One by one the petals fell from the flower each time the young girl mumbled to herself, "He loves me, he loves me not' Oblivious to the 8 year old girls attempts to become friend, Nick Martinez steered clear of the strange girl. Deep down all that rough exterior though was a small girl who needed a friend.
FLASHBACK
"Mr and Mrs. Ride. It's a girl! ", The Doctor held in his arms a beautiful baby girl and instantly the small family fell in love with her. Once he finished cleaning the child the Doctor handed Valentia Martinez the girl. Her husband, Jerry sat down next to her holding in his own arms their other daughter, Ella who was only a toddler.
"Hunny, she's beautiful. Have you thought of a name?" Jerry held Valentia's hand as she cooed quietly to the sleeping baby.
"Maximum Ride, she's a definite , take Max for a minute", Jerry wrapped the baby in her blanket and rocked her gently in his arms, a silent Ella watching in awe as her mommy's monitor started to slow down and beep.
"Dada? What's wrong wih mommy?", Jeb stared in fascination as his wife's breathing slowed by the second. Thinking on his feet Jerry ran from the room with Ella in toll and grabbed .
"Valentia, something's wrong with her!", Dr. Hagen ran into the room where he witnessed Valentia Martinez, the newest mother in his care, die of a cardiac arrest. He started fiddling with the wires and finally glanced up shaking his head sorrowfully.
"I'm sorry, but your wife has died from cardiac arrest. We reacted too late, but with her critical case it is unlikely she would have been saved anyway. Will I ring someone to accompany you home?", gazed at the man who shook his head and sat on Valentia's bed. "It's time for you to go home. It isn't healthy to stay here, especially with two children one being a newborn",
Jerry set Max down next to her sister and grabbed a scalpel, lunging at he plunged the sharp item into the other mans head, going through his temple. The Doctor gaped in pain and attempted to wrench the tool from his head but his tries were futile. Jerry twisted the scalpel, this time it pierced his brain and killed the man immediatly.
"You killed my wife", Jerry grabbed the children, kissed his wifes forehead and left the room, tiny spots of blood on his pain white shirt.
FLASHBACK
Max allowed a tear to escape her eye as she pulled another petal from the rose whispering "He loves me not", Max was sitting on the bridge which stretched across a dangerous river that her grandparents and sister warned her about countless times. Her short legs swung off the edge as they did nearly everyday.
Nick and his best friends, Sam and Dylan ran past with a football, passing it between themselves.
"Can I play football with you?", Max glanced up smiling slightly ut much to her disappointment Nick shook his head annoyed.
"Girls can't play football stupid! Go play dolls or something, you weirdo", Nick sneered, slightly showing off to his friends. Part of him thought Maximum Ride was a freak, like his friends told him but another part thought Max was sweet and funny. But instead of being fair he stuck with his friends and ran off, leaving her to her thoughts.
FLASHBACK
Ella wore a cute little pink dress and Max was in jeans and a shirt which said 'Daddy's girl'. Both knew even from their young age what was about to happen and where they were going even at their young ages. Max knew from Granny Jennifer that her daddy was in trouble for hurting a Doctor when she was younger whereas Ella knew the whole story yet was afraid to tell her 3 year old sister.
"Come on girls or we'll be late for court. Max! Where's your dress?", Granny Jennifer shook her head, not impressed with her grandaughters clothes. Max shrugged and muttered quietly 'Dunno'.
Grandad Pat ushered them into the car where their daddy sat ready to go, a man sitting next to him in the middle of the car, Granny and Grandad in the front and Max and Ella in the very back.
"Can we get ice-cream?", Max's quiet voice broke the awkward silence. Granny Jen was about to refuse but Jerry beat her to it.
"Sure sweetie, what flavour do you want?", Jerry had more so of a soft spot for his youngest daughter as she was the last thing his wife had held and loved. Ella muttered something under her breath but nobody caught her words.
"Cookie dough! Please, daddy. Can have some ice-cream too?", Cleless to the fact that David Williams was in fact her fathers lawyer Max treated him like an uncle.
"Of course he can Max"
" ? What do you like?", Max kicked his chair over and over until he answered.
"I think I'll have Vanilla ice-cream",
The family went to the ice-cream bar and Mrs Hilda, a jolly, pudgy woman smiled genuinely down at her two favourite customers as they scarfed down their ice-creams.
FLASHBACK
Max remembered that day as the day her daddy was taken away from her and Ella. She never saw again either. The tide was starting to rise just as Max picked a petal from the rose again muttering "He loves me" with a soft smile on her face.
FLASHBACK
It was Max's first day of school, Ella had gone with her friends leaving the small 5 year old to cope by herself. Gripping the straps to her blue back pack Max walked quickly towards her new school. Not paying much attention Max bumped into a boy around her age with long black hair and bangs, obsidian eyes and olive toned skin.
"I'm sorry",
"It's fine, I'm Nicholas Dente",
"I'm Maximum Ride but call me Max",
"Isn't that a boy name?",
"Isn't Nicholas a stupid name?",
"Kinda, call me Nick. Where you going Max?",
"I'm going to class. My teacher is Mrs Jasmin", Max smiled at Nick pleasantly.
"Me too! We can go with each other. My big brother leftme",
"My big sister left me!",
"I think we can be friends Maxie",
FLASHBACK
That day she made a friend, who was supposed to always be by her side no matter what but instead of sitting side by side laughing about nothing in particular Nick was off with some silly, mean bullies and Max was sitting on a wonky bridge crying silently. Pulling off one more petal for today Max spoke "He loves me not".