'Masquerade'

A Maximum Ride fanfiction

By Demri ********

demrifancy

Chapter 4

"Formulating a Plan"

It was now Friday, a week after my party. A week after I began my search. So far I've got nothin' . So I called a meeting.

Nudge, Angel , Ella, and I were spread around my neon paint splattered room. It was silent except the faint music coming from my Ipod in the corner. Yes I know. Nudge is in the room and it's silent. The reason for this? We're coming up with a way to find my masked man.

"Well we could… No that won't work.." Ella mumbled as she crossed something off of her list.

Nudge was sitting in a desk chair with this look of concentration on her face. I half expected her to stick her tongue out.

Angel was just sitting peacefully with a soft expression on her face.

There was a loud squeal and then nudge proceeded to bounce up and down in her chair.

"I know what to do!" She squealed once again. We were all starring at her waiting for her to tell us what her plan was.

I wish she didn't.

"No," I said the same time Angel and Ella said;

"Perfect"

" Can't we try something else first then go with Nudge's plan?" I asked desperately.

I took one look at their faces.

"I'm stuck doing this aren't I?" I asked with a pained expression.

They looked at me with those dang bambi eyes.

"Fine," They all squealed and then ran out of the room babbling about making the list.

I fell back onto my bed with a groan.

" I can't believe I'm doing this." I said out loud to myself.

"Doing what?"

My eye popped open when I heard that voice. His voice.

I slowly sat up and tucked my legs under me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked hoping he didn't hear the fear in my voice.

He chucked quietly.

"Isn't it obvious. Max? I missed you. So now I'm back to claim you as my own once again." He had a small smile on his face while saying this.

I did the first thing that came to mind. Yes. I am aware that this was very un-max-ish. But I did it anyway. I ran. Surprisingly he didn't chase after me. I knew he wasn't going anywhere though. He was here to stay until he got what he wanted. Me.

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I walked through the halls in a daze. I knew people where staring at me. And I knew I looked like crap but I was going to fix that now.

"Nudge?" I said as I walked up to her and Angel. "Can you help me?"

She looked at me and her eyes grew wide. She didn't ask what was wrong she just pulled out some make up and fixed it. I knew today was going to be a long day with my ever present paranoia.

Once she was done with my make up I headed off to class. There were memories swirling around in my head begging me to re live them.

I sat down nearly in tears. Before anyone saw the great invincible Max crying I buried my head in my arms, resting it on top of my desk.

But no one could leave me alone could they?

"Max?" I heard a deep voice say.

I raised my head to see who it was then instantly regretted it.

Fang was standing there looking at me with one of his eyebrows raised expectantly.

"What?" I asked, my voice a bit scratchy.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a tone I knew meant 'cut the crap and spit it out'. I sighed and looked around. There were a few students in here but they were spread out far enough they wouldn't hear what we were saying and the teacher wasn't here.

Fang noticed me looking around and grabbed my arm and pulling me up with one hand and my backpack with his other.

"Come on," He told he walking out of the room with me dragging behind him.

"Where are we going?" I asked "We have class" not really caring but wanting to have a excuse to not tell him what was really on my mind. I knew that if he looked at me in a certain way I would burst into tears and tell him everything.

That's something I've come to discover about Fang. When he wants something he will find a way to get it no matter what.

"I know you don't care about class." Dang it.

He pulled me outside into the student parking lots. Then towards a black 1970 Firebird. He opened the passenger side door and forced me to sit down. Then he closed the door and went to the drivers side and sat down but didn't start the car.

"Now tell me what's wrong." He told me looking straight in the eye.

I looked down and replied, "I'm just tired."

"Yeah, you were crying because you were tired," He snorted.

He pulled my head up to look him in the eyes.

"Tell me and I will make it better." He told me. (A/N: Awwwww… oh sorry :D) And I knew he would to. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

He spent five minutes searching my eyes trying to find something that would tell him what's wrong.

He must have found something because he suddenly pulled away.

"What are you afraid of?"

Crap.

He knew I wasn't going to respond so he went back to staring into my eyes.

"Max, if you tell me I will do all that I can to fix this." He told me.

"Why are you so hung up on me telling you?" Sudden anger filled me. I know he was trying to help but why was he prying into my business?

He looked down before answering "I want to help."

"Why? You barely know me! Why do you want to help someone you barely know?"

He looked back into my angry eyes before answering.

"I may have just met you but I have this connection to you. I feel like I've known you my whole life."

He said this and I knew he was telling the truth because I felt that way about him. When I first began talking to him there was this strange pull and sense of safety whenever I was around him.

"He's back." I said not giving any detail.

"Who?"

"My ex boyfriend."

"So? Why are you all worked up because your ex came back?"

"You don't get it! He's supposed to be locked up! He's not supposed to be able to get me again!"

Fang looked shocked as he saw me curl up in the passenger seat while trying to hold back tears.

"Max?" he said softly. "What did he do?"

I had a horrible flashback

I was huddled in the corner, trying to hide although I knew he would find me anyway. He always found me. I was only fourteen! Why was this happening to me?

The door slowly opened and Ari walked in. The only reason he left in the first place was because I scratched down his arm hard enough to break the skin and make it bleed.

"Are you ready to cooperate?" he asked with a sadistic smile on his face.

I shook my head no finally letting the tears fall. Wasn't beating me enough? Why did he have to do this? He always hit me. He hit me enough I had to wear jeans and long sleeves everyday.

He growled low in his throat and jumped at me pinning my arms to my sides and throwing me onto the bed in his room.

I began to scream but he forced his mouth over mine. I don't know if it was just to keep me quiet or if he had other intentions as well.

His hands started pulling at my shirt but soon gave up when he couldn't get it off fast enough and moved to the button on my jeans.

When he did this I freaked out and began thrashing around. I managed to kick him where it hurt most. He doubled over and I, with a lot of effort, pushed him off me. He couldn't get up fast enough to stop me from throwing open the door and running trough the house and out the front door. I went to the closest house I knew and called the police. I knew I couldn't keep this to myself anymore.

He was put into jail for abuse and attempted rape. They told me I was never going to have to worry about him coming for me ever again.

They were wrong.

I began babbling through my story. I think Fang got the gist of it though because his jaw tightened and his body stiffened. It felt good to let it out and tell someone yet strange at the same time. I kept it to myself for so long I never expected to just blurt it out like this.

He just reached over and pulled me to him. I didn't realize I was crying until his shirt became wet from my tears.

We spent the rest of the morning like that. When lunch came around we decided we better get something to eat and go to our afternoon classes.

After this episode Fang and I became inseparable.

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A/N: Okay so I know that after I say this you are all going to hate me. I've had this chapter done for awhile now… J Yet I don't really like this chapter. I didn't know how to play it out but this is how it ended. So Reviews are nice. Suggestion are loved. I want to thank all that have read and reviewed through out the story so far. But I am WAYYYY to lazy to type all those names.

Have I had a disclaimer for this story yet? Just what I need. To get sued for forgetting to say I DON'T OWN MAXIMUM RIDE AND ANYTHING FAMILIAR. JAMES PATTERSON HAS FULL RIGHTS!

Although THE PLOT IS MINE! ALL MINE! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT! :P (evil laugh)