Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. I'm pretty sure no one on this site does.

She's a Lady
Prologue: Friendship Often Ends in Love

-:-:-:- I'm in love with a girl I hate -:-:-:-

Age Six
"I'm so proud of you guys!" Max's mum, Valencia gushed, kissing both her daughter and her best friend's son, Fang on the top of their heads.

"I can't believe how fast they're growing up! It seems like yesterday they were having baths together!" Fang's mum, Jodie, gushed in the same tone.

Max and Fang looked up at their near-to-tears mothers and supressed the urge to scowl and pout. They were excited for their first day at school, but they didn't understand the need for tears and endless kissing of foreheads and smoothing down hair and clothing.

Max was forced, much to her distaste into a bright yellow sundress, which suited her hair and eyes perfectly – according to her and Fang's mother – white bobby socks and white sneakers. She was glad her mother had enough common sense to dress her in sneakers.

Fang was happily dressed in blue denim overalls, a stripy red shirt underneath, his feet clad in mini black converse shoes. Max looked at him in envy, and he smiled back smugly and stuck his tongue out.

All too soon, Fang and Max were standing outside the door of their new classroom, where other kids were either, crying; refusing to let go of their mothers and/or father, or running around exploring every section of the room from its various toys to the reading corner and its books.

Fang and Max had their hands enclosed in each other's tightly, nervous of what the room had planned for them, but excited at their new found freedom. Their mothers waved and kissed them goodbye, one last time before going off to talk to the teacher.

Fang and Max looked at each other once before stepping into the large classroom and heading for the hooks were their mothers had hung their coats and backpacks. They decided to start with some drawing, until the teacher was ready to begin whatever they did at school.

They were inseparable ever since.

Age Eight
"I can climb higher then you!" The young Max called out, reaching above her to grab a branch to pull herself higher and higher into the tree.

"No you can't!" The young boy, Fang called back, reaching up higher and faster.

"Yes I can. Cause I'm taller!"

Fang growled. Max was taller and older than him, two facts Max never let him forget.

"We'll see about that," Fang muttered to himself, focusing intently on grabbing branch after branch, pulling himself higher and higher, becoming used to the task, that he didn't have to think about it as much. That is, until he heard a girl scream and a thump on the grass below.

Max, he immediately thought. He scrambled down, descending the tree as fast as his skinny arms could take him, jumping down the last two metres and rushing to Max's side.

"Max! Are you okay?" He asked, hands rushing about her body looking for any obvious injuries.

"Urgh," she moaned. "I'm alright. Just sore."

He sighed, relieved but didn't stop turning her body around. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for, considering he was only eight years old, but knew enough to know when something would be bad. So far, everything seemed right with Max.

"Nothing broken?" He asked worriedly. Fang had always been a pretty calm kid, and this new worry and concern from him was surprising and comforting to Max.

She shook her head, knowing to stay lying down before doing anything drastic like sitting up too quickly. "Nope. Just some bruises."

"Are you sure?" He asked again, finally sitting back and removing his hands from her limbs.

"Yeah," she answered and smiling gratefully. "Thanks though. For all this."

Fang shrugged. "You're my best friend."

Age Thirteen
"It's so pretty out hey?" Max asked, as if in a trance, staring up at the sky and pointing at the starry dark night above them.

Fang followed her gaze. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Their legs swung back and forth in front of them, while they rocked backwards and forwards on the bench swing. Their hands were slightly touching in between them and Fang took a chance and moved his hand, lacing his finger through Max's.

Max didn't shrink away, as Fang had anticipated, but tightly held Fang's hand in her own, smiling shyly at him as she did so. He allowed a small smile back – a small feat for him – and just sat there looking at the stars and talking quietly.

They had taken refuge in Max's backyard, sick of their aunts, uncles, cousins, long lost relatives and people they were supposed to know, wanting only company in each other. Max's family held their annual Christmas family and friends gathering and after spending four hours in the crowded and loud house, Fang suggested that they leave.

Now it was midnight, the party still swinging inside and a somewhat quieter and more serene scene in Max's beautiful garden. Max's father had taken pride in fixing the backyard into a romantic, yet family-friendly area to escape the day's troubles and worries. It was currently lit up by fairy lights that hung in the tress and on the fences and the large water fountain tinkled quietly in the background, helping to set the scene.

They weren't sure what did it; whether it was the romantic setting of Max's garden, or the calm and peaceful evening, or the fact that they were always there for each other and there was something more than friendship between them.

What they did know was not solely one of them that had initiated it. They met each other halfway, hands still entwined and legs now still, focusing only on each other. Their lips met, pressing together gently, slowly and a little bit of uncertainty on both parties, but they picked up their pace to a moderate one, the kiss awkward at first, both inexperienced, but gaining more confidence with every second.

Their free hands now moved to rest on each other; Max's on Fang's shoulder and Fang's on Max's cheek, stroking it affectionately. They pulled back, foreheads resting and smiles on both their faces, nuzzling their noses together in an Eskimo kiss.

They both knew from that moment on, that there was something; something other than just friendship. They loved each other, even though they were young and maybe not in that way (at least not yet), but they loved each other nonetheless.

Age Fourteen
"Max! Get down here! Fang's coming home today!" Max's mum called from the bottom of the stairs.

Max huffed and dragged herself out of her room, not really looking forward to welcoming home the jerk that had ignored her for three months. Sure he was away on some sporty summer camp, and he did call her every day for the first week, but then the calls started to get infrequent and then suddenly they stopped coming at all.

She slowly trekked down the stairs, her steps deliberate and heavy, making sure she sent the point to her parents that she didn't want to welcome home Fang. She finally made it down to the bottom of the steps, and she had half a mind to run back up just to repeat the process all over again.

Her mum, dad and eight-year-old sister Ella – who didn't care two rats about the guy who blew her sister off – were waiting at the front door, apparently waiting for Max the entire time.

"Come on, let's go." She waved everyone through the door, before shutting and locking it behind her.

Max kept her arms crossed the entire walk next door to the Ride's house. "I don't understand why we have to go. They only live next door; we can visit whenever we want. And I don't want to see him anyway."

"Because they're basically our family, Max," her dad answered. "I don't understand why you have a problem with Fang all of a sudden."

"All of a sudden?" She snorted. "I had a problem from the moment he decided to stop calling. Even if he had an excuse, I wouldn't have minded. But hanging up on me and then not calling back ever again? He-eck no."

She would've said something much more severe than "heck", possibly something starting with "F" but Max didn't like swearing in front of her parents.

Max's mum sighed. "I know honey. But at least act civilised when we're there alright?"

Max looked at her mum and caved. She could never be mad at her mum for long. Or anyone else in her family. "Alright. Civilised. And by civilised you mean not ripping his throat out and stomping on it? I'll try my hardest."

Max's dad laughed and wrapped an arm around her. "I am not worried one bit for you for high school."

Max smiled, enough to forget about Fang-the-asshole-from-next-door, until her mum pressed the doorbell, reminding her that she'll be seeing the guy she had once been best friends with and dare she say it, shared their first kiss.

Jodie, Fang's mum – who Max didn't hate at all – answered the door, smiling brightly, ushering them all in. "Come in! Come in!"

Max smiled at the sight of Jodie's bright and pearly white smile, unable to continue her sulky attitude. She loved the Rides like her own family – maybe not Fang though.

"Fang, the Martinez's are here!"

Max heard the click of a door opening and the familiar quiet steps of Fang's sneakers against the carpet as he descended the stairs. Max braced herself for quite possibly the biggest douche in the entire universe.

Or maybe she should give him a chance, she thought to herself. Maybe he was just really, really busy and couldn't dedicate hours to call his friend back at home.

Yeah right.

She kept a neutral facial expression, as Fang took his time to make his way downstairs. He finally made it to the bottom – he sure took his time – and he stood staring at Max, no one else, and she had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen slightly and trail up and down her legs which had toned perfectly over the summer.

Max didn't think she was beautiful, but she knew that she could turn heads if she tried – which was rarely – and took this reunion to show Fang that she wasn't always the tomboy he grew up with.

Fang then closed off, smirking slightly – his new apparent signature lady killer move – and almost expected Max to fall to his feet. She didn't. Max could practically feel the arrogance radiating off of him and scowled at him. No apology, no explanation. Nothing. She thought he'd at least offer some flimsy excuse to explain his withdrawal during summer break.

Jodie's voice broke Fang's staring fest, calling everyone to the table for lunch. "Lunch is ready everybody!"

Max took one last look at Fang and sauntered off into the kitchen, Fang staring after her – really her legs and her ass – unable to believe that gorgeous girl was Max.

(Previous A/N: New story for my readers. I've missed the weekly alerts and reviews of having an ongoing story, and even though I already have enough on my plate, what with school, exams and friends, I've wanted to start posting a story for some time now. I don't know how often I'll be able to update this story, but I can do it within two weeks, so you guys don't forget and have to go back and re-read the entire story to get the gist.)

So tell me what you think, long time readers, new comers and people in between. I'd love to hear your feedback.

Read, review and spread the word!
- FlowerChild22