6a: Off To A Great Start
~~The next Saturday because I'm lazy.~~

Alyc, Mac, Ren, Henry, AJ, and Rich are all actually coming to her 'party'. They're exploring the bunkers for a bit, then to the park, and beach around the bunkers. For now, they're in the car. Ren, Alyc, Max, and Dan are all in one car. Steve, AJ, Rich, Henry, and Mac are in the other. Mostly random conversations and things. They're almost to the bunkers. The friends actually bought and brought gifts, though Max had pretty much insisted not too. Though she was pretty pumped to see the bags of stuff.

"Max... Max. Max." Dan was calling. Max blinked, looking over from the window. "You were spacing out again." He chuckled, slowing at the red light.

"Yeah, ya weirdo." Ren chuckled.

"Whoops." Max chuckled, rubbing her neck awkwardly.

"So, I'm gonna ask again;" Alyc giggled. "Do you like anyone?"

Meanwhile; with the boys.
"Would you stop it?" AJ groaned, shoving Rich away.

"Awww cmon on AJ! I wanna see the present." Rich snickered, extending his hand passed Herny again. Henry smacked away the hand in annoyance.

"The present is for Max." Mac commented in a bored fashion. "Not you, Richard." Rich paused and stared at the back of Mac's chair. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't think of a reply. Mac smirked at the window. "Cat got your tongue?"

"I don't like being called Richard." Rich pouted.

"What about you, Austin James?" Mac glanced towards AJ, who looked extremely offended.

"Don't call me that!" AJ gasped out. Henry laughed at both of them. Mac chuckled.

"What's your name short for, Mac?" Henry asked, snapping out of his laughing fit straight into curiosity.

"Maclean." Mac shrugged, Henry was going to say something but was interrupted by Steve.

"No more teasing each other, we're here." He turned off the engine right after the parked.

"Good," Rich groaned, freeing himself of his seatbelt. "My legs are cramping." Then they all got out. They girls and Dan were all already sitting at a random table and waiting. Max glanced over and smirked.

"You guys are really slow!" She bounced off the table and stood. Ren snickered at her comment.

"True." She agreed, winking at the boys slyly. Each of them shared their own version of an eye roll.

"Ow!" Rich yelled, flinching as a nerf bullet hit his arm. Alyc giggled and hid behind Max.

"Max did it!"

"Hey! No, I didn't!" Max laughed, pushing Alyc in front of her. Alyc giggled again. Rich smirked and shot her back.

"Now we're even."

"Save the bullets for the war!" Dan groaned. "Or we're going to lose them already!"

"Aw, cmon Dd. Chill." Max shot him while grinning. Dan glared at her playfully, pretty quickly each party goer had a gun and they were all shooting at each other. Passerbyers gave them confused looks.

"I give! I give!" Henry whined, he had dropped his gun and his hands were up to surrender. Max grinned triumphantly.

"I win!" She announced, standing proudly.

"Yeah, yeah fine." Steven agreed, waving his hand.

"Winner has to pick up all the bullets!" Ren claimed loudly.

"Unless they're the birthday girl." Max protested, sticking out her tongue.

"Especially if they're the birthday girl!" Mac replied while trying not to laugh.

"No fair!" Max whined while giggling.

"Neither is life." Rich shrugged.

"That was deep." AJ put his hand on his chest and gave a fake pouty face as he chuckled.

"Always." Rich snapped and winked at him. AJ laughed loudly.

"Nope! Nope! Not doing that!" Max yelled, running back over to the group. She hid behind Dan. "There were spiders!" She whisper-yelled while staring at the bushes to the right of the cars. Ren hid behind her.

"Spiders are evil." Ren hissed.

"They're not that bad!" Alyc laughed, heading towards the bushes. She successfully retrieved the bullets that landed over there without disturbing any spiders.

"How does one?!" Ren pointed her arms at Alyc in shock.

"My dad has a pet spider." Alyc shrugged.

"You pour soul." Max frowned and put a hand on Alyc's shoulder while trying to keep a straight face. Alyc wasn't helping because she was giggling uncontrollably. Max joined in the laughter. The boys glanced at each other and grinned.

"Idea!" Ren yelled, bouncing in a circle. "Can we go down to the beach?"

"Race ya!" Henry yelled he was already running.

"Hey no fair!" Max yelled, chasing after him.

"I am gonna win!!" AJ yelled, sprinting after them Rich grabbed Alyc's hand and pulled her after him. Dan and Steve exchanged glanced and carried the Nerf guns after the children. Mac was pulling Ren along quickly.

"Ah!" Max laughed, falling over Henry. He was laughing and sprawled out on the damp sand. "Rruuddee!" Max sat up looking at him.

"Whoops!" Henry laughed, sitting up.

"I won!" AJ yelled from a distance.

"Hey!" Rich tripped over Henry too. Alyc stumbled and giggled as she stepped to the side. Mac stumbled to a stop, Ren bumping into him. Henry snickered.

"You're welcome." He winked at Rich, who playfully glared in return.

"I didn't thank you." Rich replied, standing and wipping himself off.

"You just did." Henry smirked, stood, and did the same. AJ helped Max stand. She also tried to wipe the gunk off.
Alyc had already walked off and was staring at the water in awe. The morning was fairly cloudy, but light still shimmered off the water. There was some sort of boat in the distance and land across the area. Seals could be heard.

"It's so pretty..." Alyc gasped in amazement.

"Sure is." Ren agreed with a grin. "Hey, Max! Remember when-" she turned to see Max staring into the distance, a sad gleam in her eyes.

"Yeah I remember..." She tried to chuckle, but it was so weak in almost didn't happen.

"You just made her sad!" Henry frowned and hugged Max from behind. Max's eyes widened in surprise. "At her own birthday party!" He laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Max glanced at him and smiled a tiny bit. Dan cleared his throat like a protective parent would and Henry let go quickly. He looked embarrassed. Max laughed and ran off to a log.

"We should outrun the tide!" She suggested and stood by the water, waiting for water to come. Dan dragged Henry off to talk to him. When it came, she ran and jumped behind the log. Then it became a game and a competition. They were mostly scattered across the beach, though.

~~Mini time skippo. After the beach and in the middle of the Nerf gun war. The teens had been fighting, but now they all banded together and are after Dan and Steve.~~

"Alright, we all know the plan," Max announced, passing out the walkie-talkies. "Fine the parents. Tell us."

"Line 3 right?" Rich checked, he was screwing with the walkie-talkie.

"Yeah." Max dropped from the highest roof and titled the gun dramatically. "Let's go!" She winked and ran off to drop down the ladder nearby.
Rich, Alyc, and AJ were walking around the top. Rich mostly sat on the small roof, AJ and Alyc on the lower roofs, Henry was on one side of the damp bunker and traveling around, Max was in the other, Mac was walking around in the narrow halls, Ren was looking around the bunker and in the non-main rooms.

"Guys... I don't like this it's so noisy but quiet and empty and I feel like demons are gonna kill me." Ren whined over the airwave. It kind of had static, but she was understood.

"Same." Henry admitted.

"Aw, cmon guys! This is fun!" Mac laughed evilly back.

"Hey, guys I found them." Rich called into the talkie.

"Where?" Alyc asked, looking towards him worriedly.

"Down the stairs." Rich groaned, leaning back. "Let's all meet back up here." He suggested then went dead. They did meet back at the top, somehow avoiding the parents. Max had taken her favorite ways up; the narrow ladder to the small storage room, and then climbed through the hole in it.

"HAHA!" Dan cheered, everyone shot at her. Max blinked in confusion and surprise. Plus the bullets did kind of hurt.

"We win! We win!" Steven cheered excitedly.

"Wabam!" Max yelled and shot Steven in the belly.

"Hey!" Steve pouted. Max giggled and laid back again.

"I'm tired." She groaned and huffed. "And hungry." Henry leaned over her face and snickered.

"Good thing we're having lunch." Steven announced and started towards the stairs.

"Awesome!" Max sat up quickly, faster than Henry could lean back. Their heads hit against each other. "Sorry, Henry." Max winced and covered her head. Henry stumbled back and covered his forehead with a wince. He shook his head, smiling slightly. Max smiled sideways at him.

"Totally shipping it right now." Rich announced.

"Hax, or Menry?" Ren replied, placing her hand on her hips triumphantly. Max shot her an annoyed glare.

"Hax." Mac decided. Henry glared at Mac, though he had a noticeable red face. Mac smirked triumphantly and pushed his dirty blond hair back from his eyes.

"You guys are dumb." Max laughed, standing. She grabbed her gun and all the extra bullets from the ground around her.

"We're still missing like two bullets." Dan groaned in annoyance.

"Meh." Ren shrugged, "I'll pay you back." She promised, waving her hand dismissively.

"To food!" Max announced and lead the way down. Steve was already waiting at his car. "Where we headed~?" Max asked, leaning by his window curiously.

"Just get in one of the cars." Steve chuckled. Max's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Honestly, she still wasn't sure about everything with her parents. Especially after the whole; divorce stuff. She could tell they were really trying, though.

"Okay," Max smirked and pointed. "But I wanna drive!" Dan laughed loudly from behind her. Max pouted.

"Oh, you were serious?!" Dan snickered. "No way, kid! You're wayyyyy to inexperienced for that." He crossed his arms. Max pouted more. "Not gonna work on me!" Dan turned his head away. Max crossed her arms.

"Fine." She grumbled and went to the passenger in Dan's car. Everyone sat in their original seats and Dan lead the way towards some hiking trail. "I thought we were gonna eat!" Max groaned and leaned her head to the side dramatically. Dan glanced at her and returned to watching where they were going.

"We are."

"Are we gonna eat by the seaside?" Alyc gasped and cupped her hands together. Dan glanced at the rearview mirror a steady thought face on.

"No, but we will be by the Sound later." He replied and started backing into a parking spot.

"Oooo..." Alyc agreed excitedly. Ren snickered and exited the newly parked car. Her, Max, Alyc, and Dan were setting up blankets for food and waiting for Steve to hurry up. By the time the others were out of their car; lunch was set up.

"What happened to all the presents?" Dan teased and chuckled.

"We don't have to-" Max started while rubbing her neck sheepishly.

"Nonsense!" Ren yelled, cutting here off. "It's your birthday, party. Plus tomorrow is Halloween, which has nothing to do with anything; I'm just excited, but still. You need to open presents." Max opened her mouth protest, but Ren shoved a present in her face.

"Fine." Max sighed ad chuckled quietly. Ren grinned triumphantly and sat down on the grass. Alyc sat beside her and had a wrapped box in her arms, Max sat beside her and quietly waited, Rich sat across from Alyc, Henry at the end, Mac across from Ren, and AJ across from Max. Dan sat in the trunk of Steven's car, Steve beside him.
"Guess it's Ren's first." Max chuckled and threw the stuffing at Henry. She grinned evilly and looked into the bag; inside was a book. Max raised a brow and pulled it out, slowly pushing the bag away. "OH! That's what this is!!" Max yelled, realizing the book was a fairytale packed book "Awesome!" Max grinned excitedly.

"Wait look at the back!" Ren beamed. Max raised a curious brow and opened it, she flipped around towards the back. About halfway through there were pictures from when she was really little and lived with Ren, then the rest of the pages were blank. 

"I don't get it?" Max gave Ren a questioned look.

"Well, I figured since you like stories so much, I'd give you a story, but memories from yours. And now you can add more!" Ren smirked triumphantly.

"So you want me to live my own little fairy tale?" Max smirked.

"Precisely!" Ren grinned. Max jumped up and held up an imaginary sword.

"Then I shall rule the world!" Max grinned evilly. Ren started laughing.

"You wish!"

"Rude!" Max pouted and sat down.

"Mine next!" Alyc yelled ad handed it to Max, who happily took it. 

"GUYS!" Max yelled after opening the wrapping paper, "I GOT A BOX!" Max bounced around. Alyc giggled.

"Keep opening it silly!" 

"Yeah, okay." Max chuckled and clawed the tape off. "I should've known this was gonna happen." She stared at more wrapping paper inside the box. Alyc laughed. Max opened the wrapping paper, another box. "This betted not go on for a while because I will literally take what is in here and stab you." Max gave Alyc an evil look.

"Well, that's reassuring." Rich laughed. Max shrugged and opened the other box. More wrapping paper. She unwrapped it at threw it at Alyc's face. Alyc giggled even more. "Keep giggling and you might lose that pretty little voice of yours." Rich winked causing Alyc to blush madly. He smiled to himself and watched the present opening.

"Okay, I struck something other than a box!" Max announced and pulled it out. "Another... Beanie?" Her head tilted. Alyc looked worried. "It looks just like this one, well in better condition of course." She held up the hats. 

"You don't like it... Do you?" Alyc frowned.

"I do! I do! Guess I'm just a bit surprised." Max smiled. "Not that I'm getting rid of this one." She held up the ragitty one, she winked at Alyc and pulled on the new beanie. "Fits great!" She beamed and stuffed the other into her jacket pocket. Alyc smiled slightly. 

"Mine next! Mine next!" AJ shoved his bag at Max. She took it with a laugh. "Be careful with the stuffing stuff!" He announced with wide eyes.

"Okay, okay!" Max laughed and carefully pulled the stuffing out and shook it. Nothing came out, AJ grinned proudly and watched. Max's eyes scanned over the wrapped presents curiously. She pulled out a thin pack that felt like some sort of card. She opened it. "Hot Topic Gift Card!" Max grinned evilly.

"Oh god..." Dan gasped in 'terror', he was only teasing.

"Oh yes," Max smirked. She opened another package; a tiny stuffie Seal was in it. Max squeaked and hugged it.

"Her name's Icy." AJ smirked triumphantly.

"She's adorabbleeee!" Max grinned and opened the final wrapper; there was a bow tie. Max studied it with a completely serious face. AJ watched obviously nervous for the reaction. "How did you know I wanted this?" Max glanced at him questioningly. AJ chuckled and rubbed his neck.

"I didn't." He grinned. Max smirked and nodded back. Mac handed her his gift.

"It's so heavy." Max groaned though it wasn't that heavy. She unwrapped it, careful not to crush Icy. "Aw, you didn't have to get me a new board!" Max smiled at Mac. She was faced with a boxed skateboard. Mac shrugged and smiled back. 

"Here." Rich handed Max her present a nervous expression on his face. There was another Hot Topic gift card, which made Max grin evilly at Dan. There was a Panic! At The Disco album too, the Death of a Bachelor album to be precise. Max bounced on her seat excitedly. Dan stared at her intensely.

"Don't you dare start singing."

"Finnneeee!" Max grinned. Henry glanced at his bag and frowned slightly. "What's wrong?" Max asked, poking his shoulder.

"Nothing, nothing!" Henry laughed sheepishly and gave her the bag. He glanced away before she could react. Max Stuffies the contents; two wrapped gifts and a Hello Kitty collectible Halloween Edition stuffed animal. Max put everything down in front of her and took the Hello Kitty out. She slowly grinned and then had a huge fangirl attack.

"I have been trying to get one of these forever!!!" Max smiled excitedly. Henry exhaled in relief. "You guys are the freaking best!" Max beamed as she pulled out the final two gifts. She opened them both carefully in case she could break something. A new sketch book and a T-shirt; a red flannel. "Definitely the best." Max nodded. She really couldn't express how grateful or excited she was, but she felt bad they spent money on her.

"Okay okay, gifts in the car," Dan announced and opened his car's trunk. Max carefully placed everything so none of it was crushed, everything else would have to go in Steven's car. Max sat back with her definite friends.
Maybe high school wouldn't be so bad after all.

Lunch was eaten fairly quickly and with a lot of talking. Today was a lot of fun, and it wasn't even over yet! Max smiled at the thought. The group put everything into Steve's trunk and locked the car. Now off to the trails!