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Big spaces=skipped time

Line breaks=change of Point of View

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"Hey mom!" I cried, stepping out of the rental car that was parked in front of the house. Upon seeing me, my mom tackled me into a hug, nearly squeezing me to death. She moved backwards so that she could see my face.

"Max! I missed you so much! How was Charleton?" She asked.

"Oh, it was good. I made a lot of friends. The classes were fairly easy. You need to meet J.J. sometime. She's the nicest..." I rambled on about my university as I helped my mom carry my various suitcases into the house. I walked into our homey white house, taking a deep breath. The familiar scent washed back at me and I smiled. I had missed it here.

"So...meet anybody interesting?" I turned towards my mom, confused. She gave me a meaningful look and nudged my shoulder playfully.

"Mom!" I shrieked, dropping the suitcase. She took one look at my face and started running. We ran around the house, shrieking and laughing the whole time, successfully awaking my dog. Total ran towards me in all his black terrier glory, barking the whole time. I picked him up and he immediately started slobbering all over my face.

"Ew, Total! Get off!"

After I unpacked all my bags, had a quick nap (I hate driving for 6 hours straight) and ate something, I sat and started catching up with my mom.

"So mom, where's Jeb?" I asked about my mother's fiancé, who I surprisingly liked a lot. They were getting married in August. My mom is super excited and happy. I was mom's little accident. She got drunk at a party and had me when she was 16. She never found out who my real dad was, so raising me by herself was pretty tough. She deserved some happiness.

"Oh, he's at work."

Jeb is a scientist. And he loves it. I don't really know what he does, but as long as he isn't creating mutant versions of humans, it's okay with me.

I'm in the Arts and Sciences program in Charleton. It's my first year of university and to say I was excited is an understatement. I hope to become a pediatrician in the near future. People always told me that I was really good with children.

I'm in the kitchen right now, munching on an absolutely delicious, made from heaven, fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookie that my mom made. I swear, my mom is a goddess in disguise. Who else could make such wonderful cookies? My best friend J.J. told me that I was addicted. I slapped her.

Anyways, my mom finished making the cookies about 5 minutes ago and I have already eaten around 10. It's surprising that I still weigh approximately 100 pounds with all that I eat. Ah, the wonders of a high metabolism.

I jumped as the front door banged open. From outside emerged a tall man with pale blue eyes with a computer case slung over his shoulder.

"Jeb!" I jumped from my seat and tackled my soon to be step-father in a hug. He chuckled and hugged my back. I broke out of the hug so that he could come inside the house.

"So you're back for the Christmas holidays. How was Charleton?" I relayed the exact information that I had told my mom at Jeb. After I had finished he said,

"So you enjoyed it there." I thought for a moment, then answered slowly,

"Yeah. I guess so." Suddenly I heard the familiar sound of our mailbox closing. I jumped up. "Mail's here!" I ran out of the house, grabbed the thick stack of mail and then ran back in, plopping down on the couch opposite that Jeb and my mom were sitting on.

I started to sort through the mail. "Boring...boring...bank...boring...bor-" I stared at the familiar crest on the envelope. With shaky hands I tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter inside.

"Max? Max, who is that letter from?" I barely heard my mom ask. I held up my hand in the form of the universal wait sign and started to read the letter.

Dear Miss Ride,

We are pleased to inform you that you are accepted into Ravensdale University for the second semester of this school year until you graduate. We are also offering you a full scholarship if you choose to attend the university. We have enclosed a list of all the books needed for the courses that you will be taking (the same ones as those you are taking in your former university). The semester begins on January 10. We await your letter by no later than December 25.

Yours sincerely,

Jovine Oliveros

Head of University

I read of the letter several times, making sure that I wasn't hallucinating. As soon as I was sure, I shrieked out loud in happiness. My mother ran over.

"What is it?" she demanded. I thrust my letter into her awaiting hands and prompted her to read it. When she was done, I stared at her happily, but then started to frown as I realized she wasn't smiling.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. She sighed.

"I know you've always wanted to go to Ravensdale, it being one of the most prestigious universities out there, and I know you deserve to go there, with how hard you've worked over the years, but...it's just so far. I mean, at least Charleton was nearby. I just had to drive 6 hours to get there if I missed you too much. Ravensdale is in New York City! We live in California! That's on the other side of country. You'll just be so far away. And New York isn't exactly the safest place on earth. What if you got mugged, raped, kidnapped or-"

"Mom! Calm down! There's a reason why I have a black belt in karate. I'm not going to get hurt. I promise. This is a really great chance for me. Remember how I had cried last May when I got the letter saying that I was being declined? I was so upset. It's my dream to go to Ravensdale. And I'm going, whether you like it or not." I stared her down, willing her to defy mom stared right back at me.

"It's your choice. And I respect that."

I hugged my mom, who had tears streaking down her face. We were at the airport so that I could catch my flight to Ravensdale.

"Mom, if it helps, I'll phone you every week. Okay? Don't worry about me." I gave her a reassuring look and moved on to Jeb.

"Take care of her for me, okay? Don't let her worry too much." I hugged him. He whispered into my ear,

"I won't. I promise." He took a deep breath. "Bye Max. I'll see you in the summer." We broke apart and I headed towards security.

"Bye guys!" Then I turned my back to them.

"Hey Fang!" Iggy called, "Heads up!"

My neck jerked backwards just in time to catch the wayward football that Iggy had thrown to Gazzy

"Nice one, Fang!" Gazzy shouted from a hundred or so metres away.

We were all relaxing. We had kicked some serious Malum butt earlier this week, so we were all basking in our well-earned vacation. At least the guys, the Brotherhood of Wellex, were. The girls, the Sisterhood of Bevlon, were off on a scouting mission, to get the latest on how well the Malums were progressing on their virus.

Confused? Basically, I belong to a group called the Brotherhood of Wellex. We have a sister group named the Sisterhood of Bevlon. We're all…special, I guess, in our own ways. More on that later. Our groups were created to rival the Malums, a group that seems hell-bent on taking over the world by creating a fatal plague, then serving as the only people in the world who have the antidote. So, my mates and I basically have an alter-ego. Regular students at Ravensdale University by day, and evil-busting superheroes by night.

Wow. That was really clichéd, but it's pretty much true.

Just then, my watch beeped

"Yes?" I said into it.

Now, it may seem strange that I was talking to a watch, but if you keep stopping at everything that seems strange, you'll never finish.

My watch beeped again.

"Incoming message from, Nudge Doyle" my watch said in its automated voice.

I pushed a few buttons, then saw the message Nudge had sent me.

We're back. Meet me in common room at 4. Important news, it read.

I groaned. In my world, "important news" generally circled around potential loss of life, Malums winning a battle, or the girls wanting to do something that would seriously jeopardize my masculinity. Plus, it was really weird that the girls had already gotten back from their scouting mission. I had thought it was supposed to last a few more days.

I pushed a few buttons on my watch, to check the time and date.

3:45, Wednesday.

If we hurried, we'd just make it.

"Gazzy! Iggy!" I shouted.

They came stumbling over.

"You don't have to talk so damn loud you know." Iggy complained. "We weren't all that far from you. You could have talked in a normal voice."

I rolled my eyes. Of course Iggy could have heard me speaking in a whisper, even if he was clear across the field. Boy was blessed with extreme hearing.

"Nudge wants us to meet the sisters in the common room in fifteen." I said, trying to keep my voice down, for Iggy's sake. "Said it was important. Could you go get our other brothers to come?"

We call each other brother and sister, but really, we aren't biologically related. The only two real siblings are Gazzy and Angela, a girl in the Sisterhood.

After a few moments, the rest of the Brotherhood came. In turn, each one of them bowed their head to me. That was one custom that always bothered me. Because I was the leader of our Brotherhood, all of my brothers had so show so much respect for me. I still wasn't used to it, seeing as I'd only been leader for a few months. It was fine and everything, but it sometimes made me feel uncomfortable. I would much rather we all just acted like equals.

Anyways, back to the task at hand:

"Nudge sent me a message, telling me that we had to meet her in the common room at four." I said, "She said it was important."

"Really?" Dylan asked. "I thought they were supposed to be scouting for a few more days!"

"I know," I told Dylan, "I don't know what they're doing back here either. Anyways, they told us to be there, and that it was important."

"Like, important important, or just 'OMG! There's a shoe sale at the mall!' important?" Holden inquired. Of all of us, he was the most likely to "inquire" anything. The kid was freakishly smart.

"C'mon, Fang!" Nathan protested. "I have things to do, people to see-"

"Or the other way around." Gazzy suggested.

We all groaned at that one.

"Anyways," Nathan said, "I have things to do and people to see, so I really can't go shopping with the girls today."

"You mean you'd turn down an opportunity to see Kate shop? Y'know, for some sexy linger-" Iggy was immediately cut off by Nathan tackling him.

I looked at the situation in dismay. Get them to listen to you, get them to listen to you I chanted to myself.

"EVERYBODY! LISTEN UP!" I yelled.

Well. That shut them up. I rarely raised my voice at my brothers. Iggy was wincing.

"We all have to go to the common room at four. I don't care whether or not it's really important, we're going because Nudge asked us to." I said in a slightly calmer voice.

We all walked to the common room on campus, the only room in this archaic place were males and females were allowed to mingle. As I walked, I was thinking.

I was still sore over my brothers' ribbing earlier. It went beyond purely being annoyed by their banter, to a more personal level. Of all my brothers and sisters, I was the only one that was…single. Well, except for Dylan. But Dylan and Maya were in that awkward stage between being friends and actually being together. They were always madly flirting. All the others had found their perfect other halves. Gazzy was with Serena, Iggy was with Ella, Holden was with Angela, Nudge was with Alex and Kate was with Nathan. When they were all together, it was hard to keep from feeling like the eleventh wheel. Although I didn't let any of this show. Nope, I had to be über leader, letting nothing get in the way of my focus on my brothers, and of defeating the Malums.

When we got to the common room, all of my brothers greeted their girlfriends. And by greeted, I mean full-on making out. Although I've had years to get used to this, I still can't help but puke a bit in my mouth when I see Holden, sticking his tongue down Angela's throat. I mean, I've known them practically since we were zygotes! Once our orgy (it seemed like that to me, at least) was over, Nudge stepped to the front of the room. From the mischievous glint in her dark eyes, I knew that this could not be good. Nudge used her telekinetic powers to lift a scroll into her hand. She held it up.

"What's that?" I asked nervously.

"It's a set of instructions" Nudge said carefully.

"What for?" I asked.

"For you." Nudge replied.

Okay, now I was really annoyed. I didn't know what Nudge's deal was, but this was getting no where by her being so goddamn cryptic. I decided to stop beating around the bush.

"What are you doing back at Ravensdale so soon?" I asked. "Wasn't your mission supposed to last until Monday?"

"Yeah, but something urgent came up, and we had to come back" Serena said.

"What would that be?" I asked, really wanting to pummel them for not answering my questions.

"Here's the deal, Fang." Maya said. "We found a new sister in Los Angeles. We already arranged for her to come to Ravensdale, but we need someone to mentor her."

I didn't like where this was going.

"And?" I asked.

"Well, Fang, you were right." Ella said, "We aren't supposed to be back from our scouting mission. In fact, we're going back to it tonight. This means, one of you boys will have to be the new girl's mentor. Preferably you, Fang, because you're the leader and you've got the most experience."

"Whoa!" I protested. "I can't just randomly mentor some girl you guys have decided to throw on me! Can't you just do it once you come back?"

"Ummm…no can do." Angela said uncomfortably.

"Why is that?" I asked suspiciously.

"Because she's arriving tomorrow."