"Max!"

I looked around frantically for her, for the one who called my name.

"Max help me!"

I ran down the ally to where her voice had rung out, slipping on the wet asphalt and stumbling, but continuing to run and find her. My converse were soaked, my black jeans blending in to the night, and my black and white striped sweater providing little warmth since it was soaked through and through.

My footsteps pounded in my ears, then I stopped when I saw more then ten guys surrounded around a body. The girls blonde-brown hair was soaked red in some places. Her skin was pale and her eyes were open wide. Her chest moved but barely.

"MAYA!" I screamed, running towards her, shoving past the guys and dropping next to her. "Maya no!"

***

I woke up to someone shaking me.

I looked up into the kind face of my mom, whose eyes portrayed worry and gentleness. "Maxy honey come here." She sat on my bed, opening her arms. Crying, sweaty, and shaky I crawled into my mom's arms, letting her hold me and keep me in a safe feeling.

"It was of maya mom.." My voice didn't sound like my own. It was scratchy, cracking in some places.

She only nodded, rubbing my back as I slowly calmed down enough to lay back down to fall back asleep. As my mom left, she paused at the door to say, "I love you Maximum." Then she quietly shut the door, leaving me to whisper behind her, "I love you to mommy."

***

The next day was Saturday. Fang, Iggy, and I planned on going to the nearest mall to hang out and eat pretzel bites.

Those things were heaven.

I wore light jean ripped shorts, my black vans, and my LA Arts Thespian hoodie. My hair was down and straightened, courtesy of Ella and Nudge (Who had spent the night last night; I thanked God they hadn't heard me).

As I ate my breakfast, Nudge and Ella walked in yawning and rubbing their eyes. I grinned at Nudges hair in curlers and a pink sleep mask on top of her head, "Sleep well girls?" I asked, taking a bite of my pancake and syrup. If pancakes were animate objects, they would have drowned from all the syrup I poured on them.

Ella swatted at me and mumbled, "Go away Cookie brain." I laughed.

All Nudge did was mumble something that sounded suspiciously like 'is there anymore pancakes? I like pancakes...'

I grinned, taking the last bite of my pancake and taking my plate to the sink and rinsing it off. Then I made Ella and Nudge two pancakes each. Mom walked in from the garage, heels clicking on the floor. She smiled at all of us, "Good morning lovelies."

We smiled. I said, "Morning mom. Here's a letter from Ari," I handed her the letter. Ari was at college in New York.

She took the letter and nodded, smiling at me, "Thanks sweetie."

Then the doorbell rang. I ran to get it, jumping over my skateboard and picking it up. I opened the door to Fang and his mom, Laurie. He wore a black fit t-shirt, black jeans, and black ratty converse. His hair was in his face like usual, his midnight eyes sparkling with amusement. "Morning Max," He said, grinning at me.

"Morning Fang. Morning Mrs Ride." I opened the door wide enough and invited them in, calling, "Mom! Fang and Mrs Ride are here!"

My mom walked in, smiling at them, "Good morning Fang, Laurie. How are you?"

Laurie smiled, her midnight eyes sparkling, "Just fine, thank-you. And yourself?"

As they talked, I noticed there was something up with Laurie. Her voice sounded more delicate, like it could break at any second. She wore a simple peach skirt with a white v-neck shirt, and white sandals. Her blonde hair, that Angel got, was in waves down her back.

Laurie smiled at us, "Ready to head out? We still need to pick up Iggy."

I grinned, "Yeah, I just need to grab my purse." I ran to go get it, putting my skateboard up against the wall, and shouldering my small bag which could hold my cellphone, my Chapstick from EOS and my money. I packed the 30 dollars, my iPhone 4, and my mint EOS and headed back to Fang and Laurie.

I waved goodbye to my mom, heading to the car. I hopped in the backseat with Fang, nudging him, "So, have you written any thing new?" He was trying to write a song for the Vertical Jam, but since it was on Friday, it didn't look possible. They were planning on playing the song "Welcome to my Life" by Simple plan.

Fang shook his head, "Not coming along at all."

I grinned at him, "You'll get it. I know you will."

As we drove to Iggy's, which was three neighborhoods over, Fang and I sang obnoxiously loud and fake horrible to different songs on the radio, using out hands as the microphones. We were in tears from laughing so hard by the time Iggy got into the car, he thought we were having a stroke.

It was the best ten minutes I've ever had.