Hey sorry it took so long. I was on vacation with my family. Then, life got crazy. I swear, you start 8th grade and stuff goes insane.
I don't own MR. = (
Max's POV
We left school grounds quickly and went back to a house that we had found 2 days ago and were staying in.
It was an old abandoned house with a lake around back. I loved it, no matter how decrepit.
I sat on the old couch. Rayne sat next to me, and Danni next to her, placing an arm around her shoulder. Rayne blushed and looked down while I smiled.
Fredd and Lexi sat on the recliner, Lexi bouncing up and down.
Gazzy, Angel, Iggy, and Nudge sat on the floor around us.
"Max? Are you still trying to save the world?" Gazzy asked.
"No, Bud. I gave that quite a while ago. Five years actually."
"Why?"
"I found that if you weren't trying to destroy them, they don't find you as much. I'm guessing they haven't found you guys at all."
"No, but we didn't care about being found, we just missed you." Angel said.
"Awww. Come here, my little Angel." Angel ran up and jumped on my lap, throwing her arms around my neck.
"I'm so glad we're back together. Fang was just being mean and selfish."
"I'm glad too, my baby girl. Wait- what do you mean he was selfish? What did he do that was selfish?"
She sniffed. "He was mad you wouldn't make up your mind about him. So, he just kicked you out. Did you love him Max?"
"I did. For a time. I had actually just decided I'd tell him when he kicked me out. That was the worst night of my life."
"I'm sorry! I should have seen it in his head! I should have been able to warn you." Angel looked so depressed. So, so sad.
"Don't think like that Angel! It's not your fault!" Rayne said, patting the other mind reader on the back.
Angel sniffed. I patted her curls. "It's ok, sweetie. It's not your fault. Remember that. It's Fang's fault. All his fault." She nodded. "So what do you guys want to do?"
Everyone shrugged.
"Why don't we go for a swim?" I suggested.
"YES!" Fredd yelled.
Lexi giggled. "Sure." She got off Fredd's lap to go get changed.
He got up after her and picked her up. He ran upstairs and I heard the door to their bedroom shut.
I knew they weren't doing anything, but just to embarrass them, I yelled, "DON'T FORGET TO USE PROTECTION! WOULDN'T WANT A PREGO WOMAN ON THE RUN!!!!"
I heard Fredd growl slightly. "WE'LL DO WHAT WE WANT, BOSS-LADY!"
I laughed. I looked around the room. Rayne and Danni were used to this, so they didn't have a reaction, but Iggy was snickering, Gazzy was laughing his 15 year old head off, and Angel looked scared.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" I asked.
"Mental. Images. Too. Much!"
"From who?"
"Fredd and Lexi."
"DAMN IT YOU TWO! ANGEL'S ONLY 12! GIVE HER A BREAK, GET DRESSED AND GET DOWN HERE!"
"WELL FINE THEN, MEANIE-PANTS!!!!" Lexi yelled.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Sorry, Sweetie." She just nodded at me.
"Max, we don't have swimming suits."
"Uhhh, why don't you guys go buy some? Here's my credit card."
Max, you should go with them. There is someone you need to meet. He's Fredd's twin. They don't look alike, so don't be looking for that. Fredd hasn't seen him since they were five. He thinks that he didn't get taken, but he did.
Wow voice, long time no see- err- hear. And actual info this time? That's not like you. What's this guy's name?
You'll see, Max. Don't ask Fredd cause if he wants to go with you guys, he'll end up making a scene and scare the poor guy away. Believe me, Max, you'll know when you see him.
I sighed. "Okay, never mind, I'm coming too."
We left the house and flew to the Mall in Cincinnati. I needed a new suit anyway.
I wanted to just go to Sears or something but Nudge and Angel Dragged me to Hot Topic. Of course, there were no one pieces there so I ended up with a turquoise and back zebra bikini. Nudge got a hot pink bikini. Angel got a pink, green, and blue one. We had to get the boys stuff at another store.
We went to the checkout counter and there was a guy with pitch black hair and bright green eyes. He had snake bites and one ring in his upper ear, which was a black stud. Wow.
He looked at me thoughtfully. "Hello. My name is Tobias, did you find everything you needed?" he asked professionally.
"Yup. Everything's fine," I replied with a smile.
"That's good." He checked out our things and kept looking at me. I gave him the credit card. He slid it through the thing and had me sign that thing with the plastic pen. After glancing warily at Iggy and Gazzy, he asked, "Uh… would you mind hanging out after my shift?"
I was about to turn him down (nicely for once, because he was being nice plus he was totally gorgeous) when the voice piped in.
Max, say yes, it's him!
"Uh, sure, why not? When?" I asked.
"Who the hell are you and what have you done with Max?" Iggy asked.
"Shut up, bro." I told him before turning back to Tobias.
"I get off in a half an hour. That okay?"
I smiled at him. "Yeah, that would be great. Should I come back here?"
"Yeah, see you then."
I grabbed the bag off the counter and walked out with the rest. I heard Iggy murmur to him, "You're lucky. She hasn't trusted a guy as more than a brother or best friend since we were fourteen." How did he know that? One of the new flock members, probably.
When they all were by me, Gazzy said, "What the Hell?"
I sighed. "That person is one of us. He's Fredd's brother."
"Voice in your head?" Iggy asked.
"Yes, Igs. Let's get your stuff and then you guys are going home while I talk to Tobias."
"Yeah. Talk." Iggy said sarcastically.
I rolled my eyes at him.
"If you don't back off, I'll tell Ella about your little crush."
"You wouldn't dare."
I laughed. "I actually didn't even know until now."
"I hate you."
"I know now let's get you some trunks."
We went to Target. Gazzy got camo and I got Iggy some red ones.
"Max can we PLEASE get some pretzels? Those Auntie Anne ones smell really good!" Nudge begged.
"Fine fine but only two each!"
"Yay!" Angel and Nudge said at the same time.
Tobias POV
Why the hell did I do that? I don't know her, but I had this…urge… to be with her. I really hope this doesn't blow up in my face. I hope that, if she ends up being nice and I actually like her, I will be able to tell her about my wings without her freaking out and running from me like I'm a monster.
My tongue played with my snakebites as I thought of how she might react. I'm so glad my brother wasn't taken like me. I knew he would be the leader type, but wouldn't want to make decisions that could affect anyone. We're almost twenty now. He's probably in college with a steady girlfriend that he is planning on proposing to. Even though I haven't seen him since we were really little, I know he wouldn't be one for flings. I was taken when we were five.
Luckily, it had been years since I had been caught by the School. So, I settled down and got a job here at Hot Topic. After the first year here, I got my left ear pierced and then a month after that I got my snake bites. I was now fond of my piercings and understood why people got them. I also now understood why they got tattoos. They were addicting. The guy who does my tattoos is now a friend of mine. But, he knows if he sells me out, he will be dead.
On my left arm, there is a dark angel, and on my right one it says, 'School is Torture.' People would assume that I got it when I was in school, but it was talking about The School.
I impatiently waited for my shift to be over so I could hang out with Max. What that guy told me confused me. Did someone hurt this girl, and that's why she hasn't liked any guys since the age of only fourteen? I was thinking about it until the other guys came up to clock in. Okay, good. I can leave now.
After clocking out I went just outside of the store to wait. After around five minutes, I saw her walking my way. Upon seeing me, she smiled and waved, still walking forward.
"Hey Tobias."
"Hey. The other guy called you Max, right?"
"Yup! So what do you want to do?"
"Well… there's this place down the street…," I told her.
"It's not too crowded is it?" she asked nervously.
"No, no. I'm not good with crowds. It's a really small place. Almost nobody knows about it."
"Okay than. Sure!"
I smiled at her.
We walked through the Mall and started down the sidewalk being careful to stay clear of the road. Crazy drunk people are popular here. It's not the nicest town. (A/N: I love this city with all my heart, but it's true…)
We stopped at a small restaurant called The Starving Artist.
It was very small and only had about five other people in it. Not including the workers, of course.
"What would you like?" I asked her.
"Umm… just a hot chocolate please. I just ate."
I nodded. She was human, so she wouldn't have the giant appetite I did.
Max's POV
I didn't have my normal appetite. My stomach was bouncing around in that queasy-but-not-sick way. Nerves. I don't know how he will react.
He went to order and gestured for me to sit in one of the booths. I did and rested my head in my hands. After a couple minutes, I heard footsteps coming toward me.
"Max?" Tobias asked. "What's wrong? You regretting saying yes to me? I wouldn't blame you if you left. We just met and everything." His voice was light but his face told me he was hurt.
"No! Of course not! I wouldn't have said yes if I would regret it."
He smiled. "Then what's got you so worked up?" he asked before giving me my hot chocolate.
I took a sip. "I need to tell you something and I'm not sure how you'll take it."
I heard him sigh in relief and mumble, "Can't be worse than what I'm hiding."
"Actually it's worse then what you think you're hiding." He looked up at me in shock and then tensed when he registered the words. "Now don't jump to conclusions. I'm not with the School. Or Institute or where ever you were taken. I've narrowly escaped out of the school too many times."
"So you're…?"
"A mutant freak? Yeah. But that's not what I'm concerned about you finding out. Do you remember your brother?"
He froze. "Yeah. Why?" he asked tightly.
"Tobias, please! Don't get all cold on me!"
"Sorry. What about Fredd?"
"Well…I know you don't want to hear this, but he was taken, too. He's now a part of my flock."
"H-he's… like me? Like- with wings?"
I nodded. "There are nine of us, including me, in my flock. And one traitor that used to be."
"What? Did he or she sell you out to the school or something?"
"No. I wish it was that simple. He hurt my flock and me. Kicked me out, saying the flock wanted me out and told the flock that I left on my own. I just met back up with them today."
"Oh. That's terrible. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine now. It was just worse when I thought the whole flock had betrayed me. Now I have my flock back, my sister and her boyfriend and your brother and his girlfriend."
"Could I see him?"
I laughed. "It's not like custody issues! He's your brother! You can see him whenever you would like!"
He laughed, too. "Yes, that's true. So when can we go to see him?"
"As soon as we finish our hot chocolate. Now drink!"
He seemed to remember he had a drink in his hand. He took a gulp and then looked at me.
"Did you only say yes to me because Fredd is my brother? Or did you actually like me?"
"If it was just the Fredd thing, I would have told you in the store," I told him honestly.
He grinned. "Good."
We sat in silence for a while then, drinking our hot cocoas.
When we were done, he threw away my cup too. We went outside and into a secluded place behind some buildings. We spread our wings and took off. We chatted a bit on our way back to Harrison, but nothing big. As we were descending, he made a funny face that looked totally absurd with his piercings I had to laugh. We landed and headed toward the house. Tobias took my hand and I was still laughing a bit. We were nearing the house now and I could see that Fang was there, in the shadows. I immediately stopped laughing and glared at him.
"What the hell do you want?" I growled.
Tobias looked startled before looking in the direction I was.
"Oh, Hey, Max! Who's your friend?" Fang asked.
"Asshole, this is Tobias. Tobias, Asshole."
Tobias pulled me a bit closer. I went willingly. Fang growled and crouched.
He was about to pounce when he was hit from the side.
He was on the ground, unconscious.
"Nice one, Gazzer!" I told him.
He smiled at me. "Tobias is now part of the family. I protect the family."
"Come here, little man."
He came up to me and hugged me. I hugged back with the arm that wasn't still attached to Tobias' hand.
Hope you liked it! I'm open to any suggestions anyone might have and flame if you would like.
~Jess Raine~
