Disclaimer: The song is by Simple Plan, it's called Welcome to My Life. It is not mine. Maximum Ride and all characters, plots and derisions thereof are owned by a man who goes by James Patterson. That is also not mine. Um, I own…Maximum Ride 1, 2 and 3 in hard cover. Does that count for anything?
Just so you're clear, the lyrics are italicized, and the story part is not. But I'm sure you know that already. So, listen to it on YouTube while reading. It's a good song…
Sometimes bad things happen. And sometimes you can't do anything about it. I brush my wet hair out of my eyes and watch as the rain slides off my feathers in my peripheral vision.
Why? I think to myself, Why?
Why is our life like this? What the heck did I do in my past life or whatever to deserve this? I mean, Erasers. Flyboys. The School. Itex. It's way too much to deal with for any sane person.
Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do
you ever feel out of place?
Like
somehow you just don't belong
And
no one understands you
Do
you ever wanna run away?
Do
you lock yourself in your room?
With
the radio on turned up so loud
That
no one hears you screaming
I'm alone. I left the Flock back in the cave on the side of the cliff by Lake Mead. I left when they were asleep. They wouldn't understand.
Sometimes it feels like no one understands me at all, like I'm just completely non-understandable. And sometimes it feels good to just run away, even for a while. Just escape it all, even in my mind, even if I'm not getting away for real.
No
you don't know what it's like
When
nothing feels all right
You
don't know what it's like
To
be like me
It is hard to be leader. You make all of the decisions, you're to blame if anything goes wrong, things are always on your shoulders. The weight of the world, really…
To
be hurt
To
feel lost
To
be left out in the dark
To
be kicked when you're down
To
feel like you've been pushed around
To
be on the edge of breaking down
And
no one's there to save you
No
you don't know what it's like
Welcome
to my life
I am flying high up, but not above the clouds. I want to get wet. I want to drench myself and be numb so I don't feel anything anymore. My hair is down the sides of my face, sticking and running down the back of my neck. My clothes are soaked through, weighing me down.
Do
you wanna be somebody else?
Are
you sick of feeling so left out?
Are
you desperate to find something more?
Before
your life is over
Are
you stuck inside a world you hate?
Are
you sick of everyone around?
With
their big fake smiles and stupid lies
While
deep inside you're bleeding
One thing about rain is when you out in it, nobody can see your tears. You can push all the blame onto the sky. No. I'm not sad. I'm certainly not crying. It's just raining outside, that's all.
No
you don't know what it's like
When
nothing feels all right
You
don't know what it's like
To
be like me
I wish I could just shove all this onto someone else. But I can't, not really. I'm the leader of the Flock. I'm the one who will save the world, and there's nothing I can do about it.
When you think about it, you're the lucky ones. You hate your parents, your life is over because the guy you like doesn't like you back, and you can't talk to your friend because you have a mountain of homework…blah blah blah. At least your father didn't turn you into a genetic freak, save you from years of further torture in the School and then try to kill you. And I'm pretty sure you don't have to save the world from an evil company with its fingers in basically every production 'river' in the whole freaking world. How are you supposed to take something like that out with six genetic misfits and their talking dog?
To
be hurt
To
feel lost
To
be left out in the dark
To
be kicked when you're down
To
feel like you've been pushed around
To
be on the edge of breaking down
And
no one's there to save you
No
you don't know what it's like
Welcome
to my life
Yes, I am feeling sorry for myself. Sue me. I have more of a reason than you do, with your petty concerns. Do you have to hunt for your food, or at least dig it out of a dumpster in the back of a Burger King? Do you have to avoid bloodthirsty robotic imitations of werewolves? Do you have to take care of five other people and keep everyone happy? Are you on the run from sadistic spawns of Satan?
I highly doubt it.
No
one ever lied straight to your face
No
one ever stabbed you in the back
You
might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay
Everybody
always gave you what you wanted
Never
had to work it was always there
You
don't know what it's like, what it's like
I land on a small island near the center of Lake Mead. No one will find me. I sink down to the sandy dirt and lie down. I feel like crying. I feel like screaming. I feel like doing something irrational just for fun, just because I can and no one will stop me.
I open my arms wide away from my chest, throw my head back and just scream, as loud as I can. I sound like a yowling maniac. It's so much fun. Such a release. Like all of my problems can just evaporate away in the rain and the dark and the silence, split through with my howl like a knife through silk.
To
be hurt
To
feel lost
To
be left out in the dark
To
be kicked when you're down
To
feel like you've been pushed around
To
be on the edge of breaking down
And
no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
I curl up, my head tucked under me. I cry and sob until I just can't any more, until my tear ducts are entirely dry, then I just lay there and let the rain run over my body, touching and healing the fresh bruises from the latest Flyboy attack. It feels so good. I lie there for what seems like hours.
I feel a hand stroking my wet hair, rubbing between my wings. I look up. It's Fang, of course. He always knows how to find me. He always knows what to say. Or, rather, what not to say. I feel my mouth curve into a smile automatically.
"How'd you find me?" I ask.
"You ever heard yourself scream? You sound like a banshee."
I sort of laugh. "Really? What about you? What do you sound like?"
He half smiles. "I don't know."
"Well, let's find out."
He looks skeptical.
"On three?" I ask.
"On three."
To
be hurt
To
feel lost
To
be left out in the dark
To
be kicked when you're down
To
feel like you've been pushed around
To
be on the edge of breaking down
And
no one's there to save you
No
you don't know what it's like
Welcome
to my life
We hold hands, his wrapped around my smaller one, and look up at the sky together, our arms spread wide and our chests open to the sky.
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
We both yell as loud as we can, our voices mixing with the clap of thunder, our rain soaked faces lit up with a brilliant flash of lightning.
Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life
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Max finds out that her life isn't completely horrible. I think I like this one. Mildly good. What say you?
-Insane Winged Girl