"Whaaat?"The Gasman asked. I left the room again, tacking the maps with me. I already knew the plan.I wasn't stupid. We were heading for the School- short and simple. I walked into me and Max's room, flinging everything but my bra and panties off. The other clothes were ruined. But when I saw my reflection, it wasn't the only thing that was ruined.
My face was scratched upandhad several bruises on it. My body looked as if I was used as a human punching bag. I trailed my fingers over the cuts that this little fiasco had given me; most were more than likely going to result in scars. At least my wings were still in tact.
I picked up the torn clothes and tossed them into the trash bin, not caring that they weren't mine to begin with. I began to shuffle through the dressers as Max came in, a worried expression on her face. "Snow, you look awful," I sighed, grabbing one of the boys' grey shirts and put it on, even though it hurt. "Thanks. Just what I wanted to hear."
"You know what I mean. C'mere, let me fix you up." Max ordered, pulling a first-aid kit out from no where and sitting down on her bed. I grabbed out a pair of dark washed jeans and took the shirt off. I sat down next to her as shebegan to pour alcohol on my wounds.
"Shit, Max,"I winced."Oh waa."She responded. Her hand began to tremble, so I took over for her. I guess you could say that I was the toughest one, not Max. But being tough meant showing your emotions every once and a while, and I didn't really show my true feelings.
"Me,you,Nudge, and Fang are going to go get Angel." Max told me as I finished up and began putting my clothes on. "What about Gazzy and Ig?" I sighed, a good and long one. "It's not that I don't think that they're capable of going, if that's what you're thinking."
"I wasn't thinking that. I was thinking that if something happened, we don't want anything to happen to them."
~~~~
"We clear on Plan B?"Max asked, raising her voice over the roaring wind. It was me, Max, Nudge, and Fang flying away from the Sandro de Cristo Mountians and away from Gazzy and Iggy. They were pissed to say the least. They were probably going to throw everything that we owned into a canyon.
"Uh-huh."Nudge said. Fang nodded, as did I."If we get separated somehow- though I don't see how we could, unless maybe one of us gets lost ina cloud. I bet it's creepy. Can you see anything inside a cloud-"
"We meet up at the northwest point of Lake Mead."Nudge finished quickly after Max sent her a sharp look."And where's the school?" Max asked."Hell?" I quipped. Fang's mouth twitched into what he would call a smile, but the others rolled their eyes.
"In Death Valley,8 miles due north from the Badwater Basin."
"You got it."Max said."Good job." I chuckled. Max sent me the same look that she send Nudge."What?" She asked."Death Valley? Badwater Basin? Seems like the perfect place for the School." I heard a low grunt from Fang. I turned to look at him.
He looked calm... Almost happy, if it wasn't for the circumstances. Max edged closer to him."On the plus side, flying is just really, really cool."Fang sent her a half-smile."On the minus side, we're mutant freaks who'll never live a normal life."Fang shrugged. "Win some, lose some."
-
"Max? I'm starving."Nudge said, her stomach rumbling in agreement."Okay, okay. We need food." Max said."Fang! Snow! We need to refuel. Ideas?" Me and Fang exchanged looks. I shrugged."Ski slopes," Max said."Summertime. Empty vacation houses."
"Would they have food?" asked Nudge."Only one way to find out," I said. We all flew in a big circle around the edge of the mountains. The small towns that were alive in winter became desolate and dotted the foothills.
Max led us away from them, to where a few houses stood apart from the others. Perfect. We banked, me a little faster than the others, and started to drop.
"Dammit!" I yelled. I had hit a tree, which made some already existing injuries come to life and hurt like Hades."Snow! Language!" Max hissed. I rolled my eyes at her prude-like self. As I landed properly, I stood up, my legs feeling like rubber.
I rubbed my shoulder as I tucked my wings tightly to my body. Everybody else did the same. Me, Nudge, and Fang followed our fearless leader silently through the woods. My eardrums were pounding with the wildlife that surrounded us. No humans, though.
Max turned to me and I nodded, signaling our aloneness here. We approached the tiny vacation cottage, Max taking her pocketknife out. She slit a window screen open and unlatched the hook. The screen lifted off easily and she sat it next to the house. Such a good little criminal, Max is.
Her and Fang shook the old wooden window frame until the lock at the top jiggled open. Fang climbed in first, then Nudge, me, and Max. Dust covered every inch of this place; there was probably a lot more than just dust bunnies here.
The fridge was turned off, so me and Max raided the kitchen cabinets."Sweet Mother Mary," I whistled, holding up a whole box of Twinkies.
"Sweet Mother Mary?" Everyone asked in unison. I rolled my eyes and tossed the box to Max."Fine. Fuck yeah, dusty box of Twinkies!" Max sent me a dirty look, but I chose to ignore it.
Half an hour later, we were sprawled out on the dusty couched and floor, out bellies full with food. "Unhnnhh," Nudge moaned. "I feel like, like concrete." I nodded in agreement."Let's take ten, rest a bit."Fang suggested. I closed my eyes. I didn't even remember falling asleep.
-
"Snow! Snow! Get up!" Max exclaimed. I groaned and rolled over. Why was my bed so lumpy? Please tell me that Iggy and the Gasman didn't stuff grass in my bed again...
"Snow!"That was Fang's voice. I bolted up, fallong off the couch in surprise."Come on! We gotta go!" Max yelled. Max put on her shoes, Fang put on a backpack, and Nudge looked as sleepy as I still was. We were not very good at doing or comprehending things when we just wake up, or in the morning. I got up, put on my shoes and jumped up. I jumped out the window, Nudge and Fang following in pursuit. Max was out last.
We all ran down the dirt road, unfurled out wings and flew.
