Sup dogs! *every one go woof!* So, I got some replies last time (a big shout out to you all! WOO WOO!)And you guys like the little play scenes, just me and max. Thanks, I thought you would enjoy chapter is basically going to be centered on Max, Nudge, and Angel bonding and it will lead to even greater chapters! There will be FAX, maybe, and there'll definitely be some kick butt time! Ok, so, I just want to say, keep on going, McKenna! (For those of you who are just joining us, I have seen her most in replies. Whoa! I know what you're thinking, gigglesandbooks has favoritism. No, I don't. I like you all. And to AlexJackson13, THANK YOU! YOU'RE SO SWEET! So, to all of you fans out there, here's chapter 9, dedicated to you all.
PS. I don't own Maximum Ride, the series, or the awesomeness -I just read and enjoy them. But, James Patterson does. What a lucky duck.
Here's the chapter! :D
Max Pov
"Max"? Angel asked. "Can we go to the mall today? I want to get a dress for my school's dance!"
"Um, sure sweetie" We were sitting on the porch, she in my lap, and I doing her blond hair in a French braid. It actually looked cute on her. I finished up, and told Dr. Martinez Angel and Iwhere we were going.
"Can Fang go with us?" Angel asked.
"Well, if he goes with us, it won't be just you and me time, will it?" I said. Angel smiled and jumped in Dr. Martinez's van.
"So, it's just going to be you and me?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, I don't really get to talk to you, except at night and when there are a bunch of other kids around."
Angel smiled. I drove into the parking lot after listening to Angel talk about how this kind of Ken Barbie doll was in, and she wanted it, and a bunch of other stuff about her and Gazzy. (They were best friends) We went to the Claire's store and I got her a hair pin with a necklace. She put them on and twirled for me for approval. I smiled and lead her to the Gap store and she tried on a couple of dresses. One, which I loved, covered her shoulders and was white. It had a pink bow in the front and even though I don't like pink, I had to say, it looked really good on Angel. Goes to show you how cute and irresistible she is. (Pic on my profile!)That's the only one we tried on. We looked at it, and dismissed the others. This one was perfect. Now, for shoes. We got a pair of white sandals that had a white flower on top. (Pic also on my profile) We paid and went to the food court. We got two ice cream cones and looked at stores for a while. We went home and Angel put on her dress for the boys to see. Of course Nudge and Ella made a big fuss over it, how cute it was. I just smiled and sat next to Fang as Angel twirled in her dress and shoes. She, my friends, is the definition of adorable.
"You did that?" Fang whispered.
"Yeah. She had the dance. I helped, but she did the work." I said.
"Hmmm" Fang said. "I didn't know you had a sense of fashion in you."
"I don't. I just approved if it was appropriate. Angel did the choosing." I laid my head on his shoulder. Angel bows and waltzes off to the other room to change.
"Did you help her with that?" Ella asks.
"No, I just approved, or not approved." I said. "And supervised."
"Bummer. You would be a great model, you know. "Ella said.
"Yeah, and a great swimmer" said Nudge.
"Yeah, and I'm the queen of the world." I said. "I am a swimmer,and don't plan to be a model."
Ella nodded and went back to the conversations she and Nudge were having. I lay in Fang's arms and Angel skips back in and hops on my lap. I fix her braid while Nudge puts in the movie gone with the wind. Personally, it's not my favorite but not the worst. Ya know what I'm saying? I stroked Angel until she fell asleep.
"Max! Dinner!" Dr. Martinez called. I sat up and looked around me. I was lying on the couch with Angel curled up on me. I reached back, expecting to find Fang, but, he's not there. No one else is in the living room. I gently wake Angel up and we go to dinner. Nudge and Ella were seated at the table. I put Angel in her chair and make my plate of spaghetti.
"Where's the boys?" I ask.
"They went home." Nudge said. "Fang didn't want to leave you alone, but Mrs. McKnight came in and grabbed him." Nudge paused. "Haven't Mrs. McKnight is to her kids?"
"Don't you live at her house?" I said.
Nudge looked at her food. "I do. But I choose to live here." Nudge said. "I'm full. Thanks for the food, Dr. Martinez." She walked quickly away to her room and slammed the door.
"Was it something I said?" I asked.
"oHoney, Mrs. McKnight is abusive. Nudge does live at her house. But Nudge ran away to live here. You should have seen her." Dr. Martinez said.
"What'd you mean? She was at the house when I got here." I said.
"She was playing with Fang and trying to get him to come here for about two hours. Finally, she saw you drive up and she told him and he went." Ella said. "By the way, he saw your picture on your profile documents when we wanted you. He's had a crush on you since he saw your picture. I have no idea why."
I thought this over. Fang saw my picture, he decided I was cute, but he wasn't excited for me to come over? How stupid was that?
"So, what about Nudge?" I asked.
"Mrs. McKnight hurt her when she talked. Nudge's real name was Monique but it Nudge changed it to Nudge, because she was abused and she felt like she was prying into people's lives and messing things up." Ella said. "So, she came and lived at our house. But, she visits her mom sometimes."
I looked at Dr. Martinez. "So, you're basically a mother to everyone." I said.
"Yeah. Mrs. McKnight and I are friends, so it was easy to negotiate with her to let me keep Nudge." Dr. Martinez said.
I nodded. "I'm gonna go talk to Nudge." I picked up Nudge's uneaten food and walked to her room. I knocked on the door.
"Nudge, can I come in? It's Max." I said.
"Yes" croaked Nudge. I opened the door and sat her plate on her bed and closed the door.
"Hey, I'm very sorry about what I said. I didn't mean to hurt you. I said as I sat beside her on her bed.
"I know. It's very hard for you to understand what it's like to be abused." Nudge sniffed.
"Yes, I do know." I said. "After my parents died, I went from home to home. Sometimes they were bad, sometimes they were good. I got mostly the bad ones. I had to learn to play the games that the grownups played in order to survive. I learned to show no mercy. I was beaten. I had my head smashed so many times, I lost count. I was forced to live in basements filled with rats and snakes. I almost died one day, if it hadn't been for my caretaker to stop by to see how I was doing. I was in the hospital for a long time. The good thing out of that was, I learned how to take care of myself and what to do in bad situations. I was forced to never trust anyone, except myself. You know, I almost thought about giving up before I came here. You know what stopped me?"
Nudge shook her head.
"I saw you, and Ella's and Angel's pictures, and I thought, if those cute girls look ok, then, I might be too. But also, you know my ring? I remember my mom telling me, that as long as I have this ring on, I will be safe and even thought it seems like I'm all alone, there's somebody sharing the same pain as me. So, Dr. Martinez was very kind to bring you into this family. It wouldn't be great without your chatterbox mouth." I pulled Nudge into my lap and rocked her as she cried.
Nudge hugged me and whispered "I'm so glad you're here."
I tell you what, I've never been happier other than with Fang.
"You wanna go shopping tomorrow?" I asked.
"But it's Sunday. I have homework."
I fake gasped. "You mean, you'd rather do homework than go shopping?"
Nudge giggled. "No, but after."
"Ok." I said. I gave her plate of food to her and walked out the door. I went to my room and out to my balcony. Time for my nightly flight. I jumped off the railing and unfurled my wings and soared upwards, feeling the tingling sensation rising throughout my blood. Soaring upwards, enjoying my freedom which none of you people have. Sorry. But I look down. I don't know why, and I see lights on at Fang's house. It's 11:00. What's going on? I swoop down and land silently on the grass. Those hours with Fang practicing landing and takeoff sure have helped. I strained to listen to the voices from the inside.
"Mom, I don't know what you're talking about" Fang said.
"Well, you sure as hell know about that girl Max!" Mrs. McKnight yelled.
I peaked in the window. I stifled a scream.
Mrs. McKnight was holding a butcher knife.
Fang happened to catch a glimpse of me. His eyes told me to leave. But I stayed put.
I watched in horror as Mrs. McKnight stalked Fang closer and closer. She was going to kill him. I knew what I had to do. I stepped back. I balled up my fists and began to run. I ran straight for the window. I dove through it, making the glass crash and Fang and his mom turn to face me. I straighten myself up and brush the glass off of my skin. Mrs. McKnight is the first to recover. She lunges toward me, waving the butcher knife back and forth. I duck, and do a roundhouse kick. I send her spiraling to the floor, the knife knocked out of her hand.
"Max, you need to leave." Fang said urgently.
"Not without you and the boys." I said. Fang and I stared into each other's eyes, trying to reach dominance. I won.
"Fine" Fang said. "Help me get the boys."
"Sure, but hold on." I said. I bent to check Mrs. McKnight, she was unconscious. I rummaged throughout her pockets and found something I hoped to never see.
Her identity card. I checked it, I couldn't believe my eyes. You know what she was?
She was one of the white coats from the school. As I read, her name wasn't Mrs. McKnight, but Anne Bachelor. Huh, wonder where I've heard that name before. I put the card in my pocket and ran upstairs to find Fang waking up the boys. I went to his room and started packing his stuff. They were going to have live at my house. I put his clothes in his duffel bag and put his school stuff in there too.
"Ready to go?" Fang asked behind me.
I turned around and shoved his stuff in his arms. "We're going to my house."
Fang nodded. "Go get the boys."
I went to their room and grabbed their hands. We had to get out before Mrs. McKnight, or should I say, "Anne Bachelor" woke up. Who knows? She could come and kill us. Or worse- she could send those erasers after us and take us to the school.
Something, that's not on my agenda.
We sprinted out of the house and through my front door and to the spare bed rooms. Iggy and Gazzy shared the guest room and Fang on the couch. I went to bed to prepare for the school death chamber.
No, not the one where you feel like you'll die but the one where you bore yourself to death of mathematics and teenage drama.
I wake at 1:00 am to the knocking on my door. I open it. "What'd ya want?"
"Can I come in?" Nudge asked. I nodded. She walked in and flopped on my bed. I sat down next to her.
"What can I do for you?" I asked.
"Tell me why the boys are in the guest rooms and Fang in the living room."
"Your ex-mom hurt them. I knocked her out and they came here." I said. Didn't want to lie to the girl.
Nudge nodded. "Thanks."
I nodded. Why don't you go back to bed and sleep well so you can go jump on the boy's beds in the morning." I winked. "They need some one smart like you to prank them."
Nudge grinned. "Kay. Night. Max." Nudge skipped to her room and shut the door.
I crawled under the covers and was about to enjoy my sleep until-
More knocking.
"Come in." I mumbled.
Fang walked in. "Hey, did I wake you?"
"Nope. Just trying to get sleep without everyone coming in for a sleep over." I give him a scowls.
You know what Fang does?
If you said "Fang leaves." You're wrong.
If you said. "Just stood there," you're wrong.
If you said, "Fang smirked."-
YOU WIN A PRIZE!
So, Fang just stood there, smirked, and said "Someone's a little off."
I just wish I could slap that boy.
"Can I sleep here?" Fang asks.
"Um, sure. What, the couch to hard for ya?"
"Sort of." Fang replies.
I nod. I gesture for him to come to me. Fang slides under the covers and holds me tight. I rest my head on his shoulder.
"Thanks, what you did at the house, I appreciate it." Fang said.
I nodded against him. "I couldn't let her hurt you."
Fang's arm slid around my shoulder and scratched my arm. I was about to fall asleep, but no Fang just had to keep talking. I'm starting to think I like him better as silent.
"Are we staying here forever?" Fang asks.
I shake my head. I don't know. "I do know you're never going back there again."
Fang pulls me closer. Now my head is resting on his chest. Fang puts his lips on my temple. I change positions so I can look into his eyes.
"Do you want to go"? I whispered.
Fang shook his head but didn't' take his eyes off of me. His lips brush mine and his fingers cup my chin. Fang gives me butterfly kisses on my neck, eyes, and of course, lips. I rest my forehead on his, my eye lashes tickling his eye brows. Fang's free hand strokes my cheek, and kisses me sweetly. I broke apart and rested on his chest again.
"Night" Fang whispered.
"Nuhmmhen." I mumbled.
Ok! That's the chapter. Hope you enjoyed! I know, it's boring, but, hey, like I said- more and greater chapters are to come! So, how about at least 4 reviews this time before I update? Thanks for reviewing!
So, review?
Max: Hey, so, what's with me going chopping?
Me: I wanted to make it so you and Nudge get to have a good relationship. Oh, and Angel.
Fang: Oohh, the powerful and tomboy Max went shopping!
Max: Shut up, you mute.
Fang: (says nothing)
Max: That's what I thought.
Me: Ok, you two love birds.
Fang and Max: Shut up.
