Disclaimer: I don't own, and will never own, Maximum Ride.
Skyler's POV
I'm walking down the sidewalk that links the Elementary school to the Middle school. Summer break has just ended and I'm trying to get back into the old groove. Waking up early, going to sleep before midnight, etc. I'm in the middle of the sidewalk when a bright light blocks my vision. I shade my eyes so I can attempt to see. The light is just too bright that it makes me trip over something. I land face first into the ground. Getting myself a mouth full of grass and mud.
What is going on?
After the light begins to fade and my eyes adjust, I notice some groaning sounds. Last time I checked I was the only person on the sidewalk this morning.
I quickly get up from the ground and look to see what exactly I tripped over.
It's a girl not my age. She looks to be about fourteen or fifteen with light brown hair. She's not the only person here either… there's also four other people with her. A black haired boy her age, a little girl who has blonde hair, another boy who looks similar to the blonde girl, and a girl close to my age with brown skin, hair, and eyes.
I look at them for a minute then start backing up. They have fresh cuts and bruises like they've just come from a fight. It isn't them I'm necessarily frightened of but more of how they look right now.
The girl I tripped over, seems to be the leader and right now she looks like she's ticked at the world. Something bad must've happened…
There is another burst of light. This time I stay where I am so I don't trip. Plus, I definitely don't want to run into that girl again…
Unfortunately, my genius idea turns out to be stupid. Instead of landing in front of me something, possibly another someone, lands on me.
Why does this keep happening to me? This is ridiculous!
I turn as much as I can to see who landed on me. It's a boy close to the leader girl's age. Fourteen possibly fifteen. He has strawberry blonde hair.
"Max, is that you I'm on top of?" he asks, his voice is tinged with fear but masked over with wariness.
Max? Wait a minute! If that light brown haired girl's Max then the guy on top of me would be… Iggy.
"No. It's not me," Max says, her voice annoyed. She doesn't turn around to look yet.
"Report!" she calls after a few minutes of examining her surroundings.
This is awkward. It's hard to breathe too…
"I'm okay," Angel says, sitting up. Her eyes widen as she sees me, trying to gasp for air.
Now I know what a fish feels like out of water.
"Minor cuts other than that good!" Gazzy says, sitting up like Angel. She punches his arm to get his attention. She points me out and he has the exact same reaction. Wide eyes, jaw slacked, and just guessing here by pulsing heart.
"I'm okay. Tired but okay," Nudge says before rubbing her eyes.
"Fine here," Fang says in a bored tone.
"I'm blind! Oh wait I was already blind," Iggy says sarcastically. I can just picture him rolling his eyes.
"I still have a guy on top of me," I says calmly.
There are two ways they could react. One: Max and the gang choose to fight me and beat me up until I have no recollection of this meeting at all or two: they could react calmly and simply fly away in a frenzy.
Max instantly sits up. She looks in my direction as do the rest of the Flock.
"Hey." I choke out, my air supply is running severely low at this point. My voice is more of a whisper from the loss of air.
Iggy jumps off of me and I gasp for some air, turning myself over onto my back.
They are all up now and huddled close by Max. Like I'm some dangerous lunatic who has a hidden gun in my now crushed lunch bag.
"I come in peace," I say while getting up. I pick up my binder that's lying in a puddle and my crushed up lunch bag.
I guess I'll have to eat school lunch today.
They look at me as if I'm lying to them. Their wide eyes follow me like I'm prey to them. To be honest, it freaks me out a little.
"Honestly what can I do? You guys have fighting experience you would kick my butt easily. Though I pray you won't."
"Who are you?" Nudge asks from Max's right side. Max looks down at her, shooting her a warning look that says, 'let me do all the talking.'
"My name's Skyler. I'm guessing you're Nudge…"
All of their eyes widen some more at that. I can tell I'm freaking them out just as much as their staring is freaking me out.
"How do you know her? We've never seen you before," Max asks looking at me as if I'm a Whitecoat.
"I've read. Not in newspapers. You guys aren't from around here. You come from a place not even close really. In fact, I don't even know how you came to be here…"
"What are you saying?" she asks, taking a step closer. Her Flock stays where they are, knowing full well Max doesn't need any help to beat me up if I turn out to be a bad guy.
"Well your whole…most of you life…okay so part of your guys' lives are written down in books. I've read them. That probably won't make any sense to you though."
"Who wrote them?" Fang asks, joining Max's side.
"JP. Umm, James Patterson…"
"Who?"
"James Patterson is a guy who lives in this world. He wrote you guys… well created you guys. It's all in the book. I can show if you want."
I look at my watch it's 7:45. Just in time for school to start. I look towards the windows but it seems like all the blinds are down. No one, witnessed this meeting at all.
I truly don't want to go to school but I never have ditched or played hooky before. Maybe I shouldn't start.
"Where are these books?" Max asks, her voice turning sharp, it instantly gets my attention back.
"My house, but I know you guys probably don't want to come. You hardly know me."
Max looks over at Angel, who is staring at me with a weird look on her face. She's so still she almost looks like a statue.
"She's clear," Angel mutters, breaking me from her cold stare.
I raise my eyebrow then realize she was reading my mind.
Wow, this is so not normal.
I hear ya. Angel's small voice says quietly in my head.
I smile at her, and try to push back the shivers that threaten to take over my spine.
"We'll go to your house. If that's alright," Max says after looking at her Flock.
"Uh…yeah. It's just that I can't drive and I don't have a way of getting there."
"We can take care of that," Iggy says, standing by Gazzy.
"I don't know…" I look at them once again and then towards the sky.
I've never flown before and I definitely don't want my first flying experience to be without any seatbelts…
"Are you afraid we will drop you?" he asks, a small smile playing on his lips. I forgot he's a mischievous one.
"Not necessarily."
"Heights?" Max asks, smiling at Fang.
"No."
"She's never skipped school," Angel answers for me.
"Aw. You're a goody-too-shoes," Max says, grinning now.
Ugh! I hate being called that! I am not a goody-too-shoes!
"I'll go," I seethe.
"Alright," she says, her voice turning into more of a leader.
Dang reverse psychology. I hate that crap.
"Who's gonna carry me? Or I mean help get there," I ask, clutching my wet binder in my nervousness.
"Well… Iggy already sat on you. I think he owes you," Max says, turning to look at Iggy.
"Uh, okay."
"Which way do we head?" she asks.
I'm not good with north and south crap so I better point.
"That way," I say, pointing down the street.
Then again, I'm not good with giving directions either…
Angel giggles at my thoughts and I smile sheepishly.
"Alright, Iggy. Just listen to us and keep a hold onto Skyler. Right?" she turns to me at the end.
"Yeah."
"I'll try," Iggy says then follows my voice to stand by me but still close to Max.
"It's so different here. I wonder if any other people from 'our' world came here," Nudge says, babbling on.
"That'd be truly bad if that happened but since you guys came, it's possible."
"Yes. That would be bad…" Max agrees, "Good for us but bad for everyone else."
"We better hurry," Fang says.
"Ready?" Max asks, letting her wings out.
My eyes widen and a silent gasp comes out of me but I compose myself before anyone notices.
The rest of the Flock do the same as Max, unfurling their wings.
I try my best to compose my face but I do slip…My eyes widen and Max laughs.
"Okay, get a good hold on her Iggy. Don't drop her. If you get tired tell one of us," she says, not joking. She mumbles something Fang that I can't hear and jumps into the air.
I quickly go through my head of all the books trying to remember if Iggy dropped someone or something.
Was he the one who dropped Total? Oh gosh I hope not!
Iggy steps closer to me.
"We'll follow after you," he says, nodding at Max.
"Angel, take Skyler's stuff. Iggy would have trouble carrying her with it all," Fang says, looking at my binder with a strange look on his face.
"Alright. U and A guys."
They jump into the air after Max.
"Look this will be awkward. So try not to think of it like that," Iggy says, turning to me.
"Umm, yeah, okay."
He picks me up like I weigh 80lbs instead of 115lbs. One hand under my back and the other on the back of my leg under my knee if that makes more sense. (Bridal style.)
He jumps off the ground with ease. I don't know how he does it but he keeps up with the flock without seeing. I guess he can hear their wings beat.
"Relax. I know you're nervous but try not to shake as much," he says, looking at me with his sightless eyes.
"I'll try," I say, quietly.
"You're a shy one aren't you? Towards guys that is." he asks after awhile.
"What? What makes you think that?"
"Which way now Skyler?" Max asks, turning back to look at us.
"Uh… follow that red truck until we're by Sonic."
"Okay! Come on guys hurry. Make sure you're not seen!" she shouts.
"Sheesh. I know you're with a hot guy but could you quit shaking so much?" Iggy says, smiling.
"I don't see a hot guy anywhere," I say with a straight face.
"I can drop you any minute."
"You wouldn't, though."
"You testing me?" he asks loosening his grip. I grab onto the front of his shirt, slightly.
"I'm not afraid."
He lets go of me but quickly wraps his arms around my waist so my feet are dangling by his, I lost my grip on him so now I really am depending only on him to keep me up. I don't scream by this change. Instead I look up at his face.
He's glaring. I guess he's hoping that I would scream.
"You gonna drop me, yet or do we fly like this for now?" I ask, looking at Iggy.
"Now which way?" Max asks, looking at me with annoyance in her eyes. I forgot she's not very patient.
She looks up at Iggy with a questioning look at how we changed positions.
"Do you want Fang to take her, Ig?" she asks.
"No, I got it," he says fast but then slows to make it sound like it's casual for him to carry a big weight while he's flying.
"Which way?" she asks, looking at me now.
"Um. Follow this road then turn right at the second intersection."
That's right. Right? Oh man I hope so…
She turns back around and we start flying again.
"Are you wanting to be dropped?" Iggy asks.
"Do you seriously want me to answer that?"
"Yes."
"Truly, I don't care if you drop me as long as someone catches me…if no one catches me then I truly don't want to be dropped."
"I won't drop you," he says, holding me the way he did when we started.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
"Oh. I want to ask you something. I was wondering why if you're getting tired of hol- carrying me around, why didn't you let someone else carry me?"
"Are you wanting someone else to carry you?" he asks, his voice and face completely masked.
"Just as long as I get home."
"Okay then."
After that we're silent the rest of the way to my house.
Hey! So tell me what you thought. This story popped into my head a couple years ago and I decided to edit it more and post it now. So please review and tell me what you think.
Ciao
Kenna