I couldn't hold back my laughter any longer. Iggy swung uselessly through the mid-October air with the plastic bat, missing the actual target by several feet. Unless you consider porch lamps piñatas. "Iggy! It's not that hard, just…use your ability to see colors and hit the stinkin' piñata already!" I laughed, resting my back against the trunk of the massive pine outside Ella's tiny house. Today was her sixteenth birthday, and the party was finishing up since mosquitoes began to prowl the night air.

A couple of girls from her high school had stayed late, and their mom's and mine chatted away in the lawn chairs. I had to admit, I was in fact jealous. Especially of the fact that Ella was in her room gossiping and comparing nail colors with her friends right now, while I was stuck out here waiting for Iggy to break open the candy stash. "Hm, gee Max. That might help, but the only color I see is black. You know, since you blindfolded the blind guy?" Iggy retorted sarcastically. I bit my lip, realizing how stupid that was of me to do. I began to walk towards him to remove it when a shadow caught my eye. It came from Ella's window.

The silhouette of her and her friends dancing and laughing made me clench and unclench my fists in jealousy, wishing with every bone in my avian body that it wouldn't be awkward for Ella's freak show of a sister – that always stood near a door or window and never talked – to be in the room with them. I turned away just in time to duck out of the way as Iggy swung the bat threateningly over my head. "Whoa! Easy there, Iggy!" I shouted, dusting off my sweatshirt and tucking my hair behind my ear. He kept mumbling about the piñata, saying some things I won't mention. I approached him, grabbing him by the shoulders to let him know I was there. He stopped swinging, dropping the bat into the muddy dirt below him. My fingers found the tie in the blindfold, and I began to undo the black satin. I paused, my fingers rustling his messy auburn hair. He smelled of sweat and burning rubber, a scent I had learned to take a liking to. "Um, Max?" Iggy interrupted my thoughts, turning his head slightly. I blinked, rapidly undoing the knot and freeing him of the blindfold. "Thanks, much better," he said, his voice much deeper than I remembered it being.

I watched as he felt at the ground for the bat, his fingers spotting it as he wrapped his hand around the plastic. "Red," he said, getting a good handle on the bat and hitting the piñata spot on. I smiled, folding my arms and dodging the candy rain. Iggy rolled around in the sweet treats, laughing with victory. I lay down next to him, popping a gummy in my mouth. We just lay there, and I wasn't sure if he knew I was next to him in the patchy grass. I touched my fingertips to his, and he caught me off guard and wrapped my hand in his. I let out a small gasp, my cheeks flaring. Suddenly I was thankful for his blindness. I squeezed his hand, watching as the first stars appeared in the indigo sky.

"Max," Iggy said slowly. I turned my head to look at his, "Hm?" He adjusted himself, scooting closer to me. I could feel my heartbeat in my ears. "Fang didn't deserve you," he breathed. I smiled slowly, the butterflies in my stomach swarming. "I know," I said with a giggle. "No, I mean it. Neither does Dy –" but he didn't even get to finish before someone scooped me up, ripping our interlocked hands apart. I smelled cologne, and knew in an instant that it was – speak of the devil – Dylan. Iggy scrambled to sit up. I blinked, looking up as Dylan grimaced at Iggy. "What do you think you were doing, bright eyes?" Dylan snarled at him. He had gotten so protective of me lately. I gawked, pushing Dylan's arms off of me and backing away. "Why does it matter, Dylan?" I asked, standing next to Iggy who probably had no idea what was happening. Dylan's jaw muscles worked, and he gave me the pretty-boy look. "Max, why would you do that?" he asked, utterly confused, "You don't even like him." I shifted feet, glancing at Iggy and then back at Dylan.

"Well…maybe I do."