Athena: Hey so, guess what? I kidnapped Gazzy! He's not to happy though.

Gazzy: That paperclip goes right here, the gun powder goes here.

Athena: Maybe that wasn't such a wise choice…

Gazzy: You have forgotten something!

Athena: Oh, right! For those of you who want your own flock member, and I hear Edward Cullen is still free, Security really isn't that tight in the-

Gazzy: No, no…

Athena: Oh, THAT!

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride, or Hestia. She owns herself. Hestia, if your reading, PM me if you're a little OOC. And I don't own Twilight.

Claimer: I own my OC's.

Athena: Now for le story!

16.

16 is older than when we saved the world. Sixteen is when Iggy got a girlfriend. 16 is when you care when the sun bleaches your hair. 16 is when things get all blurry around the edges. 16 is when you make bombs in your room but you never actually set them off. 16 is when your immune system has gotten a hold of itself. 16 is when you start going crazy and write about being 16.

So, we should start at my 16th birthday.

***

The cake was huge, the candles were huge, and the present was huge. The whole flock was singing

"Happy Birthday to you!

"Happy Birthday to you!

"Happy birthday dear Gasman!

"Happy Birthday to you!"

I blew out all the candles at once.

"Now can we eat the cake?" Nudge asked "I'm starving."

"Sure I said, then I cut the cake into 7 pieces, one for every flock member plus Total, minus me.

"What about you, Gazzy?" Angel asked.

"I'm not that hungry." I said, then I put the knife on the table.

"Oh, okay." she said, then I blinked and it was all gone.

I looked around at all the faces. Max and Fang, with their 18 month old son, Joseph. Nudge, who had gotten so old. Angel, my little sister who never really grew up. And then, Iggy. My role model, my best friend.

I needed alone time. I needed to think. To think about… Life choices.

"Hey, I'll be right back." I said, then I jumped out the door.

Our house was positioned so that when you stepped out of the house, you had to have wings or else you would fall to your death. We were right on the edge of a cliff. I went down to a crevice in the cliff face that Iggy and I had found when we were younger. We had stored emergency stuff there, backpacks with fruit rollups and cans of pear halves. I grabbed one and flew out the door. I had to get out of here. I flew north, to Washington.

We lived in California, near the bottom.

As I passed the lights of LA, I looked for a forest. I knew that there wouldn't be one for a while, I looked down at the city. It was night by then, and the city was lit up. I did loopdeyloops and figure eights. I felt like I was… well, the sky? But I guess that would be apparent since I'm flying. I

Dipped into a small clearing after the city. I sat down in a tree and closed my eyes, and suddenly I was reminded of doing the exact same thing with the flock.

Gazzy: Is it me, or am I OOC?

Athena: You're OOC.

Gazzy: Thought so…

Athena: Hey, no, no beans!

Gazzy: Carrots…Greens… Bread…Aha!

Athena: This is going to be a very long day…

Give me an R! Give me an &! Give me an R! What does that spell? R&R!