. Fang had picked up the little black dog on the path and was standing there quietly like a good little boy, waiting for the females to battle it out.
He knows us too well.
"Let's just go," Max sighed. She began to attempt to brush the dirt off of her legs, but was fighting a losing battle there. It was fairly obvious that she would need a long shower to scrub off all of the earth plastered on her.
"How did you even do that?" I asked, somewhat incredulously. "You're so dirty, Max!"
Max shrugged, giving up on trying to clean herself up. "I fell," she replied unhelpfully. "Can we go now?"
I sighed, but led the way out of Hidden Path without any comment. "Where'd you get that dog, Fang? What happened to Lulu?" I asked, looking at the small animal in his arms. The dog grinned up at me, intelligence showing clearly in his glittering black eyes.
"He's Max's," Fang replied, gently ruffling the fur on the dog's neck with his free hand.
"I got him this morning," Max explained, smiling at the dog. "His name is Total- Mom let Ella and I adopt him from her clinic."
"He's adorable!" I exclaimed, reaching over and petting Total's head. His fur was soft, but wiry, and he squirmed in Fang's arms until he was in a good position to lick my fingers. I giggled, pulling back and wiping the dog drool on my jeans. "I want a dog. Does your mom have any extras, Max?"
Max laughed. "I don't know. You could ask her," she suggested. "Total's mine though, so don't try to steal him."
"I wouldn't dream of it," I declared. We walked in silence for a moment, listening to the crunch of our shoes on the dirt path. "So what do you two lovebirds want to do? Would you like me to leave?" I asked teasingly, stepping back onto the main trail. We set off back into the main park, me slightly ahead of Max and Fang.
Fang smirked. "Would you mind?" he deadpanned.
"Actually on second thought, I do mind. You're stuck with me," I informed them. "Hey, do you remember when we saw Kelsi and Jacki here and you guys had to pretend to be on a date so they would leave Fang alone and you guys played soccer instead of doing date-y things and we got mad at you? So now it's almost like a real date this time, except I'm here! ZOMG are you gonna tell everyone you're dating or are you gonna be all secretive and not say anything? I think it would be better if you told everyone because then girls would stop hitting on Fang all the time because Max is scary and they would be afraid that she would hurt them if they tried to flirt with him. Would you hurt someone if they did, Max? Ooh, what about when Lissa does? You know she will," I wondered aloud, honestly curious.
Max blinked at me (I tend to get this reaction a lot- people say I talk too much). She opened her mouth, glanced quickly at Fang, and closed it again.
"Yeah Max, what will you do when Lissa flirts with me?" Fang spoke up, suddenly grinning brightly.
Max scowled at him, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her sweatshirt. "I would give her a warning," she muttered, looking annoyed at the very thought of Lissa flirting with Fang. "A warning," she repeated, "in the form of my fist meeting her face."
Fang smiled, wrapping an arm around Max and pulling her to his side. "Can I watch?" he asked innocently.
"Go ahead," Max replied, provoking another laugh from him. She seemed perfectly content to be under his arm, a total difference from yesterday when she had shied away at his slightest touch.
I smiled at their banter. They were making a very smooth transition from friends to couple, much smoother than I had dared to hope for. I had figured that Max, being Max, would be exceedingly awkward at first with Fang as her boyfriend. After all, when Max II asked her out she avoided him all of the next day. I knew she thought nobody noticed her elusiveness with Max II, but I saw it. And I figured that Fang, being Fang, would have a hard time showing any emotion towards her no matter how much he wanted to.
Yet, here they were, perfectly natural in their new relationship. I had no idea how, but they were. It was unnatural.
It almost made me kind of…
Jealous.
I was happy for them of course, I was positively ecstatic that they were together. But to see them fitting so easily together, so obviously caring for each other… it unleashed a kind of longing in me, a wanting to be like that. Max kept telling me that Danny liked me, that he wanted to ask me out but just didn't know how. Somehow, I just couldn't believe it. It didn't seem real.
And that's when I saw him. Time crashed to a halt around me, making me stop stock still midstep.
Max bumped into me, but I didn't budge at all. I was rooted to the spot, my eyes glued to him.
He was gorgeous!
"Nudge? Are you all right?" Fang asked curiously, peering at me over my shoulder. He followed my gaze, and out of the corner of my eye I could see his expression harden. "Oh," he muttered disapprovingly.
I barely noticed. Who was that hawttie? More importantly, where could I get his phone number?
"What is it?" Max asked, trying to see what Fang and I were looking at. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong," I murmured, my eyes still glued to The Hawttie. He was running one of the lesser used trails in the park, the same one I always ran in my usual route. Mentally, I cursed myself for not running it today and branching off to the Hidden Path instead. Maybe if I had stayed on track I might have bumped into The Hawttie, instead of crashing Max and Fang's little make out scene.
"It's him again," Fang said, holding Total in one arm and using the other to jerk a finger towards The Hawttie. He had paused now, and was wiping long blonde bangs off of his forehead with the back of his hand as he gazed around the trail. It seemed almost as if he was looking for something, or waiting for someone to appear.
Max looked where Fang was pointing, immediately spotting the hottie. She scowled, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "It's Dylan again," she groaned, looking vastly annoyed for some inexplicable reason. "Why does he keep popping up everywhere?"
I instantly whirled on Max, my attention torn from The Hawttie at the mention of that name. "You know him? His name is Dylan? Does he go to Cromwell? How come I've never seen him before and I've lived in Raine Valley my entire life but you just got here like a month and a half ago and you know him? That's so unfair!"
Max stared at me incredulously. "Nudge, this dude is a creeper. He won't leave me alone in classes no matter how rude I am," she told me, sounding annoyed at the very thought.
I rolled my eyes. "Maybe he's just patient with childish people, Max," I retorted. "And he's hawt. Very hawt."
"Is that h-o-t, or h-a-w-t?" Max muttered, possibly sarcastically.
"H-a-w-t," I murmured absentmindedly, my attention riveted on Dylan as he began to run again. "H-o-t doesn't do him enough justice."
Max looked disgusted, and continued walking down the path with Fang in tow. After a moment, Dylan Le Hawttie disappeared from my view, and I reluctantly followed Max and Fang once more.
I really wanted to talk to this Dylan guy.
"Hey Max, if you always see that guy at school, can you set me up? I want to actually meet him," I explained.
Max snorted. "Why do you want to meet Dylan?" she asked, sounding as if the name belonged to a deformed sea monkey instead of a glowing god of a teenage boy.
"'Cause he's hawt," I replied frankly. "Isn't that obvious?"
"What about Danny? I thought you liked him," Max protested, looking confused.
I shrugged. "Well, Danny obviously has no interest in me. Maybe I should move on," I reasoned, savoring the image of The Hawttie in my brain. Mmm…
"Don't move on to Dylan!" Max snapped.
I whirled on her, suddenly angry. "Why not? You already have Fang! It's not like you can stop me," I retorted.
Fang looked slightly alarmed, and attempted to step into the argument. "Max, Nudge, calm down," he tried to say.
"Shut up!" I snapped at him.
"Don't tell him to shut up!" Max growled.
"I can do whatever I want to! I'm done with you guys," I declared, glaring between Fang and Max.
Fang looked at me, worry surfacing on his face. "Nudge, are you okay? You aren't acting like yourself," he said slowly, dark eyes boring into me. I could sense Total's gaze on me too from his spot in Fang's arms- he was obviously wondering what the silly humans were arguing about.
"I'n fine! Geez, leave me alone already!" I exclaimed, turning on my heel and breaking into a run. I didn't look back at them once as I ditched the scene, leaving the park behind and running all the way back to my house.
The only thing on my mind was a certain blond boy. And no, it wasn't Danny.
Dylan…
"I can't believe her!" I stormed, pacing around Ella's room. It was six o' clock now, but I was still steaming about my argument with Max earlier. "She got all angry just 'cause I said I wanted to meet Dylan, and wouldn't hear anything about it. Max seems to think that I've pledged my eternal love to Danny or something, and by liking Dylan I'm betraying him. I'm so over Danny now." I ignored the tiny fluttering in my middle at the mention of Danny, instead focusing on the thrill I got when I thought about Dylan and his hawtness.
Ella lay sprawled across two bean bags, one pink and one orange. She watched me as I circled her room again and again, trying to burn off some of my annoyance. "So wait, when did you meet up with Max?" Ella spoke up finally, sounding slightly puzzled. She had sat there while I ranted for approximately fifteen minutes without a word crossing her lips, only a patient, listening sort of look on her face.
I suddenly turned on my heel and stared at Ella, instantly forgetting I was supposed to be angry at Max. "OMG I FOUND HER AND FANG MAKING OUT!" I shrieked, bouncing up and down and grinning wildly. "I'm so happppyyyyy!"
Ella shot up off of her bean bags, staring at me incredulously. "REALLY?" she squealed, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me for emphasis. "REALLY?"
"REALLY!" I confirmed, my head jolting back and forth on my neck from Ella's enthusiastic shaking.
We squealed in unison, dancing around Ella's room as we celebrated the fact of Max and Fang finally hooking up.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Ella and I froze and turned to face it. Max herself was standing there backpack slung over one shoulder and her expression confused as she gazed at us, caught mid-victory dance. "Umm," Max started, looking slightly alarmed. "What are you guys screaming about? I could hear you from outside."
In response, Ella and I squealed and rushed Max, tackling her in a massive double hug. "You and Fang! Fang and you! It's so cute I want to scream!" Ella shrieked.
Max winced at the volume of her sister's voice so close to her ear. "Umm… Ella? Calm down," she ordered. "Nudge, are you still mad at me?"
Mad at Max? Why would I be mad at Ma-
Oh yeah. Prince Hawttie.
I stepped back from Max and crossed my arms over my chest. "Yes, I am," I replied imperiously. "Nothing you can say will make me forgive you."
Max sighed, peeling Ella off of her and pulling her backpack off of her shoulder. "What if I have Ben & Jerry's?" she asked, producing a tub of ice cream from the bag.
I glanced at the ice cream, reading the label. It was Phish Phood, my ultimate favorite, and Max knew it.
Damn it! My indignation at Max trying to decide about Dylan for me and my love of Phish Phood were battling it out in my head, and I had a dreaded feeling I knew which would win.
I mean, it's ice cream with adorable fish-shaped chocolates! What's better than that?
"Fine," I sighed, pretending not to stare at the ice cream. "I guess I'll have to be forgiving of your cretinous offenses, Max."
"I am not a cretin," Max informed me. "I'm simply wiser than you, young grasshopper. And don't try to argue," she added quickly, seeing my open my mouth to do just that. "I'm the one with the ice cream."
I eyed her backpack, trying to mentally estimate how many tubs of Ben & Jerry's Max could have stuffed in it. "How much do you have anyway?" I asked somewhat wistfully.
Max patted the backpack in satisfaction, grinning at me as she did so. "I got four of Phish Phood, four of Cherry Garcia, and two Fudge Brownie," she informed us, pulling out a tub of Fudge Brownie and tossing it at her sister.
Ella caught the pint, whooping in delight as she tore it open. "Sweetness! I love you Max!" she yelped, gazing adoringly at the ice cream in her phone. "Where's a spoon?" Ella searched frantically around her room for a moment. Finding no spoon in the near vicinity, she barreled past Max out the door. We could hear her footsteps thundering down the stairs, and I could only assume she had gone to forage the kitchen for a spoon.
If you give Ella a pint of Fudge Brownie, she turns into a maniac. I would mark it under highly dangerous activities, right there along with sitting next to Gazzy while eating fast food and hugging Max when she's in one of her moods.
And speaking of Max… she stood there with her bag clutched in her arms, staring at me with an apologetic look in her eyes. I stared right back, my eyes flickering occasionally to the tub of Phish Phood in her hand.
She sighed abruptly, tearing my thoughts away from the ice cream. "Nudge, I'm sorry about Dylan," Max said quickly, her gaze sliding to the floor as she spoke. "I don't really like him myself, and neither does Fang, so we have sort of a prejudice against him. You're free to do whatever you want concerning him, though. I can't tell you what to do."
It appeared to be a struggle for Max to say those words, but she managed it, and I appreciated it. I stepped forward and hugged Max again, gently this time. "Thanks," I whispered, pulling back and smiling at her. "I'll be careful Max. He's just a hawt guy, okay? It's not like I'm vowing undying love for him."
Max grinned. "Oh, well that's fine then," she teased. "Come on, let's go downstairs so we can gorge on Ben & Jerry's and tease Ella about Iggy!"
"Heck yeah!" I cheered, following right on Max's tail as we ran out of Ella's room.
So me and Max were cool again. All thanks to a few pints of Phish Phood.
The lesson of the day? If the world would stop and just eat more ice cream, Earth would be a better planet as a whole.
Well, duh!
Whew, this took a long time to write. =/ I don't really enjoy writing in Nudge's point of view, and I dislike praising Dylan in any way, shape, or form- but I had to do both this chapter. -sigh- the trials of being an Author.
Sorry for the delay! Blame Fanfiction not letting me upload freaking chapters!
Nudge: Personally, I blame Gazzy.
Gazzy: …whut?
XD exactly! Please don't be upset about the whole Nudge/Dylan thing either- you'll understand in… awhile. Lol. I don't know when.
And guess what? My birthday was two days ago! Do I get reviews as presents? I hope sooo...
~TMI~