Adopted

by britbrat1225

The Flock has been put into adoption at a young age and they don't create the "Flock" until they really meet at school. Max, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel are all adopted by Dr. Martinez and her daughter Ella. Fang and Iggy are adopted by Dr. Batchelder and his son Ari. Come join the flock and their adventure through their normal, wingless lives.

CHAPTER 1

When I first met Angel she was only two years old. I remember her brother, Gazzy, crying out and hugging her, not letting her go. My new mother, Dr. Valencia Martinez, comforted him and the adoption was settled.

I was ten years old when I was adopted. It was a big change to everything. Dr. Martinez had also adopted two other children along with me, seven-year-old Nudge, and three-year-old Gazzy. She had learned through Gazzy's file that he had a younger sister and they were separated throughout the adoption homes, so of course she had to find her.

And she did.

She was the most beautiful child I had ever seen. And trust me, I've seen a lot. She captivated me at first sight. Her blonde hair curled and framed her baby face, and her bright blue eyes pierced anything they touched. Dr. Martinez asked me if I wanted to hold her. I hadn't realized my mouth was on the floor and my eyes looked like they were going to pop out. I closed my mouth and narrowed my eyes like I had always done when I didn't want to show my emotions, like a little black haired boy had once taught me, and slightly nodded my head.

She set Angel in my arms and her blue eyes looked up into mine. She reached her chubby little hand up and pulled on my long, unruly hair. Just the tiniest fraction of a smile rose to my lips, but it was enough for Dr. Martinez to see.

"Max," she said, "that's the first time I have ever seen you smile! It is a very beautiful smile." She nodded at me as if to coax me into another.

I couldn't even take my eyes off of Angel to see her astonished eyes on my face. Before I was adopted I had never smiled, only one person could've ever made me smile, and he was far away by now, but I still hadn't smiled.

Not until Angel.

The day came when Dr. Martinez could finally bring her home and when she pulled up in her big Suburban, Gazzy ran out shouting with joy. I was impressed. He was now four, had his birthday right before her adoption, and he knew he never wanted to be separated from his baby sister.

Dr. Martinez now had five kids. Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, Ella, and me.

Ella is her real daughter and she is 8 years old and looks exactly like her mother. She was distant to all of us at first, but then as she realized that she could have friends among these new siblings. She warmed up to us so much that it was like a bright light in my life finally turning on; one out of many lights that were about to be turned on.

CHAPTER 2

Out of all the orphanage homes I have been to, the one I remember the most is the one with the boy with the long black hair. I was moved around through many places because I had always caused "problems." I was at least five when I moved to that orphanage in Colorado.

When he introduced himself to me, he called himself Fang. That was when I had stolen some cakes from the cook for the younger kids and myself because we had gotten into trouble and were sent to bed without food. I guess he was watching when I wasn't being too careful, and I guess he thought it was time to introduce himself to the new Alpha.

I was curious about why his name was Fang; however, I never asked him about it. I had told him my name was Maximum Ride, and even though I held back my curiosity he didn't. I told him that the reason I picked that name was because of Sally Ride, the astronaut. I told him that some day I would fly out of this place and be free. I was proud of that name and I showed my pride off as if it were a badge on my chest.

Unfortunately, I didn't know how right I was.

Three years later they put me on a plane and moved me, again.

The only friend I had ever made. It was easy with Fang, we talked, and joked, and stole things, and schemed like only five year olds could. I think it was easy because we understood that we didn't need to be adopted; we understood that if we grew up and they threw us out on the streets, we would be able to take care of ourselves like we did now. After I left I stopped smiling, stopped having fun.

At this new "home" I met Nudge and The Gasman. I know right? All the people I meet in these houses have weird names. But I think Nudge got her name because of the way she talked.

She. Talked. So. Much. She could have turned Mother Teresa into an axe murderer. She "nudges" your brain to the edge of a cliff and you can't fight back because you are trying to figure what she had last said; don't ignore the pun.

The Gasman, or Gazzy, got his name due to some stomach issues. If you want to be close to that kid you need to be prepared.

The first time I met Nudge she was talking to some girls her age about who had the cutest clothes in a cartoon show. IN A CARTOON. Seriously? Well, I guess we didn't get much TV time or any other TV channels, but still, a cartoon, sheesh.

I played a prank on her that night with her clothes. I had switched all of her clothes out with the old dingy clothes the Helpers had to wear. They wore gray dingy shirts with nasty black pants. It was hideous even to me.

When she woke up the next morning I knew what she would do. She would stumble and bump into things because I knew that she was a horrible morning person. After she put them on without realizing she walked out to the cafeteria and the other girls that were talking with her, acting like her friend, the other day started to laugh at her. In fact a lot of the people in the cafeteria laughed. I sneered at the girls laughing at her, but it was what I had wanted them to do, I was just displeased to see it so easily done.

She knew I had them. She walked straight up to me, put her finger on my chest and leaned in real close. The balls on this girl, I thought proudly. There was a mischievous glint in my eyes that she caught.

She yelled in my face, "where did you put them?"

My laugh was hollow, yet I was touched, she was the only kid here who tried to get back what I had taken, but from me and not some adult to do it for her. I knew then that I wanted her with me. She could be a perfect minion.

"Alright, I'll give 'em back. If you leave those girls, and join me; I could teach you a lot."

She looked skeptically at me, "teach me what?"

"How to live?"

Then I had walked away and I knew she was following me. I heard the girls that were laughing at her speaking about how she could ditch her friends just to get her clothes back. I turned around and pointed at the one who was speaking.

"Your next," I rose one side of my mouth to make that mischievous smile I had practiced for so long. Then I had made a finger gun and said, "pew!"

CHAPTER 3

The next two years I had been teaching Nudge the final levels of my skills when Gazzy had first been moved here.

He was crying like most of the kids that move here did. I walked up to him and looked down into his three year old face.

"Why are you crying? Your first time being moved?" I didn't cry my first time though. I nudged him with my shoe and he silently fell over on his side.

He had been hit. He had been hit by one of the other kids or one of the Transfers, which are simply people who transfer you to another house. There was a nasty dark purple bruise on his cheekbone. Something in me snapped, something in me that said I should defend this little boy, that he was going to become something greater if I had shaped him, and starting out this way wasn't going to help.

I grabbed his little shoulders and looked fiercely into his eyes. "Who?" I snarled.

He looked up at a lean guy by the door. I looked too. At least 20 by the looks of his face, he was attractive, and he looked strong, and I could smell him from here. When he exhaled it smelt like raw sewage left out in the sun. He had hairy arms and his face kind of reminded me of a scruffy wolf, and his nails looked long and sharp. Nudge was ready on her heels, "what's the plan?"

That's my girl, I thought.

"Wait until nightfall, and he won't know what hit him, literally."

She giggled slightly at that and stole a glance at him.

"He's very cute."

"Humph." I didn't care about such trivial matters. I only cared about getting even.

I may have only been nine, ten in two days, but Fang and I had taught each other many things, and one of the things he had taught me was, never, ever, ever, ever underestimate your enemy, or yourself.

I picked up Gazzy and carried him to the girls' rooms. And as soon as I walked toward the hallway that would take us there, a couple of the older girls walked up and surrounded Nudge and me. The hallway down would take me directly to my room, and then I could lock it with the new lock I had stolen from the kitchen assistant. I just had to get past these 15 and 16 year old giants.

"There are no boys allowed in these rooms." Josie, that was her name I think, a favorite of the Warden, and then there was Danyse, and a third; I couldn't remember her name, but they were all nasty and they abused the power that the Head Mistress had given them.

She had never stopped me with my pranks before, so I had no reason to prank her before, until now. Well, I will add this onto the fact that you do bully me sometimes, I thought.

"Get out of my way, this kid was hurt by that guy over there." I nodded my head in the Transfer's general direction.

"No, no boys allowed. Take him to the Nurse's station." she snarled at me and shoved me a few steps back.

The group of girls behind me started to laugh. I set Gazzy down next to Nudge, who was watching everything with her sharp eyes.

Her eyes flashed to mine. "Fight or flight?" they said.

I could see the question blazing behind her dark brown eyes. My eyes glinted as I thought the word "fight."

She nodded to the right of her and I nodded my head to my left side, then I nodded my head at Gazzy.

"Four" I said it to Nudge, but I was looking directly at Josie.

"What?" she looked to the girls beside Nudge and me.

I called out, "one… two," and then I pushed Josie and the girl beside her with all my strength, grabbed Gazzy and ran.

I could hear rather than see Nudges footsteps behind, light and soft, but still audible, we needed to work on that. I turned around and kind of tossed Gazzy to Nudge; he gave a little yelp and she caught him under the arms and flew past me to my room. She flung open the door and tossed the kid on the bed. Nudge turned to face the doorway, but I pushed her back onto the bed also and her wild curls broke free of the hair-tie and pooled out underneath her head.

Before I could shut and lock my door Josie grabbed my left arm and pulled me back as I was shutting the door. The door swung shut on my shoulder and there was an audible pop. Josie let go immediately with a frightened expression on her face, but that was all I had time to see because my arm was free and I yanked that sucker back in the room and shut and locked the door.

CHAPTER 4

Josie banged on the door and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge.

"I'm getting Head Mistress Anne!" and then I heard her and her posse trot off. It gave me at the most five to six minutes.

Gross Head Mistress Anne Walker. My arm dangled limply at my side but I ignored it.

"We need to work on your light foot," I told Nudge.

She nodded at me focused, but I could see a little bit of worry in her face.

"Are we going to hide him here?"

"Yes."

Gazzy whimpered and I looked down at him.

"Ok, kid, listen to me. In about three to four minutes the Head Mistress is going to come down here. I need you to get in this box. Do you understand?" he nodded as I pulled a box out from underneath my desk. "You cannot make any sounds! I don't care if you can't breathe or if you have to pee. No sounds."

He nodded again and climbed in. He curled his body to fit in side ways and it looked as if he could actually sleep in that thing. Nudge moved my mattress to reveal a hole the size of this box in the bedsprings. I had noticed it the first night I slept in this bed. I hadn't told anyone because it was where I kept my valuables.

Three minutes later after we got the mattress back in place and took the lock off the door and locked the original door lock, so she wouldn't know about the one I had stolen, the Head Mistress showed up with her keys.

I could hear them crashing together as she walked up. I was sitting on the bed with Nudge trying to comb her wild hair when she walked in with a smirking Josie on her heels.

"Where is the boy?" her voice was like boiling water and her actions reminded me of a principle scolding her students. She had a nice lean figure with blonde hair. She was really pretty; too bad she was most likely aging really fast with all the trouble I caused.

"What boy?" I could look like a freaking angel when in need of one.

"Josie says you have a boy in here."

"But I don't." I crinkled my nose and said, "boys have cooties!"

Nudge shuddered next to me and leaned against my shoulder cringing.

"We have 3 girls against two saying that you had a boy." Josie spat.

I puffed out my bottom lip and made puppy dog eyes, "but you're always trying to get me in trouble." I sniffled a little and squeezed out a small tear. "You… hiccup… hiccup… always pick on me. You even hurt my shoulder in the door!" and then I let the fake tears come. I pulled down my left sleeve and showed the big red mark and the form bruise; it was swollen too, nice. I leaned onto Nudge and started crying harder.

"Oh, Maxine." Head Mistress Anne sat beside me and pulled me against her. And I clung to her side burrowing my head into her arm; however, I wanted badly to punch and scream at her saying, my name wasn't Maxine it was Maximum.

"Is this true, Josie?" she glared at her favorite orphan realizing that she wasn't an angel after all.

"No!" she cried, but she bit her lip and looked down. Knowing she had been caught.

"So there is no boy in here, Maxine?"

"Uh-Uh." I shook my head wiping my eyes.

"Okay, I will take your word for it, but I am keeping my eye on you, okay?"

"Mm-Hm." I nodded smiling somberly.

"Come Josie." she turned and left with an unhappy Josie following.

When they were out of earshot Nudge turned to me and whispered loudly, "yes!" I gave her a high-five and quickly shut and locked the door. I pulled the mattress off and saw Gazzy pop his head up.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hold it anymore." his eyes looked so sad. I looked back at him quizzically, and then I smelled it.

CHAPTER 5

OH, THE HORROR, I screamed in my head as I grasped at my nose. I couldn't breathe. Oh God I was dying. No, not so young, I still have to live my life, I thought.
Nudge was coughing and had her shirt bundled up to several different layers so the smell wouldn't get through. I opened the tiny window in my room and was graced with a breeze as it swept away the smell.

After I could finally breathe I glared back at the kid. "You could have told me that was why they called you THE GASMAN!"

He shrunk back into the box, "I'm sorry!"

I took pity on him. He was only three anyway, and that deadly curse of his just became his gift. I had figured out a plan.

"Alright, I will tell you the plan now."

The two of them nodded vigorously and Gazzy had the best mischievous smile; I wanted to hug him because I knew I could shape him well.

Before bed checks came around we put Gazzy back in the boys rooms and went back to our own. I had told him to try and stay up until 10 o'clock, when all lights would be out; when I would always do my mischief.

I had snuck out on tiptoes to Nudge's room and clicked my tongue twice like a mouse. She opened the door and followed me out while placing her foot in every spot I did because I knew where all the squeaky boards were.

CHAPTER 6

Now, the younger kids had to sleep with another in the room, so when I walked in to get Gazzy, I was prepared to make a sleeping dummy in his place. I placed his tired frame in Nudge's arms and went to setting the bed. I moved his blankets to cover the bottom half of his pillow, and then I bundled the blanket I brought and punched it to look like a three year old boys sleeping body.

Then the trickier part was finding the Transfer's room.

I knew all employees and the like stayed in the south wing, boys in the east, and girls in the west. Then all the schoolrooms, the lobby, and the kitchen/cafeteria/gym were in the north wing.

I have a really good sense of direction, so instead of finding a window to look at the night sky, I just followed my gut and sure enough, there it was.

A sign that read "Employees Only."

I tested the knob, but it was locked. I looked to Nudge and she nodded.

In her pocket were two very small and slender, but strong, magnetic slivers.

She had a talent for getting through locked doors with magnets. There had been a couple girls that were bullying her and she was scared of her own room, so she snuck out and came and slept in mine. When I woke up I was shocked to find her wild hair up my nose and a bruise on my leg from her sleeping, kicking form.

I took Gazzy away from Nudge so she could get to work. I gave Gazzy a bottle of water to drink and he chugged half the thing. He handed it back to me and I put the bottle back in my over stuffed pockets. With "Plan A" in action I knew this could be a success.

Nudge took one piece in each hand and put one of the slivers inside the lock and then she put another beside the bolt, where the lock clicks in. She had told me that if you turned the first magnet a certain way it would reject the metal and push it away to unlock it.

And it worked.

We heard the satisfying click and slowly Nudge opened the door. There was a cool draft that met us as we stepped in. The hallway was dark, there were no windows and it was eerily quiet.

I had only been in this hallway once and wasn't sure of every spot to step in.

The first time I had been down here was when I had first moved and when I had first met Anne Walker. That was a day where I was so tired of questions I didn't think I could ever answer anyone again.

I was still holding Gazzy because I didn't want his inexperienced feet on the ground making noises wherever they went. He was heavy but I was strong for a nine year old, so it was no big feat.

We had tried several doors, but the fifth one down on the left opened up to a familiar smell.

The sewer smell.

CHAPTER 7

He had one arm thrown over his eyes and another hanging off the bed. The covers were around his ankles and the pillow was gone, resting on the ground under his hand.

I took out my stolen tools of destruction and I set them on the desk in his room, I had also made Gazzy drink a lot of water on the way. A kid's bladder is never that strong.

In the room there was a small closet and a desk with a mirror, and that was it. Nothing else was in his room. I looked through the closet for his shoes and found them under his hung up pants. I grabbed them and told Nudge to pour the oil in his shoes, but not all of it.

Snooping through all the other things he had, I found a water bottle, a pencil, and paper. With my nicest handwriting I could manage, I wrote on the paper, "mess with nice kids and this guardian angel will mess with you." I stuck it on his mirror between the wood and actual mirror. I told Gazzy to drink the rest of the water that was in the bottle and he whimpered and said, "but I have to pee really badly."

"Good, that's what I want." I whispered and that mischievous glint was back in my eyes.

He understood what I meant and he smiled like I had imagined Satin would when I died and found myself at his doorstep. He drank the water and I took the can of oil from Nudge and poured the rest of the contents into the dark colored water bottle. I placed it back where I found it and I handed the can back to Nudge.

"You need to go?" I raised an eyebrow at Gazzy and he smiled at me again.

I lifted him silently onto the bed and it didn't squeak under his weight, but as I started to put him on his full weight it slightly protested. So I was left with holding him up fractionally.

"Alright, Gazzy, I want you to just pee on his crotch to make it seem like he did it himself. No where else or he might wake, ok?" I said. "I am looking away now."

I heard the zipper on his pants go down and then I could hear the nasty liquid fall onto the bed, hopefully near his target. Nudge giggled and I shushed her immediately. When Gazzy was done I set him down again and looked at our masterpiece.

Ok, yeah, I know. It wasn't the most tricky and awesome prank ever, but I was only nine, cut me some slack.

Now it really did smell like a sewer, with the Transfers' "accident" and the Transfers' breath.

The pencil I had grabbed was the last piece of revenge. I slowly stuck it in his nose slightly moving it up until I was scared that he would wake. At least an inch was up his nose, and if he rolled onto his stomach in the middle of the night and hurt his nose, I would be happy.

"Uh-oh."

CHAPTER 8

I turned sharply to where Gazzy was standing with both of our eyes wide and I knew he was ready to blow.

"In his face!" I whispered quickly.

He took a couple steps toward him and turned, pushing his rump in the Transfers face. It was silent; thank God, but that only meant it would be a stronger smell.

"You scum-sucking jerk!" he hissed at him.

I picked up Gazzy and grabbed Nudge by her arm and we were gone. As soon as I shut the door I could hear him coughing and gagging. I almost laughed, almost, but my depressed thoughts about laughing stopped me.

"Light foot, Nudge! Hurry!" I hissed.

I pulled the door shut about five seconds before I heard his door open and yell down the hall, "who the…" Fortunately, we were long gone and I couldn't catch the rest of his sentence.

I raced down the corridors with Gazzy in my arms to his bunk and as we slowed down by the door my heart started to race, and not because of my running while carrying a three year old; no, it was because of the heavy footsteps inside of his room.

I pulled Nudge back and we raced off to the girls' dorms before the intruder could open the door and find us there. I ran to my room with Nudge on my heels and as I got to my door I pulled out the key and quickly unlocked the door.

There was no one in my room and I sagged with relief.

CHAPTER 9

"Gazzy, you might have to stay the rest of the night in the mattress."

My breathing was erratic from all the extra excitement.

"Aw, but it's cramped in there." then he looked up into my face and saw that if he didn't he knew we would all get in trouble and the prank would have been for nothing. "Ok." he relented.

He crawled in as I sent Nudge back to her room, but if she heard or saw anything that might get her in trouble, then to come back to me.

It had been at least five minutes and no Nudge. I lifted the mattress to find a dozing Gazzy and quickly pecking him on the forehead I slipped out of my room and down to his. However, before I could get out of my own hallway I heard those same heavy footsteps, the ones that were in Gazzy's room.

I backpedaled into my room and locked the door as fast as I could, heart hammering in my throat. Sleeping giants I can defeat, not walking giants.

I heard the footsteps come closer to my door and I knew that if I was to get caught and the door was locked, it would be worse. So, I unlocked the door and slid into bed as silently and quickly as I could.

The doorknob slowly turned and I rolled over on my side, evened my breathing, and slid the blanket up to my eyes that way I could barely see and the intruder would barely be able to see my eyes. The giant pushed open the door and took a heavy step in.

CHAPTER 10

The steps got closer and I could feel the heat off of the giant's body. Suddenly I felt his arm grab my shoulder, but with years of practice somehow I didn't scream. I just kept my eyes closed and let the intruder roll me over.

"Get up, I know that you're awake!" the voice was gruff and loud.

I yanked my eyes open into the face of another Transfer. This one looked much like the other guy but he was of a heavier build. He grabbed the back of my shirt and hauled me off of the bed.

"Where is the kid they call The Gasman?" he growled.

"I… I don't know!" the shirt was choking me and I couldn't breath. "The… cough cough… the shirt! It's too tight! Cough cough." I wheezed.

He loosened his hold only enough so I could breathe, but still it hurt around my neck and I knew I would have a bruise.

He shoved me towards the door and into hallway and I knew we were going to the Head Mistress. Uh-Oh.

CHAPTER 11

But instead of pushing me towards the end of the hallway he stopped at another door and burst in.

Nudge's room.

He grabbed her shoulder and she sprang awake, unlike her usual lazy morning get-ups.

"Come on!" I think the only way he could talk was by growling.

I gave Nudge a shrug and made a pretend noose around my neck. Her eyebrows rose to high heaven and her face went pale. Okay it's not that bad, I should have been a little easier on her, I thought.

As we were beginning the journey through the south wing to the Devil's office, we heard small, soft footsteps headed our way. We all turned to see Gazzy making the turn from the Boys' east wing towards us. Nudge and I looked at each other and turned back to Gazzy. How in the world did he get out of my room without my noticing it? I thought.

The giant stomped over to him dragging us with him and somehow managed to grab Gazzy while still holding onto Nudge and me.

We got to the end of the hallway and stopped outside Head Mistress Anne's door. Oh God, please be on the other side of this door NOT a cranky old lady! I prayed fervently. I didn't even know if I believed in Jesus or God or not, but right now I would pray to Buddha or some hubadoo God if I had to to not see the old hag as Medusa.

CHAPTER 12

We walked into her office and she was standing beside the desk, her face was impassive and I couldn't tell what she was thinking. Does this woman ever sleep? I thought.

"You lied to me, Max." the disappointment was easily noticeable in her voice. Too bad I didn't care.

"I found them going into the employees' wing and decided to meet them back at their rooms." he still hadn't let go of our collars, which was irritating in its own sense and now he gets us in even more trouble? Oh, I was so DONE with him!

I threw my elbow right below the belt line and he doubled over with a sickening groan, releasing the three of us.

"Max!" said the Head Mistress. As she said my name the giant reached for me, but she halted his progress with the flick of her hand, signaling his leave. "Go."

I stuck my tongue out at him as he left.

"Why did you lie to me, Max?"

"Why does any kid lie?" I answered, face tense and expecting to get hit.

"That does not answer my question."

I tilted my head to the side and asked, "were you never a kid yourself?" I saw her jaw twitch a little and I knew I was getting to her.

"Answer me, Max. We can do this all night." She moved to the front of her desk and leaned on it. Making it look like she was bored, but still awake. Two could play at that game.

I yawned and sat in one of the comfy chairs in front of her desk.

"I know you have been in multiple houses for this kind of behavior, but I would have expected you to have grown up by now."

"No. I kind of like being a kid. It has its own perks." I shrugged and leaned back getting comfortable once more.

"How would you know of the perks when you haven't even lived?" she hissed.

I shrugged again and yawned once more.

"Tomorrow is your birthday, yes? I think I will give you a present—"

"It's your birthday tomorrow, Max? Why didn't you tell me?" Nudge jumped at me and started to tell me happy birthday while Gazzy just smiled shyly and said happy birthday to me. I nodded my thanks at both of them and looked back at Head Mistress Anne.

"I will move you again." she smirked at me and then at Nudge and Gazzy, "all of you will leave and move into separate homes. And as I understand it, you, Gasman, have a younger sister you want to get back to." she smirked again and Gazzy's face went pale. "Would you like to see her again?"

"How did you know?" he choked out. I could see the tears rimming his eyes and I pulled him close to me, cuddling and comforting him.

"Tomorrow you all will be moved and I won't see your sorry, baby faces again," and then as an after thought she says, "well, I might see a face that looks like yours, Gasman. Little Angel."

He lunged at her then, but his three-year-old body didn't do much for him and she easily slapped him across the face and shoved him away from her. I grabbed him again and held him.

"Dean! Get back in here and take these kids to the solitary room!" she hissed as Dean, the mean, nasty smelling, giant intruder marched in.

He grabbed us again and managing all three of us by himself, pushed open the door. As he started walking full stride, we started to fall back because our small legs couldn't keep up. I mean, yeah we were taller than those of our age, but we weren't giants. So basically he had to drag us all the way until I used the momentum of his pull and swung out my leg and hit the side of his knee. He crumpled to the ground groaning and as I threw the Gasman into Nudge's arms and pushed her to run, he grabbed my leg sending me face first into the tile floor.

"Max!" Nudge screamed. Dawn was upon us and I knew if she were to stop and help she would endanger not only herself, but also Gazzy while getting caught.

"Keep running!" I yelled, "you don't have much time!"

I watched her leave me behind and through the hallway she went.

"You vile little creature!" Dean grabbed at my thigh. I couldn't shake off his meaty hands and looking back at him I could see that his face was a horrible red color and he was breathing really heavy. I didn't understand it; he looked completely healthy, yet his grip loosened and I was able to jump up.

As I took the first few steps to getting away I turned around to see if he was following me.

He wasn't even moving.

I went back to him and checked his pulse.

It wasn't beating.

Did I just kill a man?

CHAPTER 13

My heart was beating so loud it felt like the whole orphanage could hear it.

I was only nine; I didn't need this on my conscious!

I heard a commotion behind me and whirled around. It was Nudge and Gazzy. They were dragged back by another Transfer. The Head Mistress ran out of her office by the noises the others were making and immediately her eyes went to me.

"What did you do to him?" she yelled. She grabbed my shirt by the neck and threw me on the ground. I was still breathing loudly and my hands and butt stung from the fall. More bruises, I thought, yay.

"Get these annoying brats into the solitary room and by God if they get loose I will have your job and you can live out in the streets!"

Oh man, oh man was she angry. I saw a vein popping out on her temple and her hair seemed like it had been run through multiple times, maybe a coping mechanism. I think she might need to find a new one soon because it looks like this one was running low.

The new goon grabbed me and threw me up over his shoulder. He basically ran to the room and when he opened it he threw us in like bags of meat. Nudge landed first and then Gazzy on top of her, thankfully. I fell beside her on my left elbow and I felt a horrible pain shoot up in my shoulder. Yes, the same stupid shoulder.

I cried out and Nudge immediately came to my side. The goon shut the door quickly and left; or maybe he was just standing by the door guarding us. I grabbed a hold of my elbow and sort of clutched it to the side.

"Do you think it's broken?" asked Nudge in a hushed, scared voice.

"No, it's not," I gasped, "I think it's dislocated. Ahh!"

"Gazzy, be careful!" Nudge admonished. Gazzy had crawled over to my left side and cuddled into me, hitting my arm and shooting fresh pain throughout my body.

"Nudge, I am going to need you to fix it—"

"WHAT?"

"Listen to me, Nudge. I need you to grab my arm and pull as hard and fast as you can." My breath had accelerated and as I moved Gazzy out of the way, I held out my arm. "You can do it, Nudge."

She grabbed a hold of my forearm with both hands and fell backwards, creating a horrible pulling in my shoulder. I yelled at her to do it again, she did and I felt and heard a pop as it fell back into to place.

"Oh, that feels mucho better." I sighed with relief. I rolled my shoulder around, quite painfully, but it really did feel much better.

"I'd get some sleep because you may not be getting much later." I told them.

So we all ended up curling in a ball all close to each other. I was curled around Gazzy, Gazzy was cuddled up to my stomach, and Nudge had her stomach to my back and her arms wrapped around my own stomach.

We slept like that until 10 o'clock. I woke up and looked around the room.

I guess they had forgotten about us because the usual time to get up was at seven.

"Get up, there is someone that wants to meet you!"

Guess I thought too soon.

It was Head Mistress Anne Walker, come to deliver us to our deaths. We all got up and followed her out there.

CHAPTER 14

To be honest, I wasn't expecting a doctor in a lab coat; I was expecting more of the Transfers. However, this woman was very beautiful, Hispanic by the look of it. But the coat still scared me, horrible memories of when I was little and all the doctor's that had examined me; apparently Nudge and Gazzy went through the same thing because they both grabbed my arms and huddled into my sides. Her hair was dark and fell down in soft curls down to the middle of her back, she was tall and had an air of obedient-calm about her, and her hands looked so soft, eyes like chocolate and a smile to warm you up from the inside out.

I was scared beyond belief.

She just brought us to the worst nightmare ever because I knew this wasn't a dream and I knew this woman had something to do with us moving. Her swift gaze fell down to my neck and to my shoulder that was still burning with pain and down to my arms and immediately her mouth hardened into a flat line. Next, she looked at Nudge, doing the same thing. She then looked at Gazzy and shook her head disapprovingly.

My heart was squeezed in a fist as I turned to Nudge, noticing for the first time the bruise on her cheekbone and on her upper arm. I turned to Gazzy and saw the cut on his lip.

"I would like to speak to you in private, Miss Walker." her voice was like velvet coursing through my blood, but the look in her eyes deceived all the warmth in her voice.

The Head Mistress gulped and said, "this way, ma'am."

She was scared of this woman! Oh my God, we have just been consigned to death. If the Head Mistress Anne Walker is scared of this one woman and she came here to see us. Oh God, oh God, oh God, we're done for!

A few minutes later, and I was still hyperventilating, they came out and little Miss Anne Walker's face was pale and her eyes wide in shock. My heart started to accelerate even more and I grasped Nudge's and Gazzy's hands and pulled them closer to me.

"You guys aren't going to want to be separated from each other are you?" she sighed and shook her head. "I am taking them all," she said to the Head Mistress. She nodded her head vigorously.

My eyes widened and I looked at the two other pairs of astonished eyes beside me. And then it hit me; she was going to adopt us. So really, this was the best birthday present ever, unless this woman was a horrible person who treated kids worse than Head Mistress Anne. Oh God, oh no, we don't need that.

CHAPTER 15

The process took forever. Apparently this woman had already filled out the application forms a long time ago and she was approved, she was just looking for the perfect child, or I guess three perfect children. We had to wait at least two to four weeks before we could go home with her. In that time every person I had ever played a trick on or ever said a word to, came up to me and told me "lucky you."

I was beyond freaked out and I almost punched the fifth kid that had come up to me and said it, but Nudge just held my arm back.

"Max, they are just jealous, as far as we now we are the only kids that have ever been adopted here." she gasped then, "what if we are the only kids that ever get adopted from this place? What happens to all the other kids? Will they get thrown out when they are too old, what'll they do?"

"Nudge, calm down, ok? They will be fine, I wish I could do something, but what is a ten year old and her little minions supposed to do?"

She looked at me with those doe eyes and told me that we had to do something.

"What do you want ME TO DO?" I shouted. "Let me remind you, Nudge, this is the 21st century and I am only ten. In this world, a ten year old can't even get a job! I'm sorry I can't help these miserable kids, and I wish I could, but at least here they have shelter and food and some semblance of entertainment and learning!"

"Oh," she said, "I didn't think of that." Her face was downcast and I pulled her against my side.

"Hey, it's ok, alright? You'll be ok and these kids will be ok too, ok?"

"Yeah." she sniffled and nodded her head.

CHAPTER 16

The days that had passed by were excruciating. It was like five days before Christmas with all the presents already under the tree. You just can't wait five more days longer. Only we had no idea how many more days we had to wait.

Gazzy had come up to me two days later his voice was small and he wouldn't look me in the face.

"Do you think she was serious?" he mumbled it into his shirt, so I grabbed his chin and pulled his face up so I could look into his baby blue eyes.

"Serious about what?" he looked at me, but still didn't speak. "Gaz, tell me."

"About Angel."

"Is she your little sister?" my voice was gentle because I didn't want to scare him off.

He nodded, "yeah, she is." I bent down to his level and looked him square in the eye and gave him my best half smile. It probably looked like a grimace, but hey, the kid was three.

"What does she look like?" He got more comfortable with this line of questioning.

"She has blonde curly like hair, like me!" he pulled at his hair to show me what he had meant and I nodded to show my understanding, "her eyes are real pretty blue," then he widened his eyes real big with his fingers. Nudge had come up beside me, and when she had seen Gazzy doing that she started to laugh.

"What are you guys talking about?" she said giggling.

"My little sister!" he threw his arms into the air and went on explaining about how much of a little angel she was and looked like. It was cute and absolutely adorable and it almost melted my frozen heart completely.

CHAPTER 17

The day came.

My palms were sweaty and I was hyperventilating. Nudge was holding Gazzy's hand beside me looking at the lobby in some serious form of patience. We were all seated by one of the offices by the lobby and Nudge kept bouncing her knee and just watching that knee made my eye twitch.

"STOP, OK?" I snapped, grabbing her knee and pushing it fully on the ground.

"Sorry! It's just… just… you know?" her voice was a little shaky and I could see her squeezing Gazzy's hand a little too hard.

His face contorted with pain and his bottom lip started to quiver.

"Nudge," I spoke calmly, "I know."

She looked up at me and immediately released his hand and crushed my body with a hug.

"Nudge! Nudge!" I gasped. "RELEASE ME, NUDGE!"

She looked up into my face and smiled, I gave her one of my rare grimaces (that's sort of a smile, right?) and patted her fluffy hair.

Head Mistress Anne walked out of her office and with a scowl on her face, waved us over. If it hadn't of been for my hand holding onto Nudge's, she would've bolted right at her and possibly knocked her over in the process.

"This is going to be your new mother, kids." Head Mistress Anne said silkily when we finally reached her. Her lips curled up in a crude smile and her hand was held out as if she were presenting a trophy to us.

The woman stepped forward with a warm smile on her face, "my name is Doctor Valencia Martinez, I hope we will get along well."

When she said "doctor" I think we all kind of involuntarily shivered out of fear.

Being the brave, young leader I was I asked her, "so are you a doctor with needles and stethoscopes, or with curved scrapers and bad tasting, foaming mouth-wash?"

She gave a soft laugh at that and replied, "oh, I am neither. I am a doctor for animals," and as an after thought she said, "well, I guess Veterinarians have needles and stethoscopes too, but those are for the animals." She gave me a wink and I knew that she knew why I had asked that question. I could tell that I wouldn't get away with much with this woman, and I wasn't sure if I liked that or not.

CHAPTER 18

We had already packed our stuff in our excitement of leaving and when the Head Mistress opened the doors to the outside world we practically ran out. Dr. Martinez, do NOT say Ms. Martinez or she will go crazy (she told us we could call her mom whenever we got used to her), lead the way to the car and the thing was HUGE.

It was white and the interior was a sleek black. As we walked around to the back I read Armada in shiny silver letters. Dr. Martinez lifted the back and we stacked our small suitcases in the back. They all easily fit because of how small they were. Our "new mom" frowned slightly as she looked at the bags, but didn't say anything and shut the trunk door.

"All right, Max is oldest, she gets front. Gasman, since you're the smallest, you sit behind me, and Nudge, you sit behind Max."

Nudge nodded her head excitedly and Gazzy kind of bounced on his heels, I just nodded and moved to the right side of the Armada, opened the door and got in.

Holy cow, it was nice in that sun-of-a-gun. The seats were squishy and soft and there was an armrest on both sides. When Nudge got in she gave a little squeal of joy and she immediately buckled in. I looked to my right and found the seat belt. I pulled it across my chest and latched it in.

There was a big thump behind me and I turned around to see Gazzy trying to climb in. I frowned at him as he was scrambling around and Nudge started to laugh, then Dr. Martinez walked up behind him smiling and gently picked him up and set him in the car seat that was there for him. She buckled him in all safe and secure.

Once she got in, she buckled herself in looked around smiling and asked us if we were all set and after seeing two smiles and a curt nod she started the Armada and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Are you guys hungry? We can stop by someplace and get something to eat?" she looked into the rearview mirror at the others.

Nudge's eyes widened and Gazzy actually drooled a little.

She laughed and said, "ok, we'll stop by and get something. Max what do you think we should get?"

"Doesn't matter to me, as long as it's food." I looked out my window with a shrug. I was in a tense mood and I didn't understand it. I liked this woman, she was motherly and friendly and didn't seem at all like she would mistreat us, but a part of me was feeling like this wasn't going to last and I didn't want to get too close because if I did and she left, I knew I would get hurt, again. Since I was feeling confused, I didn't want to talk, or think really.

"Oh, come on. I am sure you can think of something. There is McDonalds, Wendy's, SubWay, Taco Bell, Freddie's, Dairy Queen, Braums, IHOP, and, oh, the choices are endless." I looked at her and she threw her head to side looking at me and smiling. I shrugged again and looked out the window watching the passing buildings, each different than the first and looking prettier as we got closer to the town.

"Oh, can we please go to Freddie's? I heard one of the girls talking about all the custard and concrete ice creams they have! They sound so delicious! Have you ever had one, Dr. Martinez?"

"I have had their dirt-and-worms ice cream actually. It is quite good, to be honest. My daughter ordered the Hawaiian pineapple thing or whatever it was called." she laughed and said, "yes, I suppose we can go."

"You have a daughter? Is she adopted too? Is she your blood related daughter? What does she look like? Does she resemble you? What is—"

"NUDGE!"

"Sorry, Max."

Dr. Martinez laughed and said, "yes, she is my "blood related daughter" and she is quite excited to meet you guys. And yes, she does look a bit like me, she is a year or so older than you Nudge."

"Oh! How exciting! I can't wait to meet her!" Nudge yelled as she bounced in her seat.

CHAPTER 19

As the long drive began I heaved a sigh and looked out the window at the passing buildings. There were many houses and not all of them looked very nice. It was like that was the sole reason for putting the orphanage there because it was in the slummy part of the town I guess. Like they just knew parents were going to drop kids off at their doorstep in a basket or something.

And now that I keep thinking about it, it is sad. How so many kids go in there and barely any come out. Like, what's the use for their life? I wish I really could help them though, like I helped Nudge, and Gazzy.

We finally drive through onto the main road in the town and literally every food joint you can think of is on each side of the road, except there is a bank and/or gas stations on the corners of some of the intersections.

I keep looking out my window and I watch as other cars pass us. I see families in the big suburban type cars and I see the hot-shot-spoiled-rich-kid fly by in an expensive car and I shake my head and sigh. There is definitely a diversity of class among this town.

"How big is the town?" I ask Dr. Martinez.

She looks shocked at first to even hear me speak, but she easily brushes the expression away with a simple smile and replies, "oh, around 32,000 people. It's not as big as some of the other cities in Arizona."

I was quiet for a while longer, looking at the buildings as we pulled into the Freddie's parking lot. I knew it was blunt and maybe a little rude, but I wanted to know.

"Why did you adopt us?"

"Max!" Nudge hissed at me from the back as she kicked my seat.

"I am still not sure myself, to be honest. I saw kids who wanted to get out I guess. Kids who could flourish beyond the boundaries of that useless women they call Head Mistress," she said that last part with a little venom and I couldn't help a little snarl. "I saw kids that I could care for and love," she finished.

It was silent as she found a spot to park. After she turned the Armada off she looked at all of us in turn and smiled, "I hope you will be able to love me too."

She grabbed her purse, smiled and got out of the car.

As Gazzy was struggling with his belt, Nudge had already jumped out of the door on her side and was bouncing around while I took my time. Dr. Martinez opened Gazzy's door and helped him out of the car seat.

"Alright guys! Let's go get some chow!" said an enthused Nudge.

Dr. Martinez laughed and agreed.

They all plowed through the door and I brought up the end counting heads and making sure they got in.

Dr. Martinez ushered us all in at the back of the line and told us to think of what we wanted to order.

I bent down to Gazzy's level and told him what was on the board and his eyes lit up at all the options. He clapped his hands together and jumped saying he wanted a large concrete.

"No, Gazzy. Not until you eat normal food and especially no if it is not okay with Dr. Martinez."

He turned to her then with the start of a smile and he pushed out his chest on his tiptoes with his big baby blue eyes wide open.

"Like Max said, you can have it after." she said with a smile.

He jumped up again and grabbed my legs in a hug and then he did the same to Dr. Martinez; she looked down at him with the gentlest smile I had ever seen on anyones face. It made me realize something: she actually wanted us. She actually wanted these three weird kids in her house to love and she wanted to make sure we were safe. Isn't that what we had always wanted?

But for some reason I still didn't want to give in to this feeling.