Holding the letter Fang had left, I slowly fell sideways onto the bed as my world crumbled. Everything left me at that moment. There were no bird kids beside me. No world to save. My world had gone. My chest felt tight, like I couldn't breathe. My eyes starring out but seeing nothing as his words flashed in my head over and over again…….
Weeks past by. I heard the kids and my mom every day begging me to get out of bed. To snap out of it. And at the same time I heard nothing. Saw nothing but the words on the page. Still, Mom had come up to try to shake me out of it. The kids begged me to get up, to eat, to fly. I just didn't have the energy…or the will. No. I just wanted to lay there and wait……either for him to return or to die.
"Maximum, I know you cared for him but face it, Fang is gone." Jeb was saying again for like the billionth time. I heard every word….flinching at the sound of his name. Still, it didn't register , ya know? Like, walking through a dream, passing all the different colors swirling around you but nothing making sense. No, his leaving didn't make sense. Not at all.
"Max, you gotta pull out of this, if not for me or your mother, then do it for the flock. Max, they still need you. You are their leader. It has been two months now. You can't keep going like this" Jeb was saying. I could tell he was getting louder as his anger rose. But that no longer roused me. I couldn't quite care anymore."Maximun Ride, I order you to get up out of that bed and get outside right now." Jeb yelled at me. I just continued to stare at the window. The window he flew out of when he left . Jeb grabbed me by the arms, lifting me off the bed slightly s he began to shake me. "You weren't programmed to act like this! You are-"he was screaming loudly now and my mom walked in followed by 5 wide eyed bird kids.
"Jeb , put her down this instant! " I heard her say. Now normally I would have punched Jeb n the face as soon as his fingers touched my arm. But all I had done was look at him. My mind shut off. My reactions non existant at this point. I dropped back down onto as Jeb muttered something and walked out. I stared at my the window as I heard Jeb's car door slam and mom sat down beside me, stroking my hair.
"Oh Max, honey. Did he hurt you?" she was saying in a tear filled voice. All I could manage was a weak shake of my head. I couldn't take my eyes off of the window. The one that had led Fang out of my life.
"Max, Max, listen to me. WE are all ao worried about you Max. You barely eat. You hardly sleep. You haven't been outside, much less flown, since Fang left." she said. I winced at the sound of his name. "Jeb is right Max. This is not normal. This is not you." Then another pair of hand were on me, darker smaller ones. Nudge.
"She's right Max. We all miss Fang. And I know how much you really love him. We all do. But you are The Max. You can handle this. Please Max…." Nudge broke off into a sob. I just didn't have it in me to help her. I watched as my mom led her out with her arm around her. My mom. Taking my place with my flock. That thought should of snapped me right out of it and into a fit of anger, right? But it didn't. I lay across my bed and curled up around the only things I had left of him: a laptop and a goodbye letter. And I cried myself into a fitful sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MEANWHILE DOWNSTAIRS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Flock! Living room. Now." Iggy said in his bossy voice. One by one Gazz, Nudge and Angel took a seat on the couch.
"What's goin on man? I was on level 23." Gazzy complained. Angel hit him on the head.
"I Don't see how we will find him Ig. But if you want to try……I am in." Angel said, making no sense to the rest of the flock. You see, one of Angel's powers is mind reading.
"What is she talking about? And why do you have our backpacks in the floor? " Nudge asked, getting impatient.
"Because we are going to get Fang and bring him home." Iggy said. Three shocked faces looked back at him. "Listen guys, you all know how bad it has been since he left. We all miss him. He was part of this flock. And Max, well, we all know how Max has taken his absence. "
"Yeah, poor Max really loves him. We used to grip and complain about the time they would spend together but she really does love him. " Nudge said sympathetically.
"Max isn't Max anymore. When Fang left, he took part of her with him. At least that is how she feels." Angel said then. Then after a pause added, "I miss him too."
"We all miss him. And Max. Let's do it. If it helps Max, I am in." Gazzy said. Then the girls noded and smiled as they voiced their willingness to go.
"Then that's it. We leave after breakfast. So pack your bags. And remember to add some kind of food that will keep for a while. " Ig said as he walked toward the basement door.
"Where are you goin?" Gazzy asked.
"Breakfast is on the table. Eat up. May be a while before we get real meals again. I got something I got to get." Iggy replied as he slipped down the stairs that led to the basement, and Jeb's office.