I logged onto Fang's blog. I knew I could have called his cell phone, but I didn't quite have the courage to face talking to him again after everything that had gone wrong between us. Besides, I couldn't stand the prospect of hearing Maya giggling in the background. Just visiting Fang's blog made me wonder if I had any idea what the heck I was doing.
"Welcome to Fang's blog!" I read under my breath. "You are visitor number: the counter thing broke again. I'm trying to reprogram it, but I've got some more pressing issues, and I always relied on Nudge for computer stuff anyway, so it's not like I know what I'm doing." I sighed. He obviously realized what it had cost him to no longer be a part of the flock-well, this flock-and even admitted it to the general Internet-reading public. So why had he left?
"Do you want me to type for you?" Nudge asked, her hands resting on my shoulders.
I shook my head. "No. Thanks for offering, but I've got to do this myself."
I knew without looking at her that Nudge was nodding.
I scrolled down to the very bottom of the page and hit the "Comment" button. A text box appeared. Deep breaths, Max, I told myself. You know what to write. I hit the "Caps Lock" key, enlarged the font to its biggest setting—even though I lacked the courage to call Fang, I did need his attention—and started typing.
When I was done, Nudge read my message out loud to the flock. I didn't trust my own voice. "'Fang,'" she read. "'Greetings from the flock, and Dylan. We've had an eventful week, chalk full of new horrors and all sorts of mayhem. It was just like old times-well, not really, but close.
"'Anyway, Angel and I (Max) have been getting messages from our Voices. Apparently Dr. Chu's up to something much worse than usual, and we need to stop him, right now. It makes sense, after all the times people (and things) tried to kill us this week, but now we know for sure. So we need to go save the world, again. And-it really kills me to admit this, but I'm not sure we'll make it through this one without you.
"'I know you have your own flock and everything, and it's hard for me to ask you for this, but the world could end if you don't help us. Since it's on the way—and since no one could find it but us; I swear those are the only two reasons—we (the flock) will be stopping at the place where you and I had our first kiss. Awkward meeting place, I know, but we need somewhere only we can find. If you and your flock are willing to help us, meet us there, ASAP. We can't wait long, but this is a huge problem and we need your help.
"'Come quickly. Don't you dare back out of this.
"'Max.'" Nudge raised her eyebrows. "That was rather damsel-in-distress-ish, for you."
"It's true that we need him and his flock to help us," I snapped, thought part of me was unable to believe I'd just sent out such a pathetic message. "Now come on. Let's move. Up and away!"
Nudge stuffed the laptop in her backpack, and we all took off and soared eastward. As much as I didn't want to see Fang, I was hoping with all my might he would show. This really was life-or-death.