Added: Chapter 2, edited.

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. If I did, my computer would not be a ancient monster of a laptop from 2001. But I still love my Beast.

Rough bark rubbed against my back, but I didn't mind. I watched the sky turn from the rosy glow of the setting sun to the shifty shades of twilight. I've realized that in the past year, I've come to appreciate the little things in life. Being tortured, chased and living in a cage can do that to a girl.

For instance, I hadn't seen hide nor hair of an eraser since I'd escaped, although I had run into some mechanical reproductions of them. But it had been months since I'd had a run-in with those as well. That, a girl can definitely appreciate.

I pulled the hood of my grey sweatshirt over my head and stretched out on the branch. Practically forgetting what it was like to sleep in a bed has its advantages, I guess.

So, anywho, I was laying there getting all cozy on my branch, when I heard a twig snap. Most people would think, "Hey, I'm in a forest. It's an animal or something," but not me. (I would like to say that only an incompetent idiot would think that. Animals in forests don't go around snapping twigs and risk being hunted. Unless it's like, a really dumb squirrel.) I tensed, hearing voices. It took me a few seconds of scanning the surrounding forest, but I saw them. A small group of about three kids, wandering the woods. I could have sworn there wasn't any civilization around for a couple of miles, but maybe I'd missed a house or something. They started collecting dry wood- wood that wouldn't give off a lot of smoke. I knew because I did the same thing.

The kids didn't see me, tucked away up in my tree, but they did stop every few minutes to look around. They had the makings of people on the run, or at least trying to keep a low profile. When they started to wander away, I dropped from my tree, slipping my backpack on, and followed them. And, I have to say, I was much stealthier about it then they had been. We came to the edge of a teensy clearing, where three older kids were sitting around a fire. I ducked behind some bushes, hoping these kids weren't as paranoid as, well, me.

After about five minutes, I realized they were. In fact, maybe more so.

The older blonde chick, who seemed to be the leader of the group, started scanning the edges of the clearing, before leaning over and whispering something in the Goth kid's ear. The two stood up and started searching the edges of the clearing, and I knew it was time to leave. I tried to slip behind a tree, but the blonde chick saw me. She grabbed me by the hood of my sweatshirt as I turned and hauled to my feet. The saying, "Curiosity killed the cat," drifted through my mind.

"Ow, damn it," I said, grabbing at my collar so it didn't strangle me.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the girl snarled at me. If I hadn't ever met an Eraser, I probably would have been scared out of my wits. But I have. So I wasn't.

"You can call me Sage," I said. "And I'm just passing through. I'm a… runaway." Technically, it wasn't a lie. I was a runaway.

The girl gave me an once-over before she sat back down, and the Goth kid did too. "You hungry Sage?" she asked. The rest of the kids were watching her.

"I could eat," I said. Actually, I was starving. "If you have any extra food that is," I added, sitting down. I noticed that the younger kids had gone back to cooking hot dogs and whatever else- was that bologna? - and the blonde chick handed me a hot dog. I probably ate it faster than most people would, but they didn't notice. "So, who are you? Your names, at least."

The blonde glanced at the Goth kid, who shrugged. "I'm Max," she said cautiously. "This is Fang," she gestured to the dark, gothie boy, "Nudge, Angel, Gazzy, and Iggy." She went around the circle, pointing to a younger black girl, a blonde, angelic-looking little girl and a boy who could be her older brother, and the guy next to me, who could only be described as really light and pale. "And our dog, Total." It wasn't until she said it that I noticed the black lump of fur in the little girl's –Angel? - lap.

I nodded to them, my equivalent of a hello. Besides, my mouth was full.

The younger kids went back to talking about whatever they had been before my appearance had interrupted. (That Nudge girl could talk a Basilisk to death.) I downed another three dogs and a coke, which, compared to what the others had, was about the same. Feeling a bit better and a little less anti-social, I decided I'd make small talk.

"So, are you guys runaways too?" I asked.

Max nodded. "We've been on our own for a while now." I noticed that everything she said, she said slowly, like she was debating how much information to give out.

"Well, not on your own," I pointed out, "You've had each other."

Max gave me a weird look. "I guess," she said.

"You've been traveling alone?" Iggy asked.

"Well, yeah," I said. "For the past year or so, now."

"That must be tough," he said. I shifted uncomfortably. Maybe getting chatty with them wasn't my smartest idea. I figured now would be as good a time as ever to bail.

I stood, dusting off my jeans. "It's been great and all, but I'd really better go."

"Now?" Max asked. I nodded.

"Places to see, you know? It was nice meeting you and all," I said. I turned and started walking back into the forest. When suddenly, a sweet little voice froze me in my tracks.

"You have wings," Angel said.

I turned back around, trying to laugh it off. "Angel, right?" I asked sweetly. "I bet you like to pretend everyone's and Angel, huh?"

Max stood. "Angel doesn't pretend," she said, watching me. I shifted uncomfortably, adjusting my backpack.

"You can't fly off," Angel said again. "We can follow you."

I stared at her. "What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, indignantly.

"You know exactly what she's talking about," Fang stood. They were all staring at me.

"What do you want?" I asked. I'm stronger than most fifteen year old girls, even if I didn't look it. But there were six of them- seven if you counted the dog, but I didn't- and they were probably as strong as I was. "I swear, if you try to drag me back to that living hell…" I started.

They stared at me. Nobody moved. Nobody made a sound. It was Iggy who broke the silence first. "You think we'd take you back to the School?" He asked.

Nudge added, "Why would we willfully go back there?"

Now it was my turn to stare at them. "So, wait, you guys are running from the School too?"

They all looked at each other. "Uh, yeah." Max answered for all of them.

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~Nano