Max was in class when she first saw him, she didn’t really know what to think about him at first, he wore almost all black and had what looked like day old black eye make up smudged on. There are no girls—let alone guys—at her school who wear makeup like that.

His hair wasn’t long like a girl’s, but it was longer then all of the boys at school’s hair. Parts stood almost on end in the back, like he had just crawled out of bed; it was natural black and probably hadn’t been washed in a few days.

He wore tight tartan patterned trousers. They were tight enough to make someone wonder how he could fit his foot through to pull those pants on. He had a black shirt with some obscure band name written across it.

He was the complete opposite of everyone at that school but no matter how repulsive he appeared every girl knew one thing: he was more attractive then any of the football jocks and he was free real estate, unclaimed, up for the taking.

Max wasn’t like him in the way she dressed; she wasn’t overly punk or preppy. Her style was to mix the two, wear a ‘god save the queen’ shirt with high-end pants and accessories. She could tell though, by his shirt that they had similar taste in music.

She wasn’t the most popular girl at school, but she wasn’t an outcast. She was excited by the idea that he may have some interest in her and choose her over her ‘friends’.

She had somehow managed to get into the right click when she reached high school, though she wouldn’t consider them her closest friends, but they where fun to hang out with. At that moment she was just hoping he’d be her friend, even if she lost all others.

The teacher came over to the table that they shared and kneeled next to his seat, “Hi, William Francis?” she asked him.

“Just Will thanks,” he replied.

“Ok, Will, I hope you don’t mind just listening to the lecture today and I’ll help you catch up later.”

“Yeah that’s cool,” he said as she stood up and walked off.

Max tried her hardest to stifle her giggles as he looked at her, “What so funny?” Will asked menacingly.

“Nothing, it’s just that you have too first names,”

“Yeah so? At least I’m not a poser.”

“Excuse me?”

“Most people wouldn’t pair Jimmy Choos, with The Sex Pistols, unless they where a poser.”

“Yeah, except that these shoes are Marc Jacobs.”

“Oh so you’re a spoiled poser?”

“News flash this isn’t a very cheep school, everyone here is spoiled.”

“Not everyone, I’m not”

“I’m sorry your mom didn’t love you, but you don’t need to be such an ass.”

“Max, go to the principal’s office, I wont stand for that type of language,” the teacher said from the front of the room.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Campbell but Will said worse,” she replied.

“Really?”

“Yeah, he called me a stupid fuck.”

“Well he is new so why don’t you show him where the principal’s office is.” The two students stood and walked out the hall.

“Don’t expect me to apologize,” she crossed her arms as they walked down the hall.

“I don’t, that was good, I wouldn’t have thought to do that,” he said his hands in his pockets.

“Oh,” they walked in silence for a minute before she said, “F.Y.I. I only wear these shoes because my mom wont let me get a pair of Doc Martins.”

“I have an old pair you can have,”

“Sorry but I don’t want A.I.D.s,”

“Suit yourself,” he said before turning towards the main exit.

“Where are you going?” She asked.

“Skipping,” he noticed her shocked look and said, “Don’t worry, it’ll just be for a period, why don’t you come? You’re pretty cool,”

“No, it’s bad enough that I got sent to the principal’s office, do you realize how bad it would be if I skipped?”

“Ok, have fun,” he said walking out the door. She ignored the small part of her brain that was telling her to go after him and continued down to her destination.

“The new kid’s cute, isn’t he?” Lilly asked the group of girls sitting with her.

“Cute? He’s so handsome and so dark and mysterious,” Rose said sitting across the table. They where on their lunch break and decided to go to the local sandwich store to sit and chat.

“Oh, he’s so different from all the other guys, and his pants! Oh my gosh, I could look at those all day,” Daisy, the last of the friends said. This type of conversation was common; they talked about a different guy each week. Even though Daisy and Rose where taken, Lilly had just dumped her most recent piece of meat and seemed to have her radar set on the new kid, which didn’t sit well with Max.

“I was talking with him in class today,” she said sipping her soda, being the only one who had bought something.

“Try fighting,” Rose scoffed.

“No, a disagreement, He said I was a spoiled poser, and I called him an ass,” she said finishing her drink.

“Oh my gosh, how could he say that?” Daisy placed a hand over her heart in surprise.

“So he didn’t actually call you a stupid fuck?” Rose asked.

“No he didn’t,” she admitted, “But I thought If I’m getting sent to the office why not bring someone with me,” she shrugged to say ‘no-big’.

“He sounds like a major jerk,” Daisy said trying to support her friend.

“Yeah but in the hall, he was wicked chill about it,” Lilly coughed at her using ‘lower class’ slang, “And wanted me to skip with him.”

“Did you?” Rose and Daisy where hanging off her every word.

“No, I didn’t,”

“Good,” Lilly stated.

“Why is that?”

“Because, well I over heard him talking. I was going to tell you in private but this is as good I guess,” she looked around the almost empty joint, “But I over heard him talking on the phone and he was talking about you,”

“What did he say?”

“Well, he didn’t mention you by name but he said the chick in the Sex Pistols shirt was the biggest minger to ever walk the face of the earth,” Lilly now held the three girl’s attention.

“Oh my gosh, that’s awful! Why would he think that?” Daisy asked no one in particular.

“I don’t know, but maybe, just a suggestion but what if we went through your wardrobe and took out all the nasty clothes and gave you a make over?” Rose said.

This was Lilly’s plan. Max’s individuality had been causing her popularity since people where noticing her more then Lilly. Originally she had planed to make Max less of herself and more like Lilly but then William showed up. Changing the plan a little bit, to not just making Max a duplicate but making her hate the only person who would support her slowly changing fashion sense.

Lilly had heard the new kid talking about her friend, but not calling her a minger but instead saying that she seemed to be the only cool person in the school.

“Yeah that sound’s like a good idea, Rose. How about we get together at your house? How about spend Friday night and go through your closet then shopping Saturday and spa on Sunday,” Lilly said, “We have to get back to class now.”

And with that the girls stood up and left before Max completely understood what had happened just then.

The room was dark, which was understandable being that it was around midnight. It was hot out for this late in the year and Max had gotten into the habit over the summer to got to sleep in just her underwear to bed. She was fast asleep and didn’t hear the person entering her room.

He moved swiftly though the bedroom, careful to not upset the dresser that bore her outfit for the next day. He paused looking at the clothes that where laid out in the moonlight completely bewildered to why Max would choose that outfit, completely Armani with no punk music references set out, “Weird,” he said under his breath.

“What?” the other person who had accompanied him asked.

“This doesn’t look like something she’d wear, more something her friends would,” the first boy indicated the outfit.

“What ever, just get us some food, man,” the second said.

The first guy walked over to her bed, “be quiet she freaks easy,” he said over his shoulder before he leaned forward lightly tapping her cheeks till she stirred awake.

“Ehh,” she mumbled her eyes opening, “Jason?” she asked moving to look up at him.

“Good morning, doll,” he said looking down at her.

“What can I do for you?” she asked looking past him seeing the silhouette of his friend in the moon lit window, “Holy shit!” she yelled falling out of the bed.

“Max, hey what’s wrong?” he asked hurrying over to her.

“It’s the fucking Boogie-man!” she hollered pointing at the man in the window.

“No, Max he’s here with me,” he tried to explain.

“You brought the fucking Boogie-man to my house at 3 am?” she asked him still yelling slightly.

“He’s not the Boogie-man, he’s my friend,” he turned on the light so that she could see who was actually standing there. And standing in front of the window was a boy about Jason's age, a few feet taller than Max. He had black hair and looked halfway to death in all black with his pale skin and over grown 5 o’clock shadow.

Max mumbled something about him and his friends before saying, “Can I have a shirt,” after realizing that she didn’t have one on.

“Here,” the Boogie-man one said pulling off his shirt and tossing it to her.

“Thanks, so I guess you two want pancakes, right?” she said pulling on the shirt as they walked towards the kitchen.

An hour and five pancakes later they sat around the table in the kitchen their stomachs full, “Gosh I feel like I could burst at the seams,” Jason said.

“I better still fit into my outfit tomorrow,” Max commented leaning back in her chair, “and speaking of seams, Boogie-man are you really made out of bugs?” she smiled sweetly at him.

He laughed, “Sorry to scare you, my name really is Jake,” he smiled before making a serious face, “Wambold, Jake Wambold, not to be confused with Jake Davison,”

“What do you guys look alike?” she asked not knowing whom he was speaking of.

“I don’t think so, and he plays drums! How do you get a drummer confused with a guitarist?! I mean ones a musician: me, and then one isn’t: him. And he is seriously creepy looking, if he was in your room at night you would have screamed bloody murder, I’m not kidding, the kid needs to see a beautician,” he ranted with hand gestures adjoining it.

“Man, Jake don’t be so rough on the guy, he’s new to these parts and it’s a simple miss understanding,” Jason sighed.

“But I’m original, I work on my look making sure that there is no other like it, but then ugly shows up a and ruins my rep,” he half whined seeming close to tears.

“Ok, Jake it’s time to go home. Thanks for the pancakes we’ll see you around,” he said stand up and clearing off the table.

“Max where do you go to school with a William Francis, perchance?”

“Yeah I sit next to him in a few classes unfortunately,” she stretched ready to go back to sleep.

“Well, then you can barrow the t-shirt and give it to him tomorrow and have him give it to me,” Jake said as he and Jason walked out the door.

Max waved good-bye and headed upstairs to lie down and dream about something nice.

Max walked into the school building not wanting to go and talk to the despicable person who had so recently inhabited her educational environment.

The small voice in the back of her head told her to not be so mean and give the guy a chance, he listens to good music, and maybe he didn’t say that.

Then the loud obnoxious voice said overpowering the other, that her friends said he said that and they’re her friends and wouldn’t dream of lying to her.

She took a deep breath and walked up to him careful to not stumble in the new shoes Rose lent her, or pick at her new underwear that was riding up, which she only bought because she didn’t want to buy a girdle and this one had suspenders attached to it.

“Hey,” she said walking up to him, “You’re friends with Jake Wambold right?” she looked any where but him.

“Hey, you’re speaking to me for a change, and so what if I know him?” he asked pulling a book out of his locker.

“Don’t think it’s special, anyway I need you to give him his shirt back, he lent it to me last night when I couldn’t find mine,”

“Uh, yeah I guess I could,” he took the shirt and stuck it in his locker, “Hey—,” he said before realizing that she had walked off up the stairs. He shut his locker and chased after her. “Max, hey, Max,” he attempted but she ignored him then he got an idea to get her attention, “Hey Max, I can see your undies, and those suspenders are quite becoming, I didn’t realize you where into that slightly kinky fashion,” he said actually looking up her skirt.

She stopped and he was the right amount of steps and directly behind her that his face collided with her bum. She pulled him up the steps by his collar and pushed him into the lockers.

“Hey, hey I’m sorry, I just wanted to invite you to a party,” she slapped him, “What was that for?”

“Looking up my skirt and what makes you think I’d be seen in public with you?”

“To prove you’re not a poser and Jake will be there you can return his shirt personally,” he said, “You know have some more fun like you probably had last night,” he prepared himself for another slap and received a bloody nose.

--

She went to the party, not with him though, she called up Jason and told him that he owed her a ride for the pancakes.

“Hey, one thing,” he said over her phone as she sat on her bed flipping though a magazine.

“Yeah?” she replied bored and wanting to take a shower.

“You should wear your Hurt shirt with those pants I got you, and yeah I know you don’t have the shoes to match but really just wear some flats, it’ll look cute,” he informed her.

“And you say you’re not gay,” Max commented jokingly.

“You’ll defiantly get a guy in that, not some skirt that shows your naughty bits to everyone in school, like Will told me about today,”

“One thing, he was deliberately looking up my skirt today, I really can’t stand him, he’s such a pervert and I heard him call me a minger!”

“You heard him call you that?”

“Well, no someone I trust told me about it.”

“What ever, just wear something respectable, though Will says you should wear those panties from early,” he finished.

“Tell him to go suck his mom,” she said slamming her phone into the cradle.

She had worn what he suggested not bothering to brush or blow-dry her hair after the shower and just putting it up in a bun. The major knot she was forming would be a bitch to take care of in the morning but she didn’t care right now.

Max was nervous about this, she never really hung out with Jason out side of family functions, even though he was the one who first forced her to listen to the misfits as they talked. They had found common ground to talk on and he slowly started to tell her about his interest in fashion and how his friends would mock him about it.

They pulled up to the house that bore the generic sings of a Gathering: strew beer cans, cups and bodies across the front yard, defaced property and the occasional couple who—unfortunately—couldn’t find a room.

Jason parked the car and they headed in. She was surprised by the fact that no one was standing and dancing, just sitting around casually drinking beer and talking. That was, in that room though, in the one next to it there was no light and a mass of humans moving around in every direction. “Come on,” he tugged on her shirt pulling her through the quite room towards a door in the back.

“Hey Jason, how’s it going?” someone said from the ground below them. He looked down and saw a girl sitting on the floor. Max didn’t study her much; she was still nervous and was looking around the room. She did notice the red strips that went down the girl’s hair. She would love to die her hair, but Max’s hair was dark black and turned into a frizz ball whenever she tried to do something with it.

“Fine, why are you here?”

“Angel’s personal designated driver though I bet he’s going to pass out here like he always does,” she said smiling.

“Is Nick with you?”

“Is he ever not?”

“Does Jake know?”

“Neither of them,”

“Oh cool, I’m taking Max down stairs. Oh right, hey Max, this is Angel’s—whom you haven’t met yet but will in a second—cousin, Autumn. Autumn this is my cousin Max,” he introduced the girls.

“Nice to meet you,” Max said holding her hand out.

“Same,” Autumn shook her hand with a kind smile.

Jason continued to pull her towards and then threw it and down the stairs proceeding said door. As they reached the bottom, Jake W. stood up and greeted them with two shots in hand, “Welcome to my humble abode,” he said as Jason gulped the drink down.

“What’s in this?” she asked inspecting the glass.

“Something out of my old man’s liquor cabinet, don’t worry he wont notice.”

“I’m not worried about him,” She said downing it quickly, “Man, this is bitter.”

“You’re pretty good for a girl,” he said leading her over to the couch.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Oh nothing, it’s just that you did well but I bet you couldn’t do it again.”

“Right you’re just trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me.”

“Oh, no I’m not the one who wants you,” Max was sure he sent a sidewise glance to someone across the room, “Jason would hurt me if I thought of doing anything.”

“Well then line ‘em up!” he did as she commanded. The night continued in a secession of drinking games between her and the other boys in the basement, until she finally fell asleep on the couch. One thing she didn’t think of before going to the party was that her cousin liked to play tricks and his friends weren’t that far from similarity.

Max was groggy when she woke up, a familiar pain building up behind her eyes. She laid on her back, a cold draft coming through the window. To warm up she pulled the scratchy blanket tighter over her bare shoulders. She rolled onto her side trying to fall back asleep.

Someone tugged the blanket away from her mumbling “Gimmie.” Max’s eyes snapped open; she recognized the voice. She sat up cautiously not wanting her fears confirmed.

She looked over and next to her was the back of someone’s head. She recognized the mess of black hair, and his pale shoulders. Shoulders. She could see his shoulders; he didn’t have a shirt on.

And neither did she. Max screamed; she was mortified. On cue he jumped up and turned over pressing his hands to her mouth with forced that pushed her to the ground.

She laid there looking up at his face floating over her. Her knuckles turned white from clutching the blanket to her chest. Max became annoyed when he didn’t remove his hand, and bit down hard on his palm.

“Ow, what the fuck was that for?” he asked clutching his hand.

“Why do you think?”

“Why where you screaming?”

“I’m not even bothering, now give me the blanket and get out I need to get dressed,” she said shooing him out of the room.

“Hey your not the only one sitting naked on the floor,” He trailed off at the end realization washing over his face, “Wait a minute did we,” once again un able to finish his sentence.

“What do you think?”

All he could say was: “Shit,” but he said it about five times.

“What are you so worried about?” she asked him, “It’s not like you have a rep or anything to worry about,”

“Really?” he raised his eyebrows, “Does a girlfriend count?”

“You have a girlfriend? She must be desperate,” she mumbled grabbing her underwear and pulling it on under the covers.

“At least she didn’t get smashed sleep with some creep from school,” he said propping him self up with his elbows.

She wanted to slap him, “What do you mean by that? Oh and they don’t count as girlfriends if you have to pay them,”

“Aren’t you being a bit harsh on your friends?” he asked as she put her bra on.

“Sorry Francis, but I wouldn’t call you a friend,” she was too aggravated to be able to clip the back.

“I’m not talking about me,” he assisted her with the closure, “I mean Lilly.”

She whipped around giving him a quizzical look, “What are you talking about,” she leaned in closer her expression changing to one of intimidation, “She would never do anything with you,”

“Just like you, ay?” he replied fixing the twisted bra strap, “If you didn’t like me, then why did you wear the underwear I said you should wear?” he said as she realized that they where dangerously close.

Naturally that was the perfect time for the door to slam open with Jason’s shadow cascading down the stairs, “Max we need to,” he began but realized what he was looking at and stopped abruptly, “Go home,” he finished a minute later.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Max said, “I’m not just saying that,”

“What ever,” he said leaving the two on the floor.

“Nice,” William said looking at her.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not what it looks like,” he mocked, “everyone knows that that means it’s exactly what it looks like, duh.”

“Yeah sure what evs,” she mumbled grabbing her jeans.

“I won’t tell anyone if you don’t,” he said sitting up cross-legged watching her, the blanket pulled around his waist.

“Tell whom about what?” she looked pulling her jeans on by jumping up.

“About this.”

“Oh sure, I guess.” She picked up the shirt next to her. Pulling it on she realized it wasn’t hers. She tugged it off and checked the next one.

“So, what kind of music do you listen to?” he asked trying to fill the silence.

“Good stuff,” she replied finding her shirt.

“Could you elaborate a bit more,” he asked annoyed.

“A lot of hardcore stuff,” she said down pulling on her shoes, “More ska recently, actually, like Reel Big Fish.”

“Yeah they’re pretty ill,” he agreed. She sat on the ground across from him mirroring his posture.

“Well, I have to go, if I want to be able to leave the house again anytime soon,” She said after a moment of silence.

“Bye,” she stood up dusted off her bum out of habit and continued up the stairs.

“Hey, Max,” he called up to her.

“Yeah,” she asked ducking her head below the ceiling that block her view.

“You’re, uhm,” he paused trying to arrange his words. He wanted to tell her that she’s not as much of a bitch as he though but decided other wise, “Your hair is a bit mess, you should fix it, you know so he’ll still believe that it’s ‘not what it looks like’.”

“Uh, thanks I guess,” she reached for the door while running her fingers through her hair, then backtracked. “William, I’d watch out about Lilly if I was you,” she advised.

“Really? Why?”

“I think she’s only going out with you to get back at someone. I have an idea of who, but no idea why,”

“Oh, ok, I’ll remember that,” he nodded.

“Bye,” she said offering a brief wave.

“See you Monday,” he returned the wave.

“Yeah, see you,” she finally exited the door. “Jason, let’s go,”

“Ok,” he said good-bye to the guy and girl he was talking with as he waited for her.

“Did you have fun last night?” he asked as they drove to her home.

“Yeah I think,” Max paused, “Did I actually sleep with Francis?”

He smiled at her, “No, it’s was Jake’s idea, since Will’s been wicked OCD about you, and the last girl he was like that about, once he slept with her he wasn’t as annoying. Apparently Jake was getting annoyed about him always going on about your hair, he says it’s like feathers,” he chuckled, “So, he says, “You think he’d shut up if he thought they’d done it,” and I was like, “Yeah maybe,” so he undressed Will, and I wouldn’t let anyone else touch you. You guys where already passed out,” he explained, “And Angel threw in the condom wrapper, and then we went upstairs.”

“Thank god, that’s a major load off of my mind,” she sighed relaxing in her seat.

“Do you like him?”

She thought, “He’s ok when noone else is around, but if there’s even one person there he acts like a dick,”

“Guys are like that,” Jason said.

“Are you?”

“Do I you think I do?”

“Well, I don’t know since I’m your cousin, and it’d be gross if you said anything perverted to me, and the only other girls that are around when we chill are also related, so I’m not the one to ask,” she clarified smiling up at him.

“Ok then,” he laughed as she turned up the radio.