Heat-Haze Days

by FantasyFreedom

He smiles. I reach out to him, my mouth open with a silent scream and time speeds up. The giant truck slams into him and his blood flies everywhere. On the ground, on the sign beside me, the truck, and all over the front of my shirt and jeans. The smell of cooper and metallic invade my nose. My hands, covered in scarlet, come up to my mouth and it mixes with my tears.

1. Chapter 1

Hey, so this is the first chapter of Heat-Haze Days. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer- I don't own any Maximum Ride characters or songs that appear in this story.

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Seven years ago (8 years old)

I tore open the christmas present eagerly and a squeal escapes my throat. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" I say jumping up and down with a dark purple electric guitar clutched in my small arms. "I got ta show Fang! Now we can finally start a band!"

I turn to run but my feet are tangled in the snowman wrapping paper.

I stretch out my arms to catch myself and the new guitar skitters across the ground and slides into a wall. my palms hit the tile first, then my chin slams to the ground with a crack.

My parents gasp and shoot to their feet, probably more concerned about the expensive gift. Me falling is not an unusual occurrence.

I hop up instantly, rush forward to grab the fallen present, and sprint out the door before mom and dad can reprimand me for being reckless. I run across the snowy yard to the next house and open the door without knocking. I never do. Why should I?

"Fang!" I shout. "Fang!" I enter the living room sliding in my wet fluffy winter socks. Then, falling again, as I tip backwards, I flail my arms in a desperate attempt to stay up right.

A small hand reaches out and snatches the guitar out of my grip before my butt slams into the ground, arms sprawled out behind me. Standing above me with my guitar in hand, is a boy my age. He wears black plaid pants with a black t-shirt. compared to my green socks, fuzzy blue cookie monster pants and black t-shirt, I was more childish looking.

I grin. "Fang!" I leap to my feet and start hopping up and down, causing pain to shoot up through my chin. I ignore it. "Did you see, did you see? Now we can start a band!" He takes a step sideways and lifts up a black shiny electric and I gasp. "I have to call Iggy!" I step forward to grab mine back but he grips my wrist.

In his high little kids voice he says, "Why is your chin all bloody? It's kind of gross."

I touch under my chin where a dull throb is and it comes away, covered in a wet scarlet.

Now (age 15)

"Can you make some noise?!" I yell into the screaming crowd and they get louder, shouting our names. I grin into the mike hanging on my ear. "That's what I'm talking about! This is to all you amazing fans and your support. We couldn't be here tonight if it weren't for y'all. You guys ready?!"

Several shouts of 'ya's rose up and I had to laugh. I love this. The rush of adrenaline from performing with my friends, the crowd cheering us on. And the singing. That's what I love the most. It's the singing.

"What ever you do, don't grow up."

I turn my back to the crowd and a purple electric guitar flies at me. As the neck lands in my palm, Iggy hits the drums hard. The lights flash. I sling the strap over my shoulder and start singing. The lights flash again and I jump as the drums hit loudly and my feet connect to the ground again.

Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs
With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love
Got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk
Singing here's to never growing up

Call up all our friends, go hard this weekend
For no damn reason, I don't think we'll ever change
Meet you at the spot, half past ten o'clock
We don't ever stop, and we're never gonna change

I dace around swinging my hips. I swing my guitar so it rests across my back. I come up behind Fang who is rocking out on his black guitar, and throw an arm around his shoulders. He turns his head to me and smirks.

Say, won't you stay forever stay
If you stay forever hey
We can stay forever young

I let go of him and move to Iggy who is playing base.

Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs
With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love
Got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk
Singing, here's to never growing up

I bump my hip into his and mess up his hair. He scowls and bats me away. The crowd cheers and Iggy turns his head to wink at them. I hit him in the head and move on. He sticks his tongue out at me. I point at him during the next line with a raised eyebrow and a smirk curving my lips up.

We'll be running down the street, yelling "Kiss my ass!"
I'm like yeah whatever, we're still living like that
When the sun's going down, we'll be raising our cups
Singing, here's to never growing up

I stand beside Nudge as she plays standing up at the keyboard.

Oh whoa, oh whoa, here's to never growing up
Oh whoa, oh whoa, here's to never growing up

We sing the next verse together.

We live like rock stars, dance on every bar
This is who we are, I don't think we'll ever change (hell no!)
They say just grow up, but they don't know us
We don't give a fuck, and we're never gonna change

Say, won't you stay forever stay
If you stay forever hey
We can stay forever young

We do a hip bump and I move on.

Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs
With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love
Got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk
Singing, here's to never growing up

We'll be running down the street, yelling "Kiss my ass!"
I'm like yeah whatever, we're still living like that
When the sun's going down, we'll be raising our cups
Singing, here's to never growing up

I wrap my arms around Gazzy from behind as he plays the drums. I tickle him in the stomach until he jerks his elbow back, hitting me in the ribs. I lean down and kiss his cheek before I straighten up and make my way back to the front of the stage. I hear him laughing behind me.

Oh whoa, oh whoa, here's to never growing up
Oh whoa, oh whoa, here's to never growing up

Say, won't you stay forever stay
If you stay forever hey
We can stay forever young

Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs
With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love
I got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk
Singing, here's to never growing up

I reach into the crowd and grip so many hands I lose count.

We'll be running down the street, yelling "Kiss my ass!"
I'm like yeah whatever, we're still living like that
When the sun's going down, we'll be raising our cups
Singing, here's to never growing up

Oh whoa, oh whoa, here's to never growing up
Oh whoa, oh whoa, (yeah raise your glass and say) here's to never growing up
Oh whoa, oh whoa, (da de da de da) here's to never growing up (no we're never growing up)
Oh whoa, oh whoa, here's to never growing up

The music cuts off and I laugh in exhilaration. We do three more songs. I sing one more, Fang sings one, And we all do one together.

We get to back stage and I'm breathless but smiling. It is the first day of our tour and it went better than any of us thought. I hug Fang and each of the band members in my adrenaline high.

We are all laughing and smiling as the stage hands scurry around. Well, except Fang. He's not laughing, but he does smile. And he laughed once! Okay so maybe he was laughing at me when I tripped over an electrical cord, knocking over a speaker, then falling into the dessert table, making it collapse under my weight. There was cake and icing all over me.

I stand up coated in the stuff, licking it off of my fingers. So yes, I can see why even Fang would be doubled over in laughter.

Iggy walked up and licks some off my cheek. "Mmmm. Chocolate."

I shove him, grinning, and he slips, landing right in the delicious mess. He scoops up a hand full and flings it at me from where he sits. Ducking, I hear it go splat behind me.

I turn my head and see Fang wiping the gunk off his face. He isn't laughing now.

Gazzy is cackling and Nudge is covering her mouth, trying to hide her giggles unsuccessfully.

My eyes shine. "Dessert fight!" Gazzy shouts gleefully, running at the smeared mess on the wooden planks. He falls to his knees, sliding across the slick floor. He grabs fist fulls and starts flinging as Fang and I rush forward.

Nudge covers her head while saying, "Not my hair, not my hair, not my hair, not my hai-" a red velvet cupcake squishes into her perfect curls. We all freeze as Nudge's eyes blaze.

"You got it in my hair!" She glares at Iggy. "That's it." She darts forward and we are all shouting and laughing. No one tries to stop us. In fact, almost every body is on the sides doing there best to stay out of the range of fire.

"What the hell is going on?!"

The five of us face plant, then we are scrambling to our feet and standing at attention. Our manager, Janie, stands at the edge of the coated floor with two open-mouthed girls. They each have a backstage pass hanging around their necks and look no older than twelve years old.

"Max!" Janie immediately looks at me.

I clear my throat loudly. "Well, you see... I kind of tripped, so..." I tail of. Carrot cake slides down the side of my face and lands at my feet with a loud plop. I wince.

I turn to the girls quickly. "Hello, I'm max." I hold out my hand before thinking better of it and return it to my side. "What's up?" I smile.

Then they start to laugh. "This is awesome." One whispers to the other, looking around at everything.

"I know." The other replies just as excited.

I glance at Janie as I bend over and whisper in Fang's ear. Then I sniff like I'm about to cry. The girl's eyes widen in confusion.

"Fangy." I whine. "When I tripped, I hurt my elbow." I stiff again, holing my arm.

Jane closes her eyes. "Oh no."

I smile. "I want a hug." Fang wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. "Not enough." The flock giggles, catching on, and pulls me into a group hug. "Not enough."

"Oh no." Janie groans again. I look at her.

"Can I have a hug?"

"No."

"You're gonna make me cry." My eyes water as the group shuffles forward.

"No." Her eyes are still closed and she rubs her temple.

I smile. "To bad." The group encloses him in a jumble of arms and bodies, wiping as much dessert as we can on her expensive suit. We pull away laughing.

The girls were video taping it on their smart phones that will no doubt be on YouTube by the day's end. "Can we get a picture?"

Um sure, if you don't mind covered in cake. You can't sue us though." I reply.

One girl steps forward and wants to take one with Gazzy. He stands there awkwardly, not wanting to get food all over her. She doesn't seem to care as she her scrawny arms around hi skinny frame with a big smile. reassured, he wraps his arms around her too. Both of them have big smiles for the camera, though Gazzy has a blush coating his cheeks. The top of the girl's head comes up to his shoulder.

The other girl wants a picture with Nudge and I both. We stand on either side of her with wide smiles. When the picture is about to be snapped, we both lean down and plant a kiss on her cheeks as the camera flashes.

When they leave, saying thank you a million times, Iggy smirks down at Gazzy.

"Gazzy's got fangirls, Gazzy's got fangirls." He sings, poking him in the cheek.

"More than you. Gazzy should really give you his secrete." Nudge says poking him in the cheek. Nudge's head only comes up to his collar bone but she's pretty tall for her age considering she's only fourteen.

He scowls. "I'll have you know, I have plenty of fangirls." He raises his chin in defiance.

"Yeah. All of which are flies that fly around your reeking pits." Fang says in his quiet rumble of a voice. I used to make fun of him for it, but now it sounds nice. It suits him.

I snort. "I'm gonna take a shower before I have flies flying around my pits." I sigh. "There is cake in places no cake should ever be."

"The only place cake should be, Max, is in your mouth." Janie says.

I glance back at her. "Yet it's everywhere except there."

"And who's fault is that? In the future Max, don't trip."

"I wont." I turn back around and come face to face with a wall. There is a quick intake of breath as I quickly jump to the side to avoid it. A quick smile of triumph crosses my face before I take a step backward and hit an amp. I pitch backwards and knock over another spot light.

I hit the ground with a thud. "Damniiiiit." I moan. "Starting now."

I hear multiple sighs and then I'm being lifted up and thrown over a shoulder.

"Fang!" I squeak. "Put me down! What are you doing?!"

"Making sure you make it to the bathroom alive." Came his reply.

Every step he takes makes my head slam into his back. My palms press into his spine, trying to push myself up, failing miserably.

"I hope you're not planing to stay in the bathroom with me."

"Only if you want me to." I can almost feel his smile.

I hear a squeal behind me and glare at the source. "Damn you Nudge. Not a word. You too Iggy, I see you smiling."

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Kay, so the song is "Here's to Never Growing Up" by Avril Lavigne.

If you liked it, see you next chapter.

-Fantasy