A/N: Okay, I know that I REALLY shouldn't be writing ANOTHER fanfic, but I just needed to write this! I'll try to update for the other stories as soon as possible.

Maximum Ride: The Neighborhood Witch

Max is a witch on the run. Jeb is her protector. There are people who want her power, her blood. And they're getting closer. So when she moves to a small town in California she can't mess up. She meets some other witches and doesn't feel so alone. But will the school bitch give her trouble? Will Max suddenly unleash her powers?

Her 16th birthday is coming up, the day that she becomes a full witch. The day that her fate will be decided. But will she make it until then? And what happens when a certain family member decides to 'drop in' for a visit? Read on to find out. Sorry for the suckish summary.


Max's Pov

I looked in the rear-view mirror, watching yet another town disappear with in the hills. "Where to this time?" I asked, not bringing up why we're moving again. It was my fault. It's always my fault. I still haven't mastered my powers and my emotions take control, and that causes my powers to go berserk.

Jeb sighed, his forehead wrinkling in a frown. Jeb was my protector. He was human, he wasn't a wizard. He was born into a magical family, only he was born in the Batchelder family, they skip generations so always one will be powerless, they're the protectors. That also happens with the Blenia's family, Trinh's family, Sebila's family, and the Griffiths family. They're made to ensure our survival, to make sure that no one knows about us, that no one finds about our powers. There are a few that do know and they're the ones that hunt us. It's said that if you drain us of our blood and drink it, or inject it in them, then you can take our powers. That's what Jeb is protecting me from.

His fingers gripped the wheel tighter, his knuckles going white. He ran a hand through his light blond hair. If you looked closer you'd see the little gray hairs sprouting here and there. He wasn't old but he wasn't young either. Jeb was only my protector until he died, after that I'm on my own. That's why we have training each and every day of the week, another thing that ensures that we'll stay alive longer.

"A small town in California." I looked out the window, watching the sun go down, the sky a beautiful pink turning darker and darker, fading into a scatter of stars. I closed my eyes, the soft hum of the engine rocking me to sleep.


"Max?" Jeb's rough voice woke me from my uncomfortable slumber. I groaned and shifted, cat stretching, my joints cracking and my muscles waking up after a long ride from Michigan.

"Yeah?" I asked my voice cracking. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked around. It was still dark out, the clouds covering the beautiful stars. I looked around. We were parked in the driveway of a two story house. It was normal, it didn't stand out and nothing made you look again. Just what we needed. A few towns ago the trackers found us and we had to drive to twelve different states before we finally threw them off our trail.

I peeled myself off the leather seat and stiffly walked to the door. Tomorrow I'd be starting school. Just because we were in hiding didn't mean I didn't have to go to school. Now a teenage girl that wasn't going to school would make you look again.

But in school, I'm not supposed to draw attention either. Which is hard being the new girl, but it works. I just get B's, I pretend to hate P.E. like everyone else, and I make sure I don't give anyone a reason to look again. Pretty simple.


Being the new girl sucks so much. Especially in a small town where everyone pretty much knows everyone. I walked into the school, ignoring the stares of my fellow students, looking around for a sign that directed me to the office. Absentmindedly, I fingered the necklace around my neck. It was my family crest: a sun and crescent moon latched together. It meant dark and light, sun and moon, day and night. My family was the strongest witch/wizard family. We have evil and good in our family, hence the sun and moon. I'm good, but can easily shift over to the bad side. Jeb would have to follow whether he liked it or not.

I found the sign and walked inside the green door. The secretary smiled at me. She had chubby red cheeks that made her look even sweeter. I smiled back, "I'm Maxilyn…." I trailed off. We changed my name each time, keeping it somewhat close to my real name: Maximum. We are always given the weirdest name, at least I was lucky enough to have a name that had multiple nick-names. Maxilyn was a name that I found on the internet. Jeb was nice enough to let me choose my names but he had to approve it first.

She nodded, smiling wider, but I saw it falter. Yes the name was weird, but I didn't care. I'd be gone in a few months. "Nice to meet you Maxilyn. Err." She looked around the empty office and I knew that she was looking for someone to show me around. But I saved her the trouble.

I shook my head and gave her a polite smile, "It's alright. I'll make it through the day without a guide." She gave me a wary glance and nodded.

She clicked a button and the printer started. She got up and took out the paper and handed it to me. "Here you are. I'll send all your teachers an email saying you might be late." I smiled gratefully at her.

"Thanks." Yes, I have manners. I glanced at the map once then threw it away. Maps draw attention, plus I had photographic memory. A plus that comes with the powers.

My locker was near my first class in the C cluster. C stands for Core. All the history and English classes are there.

I was walking around, minding my own business when it happened. You never want to get on the bad side of the Crimsons. My family is known for their bad temper and their power.

"Well, well, well…" A nasal, bratty voice said from behind me. I let out a calming breath, counting to ten, like that ever worked. But I needed to try. I didn't want to break my record of living in one town for just a week. No, I really didn't. That just meant I was getting sloppy, being sloppy gets you killed.

I kept walking, totally ignoring the girls behind me. I heard the clicking and clacking of their high heels behind me. I heard one of them scoff. "Awww, the little one is…scared?" A high-pitched laugh followed the comment.

I should put a curse on them. I should curse them with warts and make them loose all their dyed hair. But I can't use my powers unless I'm in training, which is every Wednesday. Today is Wednesday, so I have something to look forward to.

I felt one of their long, manicured nails flick the back of my head. That's it… But as I was saying the lines in my head I heard a masculine voice rumble behind me. "Lissa, picking fights with the newbie?" I stopped short, Fiatverrucismaculafaciem. (A/N: Translation at the bottom)

I turned and saw a tall boy, taller than me (which is saying something, I'm 5'11") by at least four inches. "Hey baby," Lissa purred, her voice no longer evil and bratty. She batted her mascara caked eyelashes at the boy and pressed herself on his side, leaning into him, staring into his dark eyes. I was too far away to see what color they really were. But they seemed to be a dark chocolate color.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, and I took this time to get by unnoticed. I walked to my top locker, just about to open it when a someone said, "Is that a tattoo?"

I freaked out. How could these filthy mortals see it? I turned and looked into the face of a goth girl. She had curly blond hair that was obviously straightened, with black and pink highlights. She had blue eyes rimmed with thick mascara and dark red lipstick layered over her lips. Her face was pale and she had a choker hiding her neck, right where she should be marked if she was my kind. I shrugged. If she was my kind then she'd know to show me her's first. "Maybe."

She smirked at me and stuck out her hand that had a lacy glove that cut off halfway on her fingers. Her fingernails were painted a slick black. She was wearing a layered teal and black tutu skirt with ripped black leggings and a black tank top underneath a leather jacket. "Angel." I raised an eyebrow but shook her hand anyway. "Ego Celisa angelum angaria," She added in our native language, Latin. I smiled and she fingered her choker. I waved my hand dismissively after seeing the dark blue glow of her tattoo.

"Maxilyn, call me Max." Then I added, just to be polite. "Ego sum Maximum RUFUS. Placere non inclinant, est unnesscary." Her smirk widened and she laughed a little.

"Thought so, you're glow is extra bright." I winced. That's what I hate about being a witch. Any other witch can see your 'glow' or han. Your han is your power, it shows everyone how strong you are. The tattoo can only be seen by other witches, it glows a little if the person doesn't want you to see it, but it needs to be verified.

"Ugh, I thought I had that down." You can control how much you want other witches to see, as well. If you want to hide your power you can lower the glow of your han.

"You should really cover that tat, if you don't want any unwanted attention." She crossed her arms and cocked her hip out, her bag bumping against it. I shrugged.

"It wouldn't match my look as great as it does with you." She feigned her and I laughed a little.

She shrugged, "I changed just for it, maybe you should try it." I shrugged. That's the one thing that I would never change just because we're always moving around, is my "look". I'd prefer to stay as normal as possible, thank you very much.

She shrugged again, "You're in front of my locker." I grinned at her and stepped aside, gesturing her to go to her locker. She smirked at me and shook her head.

"You're not bad Ride, not bad at all." I rolled my eyes. My middle name was Ride. My full name was Maximum Ride Crimson.

"And you're not bad Ange, not bad at all." Her real name was Celisa, her middle name was Angel and her last name was Corosava. That's what her crest symbolized, anyway. I've seen it around. Her family's known for selling witch herbs for spells and potions. She's lucky, she actually gets to live with her mom and dad. I'm here waiting for the times when they can actually come and see me. Which will only be when I 'bloom' or reach my full potential. Being a witch is complicated stuff, and being 'normal' was even harder.


A/N: This is the first part of the curse Maxilyn was thinking: Let warts spot their face.

This is Angel's introduction: I am Celisa Angel, at your service.

This is Max's introduction: I am Maximum Crimson. Please don't bow, it is unnesscary.

R&R, hope you guys don't mind that I'm starting a new fanfic, I'll try to update my other stories as soon as possible.

Dream Beyond Infinity

"Same lies on a different face." - Demi Lovato