My life had gone on. I didn't die or cry for days on end. I kept working. The Voice had been bothering me, constantly telling me to stay on track. I have to save the world and if you don't know that by now go back to the beginning. Like seriously, I've complained about it enough. But since he left I've done it. I saved the world from it's own self-destruction. The Flock and I stopped the School and Itex.
That said we went back to looking for our families. Nudge is with her parents and said she'd keep in touch. Gazzy and Angel found their parents not long after that. Their parents even took Iggy in. And guess who that left me with. Dylan. Uhhhh. Sometimes I truly hate my life.
It's been six years since I've seen the Flock. Well except Angel, she keeps in contact and comes to visit when she can sneak away. I've changed my look so I'm virtually unrecognizable. I died my hair black and got blue contacts. See not at all like myself.
"Max!" I hear as I try to stay asleep. "Max wake up!"
My bedroom door swung open and Dylan stood in the doorway. I rolled over and pulled my pillow over my head.
"Max, get up. You're going to be late for work." I ignored him and squeezed my eyes shut.
"Max!" he yelled at me, prying the pillow from my arms.
"Go away Dylan. I don't have work until seven."
"Either way it's 1:30 and Ella called." Is it sad that I live with someone I despise?
"Fine. I'll get up. You win." I surrender not in the mood to argue.
"I always do." He smirks at me before leaving the room. I really truly hate him… even if he's all I have. I dragged myself out of bed and took a hot shower. I threw on a black tank and some dark jeans. I grabbed my cell and called my sister.
"Hey Maxie." She answered.
"Hey Ells what's up?" I say as I let my head hang off the edge of my bed.
"Not much, mom just wanted to know if you and Dylan could make it for dinner tonight, she said she wanted to talk to you. So I used that as an excuse to call my big sister," she giggled.
"Tell her we'll come but she can't say a word about me and Dylan getting together, it's not happening."
"First its supposed to be Dylan and I not me and Dylan and second you do understand that you live with the guy."
"Yes and you know if I could avoid that I would."
"Yeah and I don't get it, he's hot!"
"Then you take him."
"Oh come on Max, just because Fa…"
"Don't Ella. That's not why I'm not with Dylan."
"Yeah sure it's not," she scoffs. We talked for a few hours and before I knew it, it was six.
"Um, Ella, I have to go, we'll be there around ten."
"Bye, see you then." She hung up and I hopped off my bed. I pulled on my black lace up boots and my leather jacket.
"Dylan! I'm leaving. Oh and we're having dinner at my moms."
"Okay."
I walk out the door and get in my car. When I get to the restaurant I work at, I hear my friend Liz.
"Maxie, you're early! It's a freaking miracle!" she laughs as I walk into the kitchen.
"Ha ha, so freaking funny," I snap.
"You're working the bar tonight." Did I mention that she's also my boss?
"Yeah, yeah. I take it you need someone now?"
"Yes please." She smiles sweetly at me reminding me of how my baby Angel used to do that to get her way.
"I'll be out in a minute."
I worked for a few hours when something unusual happened. It was about nine and I was finishing up my shift. I saw three guys walk in and they looked oddly familiar. They came and sat at the bar.
"I'll have a scotch," a guy with almost black hair and onyx eyes says to me.
"Beer," the strawberry blond says.
"I'll have the same," the youngest boy says.
"I.D.'s," I say not believing all of them are twenty-one.
"Nice try squirt you're fifteen," I say to the little blond boy who glared at me like Gazzy used to. I got the other two their drinks and got the kid a soda. I started getting ready to leave when the dark haired boy stopped me.
"Um, I'm looking for a girl named Max Ride, does she work here?" he asks. Crap I knew they looked familiar.
"No, sorry I don't know a girl named Max," I shrug feeling my heart rate slowly speed up. How the hell did they find me!
"Oh alright." he says. And here I never thought I'd ever see his smart-ass face again. I slipped into the back.
"Liz I'm leaving."
"Oh got a special night with the boy toy?"
"We're not together and no. I'm having dinner at my moms."
"You know you love him. Good luck though."
I roll my eyes and head home to change. I see some shadows over the moon but figure it's just some clouds. I get to my door and walk inside.
"What the…" the lights wouldn't turn on. I sigh and use one of my newer abilities. And before you ask yes I still get new abilities every once in a while. I sent an electrical current through the system and turned the lights on. I take off my jacket before hearing: "Well, don't you look familiar?" Shit. I turn just in time to catch the punch I knew he would throw.
"Really Ig? I thought I taught you better than to announce your presence before the attack?"
"Crap," he says under his breath before being thrown across the room.
"Oh Max," I spin and jumped back as Nudge's foot missed my face by inches.
"Have none of you learned?" I snap. She jumped, snapping out her wings to give her the advantage. Rookie move. She attempted a roundhouse kick but I grabbed her wings pinching them before tossing her out the back door, which was open from their break in. I saw Gazzy and Angel hiding in the hall not stupid enough to take the chance of fighting me. Smart!
"And that leaves…" I was unable to finish the sentence because at that moment a pair of legs hit my back knocking the air out of me and making me stumble. I turn to see the one person I never wanted to see again. Guess. Just guess. If you guessed Fang, you'd be correct.
"Ready for a real fight?" he smirks. Before I can give him a snarky remark he dives for me and we fall over the couch. We roll on the ground for a while before he pinned me.
"Always was stronger than you." He laughed. "And come on, all black? Max we both know that that's my thing."
"Shut up you son of a bitch." I say, then punch him square in the jaw disorienting him long enough to push him over and pin him.
"Always was more strategic than you." I smirk.
"Strategy doesn't help when your opponents expecting it." He then flipped me over and pinned me again.
"Max give up, we both know how this ends."
"Yeah with me kicking you out of my house!" I knee him where the sun don't shine and he collapses. I shove him off and stand.
"Anyone else want to take a shot?" When no one answered I looked at Angel and Gazzy.
"Uh-oh." A now thirteen year-old Angel says, her blue eyes widening.
"Angel!" I scream.
"Shit!" she runs to an open window and spreads her wings ready to soar. I pinch them how I had Nudge's.
"Nice try."
"Max, let me explain." She bites out in obvious pain.
"You have three minutes until I have to beat him some more." I say nodding back to Fang.
"Okay, so I had a vision that the world is in danger again, and you have to save it again." She said at Nudge speed.
"So you brought everyone to my door?"
"Well I knew you wouldn't just do it automatically."
Trust her Max, she's telling you part of the truth.
"Goddam it!" I scream. The Voice. It always has to be The Voice.
"Shut up Voice." I grumble.
"See it's telling you, you have to save the world right?" Angel smiles. "And you never go against The Voice."
"Fine I'll help, but why'd you get the whole Flock?"
"Because this is going to take all of us." Angel says, eyes pleading with me.
"God Max," Iggy says walking over, rubbing his neck. "I thought you hated Fang, not me."
"Oh Igs I don't hate you, I just wont let you win a fight." I say rubbing his arm as he stood beside me. "Still blind?" I joke.
"Shut up." He snaps.
"Ooh, snippy now aren't you?"
"Yes, he is." Gazzy chimes in.
"You!" I say and he instantly looks terrified. "How dare you come to where I work and think you could get alcohol?"
"I… Uh…"
"Gazzy, she's just trying to scare you." Angel informs her brother.
"True but once I figured out it was you I wanted to smack you." I tell him.
"Will somebody let me in? I mean seriously it's freezing. Why is it so cold? It's only September. I'm shivering here. And my wings hurt like a lot. And my head hurts. Are you listening to me?" Nudge yells.
"I got her." Gazzy says walking away.
"Ever the Nudge Channel." I sigh.
"Well I'm glade to see you're making up with everyone, so while you're in a good mood…"
"Don't! I still want you out. Now!" I yell at the now standing Fang.
"Wait just a second, you were just playing nice with everyone, why are you snapping at me?"
He did not just ask me that!
