Hey guys! Hope those of you who are on summer break are having a good one. I wrote this while I was on vacation, and I haven't finished the story, but I'm on it. :) Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope you like the first chapter.

Fang's POV

The town me moved to was a good size: big. Being strangers to others was okay, and people tended to avoid me after a simple hello anyways. Perhaps I'm just a little too intimidating for whatever reason.

I was seventeen when mom decided to reside in the trees, so dad bought a big house in a neighborhood in the middle of layer of trees. Being the considerate parents they were, we moved in the middle of second quarter of my senior year. Note the sarcasm.

There was barely enough time to get to know town, so the first day of school for me which was a Wednesday, I rode the bus with a bunch of underclassmen. When the seats were full one sat next to me and made a weird face. He turned his nose up at me and started... sniffing? Without thinking, I slapped him. He looked at me shocked.

"You hit me!"

"You were in my space."

"I was just trying to figure out who you were. You don't seem familiar. Do I not know you?"

"No. You don't."

"Well in that case, I'm Iggy."

I studied his features, the spiky strawberry blonde hair, pale skin, and light blue eyes. "Why are you sitting here?"

"There aren't any more seats."

"Then squeeze." I bumped him out of the seat and he landed on his butt.

"Hey! That hurt!" he yelled up, but I noticed his eyes weren't focused on me but rather just empty space. Others on the bus looked back at us curiously. I shrugged.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer? Maybe apologize?"

"No. What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

"Stop joking." I waved a hand in front of his eyes. He narrowed them and then grabbed my wrist.

"I'm not. Let me explain." He got up and felt the seat to see if I was still in his spot. When he was sure I wasn't, he sat and faced me with a cheeky grin. "I'm blind doofus."

"You're not funny. Where's your sunglasses? And cane?"

"You're not funny either! That's hurtful! I can pick up colors against white objects, so I can write fine with lined paper, and I've already gotten to know the school well enough… and people's scent. Since I can't see, all my other senses are magnified. For example, normally no one's in this seat. And today no one normal is in this seat."

"The insults you put out are lame."

"Can't I at least get a name?"

"Fang."

Max's POV

Some annoying little hammer was pounding the inside of my skull. Then I woke up, and nope I only WISHED it was a mere little hammer pounding the inside of my skull.

"Dammit! Get your ass out of bed!" the little hammer was a big rhino about to break my door down.

"I'm up, Jeb! Unless you want to pay for repairs stop throwing your fist at my door!"

"Don't speak to me like that! You have responsibilities!"

"Just give me two seconds, and I'll make your breakfast and coffee."

Lifting my head off my desk, I wiped off the little bit of drool and took a glance at the alarm clock by my bed. My little sister was still sound asleep on top of my pile of clothes. Crap, I fell asleep before I could finish my homework and I'd be late for school, too. My cell sat by my books, and I reached for it and dialed.

"I've been trying to get to you all night."

"Sorry what's up?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Yeah but I need a favor."

"Spill. I'm here."

"Jeb is freaking out, again, and I have to go make him breakfast. I'm going to be tardy again if my rich best friend doesn't use her fancy driver to pick my cute little butt up for school, so that cute little butt won't have to walk."

Through the phone I could hear her laughing. "Alright, but that means you owe me."

"Dear god…"

"Next high school dance, I set you up with someone and I give you a makeover."

"Nudge!"

"What?"

"You're only a freshmen!"

"So? I'll find a way for it to work."

"No."

"Fine no deal."

"But if I'm tardy again I'll get Saturday school. I have to work!"

"Uh huh."

"You suck."

She giggled. "Be there in…"

I didn't let her finish before snapping the phone shut. With fast moves, I gathered up my books and shoved them into my backpack letting random papers fly out.

"Angel, sweetie." I shook her gently in a frantic manner… if that made sense. "Honey, you need to get dressed for school alright? When you're done, don't forget to brush your teeth, come downstairs for breakfast." She groaned and rubbed her eyes sweetly and nodded. Giving her a kiss on the cheek, I quickly changed throwing on whatever my hands laid on only to realize I ending up changing into a bra and pajama pants. Angel laughed at my stupidity. With a grunt, I searched for clean school clothes and threw them on.

"It's been longer than two seconds!" Jeb pounded on the door.

"I'm coming!" I yelled back. "Angel, wake up Gazzy for me too alright? Tell him to walk you to school after breakfast." She was already up and changing. I smiled letting her know she was a good girl.

Jeb was by my door waiting, so I quickly closed it behind me. The first thing he did was slap me hard across the face busting my lip. "That was for taking so long." Then he used his belt and whipped me once on my shoulder. I glared at him. "That was for being disrespectful." Last, he punched me in the stomach just enough to get me to bend over gasping for breath. "And that was for abandoning responsibilities. I'm only teaching you a lesson, darling. Now go." He pushed me through the hallway into the kitchen. Damn you, I cursed inside my head. The last time I fought back, Angel and Gazzy got hurt, and even a non-biological older sister is still a sister so when Mom started taking Angel and Gazzy into our home, so did I. Too bad she comes home so late. Too bad she goes on business trips so often. Too bad I see her on average maybe 2 hours a day.

Jeb sat at the kitchen table with his feet up on the table and a cigarette between his lips. I held my breath to keep from secondhand smoking while I cooked. By cooking, I mean microwaving something from the fridge. My real cooking tasted like fried toenails. I set the plate down for Jeb and handed him a newspaper. Angel and Gazzy came downstairs, so I handed them a plastic plate of food and walked them to the front door.

"Are you okay?" Gazzy asked before taking off. I noticed him staring at my busted lip and bruised shoulder.

I smiled and ruffled his dirty blond hair. "I'm fine. Watch your sister okay? Be careful."

He nodded slowly then turned to run after Angel. When I'd gone back inside, Jeb had gone to work with a bottle of beer, and Nudge arrived a few minutes later. Nudge's only 13 and my best friend. As silly as that sounds, I have no idea how it happened. Her family's rich, so she has her own driver. She doesn't even need a license. Some on the other hand have a license without a car.

When I opened the door and slipped inside, her chocolate eyes matching her chocolate skin brightened and she grinned. "Morning Max!"

To be continued...

Thanks for reading! Hope you guys liked it and didn't find it too terrible. :P Anyways, chapter 2 coming out in about 10 days. Sorry for the long wait, but I'm giving you a fair warning :D. Feel free to review, add this story as a personal fav, or even recommend it as a good read to a friend? :) Again, thanks for checking it out! Later!

Wipeout