I own nothing... and I didn't edit this much. It's my first story. So. Review honestly plz.

BUT before you do, read stories by b4k4-r3dux

She's an epic writer, people!

(Max's alternate reality, her name is Mackenzie)

"MACK!"

I hear the blinds being pulled up, and light pours into the room. My eyes snap open, and I groan. My little sister, Ariel, runs out of my room with her blonde curls bouncing behind her. She laughs evilly.

"Ariel!" I yell angrily, wanting to chase after her but not wanting to get out of bed.

"Mackenzie, leave your sister alone," my mom says. "It's time to wake up, anyway."

I sigh and reluctantly sit up, blinking sleepily. I rub my eyes. And then I check the clock.

"JESUS!" I shoot out of bed like a rocket, pulling down the blinds and slamming my door shut. I change clothes at what must be record speed.

Little can be done about my hair, which at the moment, is worse than a bird's nest. I didn't dry it after taking a shower last night, so it's in knots. Literally.

After I brush it, it ends up in tangled, brownish-blonde waves. I give up.

I fly down the stairs and eat breakfast in about ten seconds. I try not to gag as I devour soggy corn flakes. Gross.

Now, I only have five more minutes before we have to go. I run to the bathroom.

Five minutes later, teeth brushed, makeup applied rather sloppily, backpack grabbed, we're out the door. My dad takes Ariel to her elementary school, but I have to take the bus. He drives me to the end of our street and I get out of the car, waving goodbye.

I lean against the stop sign, rubbing my arms to keep warm. I only put on a light jacket; not a good idea for late October. Just before I freeze over, the bus comes. I climb on.

I'm one of the last stops on the route. My 'boyfriend', Nick, is two stops after me. I wait as patiently as I can, knowing that as soon as I see him, I'm going to smile. He only asked me out a little while ago, and we've been friends for a while, so we're still at that awkward stage.

He appears outside the window, and my theory comes true. I move my backpack off the seat next to me so he can sit down.

"Hi, Mack," he says, kissing me on the cheek when he comes over. "You look great today."

I roll my eyes, thinking he's just saying that, since I look worse than a train wreck. "Thanks," I say.

He takes a book out of his backpack. "I've got a health test today," he says, "and I didn't study. Is it okay if I-"

"Sure," I say, taking a book of my own out of my backpack. "I've got an English quiz anyway."

And this is how we go to school, studying, me bored the whole way because I don't really have an English quiz. I flip through pages without reading, looking like a complete idiot. But he buys it, at least, and after about ten minutes of agonizing silence, we finally reach our high school.

We all file out of the bus. I look over at the parking lot, expecting to see Tiffany, my best friend, running up to meet me. Her stepdad drives her.

She isn't there today. I frown slightly, wondering where she could be... she's never late.

I follow Nick into the building, and we hold hands. My heart flutters stupidly.

When we get into the cafeteria, where we all wait before the bell rings, I see Jeff, Nick's best friend and one of mine too. He's cleaning his glasses, which don't make him look nerdy or anything; he's actually the biggest slacker I know. But he has a really hard time seeing even with glasses; he's almost as blind as a bat.

"Hey, Jeff," says Nick, putting his backpack on the ground and pulling out a folding chair for me, then sitting down in his own.

"Oh, hey guys," Jeff says, squinting down at his glasses. "Do these look clean?" He shakes his head and puts them on, pushing strawberry blonde hair out of his eyes.

"How are you guys today?" he asks, considerate as ever.

"Freaking about the test," Nick complains. "I didn't study."

"Me neither, dude." He shakes his head. "I don't really care."

I laugh. "I'd take health tests over PE," I say. "Mrs. Archer made us run ten laps around the entire gym yesterday, and if we stopped, we got a demerit."

"Did you get one?" Jeff teases.

I make a face that he can't really see. "I'm in shape, thank you, Jeff."

Nick grins. "I'd rather watch your PE class than take stupid health tests."

I punch him in the arm. In defense, he says lamely, "Well, I mean, Mr. Blackwell is really a jerk and the tests he gives..."

"Yeah, yeah," I say, glaring at him.

The best thing about Nick and I is that we're still more friends than boyfriend-girlfriend. I've known him since we started preschool together; he only asked me out three weeks ago. He's still my best friend.

"Hey, where's Tiffany?" Jeff asks, bringing me out of my musings.

"I don't know. She's late."

"Weird," says Jeff. Then he shrugs. "At least we don't have to listen to the Tiffany Channel."

I laugh. Tiffany does tend to talk, non-stop. Jeff always makes fun of her for it, but it's the thing that we all like most about her.

The bell rings suddenly, making me jump. Jeff snickers and we all stand, slinging our backpacks over our shoulders and heading to our lockers to start the day.

Thus is every morning for me.