Max's POV

I looked at the large, thick dark blue book in my hands with something often described as love. It wasn't really love, no, but I really did like the book. But it also saddened me. As I carefully flipped from page to page, looking at all the pictures we had all taken together as kids, I couldn't help the tug in my chest. Oh, how I wanted to go back to those good old days when we were still young and childish.

When a kiss would mean nothing instead of everything. When boys and girls would hold hands with no meaning behind it. When we were innocent and lively and happy. All of us, happy. Bach when we were still little girls and boys and nothing could stop us from having fun and hanging out and never saying a cruel word or doing something mean to another. When we weren't middle school students. When we weren't what we've already become. When we weren't these awful things they call teenagers. Sure, we wished and wished to become them. But now? After all? I hate it. There's too much of it. Just too much.

I saw the last picture then and I cried softly. It was when we had just enrolled into the middle school. But who else was in the picture? Why did it matter so much now, when, at the time it was taken, it practically meant nothing at all? Someone he now loved, as he told me countless times, was now in the book. She was in the picture with us. And knowing that hurt much more when I could see the picture. When I could see it wasn't me, even if I was in it. It was a picture of me, him, Dylan... and her. Lissa. I was on the left, Dylan next to me, Lissa was next to him, but also next to Fang. She didn't even try and hide the fact she was staring at him. She had captured him through the picture that was taken of us four.

I furiously wiped away the tears in my eyes. I was Maximum Ride. I didn't cry. I set my photo album on my desk.

Angel, my little sister who was only a year younger than me and was my other sister, Ella's twin, quietly came into my room. "Max?"

"Yes, Angel?" I said, looking at the blonde. Here's the thing, the twins look nothing like me. They have light hair, ocean-blue eyes, fair skin, and seriously look like angels.

She looked at me with big eyes. "Max... I know about your thing for Fang."

I looked at her shocked, "What?"

Ella came in and slammed my door closed, whirling on me, "We know you like that -"

"Ella!" Angel snapped, warning flashing in her eyes.

"Sorry."

See, Angel and Ella, are a bit different. Ella can get out of hand. When that happens, it's Angel who usually reigns her in.

I sighed, "fine. Yes. I like him."

"No," Ella started.

"You love him," Angel finished.

"Guys," I tried to reason.

"It's understandable, really," Nudge said, coming into my room.

Since when was everyone in the family coming to my room so casually?

Nudge is my cousin. With brown corkscrew curls, chocolate-colored eyes, and a bright smile, Nudge was a dark-skinned princess.

I wish I looked like the twins or Nudge. They're beautiful. I have brown-ish blond wavy hair and brown eyes. Not very unusual and not very exotic or beautiful or anything really. I'm different from them and I don't like it one bit. Maybe if I had bright red hair like that slut Lissa... Eww. Who'm I kidding? No way do I want that!

"Earth to Max!" Ella said, clapping her hands in my face.

"Yes?" I snapped out of my 'I-Wish' trance. I couldn't believe I had wished like that again. I had already fantasized about it since we all met at the beginning of the school year. But I had still just smiled sweetly at that little demon Lissa when she was around. I only wished she would go find some other guy to pick on and stop using such a sad excuse. She was seriously a horribly wrong person and I hated her. I hated her a lot. But I had no control over who Fang dated. It was all his own choice. I had no say in the matter, nor, do I believe, would I ever.

"I said," Ella rolled her eyes, "We should do something about her."

"Yeah," Nudge smiled, "Let's get back at Lissa. We can get revenge. Ooh! Let's beat her up! Oh, no, that'd mess up my nails. Oh, I know! We can tie her up and throw her in someone's trunk and lock the car and throw away the key! Oh wait no, our fingerprints would be on her. How about we -"

"NUDGE!" We all screamed.

She shut up and blushed red. "Sorry."

"But wait," I said, "What did you mean 'it's understandable'?"

"You liking Fang." She said, "You've been together since we were all real little and he was always there for you. He kind of made you fall for him by being, well, there. By being in all those," She pointed to my photo album on my desk.

I blushed. "I'm not in love with him."

"Yes, you are," Ella and Angel both said.

"Seriously," Angel said, "I'd be shocked if you weren't in love with him."

"Yeah, I mean, totally," Ella nodded.

"Well, I'm not," I glared at them. Not my menacing glare, because I knew they didn't deserve it, but still a cold enough glare that it left them shuffling uncomfortably.

"Fine Max." Nudge frowned.

"But remember one thing," Angel sighed.

And Ella finished, "You can say things, but that doesn't mean they're true."