Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.


My knuckles still stung some time later. Note to self: don't punch concrete bricks or walls without some hand sanitizer present. Still, the physical pain hurt a heck of a lot less than the mental pain I was going through. Fang, Fang, Fang. His name echoed in my head like a broken record. I hated it when we fought and hated it even more when it ended with physical and/or emotional pain. There wasn't a cell in my body that wanted to think about him right now.

But, god, Fang.

Sure, he's pretty quiet. Okay, he's pretty much silent most of the time, and he's so anti-social. And closed in, or closed off, which ever you prefer. And gosh, when he was angry, rabid bears looked like softies. The exception: when he was flying for the joy of flying, or when he was reading to Angel and Gazzy, or even when he was describing something to Iggy. I've even caught him looking at me− his eyes clouded over with serenity.

No, I scolded myself, you're mad at him. Completely and totally, horribly mad at him.

Are you sure about that, Max?

I banged my head against the brick work behind me and cursed. Why did the Voice always have to come in at times like these? When I just wanted to be alone, it wanted to talk. When I needed help, it was dead quiet.

Yes, I said in my most controlled agitated voice I could manage, I'm positive. I really do hate Fang. I hate him almost as much as I dislike your lame consistency.

You know, the Voice said in a matter of fact sort of way, hate is a very passionate emotion.

. . . And? I felt like taking a plunger to my head. Maybe that would get the Voice out! Ha, I half expected it to say something, like, "That's not very practical," or something like that.

Max, you're avoiding this topic, it said.

Uh, no freakin' duh! I thought, rolling my eyes.

If the voice could have made that tsk-ing sound that parents make at their children, I'm sure it would be right now.

You say that you hate Fang, but do you really hate him? I don't think you do. In fact, I know for sure that you don't, the Voice told me.

At that point, I felt like we were running in circles. What part of I hate Fang do you not get?

What part of I know you don't do you not get, Max?

Touché, the Voice had me there. Oh well, I might as well listen to it, seeing as it's not leaving any time soon. But seriously, if it does decide to leave, it better leave my head the way it first was.

You know what passion is, right, Max? it asked me. I nodded my head, hoping it understood. Good, it said, clearly getting my message, then you know what a passionate emotion, such as hate, is. You should also know what another prime example of a passionate emotion is.

Hate? Anger? Vengeance? Resentment? There's a few for you, I rambled.

Well, yes, but I'm talking about a stronger, more pure type of emotion. It paused, probably waiting for me to say something in response to his comment, but nope. I was silent, didn't say a word. How's that for self control? Love, Max, I'm talking about love. You claim that you hate Fang so much, but are you confusing your hate toward him as love?

I groaned. Isn't it kind of hard to mix up love and hate? They're, like, opposites.

Opposites, yes, but entirely different, there's no doubt they aren't. You're hate for Fang is fueled by your love for him, and vice versa. The reason that you get so angry with him so easily sometimes is because you love him. You expect certain things from him, and when he does something unlike normal, it throws you off, making you upset. Read these famous quotes, Max.

I braced myself for a brain attack, ready for the pictures to come. When my head didn't hurt, I got curious and opened my eyes. Nothing. Okay, I thought, where is it?

Close your eyes and focus on listening to me, Max.

Well, that'll simplify things. I closed my eyes, doing my best to concentrate on the Voice. The images started off blurry, but the more I tried, the clearer they became. Soon, I was able to read them.

If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us. Hermann Hesse

To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead. Bertrand Russell

There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness. Friedrich Nietzsche.

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love. Sophocles

I hate, and yet I must love the thing I hate. Ovid

There's nothing in this world so sweet as love. And next to the sweetest thing is hate. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The opposite of love is not hate; it's indifference. Elie Wiesel

The flashes of words ended, and my eyes slowly opened. Now I was confused more than ever. What is hate? What is love? Why is this all so hard to understand?

You are only human, Max. It's okay to not understand things sometimes. That is what makes us all human, even if you're partially avian.

"But I still don't get it!" I cried out loud. "How are love and hate the same and different?" I put my head on my knees and wrapped my arms around myself.

For a while, the voice was silent and didn't say anything to me. Instead, it began to recite a poem, a poem I'd have to decipher on my own.

Love is supposed to be blind,
but how can one see the light it will feed?
Hate is supposed to be dark,
but how can one tell if it's too dark to see?
To love one and to hate one,
Is nothing less than rivalries of passion
Is nothing more than raw emotion,
A frail, but strong string of the purest satin.
If I truly do hate him so much,
With a passion, that I love, so strong,
How can I see, know what to do?
I have done not a thing wrong.
So, do I love the way I hate him, or
hate the way I don't love him more?

"What's all that supposed to mean?" I asked myself. "The whole thing is, like, a contradiction of itself. It doesn't make any sense!" I heard some scuff somewhere around the corner. More than likely, it was a bird, so I ignored it.

That's for you to find out, Max. Interpret it to the way you think it goes.

"Oh, well, thanks a lot," I said sarcastically.

It's time for me to leave, Max.

"No, wait, help!" I silently cried to the Voice. "You need to help me."

The Voice chuckled. It can do that, right? Like I said, I've helped you along, but now it's your turn to finish what I started.

I firmly placed my palms on the ground and groaned. "I don't want to! Love him, hate him, blah, blah, blah. Just give me some answers!" I said, getting frustrated.

You need to figure that out on your own, Max. It paused. Actually, you may get a little help.

"So, you're going to help me?" I asked frantically. No response. "Hello? Are you still there?" Nada. "Ugh, why'd you leave, damnit?"

It was completely silent now. I heard the scuffing again, but I didn't pay any attention to it. Well, I didn't until the scuffing stopped− right next to me. Ooh, creepy, right?

"Max?"

Oh no.


Ooh! Evil me leave you off with that. Mwuhahaha! -cough- erm...Really sorry about not posting this way sooner. It's been kind of crazy 'round here. I'm in the process of buying a new clarinet, planning a party, playing Rock Bank (which totally ROCKS!), and keeping up with school. So, again, way sorry for not posting this.

Well, I discovered that I would be able to finish this in 3 chapters...so I'll just have to give you four. Gosh, how bad of me. lol. Okay, so, here's some review replies for ya!

Laura.S-x: Actually, I haven't mentioned how old they were. Oops. I usually don't unless it's a key part in the story, which it usually isn't for me. But, eh, I would think that they weren't any older than 18. I'm judging this by the fact that Angel is carrying around a blanket, and I don't think most kids over age 10 carry blankets around with them the way I pictured Angel doing. Same thing with tucking Celeste in with her. So, optimum Fang/Max age is probably around 16 to 18.

Scarlytt: -holds up hands- I'll keep writing, but please, don't shoot me! If you do, then the story will never be finished 'cuase I'll be dead. xD

Makmay04: I know...he's really rude in that first chapter, but don't worry, it gets better. He gets better...much better. ;D

Oh, and one more thing...please,please,please,please go to my blog! Well, it's actually Alpha's blog (my character), but it's all in the same. There's a link on my profile page. My Homepage link will take you there. Please comment on something. Pictures, blogs, anything. Just some traffic would be nice. I know, I know, I need to post more about Alpha first, but it's coming, I promise! It'd mean a lot to me!

Thank ya's!

- Saz