A/N - Time skip! Monday morning.
"Max. Max. Max! Get up!"
I forced open my eyes and sat up so fast I conked heads with Dr. Martinez.
"Mom! Geez. Now everyone's going to think I'm normally cross-eyed. Why'd you wake me up?"
Dr. Martinez rubbed her forehead ruefully. "At least you don't have to operate with a headache. School today, remember?"
Oh yeah. Back to the realms of the headhunters.
"Others up yet?" I asked, pulling on a pair of baggy sweatpants and tank top.
For you prissies out there shrieking at my choice of clothes, I am going to change before school, don't worry.
"No, I figured you'd want to wake them up."
I smiled, pleased. See, this was the kind of mom I want. She actually knows me.
"You got that right. Lead the way, mother dearest."
Dr. Martinez smiled happily at me and headed down the creaky steps with me in close second.
Mom went straight to the kitchen.
"Hey, mom, make lots of food. It's the first day of school, we need brain food!" I called after her.
I turned and headed off to wake up the kids. I raised my arm to knock on Fang's door.
"Fang, you need to –" I stopped short as the door flew open. My arm dropped back to my side.
"Well, look who's Mr. Bright and early."
He smirked at me, coming out and shutting the door.
"Well, look who isn't." His eyes flickered up and down. "Nice outfit."
"Shut up. Help me wake up the kids, will you? I got Igg and the Gasman, you got Angel and Nudge."
He stepped forward until we were face to face. I had to look up to stare him in the eyes as he looked down at me.
"And what if I don't?" he breathed.
"You will."
"Says who?"
"Supergirl." I grinned, and shoved him away. "Besides, Mom's making breakfast, but I can always tell her you're not hungry…"
I laughed at his expression as he groaned. "Come on, Max. No fighting dirty."
"Just go wake the girls, will you?"
I quietly opened the door to the lair of our resident pyromaniacs, creeping in as silently as Iggy when he was trying to nick my Max card.
I hovered over Gazzy's bed.
Aww.
He was all tangled up in his blankets, his blonde hair sticking up. He was almost too cute to wake up.
Almost. I grinned evilly and pounced.
"Up an' at 'em!" My fingers tickled his sides mercilessly.
Gazzy giggled, squirming as he attempted to drag himself out of his blankets.
"Morning Max!"
I hugged him fondly, ruffling his hair.
"Morning, bucko. Get dressed, breakfast in ten."
I shook my head at the hyperness of young kids early in the morning. Have they no sense?
"Igg. Up. Now."
Iggy rolled over with a grunt. "Mmm, warm bed, not gettin' up."
"Fine, I guess you don't want to go to school and meet all the new girls…"
That got him up.
"Max, you're horrible sometimes, did you know that?"
I grinned. "Yeah."
Iggy groaned as he pulled on a hoodie, his hair sticking straight up. "Hey, there's one perk to being blind."
"What's that?"
"I don't have to open my eyes if I'm tired – I can leave them glued shut all day and no one would notice!"
"Move it, wise guy." I shoved him out the door in front of me.
"Fang, d'you know what –" My shout was cut off by a hand over my mouth.
"Now Max, I know you're dependant on me, but you could have just come over and talked instead of yelling for me."
My eyes narrowed over his hand.
I stepped on his foot, spinning on his toe and grabbing him in a headlock.
"First of all, that's what you think, slimeball. Second of all, you really need to stop cutting me off. Third, next time, I'm going to bite you. Got it?"
He freed himself easily, walking to the kitchen. "Iggy, you might want to watch out – Max is in a violent mood today."
"What's new?" Iggy called back jokingly.
Those guys.
I shook my head and headed upstairs to change.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"So what are we doing here again?"
I picked up Angel and shrugged at Gazzy.
"School."
"No, I mean why are we here? "
Oh.
I looked around at the corner we were standing on, backpacks on, dressed nicely (for us) ready to get on a smelly, claustrophobic vehicle packed to the brim with snot-nosed know-it-alls who have been going to school since they were 1.36 years old.
"Um, school bus, Gazzy."
"Right."
I looked around at my flock. Angel, my little baby, lived up to her name with her golden curls floating around her face. She wore an adorable pink shirt with jeans.
Nudge was wearing purple (of course), Gazzy had on tan cargo pants and a button up shirt. His hair was spiked up straight. Iggy had on his usual jeans and long sleeves pushed up to his elbows.
Fang was wearing blue jeans and a forest green T-shirt under a black hoodie.
I had on a pair of washed out blue jeans, sneakers, and a gray hoodie.
All in all, we didn't look too scruffy. I had made them all buy some sort of backpack – I just carried a huge side-bag that I could fit my books in.
"Here it comes."
Huh? Oh. The yellow thing of doom.
We all filed onto the bus, me taking the lead. I dropped into a seat with a sigh, motioning for the others to sit down. Fang sat next to me.
I pulled me knees up and pressed them into the seat ahead of me, looking out the window. Fang shot me a curious glance.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh?"
"What's wrong?" He asked again patiently. "You're quiet."
I shrugged. "Nothing. Just tired."
He looked at me sharply. "Did you sleep?"
"Yes, father, I slept."
He studied my face carefully. "How much?"
I leaned my head against the window. "Two hours, nosy."
Fang shook his head in exasperation. "Max, not even freaks can run on next to no sleep when they're nervous."
"Says who I'm nervous?"
Fang ignored me, pulling off his hoodie and rolling it up on his shoulder.
"There. Sleep. We have half an hour before we get to school."
I consented, knowing what he said made sense. I placed my head on his strong shoulder, dozing lightly.
Fang POV –
Max slept quietly on my shoulder, listening to me for once. Angel looked over at me, giggling at us.
I mock glared at her, and put a finger up to my lips with a small grin.
Keep quiet if you can, Max needs to sleep.
Angel nodded. I will, but you none of the other kids are going to stay quiet.
Oh yeah.
I looked around at the bus. Nudge and Iggy were sitting together, talking quietly. Angel was sitting with another little girl her age, and Gazzy was in an animated conversation with another adoring nine-year-old girl. I grinned.
Quite the ladies man.
There were a whole lot of other kids on the bus, ranging from five or six years old to seventeen or eighteen. Most of the younger kids looked excited, while the older ones just looked plain bored.
Great.
We pulled up in front of what I assumed was the school, and I gently shook Max awake.
"Max. School." I smirked to myself at her drowsy eyes as she stretched and grabbed her backpack.
"Ok, guys. Sam names as last time – last names on your papers. None of us are siblings except Angel and the Gasman, so we're just friends, got it?"
I listened quietly to the run-down.
"Igg, you and Fang and I are in the same grade and we have most of our classes together, so you'll be fine. Gazzy, Nudge, they put you in the same grade even though Nudge's older. Angel, baby, you're on your own."
Angel smiled sweetly at Max. "That's ok, Max, I can take care of myself."
Max ruffled her hair and grinned. "I know, sweetie."
We filed off the bus, and Max squeezed in her last words. "Gazz, be good, no bombs, you know the drill. Igg, same thing, but I'll be with you so it doesn't matter. Nudge, no talking too much, be yourself. Angel, just be careful. And don't use your gifts either. Go ahead, guys, the elementary school's on that side of the building."
A/N – It's a two in one building – Elementary/Middle school on one side, and High School on the other.
The younger three scampered off, talking excitedly.
Iggy discreetly took hold of the strap of Max's bag, turning his milky blue eyes toward me with a grin. "Why doesn't Fang get any instructions?"
I punched him lightly on the shoulder. "'Cause I'm good, doofus."
Max smiled as we headed into the building. "No, 'cause he knows I'll beat him up right away if he's bad."
I snorted in disbelief. "Yeah right."
"Hey!"
"I'll help you, Max!" Iggy struck a heroic pose, almost colliding with another kid.
I cracked up. "Blind guy to the rescue!"
"Hey, at least I'm cute!" he protested.
"Glad you think so."
"Not much better, are you, Zorro?" Iggy shot back, referring to my love of dark colors.
Max chuckled at our version of stress-relief. "All right, Comedy Central, knock it off. We have to find the office."
"Yippee."
A/N – Hope you liked! Review!
