Chapter 1

Fang's POV

"I can't wait! We'll meet new people, and see their homes! Ooh, we can ever have sleepovers! I wonder if there will be any girls my age! Or maybe have cute brothers! Maybe they'll be into fashion like me! I wonder if they like unicorns, or cupcakes! Or make-up! Possible even hmmghfjil-"

That's when I finally put my hand over Nudge's mouth to stop my ears from bleeding. The only think I understood was 'people' and 'homes'. Then I either drowned her out or couldn't understand what in the world she was saying.

My family and I are moving. To Arizona. Arizona.

I was completely horrified.

Not that I loved my hometown and whatnot, but it's the memories of being here. I remember when I was young; there were two families that lived on either side of my house. To the right, there was the Smith family. Iggy was one of my best friends. He had a little brother, Gazzy. Do not ask. Let's just say he lives up to the name of the Gasman.

To the left of my house was the Ride family. Maximum Ride was, without a doubt, my best friend in the entire world. I even kind of liked her, but of course I never told her that. She had a little sister- Angel. Angel was a sweet kid. Never talked back and always behaved.

Max's mom was a single mother, and Iggy's dad was a single father. One day they met, and immediately hit it off. They ran off somewhere, dragging all of my friends with them. Max and I kept in touch, me and Iggy somewhat did, too. Max had told me that Iggy's dad and her mom didn't work out. The good news was that they're still next-door neighbors. At least they still hang out.

My life here in Colorado really sucks. Just because I have a 'dark appearance', people call me emo and Goth. It gets really annoying, considering I'm not either one of them.

Back to reality.

I was sitting in the back of our minivan with Nudge ranting beside me. I heard things like 'girls' or 'pretty ponies'.

Nudge scares me sometimes.

"We're here!"

I turn my attention to my mother, Anne Walker. She had bright green eyes with brown hair, all curly and such. Way different from what I looked liked.

I have olive pale skin, with black hair and dark eyes. My hair is slightly long, ending right after my eyes and curling into a U-shape. Nudge and I were both adopted, which explains the difference in all three of us. Nudge has chocolate brown skin, with big brown eyes and light brown hair. She is very girly, always giving me fashion tips, saying that all black clothes were 'so not in style'

Too bad.

Just as a snap out of my trance, I realize we're pulling into a driveway. A really big house awaits us, so me and Nudge jump out of the car and run inside.

Max's POV

"Oh Maxie Waxie!"

I turn around in the kitchen to see Iggy standing behind me.

"Hey, Ig."

"Maxie, guess what! Today is out friendship anniversary! We must go celebrate!" Iggy says, taking my hand and jumping up and down. This is not what you think. Iggy and I are not together. We have our own crazy friendship ways. We did the same thing with our old friends, Fang and Nudge. I remember the look on Fang's face as we drove away. I had never seen so much emotion on his face before. So much sadness.

"Like I would forget! We could have a Nightmare on Elm Street Marathon!"

Iggy gasped and dramatically put a hand on his heart. "I was thinking the same thing!"

I laughed and rolled my eyes as Iggy's little bro, Gazzy, or the Gasman, walked through the kitchen and paused at the front door.

"Max, don't use your bathroom anytime soon." Then he was gone.

"Good Lord, your brother is insane, Ig," I say, walking over to the living room and plopping on the couch.

Iggy plops down on my lap and sighs. "Oh where, oh where is my little Angel darlin'?" Angel was my little sister. She's six years younger than me, making her eight years old. She had blond bouncy curls and a sweet Angel-like smile.

Iggy's little brother, Gazzy, was the same age as Angel. Brown hair and a cute little smile. Also, he lives up to his name pretty darn well.

Iggy looked nothing like his brother. He has strawberry-blonde hair, with blue icicle eyes and was very tall. He was at least four inches taller than me. Just like Fa-

"Iggles, you're squishing my legs," I say, dramatically clutching the part of my legs he wasn't sitting on.

"Iggles? Well, then. I have to create a new name for you! How about Maxine?" he says, curiously looking at me. I shot daggers into his eyes, clearly saying no.

"Fine, my dearest! But I will get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!" Iggy then jumps up and runs out the front door. I follow, laughing as I catch up to him and jump onto his shoulders, making him stop for a brief moment. He then proceeds to run around our two front yards, me flailing my arms like a madwoman.

"The new neighbors are here!" I heard Angel scream as she rushes past us and into the empty house next to Iggy's.

I gasped. "Iggles, did you know we had new neighbors?"

"You didn't?"

"No."

He chuckled, jogging over to the new neighbor's driveway with me still on his shoulders.

My heart completely stopped and the smile was wiped off my face when I see Fang, Nudge, and Anne Walker step out of the black minivan. Fang immediately sees me and Iggy, and we all three just stare at each other, memories flooding through my brain at a million miles a minute.

~Flashback~

"Hey, Fang!" I said, walking to meet him in his front yard. He was talking to Iggy, making him laugh.

"Hey, Ig!"

"What's up my Maxie?" Iggy says as I approach them sitting on the grass. I sit in Fang's lap, and put my feet on Iggy's head.

"Nothing, really."

"Wow, sounds fun, Max," Fang says sarcastically.

"No kidding. Hey, have you guys noticed that all three of us mostly only hang out together? And it's the same for Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy?" I say. It was true. Mostly only us three hung out together. Sometimes all six of us would, but it was very rare.

"I like it better, with it just mostly being the three of us. We're all the same age, and we have more in common than anyone else," Fang says, messing up hair.

"I promise, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, that I you two will always be my best friends," Iggy says. Fang and I roll our eyes, but nod anyways.

"I do!" I say, laughing.

~End Flashback~

Fang looked up at me, his eyes boring into my soul. I slowly get off of Iggy's shoulders, my sneakers making a thud on the concrete.

All of us were silent. Even Anne was silent. Of course, until Nudge saw us.

"ZOMG! Max! Iggy! OMG! OMG!" she started jumping up and down and hugged me so hard I thought my ribs would break. She pulled away, and hugged Iggy the same way. I looked over at Fang, his eyes never leaving mine as I rammed into him, hugging him so tightly.

"Max… Can't… Breathe…" But he hugged me back just as tight. Tears welded in my eyes as they we're warning to spill. Finally I broke down and started crying. But what really surprised me, was when Fang put his chin on my head, and I felt tears fall into my hair. The only time when I ever saw Fang cry was when we were six and he broke his leg by flying off the swings.

He pulled me away, wiping the tears off my face with his jacket sleeve. He wiped his own tears and turned around to do that awkward half-hug boys do with Iggy.

I smiled. I had my best friend back. Iggy and I had our best friend back. Anne came over and hugged me, wrapping me in her skinny arms. She lets go, and I turn and smile at Fang. All of us were together again.