Hi! My first fan fiction ever, so please review and let me know how I'm doing :) I thought this was long because on word it's 5 pages but it's kind of short here so I'll try and make the rest of them longer. Enjoy!

"Awwwh, Gazzy." Nudge said, while the rest of us plugged our noses. Well, we tried our best to, in any case. It's just a tad hard when you know, you're flying across Missouri and thinking about a million other things.

"Sorry!" Gazzy said, looking properly abashed but still like the cute, crafty 8 year old he was. I smiled ruefully at him. Let's just say that he definitely ensured that his nickname (the Gasman) stayed in place.

We flew back into formation and caught a warm updrift, which let us coast for a full minute. My hair flowing behind me, feeling the wind whoosh past my face; I could have stayed like that forever.

Maybe I should fill you in a bit. Well, my name's Maximum Ride, but everyone calls me Max. I was an avian-human hybrid, with bird DNA in me. It was pretty cool, especially because, well, we could fly, and had all these abilities. Mine was super speed warp drive, and every one of us had our own awesome gifts.

Anyway, that was the cool part. The uncool part was that we were captured and stuck in labs for the first 10 years of my life. There was me, Fang, and Iggy; we were all 14. Nudge was 11, Gazzy was 8, and my sweet little Angel was 6. We were a flock, my flock, my family. We all had escaped the School a few years ago. The lab testing bad Itex one, not the regular kind with teachers and homework. Anyhow, they were out to get us, to reclaim their test subjects.

And to do their dirty work, the whitecoats had created more mutants- but this time, it was a wolf/human crossbreed. Recently, they had been grafted wings, so they could fly too. They are hunting us, always, and most of our lives are spent in trying to escape them.

Oh, and also, I have a voice in my head. Apparently, I'm supposed to save the world. Yippee.

Enough about that, though. We had just escaped DC, and were on our way to Arizona. Why? Because one of my best friends, not counting the flock (actually, my only friend not counting the flock) and her mom lived in Arizona.

Two days ago, her mom called me:

Max, honey?

Hey, Ms. Martinez.

You know how last time you came, we found that chip in your forearm? And I said it would be impossible to take it out without possibly losing function of your whole arm?

Yeah, what about it?

Well, I've been studying your x-ray, and I might…I might have found a way to remove it, without causing any damage.

Oh my god really? That's great! We'll come to Arizona. Can you get it out, please?

Max, it's still a bit risky, and I don't know if-

Please, PLEASE Ms. Martinez! I don't care about the risks; I HAVE to get it out!

Alright, honey. Come on over. And don't kill yourself on the way here! It'll take me at least 4 days to set up the lab to do the procedure anyway.

And now we were slowly on our way to Arizona, taking our time because for once in our lives, we had some.

"Max?" Nudge began, "I'm hungry."

Figures. "Um, okay Nudge. How about we find a place to camp out and then you and I can make a run to the nearest store?"

"Okay!" she chirped happily. I started really looking at my flock and realized that Nudge, Gazzy and Angel were looking pretty tired. We had been flying for almost 3 hours, I just hadn't noticed, I guess. Iggy looked okay, but I could tell by his posture that while he could keep going, he wanted to stop.

Fang looked absolutely fine, and I'm sure that if it was just me and him, we could have kept going for another two or three hours and been fine.

But it wasn't just me and him, I realized guiltily. Whoops. And then I made an executive decision.

"Alright people, let's stop for today. Let's land in that clearing at 1 o'clock."

One by one the flock swooshed down in a graceful arc, one of the many tricks we had picked up from the hawks. We set up camp and Angel fell asleep in Iggy's arms almost immediately. I was starving, and wanted to go to the store. Nudge looked really tired, though, but I didn't want to go alone.

Ah, whatever. Call it a sacrifice.

"I'm going to find a grocery store. Fang, take first watch." I ordered, and jumped up to fly. A hand grazed my shoulder, and I turned to see Fang.

"I'll come with." He said. "Iggy?" He looked towards the blond pyromaniac, who nodded and said "I'll take first watch, no problem."

I shrugged in agreement and we took off into the night sky, Fang so close to me our wing tips brushed with every beat.

"So." Fang said. I looked towards him, surprised he was talking.

"Yeah?"

"You holding up okay?" He asked. Me? He was concerned about me?

"Of course." I replied, confused. He didn't offer any clarification, though, and we just drifted back into a comfortable silence.

A couple minutes later, I spotted a random little gas station. "There? I asked Fang, pointing.

He began to coast downwards in response, and I followed suit. We walked into the store and grabbed 12 cooked turkey legs and 2 gallons of milk. When we got to the counter, and I reached for my credit card, it wasn't there. I pulled a confused Fang back into the aisles.

"Crap. I don't have my credit card." I whispered urgently.

Understanding dawned on Fang's face. "Iggy nicked it this morning to buy candy when we stopped at that Walmart." he said.

I scowled. "Thanks for telling me, bud. Whatever. I got this." I walked up to the male cashier who looked me up and down. Ew, the sexist pig.

But wait, I could use that. "Hi…" I said, twirling a strand of hair around my finger and trying for my best sexy face.

"Uh, how may I help you?" The poor guy looked flustered.

"I uh, forgot my credit card." I said, "And I really need this food like, right now. Is there anything you can about that." I bit my lip and batted my eyelashes. Argh, I felt so stupid.

"Well, uh, if you give me your address the store can deliver a bill later?" He said, looking totally lost.

"Perfect! Thanks." I said. The cashier grabbed a piece of paper and looked to me, waiting for my address. And then it hit me. I didn't actually know Ella's house address. Up until then, I had been planning to pay for my dinner. There was a couple moments of awkward silence before Fang stepped in.

"238 Peltry Road, Loral, Missouri." He said, glaring at the cashier.

I managed a weak laugh. "Oh that's it. We're staying with our uncle and I always forget the address."

The cashier looked between me and Fang and asked "Uncle, is it? So you guys are brother and sister?"

I knew he was comparing my fair skin and dirty blond hair to Fang's toned olive skin and dark hair. I had no clue what to say, but Fang stepped in again and answered for me.

"No." He said coldly. Gosh, I'd hate to be on the receiving end of Fang's anger. "It's her uncle, not mine."

The clerk sighed. "Okay, whatever. Just take your stuff and get out, people."

I practically ran out of the store, ready to get back to the flock.

"Thanks." I told Fang. "I was losing myself in all those lies. Whose address was that, anyway?"

He looked at me, his dark eyes unreadable. I could see his jaw tense, though.

"Quite the charmer." Fang said, completely ignoring my previous statement.

I searched his face for clues as to what he meant. Nothing. Before I could respond though, another voice did for me.

"I completely agree. Good show, Max." A throaty, deep voice laughed behind me. Fang and I whirled around.

Ari.