AUTHORS NOTE

Sorry I haven't written. I have been really busy. Hope you like.

BlackTales

Max POV

Ok. Skipping out of the room is weird, but smiling? Something's wrong and I don't know what to do. If I couldn't trust Ryan, then it's like not trusting me. She is my family. She was there when I had no one. She stood by me when no one else would.

Trust within yourself. I smiled when my voice spoke to me.

Ryan won't leave me, will she?

Ryan will never leave you. But that is a main reason to watch her.

Why?

If the school gets a hold of her, they know what you will do. They know that you love her. I know that you love her like a sister, and that you will do whatever you can to help her. She will do the same. But she feels that you will betray her.

WHAT? WHY?

Your flock is back. She doesn't think you need her anymore. The voice left my head. What he said really made me think. He was right. I have been ignoring Ryan and Tyler. Tyler knew I wouldn't leave, but Ryan didn't.

"MAX!" Tyler yelled from the hall, "Grab your stuff. Everyone's outside." I sighed and grabbed my stuff. Tyler and I walked silently to Ryan's car. Tyler was wearing brown shorts and a quarter sleeve shirt that was black. We walked outside and to the car. Everyone was in there own conversation. Everyone except Ryan. She stood against a tree a few feet away from the group. Her eyes were close and her forehead was wrinkled. She wore long black jeans and a tight black tank top. Her beautiful long black hair was tied into high pony tail. She looked up when I put the stuff into her trunk.

"Max." She said. Her voice was quiet. She grabbed everyone's attention, but her dark brown almost black eyes stayed locked with mine. "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string." She spoke like a wise old woman. Her face was kind and gentle, but underneath I could tell a message was hidden. One that I was going to figure out.

"Well," Tyler said after an uncomfortable silence. "Max is going to fly, so she can stretch her wings. We'll see you guys in a few." As she spoke my 2 friends hopped into the car. Without another word or look at us Ryan started the car and drove away. The rest of us walked a little into the woods, and then snapped out our wings. I moved my wings in a powerful stroke and was instantly in the air.

We flew for hours without talking. Not even Nudge. I think, I think, we were all shocked about what Ryan had said. I looked down and spotted the car we were following. It was like a black ant. We were over a thousand in the air. Ryan pulled over to the side of the rode next to the woods. I lowered a hundred feet. Then another hundred. And so on until I hit the ground gracefully.

I was about to ask what time it was but Ryan said, "10." Without looking at me. We were near a river. Everyone grabbed their bag and picked a place to rest. Ryan and Tyler walked down by the river. Iggy and Fang lay their stuff by them. I lay my stuff on Tyler's side. Angel, Nudge, and Gazzy lay next to me.

You are to learn of trust tonight. The voice told me. Before I could answer he continued. In the near future, you will have to trust your friends more than anything. Ryan knows what she is doing.

What do you mean? What about Ryan?

I have said too much. Sleep well, Maximum. I slipped into deep sleep.

"Gazzy! Give it back!" Shouting woke me from my dreamless sleep.

"Jeez, Gazzy just give it back." That was Fang.

"Shut up! Max is sleeping." That was Tyler. More screaming, then she exploded.

"SHUT THE HELL UP! SERIOSULY. WE ARE ON THE RUN. YOU WANT THEM TO FIND US? GAZZY GIVE IT BACK. AND EVERYONE ELSE SHUT UP." That was Ryan. And she was pissed. I sat up and looked at Ryan. Everyone was too. She looked like she might explode again. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her breath was coming in shallow breaths.

"What happened?" I asked Ryan softly. She turned her head to me and her face softened.

"I don't really know. I was in the middle of one. I couldn't figure it out. It was dark and wet. It was scary. I could feel the peoples worry. I was in someone's point of view. Normally it's from mine, but this time." She paused and looked around. Tyler came over and put a hand on Ryan's shoulder.

"This time she won't be with us." Tyler said gently.

"What do you mean?" Fang asked.

"We are going back to the school. I will be separated from you." Ryan said. I looked at her, but she wouldn't meet anyone's gaze. I heard a rustling, but ignored it. It was windy. Ryan stood up so fast she blurred. She looked toward the noise. We followed her gaze.

"Who is there?" Ryan spoke clearly and slowly, but I could hear the cold in between her words. An Eraser stepped out of the woods.

"Hello Ryan. Max. Everyone else." He greeted us in his deep smooth voice. I looked at my family. And stopped at Tyler and Ryan. This is what they meant. We were going to the school, and we didn't know if we would ever see Ryan again.

This is it.

What?

Good Luck, Maximum Ride. Trust your peers and trust your loved ones.

What do you mean?! But I got no answer. I was alone.

"MAX!" Ryan called my name. She was surrounded by Erasers. They came closer and closer. "You must train your intuition -- you must trust the small voice inside you which tells you exactly what to say, what to decide." She yelled at me. A gun sounded, and Ryan went to the ground.

"NO!" I yelled. Tyler watched, tears running down her face, as Ryan was loaded into their helicopter. An Eraser came to me.

"Wish you got to say goodbye?" He asked.

"Where are you taking her?" I already knew the answer. He laughed mean and low. And I was shot. Ryan's words echoed through me.

"I will always be with you. And I will always love you, like a sister I never had." Black surrounded me.