A/N: Woo-hoo!!! My home computer is fixed!!! But now since we have dial-up Internet we have to wait to call our provider and register it again. Ugh, this may take longer than I anticipated…but hey! I already got it all wired back up and all of my old programs installed! Haha, the printer actually took the longest to load! Anyways, here we go!

Gotcha. Just kidding, but really…the next book was supposed to be called Waterwings, but now all of a sudden they're just calling it Max? Does anyone know the story behind this? If you could emphasize that'd be greatly appreciated…but, nonetheless, MAXIMUM RIDE # 5 COMES OUT MARCH 16TH!!!! MARK YOUR CALENDERS!!!!

Disclaimer: I'm not impersonating James Patterson. I pinky-swear.

Chapter 6: Confrontation

Max POV

Continental breakfasts save lives. Haha. Okay, maybe that's overdoing it a little…but hey, less that I have to worry about cooking or buying! Well, Iggy's actually is having fits over cooking now because he's so excited that he can see the utensils and everything. I mean, I don't blame him; I can barely cook period, and I've had my sight!

"What are we doing today, Max?" Angel asked me after we all finished getting ready.

"Well, umm…" think, think, think!

"Can we like, have a picnic or something? I think that'd be a lot of fun, and Iggy could cook and help with the food!"

I smiled, she's always looking out for others, almost more than herself half the time…

"That sounds like a great idea, Baby. Let's go and rally the troops! I think they're all on the roof again."

Angel's face lit-up as she raced to the window, up the window's overhang, and onto the roof, wings out slightly for a more stable balance.

I shook my head and went to dump my backpack Mom gave me so we could use it for the food.

"What about us?"

I hate dogs.

"What Total?"

"I mean, what about Akila and me? Aren't we allowed to come too?"

"Well, I'm sure Iggy's going to want to go somewhere scenic, and I really don't feel like lugging your two tails around at the altitudes we fly, plus a picnic bag." I reply, holding up the now empty backpack.

Total sighed, which sounded more likely to be a grumbled huff.

"Why can't we get a house or something? So that way at least we aren't left in a 18 by 30 foot room every day!"

"Because I don't know how long we can stay here! Jeez! Now I know why there was originally a reason the dogs didn't talk!!! If you're so dang bored, walk around town or something!"

"Akila is a Malamute, Max! She can't be out in this heat for too long or she'll get heatstroke! And besides, OnDemand is getting boring."

"How many movies have you rented?"

"Anyways! I think we'll just be fine in here for a couple more days!" he says, nearly smiling at me.

"ARGH!" I threw my palms into the air and stomped into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

After I shut off the water to do my scrubbing, I heard Total and Akila walk into the boys' room to sleep on their beds because I didn't allow them on ours in here. I looked in the mirror and was surprised by my appearance. I still had my dirty-blonde hair, but something was different in my eyes. I spit out my toothpaste, rinsed my brush, swigged some water, spit again, and then crawled up onto the bathroom countertop to examine my facial features.

Looking dead-on into the mirror, not even from a distance, I realized what the problem was. My life was giving me hell, and plenty of it. It wasn't passing me by, it was freaking running me over. So many good and bad things were happening at once it was almost enough to drive you insane…

Almost.

I have no idea what to do after this. What would you even call this? A paid vacation? Really! Maybe Total's right, maybe I should get a house. Maybe we could find another simple cabin-like thing in the hills and adopt that. If it's high enough, it should be cold enough to suffice for Akila and Total's needs.

My eyes were tired, planning, sad, happy, confused, hurt… Jeez, I look like a walking expressions booth. Need an expression of the day? Come to Maximum Ride! She's got 'ya covered!

Then I realized:

Hey, Voice, what rock did you crawl under to hibernate?

I waited in silence for a reply. Usually when I ask a question, no matter what criteria or difficulty level, he's got some Confucius or Einstein-like quotes to throw at me. After I waited about fifteen minutes, I decided to try and summon him again. And when that didn't work I gave up. Maybe he's gone for good…

HA! Very funny, Max, like I'd be that lucky for that to ever happen!

I sucked in a gulp of air and let it all out. Who am I trying to kid? I know exactly what's wrong with me: "You wouldn't believe her dude." Fang's voice.

"Better or worse than Max?"

"I don't know. I mean, both are great, but it's just hard to decide, ya' know?"

Exactly. That was exactly what was wrong with me. 'Hard to decide?' What the heck!? What does he mean hard to decide?!

Well, I guess your basically sister isn't much of a choice for a girlfriend.

Why do I care so much about this anyways?

Why don't I just blow it off and keep to my responsibilities of flock-leader?

Why do I keep fretting over this?

If I heard Iggy say something like this I'd be happy for him.

I'd want him to be happy and have someone to like.

I don't like this because I—

No. I can't admit something like that. I just can't. I can't just come out and say something like that.

But why? Why can't I just "come out and say it?" What's wrong with being aware of something?

Because I'm scared. I'm not just scared though; I'm terrified. Ultimately I'm a wuss.

My legs start to feel weak and I lower myself onto the floor, my head rested against the cabinet and my knees pulled up to my chest. I run my hands through my short hair and attempt to gather as much as I can into a ponytail. In the process of rubbing my eyes, I realize fully that I'm actually crying.

Jeez, talk about a pansy. I've had bones forcefully stepped on, crushed, and my jaw personally snapped: I never cried once. But now, I think about…you know…and I'm crying like a baby! What's wrong with me!

"Max?"

Shit.

Twisting so that my back was to his face, I wiped off my cheeks and turned to face Fang.

"Mm-hm. Uh, yeah. What do you need?"

"Uh, well, nothing really. I was just wondering where you were…"

"Well," I stand up a little too quickly and catch myself on the countertop, "here I am. Anything else? Would you like to know what I had for dinner and when I took a pee last too?"

"Max what the hell has gotten into you!? Why are you so gripey and being a jerk to me all of a sudden?!"

I can't believe he just asked me that.

"I've been trying to talk to you since we landed here, but you won't give me the time of freaking day! It's not like we have a terrible lot of stress on our shoulders right now, so why?! That's all I want to understand is why, Max…" his eyes were pleading, and his breathing had quickened. His eyebrows were pulled together in confusion at his forehead and his hands were slightly shaking.

"You just wouldn't understand, Fang." I shoved my way past him and out to the window to call everyone down to start packing for the picnic. Leaving Fang standing alone in the bathroom.

Fang POV

What. The. Hell.

So I walk in on her and I heard her start crying outside the doorframe, so I have to try to play super-freaking-hero and walk in and ask what's wrong. Gah! Then I can't come up with anything better than 'I was wondering where you were.' What the hell is wrong with me? It's no wonder she blew me off just now!

My fists clench tightly and I take a swing at the air. I looked into the wide mirror and contemplated punching it. Jeez I looked like crap. Not necessarily on the outside, but now looking at myself head-on, I can see what the others see. The results of my problems. Exposed for the world to see. My black hair was growing longer and looked almost unkept. My eyes had bags under them and my pupils were tired-looking.

"C'mon! Let's go!" It was Angel, the picnic must be ready now.