Prologue

Ella

Everyone has a secret. Everyone has worries. Everyone has regrets. But me? I have more than you can count. I'm more than what anyone has ever thought I was.

No, I'm not just Maximum Ride's helpless little sister. I guess I got really good at acting.

Because they never saw it coming.

Iggy

"Ella! Are you coming?" I called upstairs.

"Just a minute!" She called back.

I had finally gotten the guts to ask her out on a date and she actually said yes! I couldn't believe it. We were going to Chantal's Ice Cream Shop right down the street from here. They were hosting a party for the community.

Seconds later Ella bounded down the stairs sounding as bubbly as ever. I touched her face and her lips were turned up in a smile. I smiled.

"You ready?" I asked.

"Yes, what about you?" She giggled.

"I've been ready! You were the one putting on make up!" I joked.

"For you!" She pretended to be cross.

"For a blind guy." I teased.

"So?" I could tell she was rolling her eyes. I mean she's related to Max isn't she?

I laughed. "Let's go." I bent my head down a kissed her cheek. She was smiling radiantly.

We arrived at the ice cream shop a quarter to nine. I bought her a large ice cream Sunday and myself five ice cream Sundays.

"You sure do eat a lot, don't you?" She asked, a curious tone to her voice, and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"Yep. I have too."

"I'm still hungry." She said getting up and pulling out her wallet. I stopped her and traded wallets with her. "I'll pay." I smiled.

"Ok…" She said as she walked back up to the front.

When she came back I asked, "What did you get?"

"I got four ice cream Sundays." She said happily.

"Four?" I asked, startled. "That's more than you usually eat…."

"I'm hungry tonight." She explained, her voice sounded honey coated.

After a few minutes, they were gone. "Wow…. You ate fast too…" I was a bit confused.

"MmHmm…. Want to dance?" She asked quickly taking my mind off of her strange eating behavior.

"Sure." I answered.

By ten O'clock, we were beat. "Ready to go?" I asked.

She yawned. "Yep."

"Good." I said, walking her back out to the car. This had been a fun night. One of the reasons I asked Ella out was because she's full of surprises. It's always like she's hiding something big……

Ella's POV

I loved going to parties with Ig, I honestly do, but sometimes it makes me to jump. It's almost like somehow, he can see right through my mask. It scares me that he can do that. No one else can. Not Max. Not Fang. Not even Mom. Only him.

"Good night Ig." I said, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"'Night Ells." He replied.

I giggled-nervously- as I ran upstairs into my bedroom. Once there, I flopped down on my bed and pulled my headphones over my ears. My favorite song came on right away.

Do you dream that the world will know your name

So tell me your name

Do you care, about all the little things

Or anything at all

I want to feel, all the chemicals inside

I want to feel

I want a sunburn, just to know I'm alive

To know I'm alive

I wish I could tell them. I wish I could tell them everything, but only sometimes, just so they would know that I'm not helpless.

Don't tell if I'm dying

Cause I don't want to know

if I can't feel the sun

Maybe I should go

Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming

Of angels on the moon

Where everyone you know

Never leaves to soon

I wish I could forget about everything that I've been doing. It was so wrong, but at the same time, it felt right. I thought about that as I switched off my I-pod.

I hate them. I really do. At least I should… no I do. I do! I do hate them! I have to….

Max's POV

I walked down the hall slowly. I was dead tried as I was after every party I go to with Fang. I stopped as I heard Ella blasting her music through the speakers on her headphones. I shook my head. One of these days she's going to go deaf, I swear.

The music stopped abruptly, as it always does when I pass by. I'm starting to think she might have super sonic hearing or something like that, because the music only ever stops when I walk down the hallway.

I blew it off casually as I went to tuck Angel in for bed, and go say good night to Nudge and The Gasman.

"Hey, sweetie." I greeted coming in through her door.

"Hi Max. Ella thinks weird thoughts."

"What kind of weird thoughts?" I asked curiously.

"Well, when I can even hear her think that is. See sometimes, I can't hear anything from her at all, but when I can, it's always stuff like, 'If only I could.' Or, 'I really do! I know I do!'"

I was confused. Ella was able to block her thoughts from Angel when she wanted to? How did she do that? And why would she think stuff like that? All those unfinished thought…

"Hmm, well just forget about it sweetie." I said tucking her in.

I thought hard about it as I said good night to Nudge and The Gasman. I laid down on my bed and thought a few unfinished thoughts myself.

"Max?"

Fang.

"Yeah?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing much." I said vaguely.

"You look like you're thinking pretty hard though. What's it about?" He pressed. He knew me to well.

"Ask Angel tomorrow morning." I answered, not wanting to think anymore about the subject of Ella's thoughts.

"Ok.." Fang said uncertainly as I drifted off to sleep.