A/N: Ok so this is my first serious fanfic (meaning no random authors cropping up or harry potter in a dress) I started writing it two years ago and I'm only just posting it now. Please please please please review. Set after book three, because let's face it book four was just dumb.

DISCLAMIER: I'm not JP and I never will be (seeing as I am not an old dude and I'm certainly not as talented as he is). I do own the plot but that's just about it.

I was trapped. There was no way out. Surrounded on all fronts, being pressed in on all sides. How had I let this happen? I never should have let myself be placed in this situation. But I guess two years living the good life had softened my instincts. My breathing came in sputters and gasps – I was suffocating. There was no escape. I Maximum Ride – was dress shopping.

'OOOOH MAX!! THIS ONE IS GORGEOUS!'

Taking deep breaths through my nose and plastering on my best fake smile I turned around to see Ella's newest horror.

'Isn't it pretty? Definitely your colour."

'Mhmmm...' She was holding up a massive pink elephant that was cleverly disguising itself as a prom dress.

'Try it on!' she urged pushing it at me and almost knocking me off my feet. Disentangling myself from the miles of fabric I handed it back to her and suggested that she try it on instead, which she did, happily.

At this point you may be asking yourselves what is going on. How did the great Maximum Ride wind up in a MALL of all places. Well I wish I could tell you the answer, but really I don't know myself. I am toying with the idea that I was abducted and drugged by aliens, because there is no way that I would have agreed to this in my right mind.

If you're still a little lost, I'll try to make things easier for you. It's been two years since you last read about our mutant adventures and to tell you the truth we've gotten pretty boring. Stopped living on the run, trying to be normal, visitng Mom and Ella now and again. Oh yes, and I became mentally unstable. Which is why I was in a store on the weekend of prom madness helping Ella pick out her 'dream dress.'

Ella emerged wearing the dress that ate New York. 'What do you think?' she asked excitedly. I thought that it had enough fabric to clothe half the starving children in Africa. 'It's...it's really-great?'

'Yah, but I was going for something less...'

Horrifying?

'...bold.'

Well that works too.



Ella twirled herself around to the mirror and began turning this way and that to get a better view of herself. I love Ella like a sister (and I should considering she is one) but I was very close to suffocating her with whatever puffball she pulled out next.

I pulled my sweater closer around myself and pulled my wings together more tightly. I hated being here. The closest exit was all the way at the other end of the store. I glanced at the air ducts, half expecting erasers to jump out of them. Probably not a healthy thing to be thinking. I did a quick 360 of the room, but there were no furry mutants to be seen. But I still had a feeling of dread in the bottom of my stomach, and I didn't want to hang around for long. Fang had told me not to ruin Ella's fun, but he wasn't the one stuck here with her with the rest of the 16 year old female population.

Ella had moved on from the last one (thank god) and was searching through the racks of dresses. 'What about this one?'

A million comments raced through my mind, the least of which being 'don't move, it'll see you,' but all that came out was a 'its...lovely.' Did you hear that folks? I think I should get a medal for that one. Especially since Ella was holding an orange sparkly thing that resembled a nectarine on speed.

'I was thinking it would look nice on you.'

I resisted the urge to burst out laughing. But wait a second. Why was Ella looking so nervous?

Oh god.

'I'm not the one going to prom remember?' I said carefully. I didn't want to be mean, but I was definetly setting a line.

'Yah I know but, see I was sort of thinking...maybe you'd want to go too?'