Chapter Two: Hey guys, again, here on the third of January, day before I have to head back to school, I'm editing my chapters so I'd suggest rereading this one if you have already because I added a little key factor, but if you don't, that's okay 'cause it'll come into play later. Thanks for reading, happy new year!
After the usual hugs, squeals of joy, extremely large and delicious Mexican dinner, not to mention cookies and showers, everyone was settled in the living room in fresh and fluffy pajamas. My reaction to Jeb was of no surprise to anyone, but Fang was sitting next to me which helped enough to allow me to listen to what he said. That is, once he started. We were still waiting for mom.
Jeb was sitting very awkwardly in a wooden chair by the fifty inch plasma with a mysterious briefcase. Nudge, Angel and Ella, eager to catch up, where peering over a teen girls magazine. Don't get me wrong, I love all of them. But really, I don't care about pick-up lines for cute guys (I wouldn't have pegged you as a pudding guy!). I was pointedly ignoring Gaz and Iggy, sprawled out on some pillows with something they wouldn't trust to show me. Smart boys. Total had disappeared with Akila off somewhere and I wasn't about to ask. Maybe he was writing a sonnet for her.
Fang and I were slowly making our way through the last batch of cookies, sitting in companionable silence in the center of the room, leaning against the couch. One of the things I liked about being 'together, together' as Nudge put it, was that very little had changed. We could still confide in each other about anything, have silent conversations, or just sit and breathe. Live, like, in peace. Such a treat.
"Okay!" Mom announced, all chipper and happy as she strode into the already crowded room and plopped down next to Iggy and Gazzy (remind me to thank her later). "Sorry I'm late, dishes. Anyway, Jeb, why don't you tell the Flock your idea."
I glanced at Fang, meeting his gaze evenly. Be on guard. He gave me a look that clearly read, well, duh. Then I looked at Jeb, standing and fingering his briefcase nervously.
"So, Max."
I glared at him, but luckily Fang muttered, "Don't spit at him, it would ruin your mother's carpet." Unfortunately for Jeb, as soon as he had addressed me the room had gone dead silent so everybody heard. The girls snickered quietly.
"Thank you, Fang." Mom said, relieved.
Fang nodded, but didn't take his eyes from Jeb. "Well," Jeb began, trying not to shrink from Fang's penetrating glare. Jeb had lost a lot of his former bravado recently. "You know your mission, Max. Save the wo-"
"Get on with it!" I growled. "What's up with rubbing the 'save the world' junk in all the time?"
"I am!" And for a moment he sounded like when we had gotten in arguments over why I couldn't go out flying after dark back at the E house, but I quickly banished the thought. "Fine, I'll strip it off like the ugly, blood-soaked band-aid it is. Itex isn't gone. Not completely, they're still a major part in today's economy. Itex is a factor you need to work against if you want to save the world. Anyway, I was looking through these a while ago, and I thought that there might be something for both of your missions in them."
"Hold on." I interrupted, paling. "We have to go out and bomb or whatever all the Itex-"
Jeb fixed me with that stare of his that he always used when trying to teach something that was obvious to him but I was oblivious to. I hated it. "I didn't say that."
"You said that Itex is a factor we need to work against if we want to save the world."
"Yes, Max." He nodded encouragingly. I clenched my fists. "But it works both ways, if you can figure out how to save the world-"
"We can destroy Itex. Gotcha." I broke into his little no-it-all speech, only acting as if I didn't care. If I was honest with myself, I'd figure out how to save the world. No way in hell would I ever willingly ever go near an Itexicon branch. "Continue on with your briefcase of wonder."
Jeb seemed about to argue, but with a sigh, abandoned the attempt. "Think of them as home videos. Slightly unpleasant home videos but..." He continued to make a meager explanation of 'home video', but I had a very bad idea about this. Between Itex, saving the world, and my suspicions, I pretty much felt ready to throw up. "Your mother and sister don't have to watch these, in fact, you're the only one I think should-"
"Where Max goes, we go." Fang suddenly growled, twitching his fingers, which were curled tightly and looked slightly claw-like. "We don't just desert her with no reason."
Jeb winced, it was a low blow, but he deserved it and I was glad Fang had straightened that out.
"Same here," Ella announced. I looked at her in surprise, she didn't have to do anything unpleasant just to help me. "Max," She rolled her eyes at my apparent lack of understanding. "I'm only human. I have no superpowers. I can't fly, and I'm definitely not as tough as you, but Jeb said mom and I might be able to help with this part, and we want to."
I gulped, suddenly overcome by intense feeling for everyone but Jeb. I had no idea what I had ever done to deserve such devotion, but that didn't mean I wasn't happy about it. Iggy and Gazzy had even put the wires away, as in, not sticking out from under a pillow, but away. If that isn't a sign to you by now, you've been on Mars.
"Thanks." I muttered, suddenly very self-conscious. There weren't even any more cookies to ease the tension. "Jeb, I think I get what these videos are, but why don't you explain to everyone else?"
Now he looked self-conscious and tense. "They're," he began softly, but then spoke louder. Ripping it off as he said earlier, like a band-aid. Or a full body cast in this case. "Some are from the E house, but most I stole from the School. From your childhood."
If you've read any of my previous books (which if you're reading this, you should read. If you haven't and are reading this, you must be very confused) then you might be able to imagine the effect this had on all of us. Even though I had prepped for it, I was still overcome by a sudden wave of freezing cold despair and hate, sort of like I was ready to sob, kill somebody, and curl up in a corner all at the same time. Fang had a similar reaction, and maybe it was my imagination, but we both seemed to bury closer to each other, as if we were still the weak three year olds we had been then. Angel whimpered, suddenly pushing into Nudge and Ella. Nudge, Gazzy and Iggy were all trying to pull strong faces, but even a worm could have seen the discomfort and fear rolling off of them in waves. Only Ella and mom seemed okay. They had heard brief descriptions, but I tried again to convince them to leave.
"Ella, mom, I know you want to be here for me and everything... But I'm telling you that for your own good it would be in your best interest to leave."
No one moved. Jeb swallowed, tossing a VCR (wow, it was that far back? I thought blu-ray was the big thing now.) In each of his hands. "Are you sure?" He asked. "Everyone in here has the choice to leave, there might not be anything in it, but maybe there was a test..."
No one moved.
I squeezed Fang's hand tighter, then realized he was doing the same to me. With a click of a button, and Jeb moving to sit by mom, a very clear image had appeared on the fifty inch screen.
At first I felt sick. That they had retouched the grainy videos obviously proved that the whitecoats were proud of what they were doing to innocents. Then, I'll admit something.
I whimpered.
I, Maximum Ride, whimpered.
Because on the screen, you'll never guess who appeared.
A whitecoat.
Pushing a crate on wheels.
With a child inside.
Me.
