Hello, lovely readers! Ahh my second story!!

So, here's a little bit about the plot:

Max left the flock for a little while because since the institute mainly wanted her, she felt like she was putting the flock in danger by being around them.

I know that the real max would never abandon her flock cold turkey….but I thought I'd change it up a bit

Enjoy!

PROLOGUE

When worse comes to worse, I was a pretty good fighter. Anything or anyone posing a threat to the flock could guarantee they'd hear from me.

I was bold…fast.

Strong (to say the least.)

If you needed me, I'd be there. I would never back down.

And then I fell in love.

It's funny what that does to a girl.

It's those times when I'm sitting up late at night, watching the flock sleep…hearing their heavy, relaxed breathing.

It was times like that when I thought about everything…for example…Fang and I. We'd fallen in some type of forbidden, storybook love…head over wings in love.

Too bad almost every waking second I was engaged in a battle to the death. (Which made having a normal boy/girl relationship extremely difficult.)

It was hard to tell how long I'd last…how long I'd live. F it wasn't for the flock and Fang----(mostly Fang)-----I would have surrendered a long time ago.

Trust me…the world wouldn't lose anything by losing me. I wasn't exactly "hot stuff". But I knew I had to be strong…for them.

For him.

The weight of being leader bore down heavily on my shoulders---sometimes it was too much to handle.

That's when I cracked.

If you know me at all, you know I'm not a sap. I don't cry. I don't "blush" when I hear the words I love you. And I definitely….definitely don't hug.

I'm not like that.

I am Maximum Ride…the fiercest, most powerful mutant 14 year old there is.

Did I mention I was in love?

Yeah.

I did.

Chapter 1

I stood there, my back glued against the wall. My hand were slick and sticky with sweat; tiny beads of perspiration flowing down my forehead and into my eyes. My pupils were rounder than saucers…eyelids pulled back so far you could only see white.

He was getting closer.

My brain was going into overload trying to figure up a plan to get out.

Nothing.

Goosebumps rose on my neck with anxiety and fear. Not the first time…surely not the last.

Where was my flock when I need them? Better yet, where was I when my flock needed me?

Where were Iggy's sarcastic remarks?

Gazzy's explosives and cute boyish smile?

Nudge's psychobabble and killer fashion sense?

Angel's innocence and blue eyes to make you melt?

And Fang… where was his love? Strong embrace? Midnight eyes?

I realized that for the first time , I…..Maximum-get-over-here-so-I-can-kick-your-butt- Ride, was scared.

Alone. Helpless. Why did I leave them??

I could answer that……I'm an idiot.