I'm in a Max Ride mood, and I thought of this last night in two in the morning, when I couldn't get to sleep because Max isn't here yet.

Say I have no life. SAY IT.

Anyways, please read and review!

Anything you recognize IS (not) mine.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

I don't know how Ella, Iggy and Fang teamed up to make me come to this party. I mean, Ella doesn't even know Iggy or Fang too well, but, apparently, I'm the life of any party, and Ella's friend, Nudge, needed me.

So, Ella let Iggy and Fang in my room without me knowing. And I had just gotten out of the shower, so I looked slightly neater than usual (mom calls it the afterstate – I look neat for about ten minutes before I see my reflection again and scruff it up).

But I don't take well to people in my room – even if I have known Iggy and Fang for, well, forever, that doesn't undo the fact that when my room isn't prepared there is underwear on the loose! Not that I'd worry if it was only Iggy since, he's, well, blind, but I bet Fang gave him all the details.

Anyways. For some reason, they've dragged me to this party… thing.

But don't worry.

I didn't go down without a fight.

"I still can't believe you bit me," Fang mutters, and I scowl at him.

"You brought this upon yourselves. You practically broke an entry!" I tell them as Iggy rubs his stomach sorely. I know, I know, I'm evil, seeing as Iggy is blind and all. But he is so good at orientating himself (and cooking) that you can forget that he's blind all together. Not that I forgot that he was blind when I punched him in the stomach. He asked for it.

"It's only one party," Iggy growls. "And we're all going. And Nudge admires you."

"I hardly know her," I grumble. It's not my fault that I'm too awesome for words.

I stop one last time at the door. There's always a chance that I can kick Fang and Iggy in the shinsand make a break for it.

But, no, the door opens and there stands Dylan, otherwise known as 'Mr Perfect'. Ella insists that one day we'll get married – don't worry, I've assured her that that's so not going to happen. But, Mr Perfect has a charming smile…

OK. The possibilities of kicking anyone without looking like a total man beast are now very low.

Fang seems to realize this too as he lets out a sigh at my side.

"Hi, Dylan," I say, more for Iggy's sake than for my own.

"Hi, Max, Ig, Fang," he greets, but he's frowning at me. "I didn't know that you'd come. Ella was saying something about your cousins coming over, and you wanting to stay and greet them…"

Angel and Gazzy! I scowl at Iggy and Fang again, but it's wasted on Iggy and Fang isn't paying any attention.

"Oh, there's Brigid," he says, and pushed past Dylan into the so-very-busy house. Well, goodbye to you too, I think darkly. OK, so I don't like Bridgid. Not because she's Fang's girlfriend or anything, but because she's way too old for him. She's a cougar.

OK, Fang is fifteen and she's seventeen, but the age difference is still nasty! I mean, it's OK for a girl to go out with an older guy, because, well, that's hot (not because I'm fifteen too, and Dylan is seventeen…). But the other way around, it's just creepy.

Wait, is that machist or…?

"Is Ella here, then?" I ask Dylan, trying not to roll my eyes at Iggy's change in posture – I mean, he went from normal-slumping-teenager to obscurely-tall-and-dreamy in less than a second. Someone ought to give him props for that.

"Yeah, I think he's in the kitchen-"

"Bye Dylan. C'mon, Ig."

I don't think that I can stand any longer being with Dylan without, oh, I don't know, saying something extremely embarrassing, or being able to fry hotdogs on the heat that's radiating from my cheeks, and besides, I feel bad for Iggy. Some best friend Fang is. I mean, normally, Fang's Iggy's eyes. Ah, but not when Bridgid's around.

Sigh.

We weave out way throughout the load of people and I wonder why on Earth Ella's friend needed me here. I mean, there are jocks, cheerleaders – a whole load of popular people. I prefer to keep to myself. Iggy's here because of Ella (duh) and Fang's probably here because Bridgid. I mean, he's not exactly Mr. Popularity, but he has gained a reputation of the dark and mysterious guy that girls like to drool over.

Yuck.

Anyways.

I spot Ella and Nudge in a corner, wearing dresses that I know mom and dad would not approve of. I take Iggy's hand and pull him after me. Ella sees me, and, instead of trembling in horror, she smiles widely.

Oh. It was one of those days.

See, little sisters can be like that. You can shout at them, get really pissed, be really scary, and all they'll do is smile back at you, like nothing can affect them.

So, basically, I've lost already.

But, I better give it a try.

"You are so dead," I say, struggling to make myself heard – and, more importantly, intimidating – over the roar of the music.

"Max!" Nudge squeals before hugging me and kissing me on both cheeks.

"Nudge!" I say back, but, let's just say that we are not amused.

"Hi, Iggy," Ella says, completely ignoring me, surprise surprise.

"Hi," Iggy says back, looking in Ella's general direction. Ella thinks that Iggy's awesome. I mean, she only met him like, a year ago, and I've known him since before he was blind – long story – so she thinks the fact that he can orientate himself perfectly is amazing. I suppose that I've gotten used to it. I mean, I'm still super impressed, and I feel really bad for him, but Ella worships him.

Anyways.

"What am I doing here?" I demand of Ella and Nudge. I've known Nudge for as long as Ella's known Iggy. Still a long story, I'll tell you guys later. The point is, I know that they are up to no good whatsoever.

"We're going to play a game," Nudge says, bouncing up and down like she does. I dare a look at Ella. She's still smiling brightly, but there's a little sprinkle of evil in that innocent little face of hers.

"What game?" I ask. Yes, I'll admit, I'm afraid. Very. Afraid.

"You'll see," Nudge says, still bouncing up and down. "Ooh, look! Lissa!" And just like that, she was gone.

I turn to my sister.

"Ella, if you do not tell me what's going on-"

"You'll leave?" she asks innocently.

I blink.

"Well, yeah…"

"Dylan!" she shouts.

Oh no.

No, no, no, no.

Iggy smirks as I sink into the crowd, hoping to mingle, but I stick out way too sorely. I'm the only girl not in a way-to-short dress. Who allows these parties, anyways? Nudge is only thirteen!

The door, the exit, the freaking door, where is the freaking door?

I spend the next half of an hour just being generally lost. I don't think that I mentioned how big Nudge's house – sorry, mansion is. I walk into my share of couples making out, too. It isn't pretty.

And then, somehow, Iggy finds me and drags me downstairs – I've been hiding in one of the upstairs bathrooms, seeing as I failed at finding the way out. You'd think that finding a massive door would be easy, but seeing as I go in the opposite direction of people, it was hard.

And then, for reasons unknown to even myself, I0m sitting in a circle with about fifteen other people, the majority of whom I don't even like, playing spin-the-bottle.

Now. I do not know how exactly I manage to get myself in these sort of situations. I mean, they're the sort of situations that I go out of my way to avoid. But having a blind guy drag you through a crowd kinda makes you curious about where you're going to.

But this. This is just ridiculous. With Ella on my left and Nudge on my right, I can't move. Not that I couldn't hurt them if I wanted to, but I don't want to. I mean, I'm not some kind of freak.

And then, suddenly, with Dylan at about fifteen past, considering that I'm at half past, I figure it out. This whole party is a set-up! My sister is trying to set me up with the school jock!

Oh no she didn't…

"Max, it's your turn," Nudge says brightly. Oh, I bet that she also had a lot to do with this. I think that they've been trying to work out where to sit me so that I would most probably be paired up with Dylan.

But, I mean, it's a bit vague.

I mean, I can spin the bottle any way I want.

Oh, who am I kidding? Who else would I rather kiss? Iggy? Yeuch. Bridgid? I mean, come on. Luke, the nerd that's probably only here because he won't get anything any other way?

"Pass," I say, taking off my other shoe. I mean, they are sooner going to see me naked before I choose (sort of) to be stuck in a closet anyone in this room. Including Mr Perfect. Because I'm just that stubborn.

We all wait as Nudge disappears with Aden, and then it's Fang's turn.

I know, right? I'm here being held captive, and he's just bored, obviously, and wants a nice smooch. I don't look at him as he reaches over and spins the bottle. I try to ignore Bridgid watching it willingly. Yuck.

And then Nudge lets out a squeal of laughter. OK, I was going to have to draw a line if Fang went in any closet with a thirteen year-old.

And then he speaks, and I almost die.

"Come on then, Max."