Disclaimer. I don't own Maximum Ride.
Chapter Two
"What are you doing here?" I spit at Jeb, trying to appear as menacing as possible.
"What am I doing here?" He repeats my question with palpable glee in his tone and expression. "I'm warning you about something." I raise my eyebrows.
"What are you warning me about? Hey, Max. I'm a horrible father. Just letting you know. Max, in a couple weeks, or days, maybe? I'm gonna capture you and experiment on you again, making your life even more screwed up than it already is." I could go on and on.
"Be serious, Max," Jeb's tone is chiding, but somehow amused at the same time. What, I ask you, is his problem?
"Ok, fine. I'll be serious." I let out a bark of humorless laughter. "About what, Jeb? What this time?" As you can probably tell, I hate him with a passion.
"As you know," Jeb goes on, completely ignoring my attempts to end the conversation. "Your whole life is a planned test."
"What?" I explode. "As I know? I did not know that. I was not aware that my entire life is a test. But I really should have expected it. My first memories, after all, take place in a dog crate with scientists ogling me." Jeb lets out an exasperated sigh.
"This is important, Max."
"Let's think of how many times you've said that to me? How about when I was two, and you were so kindly informing me that I might possibly have wings? Or the time you told me I could never tell my family about said wings? Forget it, Jeb!" After my tirade, I slam the door in his shocked face. If he wanted to protect me, he should have started long ago. I crouch down by the window so he can't see that I'm watching him drive away. After his car has disappeared around the corner of my street, I stand, still seething. Who does he think he is? Showing up whenever and screwing up my life? What was he going to warn me about, anyway? Never mind. Even the fact that he was trying to warn me about something is probably one of his sick tests.
When it comes time for my nightly flight, I've cooled down a little, but only the tiniest amount. I try to let the feeling of the slightly chilly night air wafting around me comfort me. Of course, it does little to calm me down, so I end up staying out much longer than I normally would. By the time I'm heading home, the sun is already a little way up, illuminating the white clouds below me. I'm looking at the clouds, trying to see through them to locate my house when I see the black shape again. I'm flying fast to get home before my family wakes up to discover that my bed is empty, but I can't help realizing that the dark shape is much too large to be a bird, and much too small to be an airplane. I fly down through the cloud bank toward my bedroom window, still thinking about the large shape in the distance.
Just as my feet touch the carpet inside my room, my alarm goes off. Wonderful. Looks like I'm not getting any sleep tonight. I get dressed in the same outfit from yesterday. Who cares what I look like, anyway? It's not like I have any friends.
School goes by, same as usual. I walk out of school and head for the woods behind my house. They're a great hiding place for me when I need to think without my family bothering me. Just as I'm settling down, pondering the best ways to kill Jeb with my bear hands, I hear footsteps crunching through the woods toward me. Immediately, I'm tensed, wings slightly open, ready to fly off at the slightest hint of danger. To my surprise and horror, I see a dark shadow making its way quickly through the trees toward me.
"Hey, Max," Fang calls, but it's too late. My fight or flight instincts have already kicked in. I guess it was just that kind of day for me. I just have to choose to fly. I fly fast and far, trying to put as much distance as possible between me and Fang's inevitable questions. How stupid can I be? I actually flew in front of a human. Worse, what will Jeb do? Will he kill me? My family? Fang? Actually, Jeb killing Fang would be something that wouldn't bother me in the slightest.
I fly for hours. The rhythm of my wings moving up and down, up, and down calms me a little. I watch as the sun sinks into the distant ocean, and darkness overtakes the sky. I don't even know where I am anymore. Mom is probably worried about me. Ella, too. What can I do, though? I can't face Fang's questions and my mom's worry. All I can do right now is do what I, Maximum Ride, only bird kid in existence, seem to do best. For right now, I guess all I can do is fly.
Ok, guys, I'm really sorry about the shortness to this chapter, but I think I'll be able to get another one up tonight, but if not, I'll put a really long one up tomorrow. Again, thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews, guys! I love to know people are actually reading my stories! Let me know in a review if there's anything you want to see in later chapters. Until next time, guys!