Here it is. Hope you like it.

Max POV

My ribs are aching as I tear through the woods. How'd I get here? Why am I here?

I don't have time to answer these questions. Jeb is getting closer.

I take a sharp left and hold my breathe behind a tree as I hear the leaves crinkling under his feet.

"Come out, come out wherever you are. You can't hide forever little Maxikins," Jeb sneers "You know your just like your mother. Weak. Always a runner. Never fought back. But now I've got you where you can't run."

I watch, frozen in terror, as he looks straight into my eyes and... I wake up.

"Why does this always happen?" I mutter looking at my PJs drenched in sweat.

Another day another nightmare. I guess I should be used to this by now. I mean really, this has gone on for 5 years. 5 flipping years of this torture.

At least its a Monday. Ha. Most teenagers hate Mondays. I scoffed under my breathe. Monday means school. And school means eight whole hours of no Jeb. I get about 40 hours a week where I'm not punched or kicked. 40 glorious hours.

Before I get all mopey I should probably tell you about me. My name is Maximum Ride. I'm 15 years old, of the female gender, and I have a dead Mom and an abusive father. My dad's always been abusive. I think ever since I was 6. That's the farthest I can remember. But until I was 10 I never got the beatings. My mom had a heart of gold. She always made me a big plate of chocolate chip cookies before Job got home and said "You can have these if you go upstairs and lock yourself in the closet. Don't come out no matter what you hear. Just wait for me to come and get you." I always did exactly that. Not because of the cookies, but because of the look she had in her eyes. That look was fear and bravery. Fear and bravery are often the same thing. Whenever you have fear its because your about to be brave. But anyways. Basically when I was ten my "dad" murdered my mom. I will never forgive Jeb for that. I held her head up in her last moments.

Flashback:

"Mommy! No Mommy please don't go!" A scared 10 year old child begged holding her mother's head in her lap and holding her hand. Tears streamed down both of their faces.

"Maxi. I'm so sorry." The mother croaked.

"Shh Mommy! We need to get you better!" The little girl cried.

"Max, oh my sweet baby. There's nothing we can do. Just be brave. Don't let Jeb hurt you, my child. And always remember I love you." The feeble woman used all her strength then to lift her head up and give her daughter one last kiss.

"I love you Mommy." The girl whispered in tears.

"I love you Maxi." And with that the light left her mother's eyes.

Flashback Over:

I blinked back tears at the memory and shook my head waking myself up. I gotta get ready before Jeb wakes up. I threw on a dull forest green, baggy sweatshirt that says Sherwood Forest across the middle. Then I put on a pair of gray Adidas sweatpants that have white stripes down the sides. After this was done I ran a brush through my messy dirty blonde locks. When that was done I ran downstairs shoved cereal down my throat, put on my gray socks, and laced up my dull gray Converse as I headed out the door. All in five minutes. I smirked to myself. Yeah. I'm the best.

After I walked a few blocks towards the High School I saw a familiar orange buggy roll into view. I still shake my head at the color. Only Iggy would want a traffic cone orange colored car.

"Hey Miss. You need a ride?" He said in his "creeper" voice tilting down his sunglasses.

"Oh nah. I think I'd rather walk the rest of the mile." I said sarcastically playing along.

"Why I insist. So how about you get that butt of yours in this buggy of mine or... DIE!" He screeched pointing his fingers shaped like a gun at me.

"Alright, alright." I sighed dramatically getting in.

He grinned then stopped putting on a more serious face.

"How's Jerky Jeb been? Anything serious?" He questioned.

"Just like usual and nope." I replied.

Iggy is my best friend. We've been besties, or BFFLEAEUE as he calls us. Ever since preschool when I stole his cookie and he put a stink bomb in my lunch box. Those were the good days.

Iggy's also the only one who knows about Jeb. I figured if anything serious happens he can lie to the nurses for me.

How to explain Iggy? He's a pyro. He's hilarious and always makes you smile, a drama queen, he's just Iggy. He's my brother practically. Always there. Everyone thinks we should go out but neither of us feel that way towards each other. That would just be gross.

And with that thought Iggy and I rolled up to the High School.

A/N: Hope you liked it! R & R please!