Eris: Yo, Eris here; her Chaotic-ness in the flesh.

Iggy: And it's Iggy, her one and only partner-in-crime serving up some good ol' angst.

Eris: I reread ANGEL: A Maximum Ride Novel and I was in the mood for writing MORE angst than the last time. I dunno, angst calls to me in a deliciously horrible way. I don't know why I put myself through this pain… BUT I might continue this if I get enough reviews. It's—

Iggy: —a one-shot until further notice, correct?

Eris: *glares at Iggy* Yes, yes it is. Let me warn you: this—

Iggy: —won't have a happy ending, right?

Eris: *shoots Iggy a murderous glare* Yes, now will you cut that out! Anyway, it's pure angst at its finest, and I'm proud of (and sad about) this piece and I hope you review.

"Max?" the light, masculine voice of my boyfriend called as I slipped down the stairs. I locked eyes with his stunning blue and smiled softly. A book was gripped in his hands and he stared up at me through strands of caramel hair.

"Hey, Dylan. Sorry, did I startle you?"

Dylan shook his head and motioned for me to come towards him. I slid onto the couch next to him as he set the book down. With a smile that could brighten anyone's day, his head swooped in and his mouth landed squarely on mine, squelching any protest I had. I kissed him back (without as much hunger as him) and he wrapped his arms around me, trying to pull me closer. That was where I drew the line. I ducked under his arm and pulled out of his embrace. He pouted slightly but didn't deter me from my mission.

"Sorry, Dylan, but I was heading outside. I don't want to get too carried away." I said with a wink. Dylan chucked and shook his head, returning his attention to the book Howl's Moving Castle that he was reading before I interrupted him. Returning to my original plan, I opened the sliding glass door and slipped outside.

It had rained no more than an hour ago and the grass was still wet; it felt good on my bare feet, however. Padding carefully over to the swing-set in my mother's backyard, I gently placed myself onto the yellow seat and stared up at the sky.

So much was going on, and I was confused as to what I should do. Within the last month my mother, half-sister, and father had all gone missing along with my baby, Angel… dying… I liked to think she was still alive, but after many heartbreaking hours of sifting though the rubble, I couldn't find anything. There was no trace of her and we could only assume that she had disintegrated in the blast. My heart hurt every time I thought about it.

On top of it, Dylan and I had gotten "together". It was, I guess you could say "official," but it wasn't that big of a deal.

The wind ruffled my hair gently and I had the sudden urge to unfurl my wings and let them be free. So, naturally, I did just that. My large white and brown wings spread out behind me, relishing in the freedom and soft breeze. It felt so good.

But good things can't last forever. The one and only constant thing in my life left me the second I started relying on him. Why was I giving love a second chance, then? To be honest, I had no freaking clue. I guess… I'm just lonely.

Nothing makes sense anymore. The six people in my life have changed in such a drastic way, that it's hard to breathe. Angel went psycho on us for a while, and now she's dead.

Gazzy is growing up to fast; he can kill without remorse and, gosh, he's only nine.

Nudge doesn't talk anymore. She's as silent or more so than Fang is (was).

Iggy no longer pulls pranks. He's no longer our fun-loving pyromaniac; instead he's always upstairs on our new laptop ('cause he can see things against a white background) AIM-ing some girl named "Eris".

Fang is gone. Flat and simple. And no amount of wishing or dreaming is bringing my best friend, my soul-mate back.

Dylan is, well Dylan. I haven't known him for long and he hasn't seemed to change. He's probably the only consistent thing in my life at the moment…

Life comes at you fast. And hard. And it's always full of disappointment. Will Fang and I ever be able to work things out between us? Will we ever be able to be friends again? Can we— will we— is it too late— try to—

It always comes to this. Me wondering about Fang, about who we were, what we were, and what we'll never be.

Ever again.

The thought used to make me burst into tears, but now it's just a dull ache in my chest.

"Max?" a dark, almost silent voice asked, causing my heart to skip a beat. Only one person in the whole world had that voice, but what was he—

"Max, what are you doing out in the cold?" Fang asked. His eyes scanned my thin frame: tank-top, shorts, no shoes. "And without shoes?"

I looked at him long and hard before turning away uninterestedly, trying my hardest to not scream at him. "Why does it matter?"

Fang sighed, tucked in his midnight black wings, and took a seat on the swing next to me. We both sat there, gently swaying on the tacky yellow swings, for what seemed like an eternity in silence. Why was he here? What did he want? Where was the rest of his little hero gang?

"Max…" Fang all but whispered. I turned to look at him, his black eyes peering into my warm brown ones. A light blush colored my cheeks and I looked away quickly. Stupid hormones! I waited silently for him to continue, but he never did.

"What?" I asked, much kinder than I wanted. I cleared my voice and stared at him. "What do you want?" I demanded, much harsher than before. Fang sighed and looked up at the cloudless sky.

"Do you ever miss us?"

I blinked several times before turning my gaze towards the wet ground. "What do you mean?" I asked almost timidly. Fang turned to look at me.

"You know exactly what I mean."

I remained silent, my eyes still glued to the ground. Did I miss us being together? Did I miss his strong, ropey arms around me or the way he said my name with his dark eyes smoldering? Did I miss his mouth moving against mine in perfect harmony, his arms pulling my closer to him and angling his mouth so it molded to mine? Did I miss lying out under the stars with him while he spoke sweet nothings into my ear? Did I miss his quiet teasing or his silent comfort when things went wrong? Did I miss him holding me while I had nightmares or comforting the younger members of the flock when they had a nightmare? Did I miss my best friend, right-wing man, and the first person I'd ever loved with my entire being?

…

Yes, yes, God yes.

"No." I lied, turning to stare into his eyes. They lacked their usual warmth that I had grown accustomed to and I wondered if he could still read me like a book. Fang nodded slowly, another question on his perfect lips.

"Do you think about me?"

All the time… "Not until you landed here to talk to me out of the blue."

Fang exhaled, a small smile on his lips. My heart cringed violently at his satisfied look, despite my lies. "Good. I want you to move on. I don't want you spending the rest of your life pining over me."

"I'm not pining." I bristled, anger in my voice. How dare he! "I have never pined over loosing you. I've just dealt." I added, anger evident in my harsh tone. Fang nodded slowly and his eyes moved to mine.

"That's good. I don't want you dwelling on the past. Live, Max. Live a life without me."

I'll deal…

"Don't give me a second thought."

How can I not…?

"Pretend I never existed. Just live with Dylan," he spat out my "boyfriend's" name with much contempt, "and be happy."

I can't be happy without you in my life…

"Love was never meant for us; we're too headstrong." He continued, his eyes leaving mine to glance upward. "But, love was meant for you and it's staring you right in the face."

I glanced at him curiously. "What about Maya?"

Fang returned his eyes to mine. I shivered; it felt as if he was looking right into my very soul. A small smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "She's no Maximum Ride."

And with that, his wings were out and he was up in the air preparing to fly off.

"Oh, and Max?" he called, swooping closer to the ground so his eyes were level with mine.

"Y-yes?" I squeaked.

"One last question: do you still love me?"

An odd feeling came over me, and I knew that whatever I answered would impact Fang's next movement. I had a feeling that I could change the past, rewrite history and prove to everyone that I was Maximum Ride and no one could dictate my life except for me. I could change everything, for the better, and get my happy ending. I locked eyes with him and leaned so our noses were almost touching. I could feel his breathing and hear his heartbeat, background music that caused a nostalgic ache to settle in my heart.

"No…" I answered, averting my eyes, lying through my teeth. I had Dylan, but he wasn't what I wanted. I wanted Fang, but I couldn't tell him the truth.

Just one more of the many lies I had told him today.

Fang nodded and pressed a final, chaste, goodbye kiss to my lips, pecking them softly and rising in the air. He gave me one of his signature smirks and flipped his long black hair out of his eyes. "Bye, Max. Maybe I'll see you again."

I nodded, furious to feel tears well up in my eyes and praying that Fang didn't see them. "Maybe."

…And he was gone, almost evaporating into thin air. My heart clenched painfully in my chest and I touched my lips gingerly. He'd done it again, making my fall for him when he was no longer a part of my family, my life. I closed my eyes as a light drizzle of rain began to start, standing in the rain and getting thoroughly soaked. But I didn't care. I was so confused and so weary; I was tired of things not ending the way they were…

"Max!" Dylan shouted from the open door, "Get back inside before you catch a serious cold."

I nodded, and spared one last glance to the sky before walking back inside.

It was done; it was official. As I walked back inside and into Dylan's arms, I knew it was over.

Max and Fang were truly no more.

A lone figure dressed in black with large black wings watched the winged couple embrace from a neighboring house. The rain began to fall harder on his back, but he didn't care. Nothing else mattered except for the soaking wet girl standing in the arms of another. It hurt, it truly did. He had never stopped loving her, but it was probably better this way.

Why did he stay to watch her? Because in their briefest of exchanges, he could still see right through her; she really was so transparent. He watched in silence as she shut the glass door a bit too hard, it cracking from the side and outward.

She had lied, and Fang knew it, but who was he to shatter her barely standing happiness, if that was what it was?

Sigh; well this is the end (for now). There are a few symbols O would like to recognize, however:

One, the rain is meant for sadness (obviously) and is a way to show that Max messed up. And so did Fang.

Two, the swings represent lost youth and innocent, due to the flock not being able to have a decent childhood.

Three, the broken glass door is a symbol of Max's life and how despite barely standing is bit by bit beginning to shatter.

Four, the kiss with Dylan shows Max's discomfort with kissing anyone as intimately as she did with Fang.

The book is just my recent obsession and has no other meaning other than being there. Oh! I make an appearance as well! Spot me and win a cookie! (It's really easy and obvious, so nothing too big will be occurring).

Thanks for reading! Now, if you enjoyed it, review. If you didn't, tell me so. If you REALLY like it, favorite it. If you do any of these things, I shall grace you with another chapter.

Iggy: *mutters* …eventually…

Eris: Shut it! Now I'm off to watch Howl's Moving Castle again! Ciao!