I leaned back further into the hard tree. I had just gotten too used to sleeping in a bed. I missed home in Colorado. I just wanted to leave this annoying harbor city and go home. But if I did, then I could be sure I was abandoning Ivy. If she wanted to look for us, then she would probably go back to the hotel. The hotel room would be empty, and maybe the area would still be crawling with Erasers.
And there was nothing I could do about that. Ivy had no phone, no nothing. I folded my wings in tighter to see if they could pillow my back. I let out a final sigh. "What's wrong?" Fang asked me.
"Nothing," I grumbled. He looked at me, popping out of the shadows, and I knew he wasn't going to accept a lie for an answer. "You've been squirming around for half an hour, and sighing," he pointed out.
"Well, what if Ivy comes looking for us?" I snapped. "She'll find an empty hotel, possibly full of Erasers." I surveyed the area automatically, as if saying their name would make them appear. That hadn't been too far from reality in the past.
"We can look for her," Fang suggested, saying out loud what I didn't dare think. "Do you really think it's the right thing to do?" I asked.
Fang paused, thinking. "It all really depends on whether you want to find her." I started to open my mouth to say indignantly, Of course I want to find her, but then I shut it again. Why hadn't I come after her immediately then?
Do I really want to find Ivy? I asked myself. My brain felt slow, and I realized I was falling asleep.
"'Kay troops, rise and shine!" I shouted at the sleeping flock. A tired grumble answered me. "Come on, we have a rescue mission!" I started handing cupcakes to everyone. It was the cheapest thing at the closest store, all right?
They were rainbow with white icing and multicolored sprinkles. I bit into one. The sugar rush would help everyone wake up. Nudge opened her eyes, and when she saw the cupcake, shrieked and dropped it. From below, I swooped up and caught it. "What?" I asked her.
She was staring at it with wide eyes, freaking out. "Rainbow…cupcakes?" she asked, stammering. I gave it back to her and she left it on the branch, as far away from her body as possible.
"Do you know My Little Pony?" she asked. I frowned. "No, isn't that for little kids?" Nudge sighed. "Never mind."
I started throwing bananas and oranges at them. Everyone started eating and stretching. Fang regarded the banana in his hand. He looked up at me, amused. His expression clearly said, Oh, so you're saving her now. I nodded proudly like, Duh, and started gently shaking Angel awake.
Ten dollars later, we had a map and coffee for Iggy, Fang, Nudge and I. Have you ever tried flying without spilling a hot drink on your family's heads? No, I bet you haven't. I was trying to gulp down hot coffee, while reading a map, and also flying, and how about adding keeping the sleepy younger kids on track.
As Nudge's smile widened, I knew I was going to regret getting her coffee. I looked down. The fat yellow line on the map was actually a highway. I looked above my steaming cup of coffee to the now soggy paper map. "We have to head southwest!" I shouted for anyone's benefit.
Nudge nodded, coffee practically coming out of her ears. I swerved away before she could start talking. I surveyed the ground, watching streets and avenues go by. Finally, we reached what the map had labeled "Ivy Avenue." I was small and curved, with a row of spaced-out houses. The sun was shining on the quiet street, and a few cars sit neatly in driveways.
Birds chirped and the prim brick houses just sat there, still in silence. This would be a nice place to live. If you were a regular person, that is. This candy-land avenue was making me want to barf.
I scanned the houses, looking for 2033. Finally, I found it. An imposing, white-walled house with gold letters announcing it was house 2033. What did I do next? I walked up to it and rang the doorbell.
Okay, it wasn't the stealthiest thing to do, but I had no choice. There was no answer. I tried knocking on the door, and it just swung open. It wasn't locked? The inside was dark, like it was empty. Steeling myself, and motioning over to the flock, I went into the house.