Summary: Max has always been the loner type; always sitting by herself, never talking unless it's to answer questions from a teacher or from her sisters. Ever since her mom died she's not been the girl she used to be. Fang has always been the popular kid sitting with his friends and band mates, fighting off girls, though he always watched Max from a distance because she was easy to get angry now. After learning one of Fang's singer/guitar players is leaving and he hears Max sing and play her guitar, will he ask her to join the band? Fang also realizes he knows Max somehow but can't remember; will Max remember him? FAX, AH, and possible Eggy, probably just a hint every now and then. Iggy's not blind.

This is a new story I'm writing, I'll continue it if a lot of people like it but right now I'm just wanting to escape homework. Also my friend Fumetsu Kitsune (Fanfiction username), has helped me with the titles for 'New Troubles' and this one so yeah a big thanks to her!

Max POV

I sighed and rolled out of bed as my alarm clock went off for the millionth time this school year. Expect this time it was different; different is word I use every morning when I wake up to my alarm clock and not my mom smiling at me and telling me to get up or I'd miss the bus; but now it's my older sister Tara's job.

I wouldn't be able to tell you how much I missed my mom, because I really don't know how to explain it. I mean I miss her, I miss her smiling face, her constant happiness, her being able to figure out what I was hiding even though at times I wish she wasn't able to do that, I wish I could just see her smiling face again!

I looked at the mirror across from where I was standing in front of my dresser and saw pictures tacked to the wood edging all the way around the mirror. I wiped the stray tear from my eye as I picked up a picture frame. It was me and my friends from 1st grade, I saw one boy and picked him out as Fang but I haven't seen him since we went into middle school. I doubt I could be able to pick him out now that we were in high school, and apparently we had about 3 classes and lunch together. I saw my mom in the picture smiling as she squatted next to Tara, Ella, Jeff and Nick, and me.

I set the frame down so I couldn't see those smiling faces staring up at me anymore today.

"Max! You up!?" I heard Tara call from her room down the hall.

"Yeah!" I answered then sighed and headed to my closest

Tara was the oldest and Ella and I's legal guardian. Our dad had ditched us when Ella was 6 and none of us has seen him since. Mom died at the beginning of the school year, 3 days before Tara's 21st birthday. I was the middle kid at 18 and Ella being the youngest at 14.

"Hey Max." Tara said walking into my room. She was around my height but I was about 3 inches taller. She has tan skin and blonde curly hair that was pulled into her normal morning ponytail and her bluish-gray eyes looked into my chocolate brown ones.

"Hey Tara." Tara hugged me and looked at the outfit I had picked out. She checked the pockets and pulled out my small switchblade.

"Max really? Please don't go down that emo line! I lost two of my best friends from that!" She held the knife in her hand and had opened it to see how sharp the blade was.

"I'm not! I didn't know that was in there from that camping trip we took during summer." I had forgotten to take it out of my pants pocket.

"Okay, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I'm just –just not used to being a guardian, you know?" I nodded and she hugged me again "I'm sorry you have to go through this."

"It's ok." I sighed and pulled out of her hug, smiled at me, and walked out of the room.

Same time at Fang's house

Fang POV

I rolled out of bed after another night with no sleep. Grabbing a random pair of jeans off the ground I pulled them on and walked over to my closet. I looked at the picture frame with a picture of me, Iggy, and 3 other girls and a woman I can't remember.

I shook my head and pulled a black t-shirt over my head. I grabbed my backpack and walked down the hall, and into the kitchen to get some breakfast.

I wasn't skipping breakfast today; I had football try-outs right away in the morning, and I didn't need to pull a stunt like what Sam a couple days ago when he did try-outs. He's still in the hospital, I don't understand why, but I'm not a doctor and I'm going to pretend to be.

"Morning." I turned around and saw my older sister Lissa walk into the kitchen yawning

"Morning." I replied to her and I pulled a couple eggs from the fridge and cracked them into a pan and turned the burner on.

"You know you're supposed to heat the pan up Before you put the food –eggs in your case – in the pan, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to wait." I grabbed an English muffin pulled it in half, and stuck it in the toaster. I turned back to the fridge and pulled out a package of bacon and put it on the skillet and turned the burner on underneath it.

"Well you'll have to wait for the bacon." she stated matter-of-factly

"Yeah, but I'll wait for the bacon." I smirked and pulled the cooked eggs and muffin, stuck both in the microwave, and pressed the 'hold heat' button.

"You're so difficult."

"Yeah I am" I smirked, "Oh! If I'm not home after school I'll be at football practice" I put my breakfast on a paper plate I walked out the door, backpack in hand.

Max POV

I shivered in the cool autumn weather and pulled my coat closer to my body. Ella stood next to me as we waited for the bus with about 5 other kids I didn't recognize.

The bus came and we all filed on, me sitting in the back with my earbuds in ignoring the world around me.

"Max,… Max,….. MAX!" I looked over at my sister and she pointed out the empty bus.

"Oh." I sighed and stood up grabbing my backpack and throwing it over my shoulder.

We walked down the bus steps and onto the concrete. I saw Ella get surrounded by her freshman friends as I walked inside to my locker.

Iggy POV(Max only knows Iggy as Jeff and Fang as Nick)

I saw a black hummer pull into the back parking lot and I walked over to it.

"Fang! What's up?" I asked him as he got out of the Hummer pulling out a duffle bag with him.

"Ig, you saw me yesterday." He sighed.

"I know but still, how was seeing your sister after she came home from college?"

"Still thinks she knows it all. I haven't gotten a bit of sleep since Max's mom died, I feel like I know her but I don't remember how!" I nodded and he sighed again.

"Look in yearbooks or something, call her, or maybe just go up to her in the hall and talk to her!" I threw my hands up in the air for effect, but that was lost when a group of cheerleaders walked past giggling about something.

"I'm not going to go up to her and be all like 'Hey I feel like I know you. Do you know how I know you? Do I even know you?'"

"What's so wrong with that?!" Fang stopped walking and I turned around to face me.

"I'm not going to talk to her." Fang started walking again, but as soon as we got to the field we learned that try-outs were changed to after school.

"Great, we're a half an hour early for school now, so what do we do?" I asked him.

"Well, unlike you I didn't shower yet this morning, so that's what I'm going to do."

"You take like 5 minutes to shower."

"I had a lot of thinking to do, if I have time afterwards I'll go down to the diner and get a coffee before school starts."

"You won't have time."

"True."

"Fang!" Fang turned around at the sound of his name being called by high pitched voice I knew all too well, and couldn't stand. I still don't know how Fang can stand her.

"Hey baby." Fang kissed his girlfriend Brigid Dwyer.

"Fang, I need to tell you something." Oh great she's dumping him before he could dump her.

"I do too."

"Oh well then go first Fangy."

"Brigid, I don't think we are going to work out." Wait did I hear Fang right?

"W-why?" Brigid stuttered.

"Because," Fang said shrugging," I don't feel the same way I did about you when we got together in the summer."

"Okay." Brigid turned and left the parking lot, joining the other cheerleaders practicing before school.

Fang and I walked down the hall of the school, to our lockers.

"I'll see you at lunch or in the hall sometime" Fang said, I nodded and walked toward my locker that was next to the one belonging to the mysterious loner- Max Martinez.

Fang POV

I ran my fingers through my drying hair and walked out of the locker room with my backpack. I started for my locker, but heard something in the opposite direction. Looking, I saw three jocks circled around a girl, one holding her against the lockers. He brought her back towards him then slammed her back into the lockers. I jogged towards them and dropped my bag silently on the floor, and came up behind the jock holding her to the lockers. The other two never saw me. The girl saw me so I lifted a finger to my lips to let her know not to say anything.

"So, Little Ms. Loner Girl can't do anything to us now, now can she?" The jock laughed and I recognized the voice as Tyler Thompson. He laughed again and slammed her against the locker again.

I wrapped my arm around his neck and pulled him back away from the girl. I was able to kick one of the other jocks in the nose but the other ran off. I nodded at the girl and she grabbed her books and ran to her class.

Others teens in the hallway around me were watching as I held Tyler in my choke hold.

"If I see or even hear about you hurting her again, I will make you sorry. Do I make myself clear?" He nodded and I dropped him to the ground.

I pulled my backpack off the ground and headed to my first class thinking about that girl and her eyes. I know those eyes, but how? I shrugged and walked towards class; all the heads swiveled towards me as I walked into the room. Most of the girls batted their eyes and flipped their hair at me. All but one girl, who stood out the most to me, the girl from before.

I sat down in the seat next to her in the back and pulled out my lyric book. Did I mention I was the leader of a band called Ride? No? Well, seeing as my last name is Ride and we are pretty famous at this school. Everyone wanted to sit by me and my band at lunch, but we wouldn't let anyone but our girlfriends sit at the table with us.

Someone tapped my arm after the lesson began and I looked over at the girl. She handed me a note and I unfolded it.

(Max, Fang)

Thanks for helping me earlier. I scribbled a quick answer back and somehow I recognized that writing too.

No problem, hey this probably sounds weird but I recognize you from somewhere, but I can't remember from where.

Oh, well I don't recognize you, whats your name?

Fang

What's your full name?

Ohhh, well you should have said that! Its Nick Ride I handed her the note. After reading the note she crumpled the paper up and tucked it into her binder.

Max POV

I couldn't believe that Nick just saved me, let alone sat next to me! Wait, he doesn't remember me though…

I stood up as the bell rang and bolted out of the room. I saw Ella in the hall and I pulled her aside.

"Do you remember Nick?" I whispered

"Nick who? And why are we whispering?" Ella questioned back.

"Nick Ride, from Elementary, my best friend from Elementary! And because I don't want anyone hearing us."

"Ohhh yyyeeeaaahhh, I remember him!"

"Yeah well he just saved me from that dick Tyler and his friends but he doesn't remember me." I rushed the words and Ella nodded slowly.

"So talk to him, he might recognize your voice."

"Because I don't talk to guys or people in general."

"You talk to Tara and me."

"Yeah 'cause your family."

"I remember Nick was like family to us just talk to him."

"No."

"Fine then I will!"

"No Ella!" I pulled her wrist so she could face me again and whispered in her ear "I will later." Maybe…

"Good. Now I have to get off to class, good luck!"

I shook my head and walked to my locker.

Next time I see him… lost in my thoughts, I ran into someone. I closed my eyes tightly expecting my head to hit the shining tiled floor as I slipped. But suddenly I felt someone catch me, looking up I saw Nick's eyes looking down at me in concern.

"Sorry." I quickly kneeled down and grabbed my stuff and fled to my next class.

Fang POV

"Sorry" she said kneeling down and grabbing her things and leaving before I could say anything.

I know that voice.

There is the end hope you enjoyed it. Max is shy in the beginning because she doesn't talk to ANYONE, and when she does its one word answers unless it's her sisters.