This is the last chapter. It's depressing, ending a story. But it must be done. So, goodbye. If you don't like my ending, PM me what you think it should have been or whatever. I'll put an extra chapter up, just for you guys.
JP: I'll miss this story . . . it was funny.
Tank: I like all the stories, mainly. But the endings are always depressing. Kind of like the ending of your favorite book series.
Skid: At least there's some Fax in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I'm not even going to put up a fight. I don't own Maximum Ride . . .
Anne's house
"Max, wake up!" Angel yelled and pushed my shoulder.
"Go away," I grumbled.
"Max, it's time for school!" she persisted.
"All the more reason to go back to sleep," I mumbled and pulled the comforter over my head.
She sighed and said lightly, "Don't make me get Fang . . ."
I grunted. "Whatever . . ." I mumbled and closed my eyes. My 'whatever' sounded more like 'waheva', but I blame the till three a.m midnight flight I had last night, or really early this morning.
I heard Angel yell from the hallway, "Fang! Max won't wake up!"
"So?" he yelled back.
"Come wake her up!" Angel yelled back.
I groaned. "Don't," I said, but doubted he could hear me.
About three minutes later, someone poked my side, and it hurt. "Max, wake up," Fang said.
"No," I grumbled. "Leave me alone."
"We have to go to scho-ool," he said.
I pulled the covers away from my head and looked at him. "What?"
"We ha-ave to go to scho-ool," he said, and then his eyes widened a fraction. My smile didn't just widen a fraction. It widened a lot.
No, Fang didn't sing those three words. Want to guess what happened? Go on, guess. You know you want to . . . Yep. You got it. His voice cracked.
I snickered, and he glared at me. "It's not fu-unny, Ma-ax."
I laughed. "Yeah it is."
"No, it's no-ot," he said, glaring. But it wasn't a very good glare since he was clearing his throat.
"It kinda is, Toni," I said, using his other fake name. "Or is it Nick? I can never remember these days . . ."
He stopped clearing his throat and glared at me. "Just get dressed."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, fine, whatever. But it's still funny. Now get out, so I can change."
He left, and I got off of the bed and grabbed my school clothes. Ugh . . . school. It's even worse because I have to wear a skirt. Ugh. I changed into it, the dress shirt, and jacket we had to wear. It was stupid, really. Why did I have to wear a skirt? The guys don't have to wear skirts. Why can't I wear the pants? It would make life so much easier for everyone.
I sighed and walked out of the room, and downstairs where everyone was gathered in the kitchen.
"Morning, Max," Anne said, smiling. "Sleep well?"
I grunted and made myself a cup of coffee. I chugged it, and had a burst of energy from the caffeine. I buttered some toast and stuffed it into my mouth.
"Ready, Max?" Anne asked, and I nodded, though my stomach growled in protest.
"Max," Angel said, giggling. I smiled, knowing what she meant.
"Sure," I said.
Anne raised an eyebrow and said, "Everyone in the car."
You guys know I don't do well with the whole 'tight spaces and car' thing. But we've been doing this for about a week now, and I was getting used to be in a car, which I hated. Why should I, the girl who has wings and has the whole sky as her limit, be getting used to a car? I shouldn't even be here, really. I don't know what I should be doing, but that should be it. Actually, I should still be in Colorado, flying until it felt weird to walk, or making fun of Fang. Well, I was doing the last one, but that's not the point.
"Shotgun," I said, and got into the front passenger seat of the black SUV. Cliche much, Anne? Anne got into the drivers seat, and everyone else in the back. Wait. Just wait.
I put my feet on the dashboard, and waited for Anne to say something like she always did.
Right about . . . Now . . .
"Max, put your legs down," she said, low enough for only me to hear. If we were all human. But we're not.
"Why?" I asked. "My shoes are clean." I never said I was honest.
"Yeah, but passing cars can see up your skirt," she continued.
"I'm wearing shorts, Anne. I'm not stupid." I heard Iggy snicker. "Fang? Do you think I'm stupid?" Like I give a shit. But it's all part of the plan, so play along.
He glared at me, and kept silent.
"Well?" I asked, and held back my laughter. If I annoyed him enough, he'd have to say something. And then his voice would crack. It was a perfect plan. So maybe it wasn't fool-proof, but it was good enough for me.
"No," he said.
"No what?" I asked.
"No, I don't think you're stu-upid," he said, and glared out of the window.
Gazzy, Iggy, Nudge, me, and Angel snickered. But when Iggy snickered, his voice cracked too. It's like double doody here. Hee-hee.
Yeah, I just laughed at the word doody. I'm immature, loud, annoying, a smart ass, and will possibly one day end up in juvie which I will then break out of . . . but I'm FUN.
You all know what happens when a guys voice cracks, right? Well, just in case: It first starts out normal, and then it sky rockets to a high point. It falls low again, and then goes normal. Then they have an odd sensation to clear their throat, and it happens all over again. And this all happens in about thirty seconds.
School
I met up with JJ, who was at her locker. I looped my arm through hers and said in a sweet voice, "Would you like to be my partner in crime"
She eyed me. "Am I going to be killing anyone?"
"No."
"Robbing a bank?"
"Nope."
"Kidnapping some sucky singer and torturing him till he begs for mercy?"
I was kind of worried about her now. "No."
"Bummer," she said, then smiled. "Then sure thing, dahling. What are we doing?"
"Embarassing my brothers," I said.
And evil little grin crept onto her face. "Perfect."
We walked to the office, and I asked the secretary, "Can I sign someone up to do the Pledge of Allegiance?"
She raised an eyebrow. "You? You, Max Ride, want to say the Pledge of Alegiance?"
I smiled at her, but it was the smile that said 'Watch it'. "No. My brothers."
She gave me a look over her glasses. "What's your angle? Want to humiliate them in some way?"
I put a hand over my heart in shock and 'gasped'. "Me? Want to publicly humiliate my brothers so they're scarred emotionally and mentally? No way!"
"Mm-hm," she said, and handed me a clip board. "You're in luck. We were just going to grab a random student out of the hall and make them say it."
I smiled at her. "Thanks." I scribbled down 'Nick Ride' in the best Fang-like handwriting I could manage, which was pretty close. My handwriting isn't bubbly or swirly like almost every other girl out there. It's more like chicken scratch.
"Write James' name down," I told JJ.
"Why?" she asked.
"So it doesn't look like two people wrote it if they see this." I turned to the secretary. "They won't see this, right?"
"Hmm . . ." she said. "That depends . . ."
I sighed and dug in my ratty book sack. "Um . . . I've got about five dollars and a peppermint?"
"Good enough," she said and took the money and candy I handed her. "Your brothers will never hear of this."
I smiled at her. "Good." I looped my arm through JJ's, and we left the office, heads held high, but giggling like school girls. Waitasecond.
First period
On the board, out English teacher had written today's assignment. Write a letter to your parents expressing your feelings towards them.
I sighed, and pulled out my notebook.
Dear test tube . . .
Then the announcements came on. And so did Fang. And let's just say on every vowel, his voice cracked and broke and he cleared his throat about thirty times. I snickered through the whole thing, classmates doing the same.
Finally, the Pledge ended, and we had to do our project. Wanna hear my letter?
Dear test tube,
I hate you.
Love, Max.
I'm such a poet. I handed in my letter. The teacher scanned it, gave me a look, and sighed. I went back to the seat I have I sat in class, doodling on my arm/hand/any revealed skin for a while. It looked like I had tattoos. Awesome tattoos. Huh. I'm a pretty good artist.
The bell rang, and I got out of the class and into the crowded hallway. JJ was just behind me, so I put my hand behind my back for her to slap in a make-shift high five. She slapped my hand, and we went to class.
Home
I was walking down the hall to the kitchen from my room, when Fang caught up to me.
"That was lo-ow, Max," he said, and cleared his throat.
"Why, dearest Fang, what are you speaking of?" I asked in false innocence. It made me sick.
"You know da-amn well wha-at I'm talking abou-ut."
"Woah," I said. "Three voice cracks in one sentence. Must be a record."
He glared at me. "Shu-ut up, Ma-ax."
I snickered again. "Bu-ut it's so ha-ard." That did sound dirty to everyone else, right? That would make me feel so gutter-ish.
He pushed me against the wall. "I sa-aid," he said, his voice cracking one last time, "I said to shut. Up."
His voice was deep now. Like, really deep. And it was so freaking sexy.
. . .
. . .
. . .
Wait, what?
