"Hey, Ty." I greeted, sitting down in a chair. We were in the auditorium at school. We were able to rent it out to practice. I looked around. "Where's Lilas?"

Tyler looked up, eyebrows drawn down. "Who?"

"Lilas. That' my couple name for Lucas and Lily."

He smiled, tying his shoe. "They're finally together?"

I nodded, chuckling. "Yeah. Jessie's in the bathroom so she'll be here soon."

"Wait," I looked up to see Jess standing there, hands up like she was defending herself. "Isn't Lily dating Kevin?"

"Oh…well, I'm sure they dealt with that." I opened my notebook and handed her the sheet music.

Lily and Lucas walked in, hand in hand. I winked at Lucas, making him scowl. I smiled, shaking my head.

"Let's get started." I handed everyone their sheet music and we immediately started playing.

---------------------

"Great practice. What should we name the band?" I asked as we packed up.

"I have a name." Lily suggested. "Easy Money."

"Maybe…" I agreed.

"Ooh!" Lucas smirked. "How about Fingered?"

I laughed. "You're so gross. Maybe…" I allowed. He pumped his fist in the air.

"I have one…" Tyler whispered in my ear. I nodded.

"I like it. So it's either that or Fingered. Easy Money, I think, is taken." I stood up, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and grabbed my guitar- which held my precious Jackson KV2 King V USA electric guitar. (It's an awesome guitar!!) I picked up my other guitar case that held my Gibson CJ- 165 EC acoustic guitar. (It's really nice) "I better get going. I have loads of homework to do…" I waved as much as I could, holding my guitar cases. I went to leave but the door opened.

Darrel stood before me. "Hey, Mandy." He greeted. He looked at everyone else. "Lucas, Lilly, Jess… Tyler." He greeted everyone nicely except for Ty, whom he greeted with disdain. He smiled at me again. "Ready to go?"

I shifted my weight, shocked. "You waited for me?"

He nodded, smirking as if he were smug. "Yeah. I mean, that's what a BOYFRIEND does for his GIRLFRIEND, right? They wait for each other- and they kiss each other." Apparently, that was his cue to kiss me because he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. It was nice but, like I said before, there isn't a spark. And WHY did he emphasize boyfriend and girlfriend?

Lucas cleared his throat, glaring at Darrel. We broke apart, me licking my lips from the discomfort. Darrel was invading my space. "Dude, I know you're her boyfriend and all, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't kiss her in front of me."

"And why's that?" Darrel crossed his arms. I rolled my eyes.

"Because I'm her brother and it grosses me out." He pointed out. For some reason, people never seem to realize we're related. Not just us but all the Flock's kids. The sets of twins that Aunt Ella had don't look alike except for their twin. Nikki doesn't look like Ty except for the skin color. Thomas, though, looks like a miniature Ty. Lucas was lying, though. He had noticed that I was uncomfortable. He may be my little brother and likes to torture me but he would never let me be in a position where it was uncomfortable.

Darrel's eyebrows went up. "You are? But…you're in the same grade."

I looked at him, shaking my head slightly. "Darrel, why do you think he's always at my house?"

"Uh- just to hang with Milo or something." He knew Milo was my little brother because Milo looks more like me than Lucas- but definitely more like Dad than Mom.

"No. He's my twin." A lie. A total and complete lie. I couldn't tell him that I was born after only four months, letting Lucas' birth catch up to my age, making him in the same grade. Since we kinda looked alike, we agreed to tell people we were twins.

Darrel shrugged. "Whatever. Here, I'll get it for you." He reached for my guitars but I took a step back, the cases in my hands. His eyebrows scrunched up. "Mandy, don't goof around- let me help you." He reached forward again but I took several steps back. He threw his hands up in the air. "Alright. I give up. Did I do something?"

You mean besides cheat on Nikki? "No." I said simply, almost smirking from my thought.

Lucas snickered behind me, anger in his eyes, though he hid it well. He propped an arm up, leaning against a giant amp. "Mandy doesn't let anyone touch her guitars, even if they are in the cases. She's protective over those bad boys. She only let's a select few hold them."

Meaning me, Lucas, Tyler, Mom, and Dad. No one else. Lucas because he's learning how to play and the guitars are our keepsakes- not just mine-, Tyler because he's the second guitarist and my best friend, Mom and Dad because…well, they're my parents and half the time, they need to move the guitars off the couch. I heard a mental throat-clearing that I recognized as Lucas'. Okay, ALL the time. I could see my brother smiling.

Darrel looked from me to Lucas, to Tyler, and back. "Okay. Let's go."

He started walking out but I stopped him when I spoke: "Actually, I'm heading home with Dad. He's in his office and he's driving us all home."

Darrel spun on his heel as I sat down the guitar cases. I heard Lucas growling quietly, along with Lily- she can read emotions. They were growling too low for Darrel to hear. I could see Darrel's nostrils flaring. "If your dad is in his office, how could he drive you guys home?"

He was fed up with me.

"You know what? I think we should have a private conversation about this. In the hall." I crossed my arms.

"Mandy, I don't-"

"NOW!" I growled, pointing to the door.

He turned and walked out without a word but a measly roar. I walked out of the auditorium, closing the door behind me.

TPOV:

I watched as Darrel tried to take Mandy's guitars. She kept backing away. After the second time, he finally gave up, throwing his hands in the air. "Alright. I give up. Did I do something wrong?"

You mean besides cheat on Nikki? I thought.

"No," Mandy answered, smirking. Lucas snickered, filling me in about why she did. (In case you forgot, he can read minds and project himself into others') Even though he laughed, I could see the anger in his eyes, even though he hid it from Lily, Jess, and Darrel.

He propped an arm up, leaning against a giant amp. "Mandy doesn't let anyone touch her guitars, even if they are in the cases. She's protective over those bad boys. She only let's a select few hold them." Lucas said offhandedly. She only lets me, Lucas, herself, and her parents touch the guitars and for good reasons. Other than that, whomever touches the guitars will only have one hand after she's done with them…and one leg, no eyes, no ears, their mouth will be sewn shut…catch my drift?

Darrel looked from Mandy to Lucas, to me, and back. "Okay. Let's go."

He started walking out but Mandy stopped him when she all but hollered: "Actually, I'm heading home with Dad. He's in his office and he's driving us all home."

Darrel spun on his heel as she sat down the guitar cases. I heard Lucas growling quietly, along with Lily- she can read emotions. They were growling too low for Darrel to hear. I could see Darrel's nostrils flaring. Lucas sent me a thought telling me that he was about ready to hit someone if they didn't do what he said. I ground my teeth together, sneering. "If your dad is in his office, how could he drive you guys home?"

He was fed up with Mandy.

"You know what? I think we should have a private conversation about this. In the hall." She crossed her arms, defiant.

"Mandy, I don't-"

"NOW!" She growled, pointing to the door.

He turned and walked out without a word but a measly roar. Mandy followed out of the auditorium, closing the door behind herself. I looked at Lilas and Jess, smiling.

They were somewhat smiling too. That's the Mandy we all know and fear.

Lucas snorted. "And in your case; Love."

I chuckled and then stopped, realizing what he said. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lily laughed. "Oh, that's total bullshit. Tyler, I can tell how you feel about her. You're jealous. You want Mandy."

"Yeah…but you all know that I want things I can't have."

They all agreed with me.

"But, this is different," Lily relented. "Normally, you have a small flicker of want when someone is taken but now…oh my Bird, it's a roaring fire."

Jess gasped. "Lily! I can't believe you said that!"

To us and our family's, Holy Bird and oh my Bird are the same as saying Holy F***.

Lily waved it off. "Tyler, you care for Mandy."

"Duh, everyone does." I pointed out. Almost half the student body of our school cares for her welfare.

She somewhat glared at me. "No, but you REALLY care for her." She shook her head. "You have no idea what emotions I feel coming off of people. Max and Fang? You know how they came together?"

I nodded. "Yeah. They grew up together. He was her right wing man, best friend, only one she trusted with her feelings."

"The same thing is-" Lily was cut off by a scream. Mandy's scream.

I was the first to come out of shock and ran out into the hallway. Mandy was lying on the floor, below the staircase, unmoving. I looked over to see Darrel, his lips curled back in a ferocious scowl. I surveyed the area. There was a dent in a locker, around the handle. On the handle there was blood- no doubt Mandy's.

Lucas, Lily, and Jess came out after me, seeing what was around them.

'Go to Mandy.' Lucas' mental voice told me.

I nodded and ran over, Lucas stopping Darrel from tackling me. I slid down the railing to Mandy- lucky the staircase was small. Only 18 steps. But they were marble, and slick.

Odds are, she was shoved down the stairs, rolling down. I lifted her head into my lap carefully, examining her. She had blood crusted in her hair around the right temple. Far enough away where it didn't hit her there. The blood on the locker was from her head.

She didn't see it coming. From the angle her head was hit and the side, he got her when she was turning around. She didn't stand a chance.

But what the hell happened to her exactly? What provoked Darrel to do that? Furthermore, how the F could he do that to an Avian American when he was a measly human?!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question time!!!!

Q) is Lucas going to write a really sappy song on the piano for Lily? That would be adorable!

A) Lol. Why don't you just tell everyone the entire storyline considering that you're helping me write up chapters with all your genius ideas. When someone writes at 3 AM- me- they tend to not be creative…

Q) why was Lily at the school if it was past the time when clubs and stuff would be there?

A) It played out in the story and she was at a club but it ended. She heard the music and went to investigate.

Q) 2 chapters ago she's at the new club right? why was she there alone?

A) Mandy didn't go to the club alone. She went with friends to hang out but then she saw Tyler and wanted to talk to him

Q) which grandpa is Lucas talking about? cause i didn't think Fang met his parents and Max's parents are still alive...

A) Fang's parents. In More Normalness, when the kids are little, Fang talks about his parents and what he found out about them. It was the chapter after they found Lucas in the alleyway.

Thanks, )(*wings*)(, for the questions above.

Q) Whose kid is Lily? There's too many to keep track of…

A) Gazzy's and Michelle's. Her brother is Oliver and sister is Fiona.

Thanks, secretly-eager-to-please077, for the question. I had to look it up, myself. Lol.

Here's all my comments I got from )(*wings*)( that I can respond to that don't have a personal question or meaning in them that either aren't good to be posted on the chapter or give away another chapter:

1) (about chapter Not Iggy, Three weeks, loathe Darrel) i love the whole "at

least I'm not Iggy" thing =] it made me laugh

A)Thanks, I loved it too. It came to right before I posted it so I put that scene in.

2) it's cute that Mandy and Tyler have their own little hide out thing =]

A) I think every group of friends should hang out in a secret or special place. So, I gave them one that was both secret and special.

3) in one of your other chapters at the end you asked how we knew you were

going to put Mandy and Tyler together after only Nudge saying "you are her

best friend" the reason being... She's Max and Fang's daughter! if she's

anything like her parents she will only break down in front of her "best

friend" or the one she's in love with. DUH!

A) That may be true but Mandy is her own person and Tyler is Nudge's kid and she didn't fall for her best friend…well, that would be a little odd and pedophilic 'cause Angel is her best friend. But, if everyone meant best friend as in best friend of the opposite gender then- yes, Nudge fell for hers too, I suppose. BUT! there will be drama in this story…muaahahaaa!

4)i love how all of them use the phrase "oh my bird" =D it's cute!

A) I hope you don't think it's cute after you know the meaning now. Lmao. Even I say it sometimes, I'm used to it. No one ever notices, Thank God!

5)the thing with the necklace is so random! i love it!! (referring to Lucas and Lily, Finally!)

A) Well, it becomes significant later on. Fang got that necklace from his dad and Lucas got it from Fang. It's important to him and doesn't let anyone touch it. Something will come up later with the necklace.

6) this is really more of a question but I'm putting it as a comment... Can Lucas beat Kevin up please?

A) No…Lily will. And Mandy and Nikki might join in.

7)it makes me laugh that his entire family is sitting on the porch after he

and Lily got together =D

A) They were all getting ready to hang out together and they were just there by chance. Lol.

Thank you all for reviewing! Sorry if this chapter is odd- I honestly have idea what the Bird I wrote. It's 3- almost 4- AM right now so if it's loopy, I'm sorry. Another reason it may be bad is because I went to a party today for my friend's b-day and we all goofed around with the balloons. We all sounded like chipmunks, breathing in helium. I know its stupid and the consequences are horrible but we weren't thinking at the time- and it's just plain funny! I have a high voice as it is so I sounded ridiculous. Now I have a headache, stomachache, and I feel like I can't breathe right. That's mostly because of my asthma kicking in though- it's normal for me. And I ate too much! now I'm babbling! Review again, please! )(*wings*)(, I KNOW you will. lol