Max's POV
Okay, I've got to fess up. Confess my sin. My dreadful, excruciating sin.
I ditched Sam on the way back to his house.
Or Emily's, the girl he's been talking about since we started this freaking trek that led from a hospital parking lot full of dead robots to a house infested with werewolves. Not my idea of fun, let me tell you.
After five minutes of walking I felt like tearing out my eardrums. I don't know if it was this whole vampire thing, or Fang's disappearance-power-vampire thing, or Sam's constant yet ever so silent jabbering, but I was slightly off my rocker today. But, you know, whatever.
"You know, I think I'll just fly over to your house," I said, my hands balled up at my sides. I pinched my eyes shut, and concentrated on not punching him into a time where he'll go dumb, and stop staring off into space with gooey expressions whenever he talked of his girlfriend. Or just into infinity. Whichever comes first.
"You don't know the way," he said. I could feel his eyes on me, and I took a tiny step away from him. "And you haven't eaten anything. You have to…to…well, do whatever you blood—I mean, vampires do. I can't let you just go off on your own. You'll kill someone!"
My eyes flashed open, and in a second I had him by the throat and up against a tree. My eyes saw red (the whole iris thing didn't help much), but I was careful not to squish him again. His eyes narrowed, and he started quivering and shaking like a blender.
"Okay, you half-brained dog," I snarled, pushing him up against the tree again. "In case your beady eyes missed it, I'm not a killer. I was never a killer." Then I thought of Ari, and how I killed him, but then he came back to life like Jesus Christ. I decided not to tell him about that, for reasons everybody with an IQ of fifty-five and over can understand. I went back to scary Max Mode. "I won't kill anyone. It's my destiny to save humanity, not kill the entire human population."
I pushed Sam up against the tree one more time, and turned around, ready to go into a running start back to civilization. Mainly the flock. And Fang, if I could find him.
Then I heard a ripping noise from behind me.
I whirled around.
A giant, house-sized dog stood in front of me. I suddenly pictured a dozen scenarios of Sam from before I met him. From back when to he was a kid, his first transformation, and him and another girl…
"I can't do that…" The girl said, tears filling her eyes. "I can't leave you."
"You don't know what they said, Emily," Sam muttered, his back turned away from her. "You have no idea what I'm capable of…this curse will last until I can control myself from transforming. I'm not going to hurt you!" He said, whipping around suddenly. His fingers quivered.
"You're not leaving," Emily said, taking a step forward. "I don't care, Sam! I don't care what you can do with me. I'll take it all—"
"This isn't the life I wanted for us!" Sam yelled, backing away. His hands were tight at his side, restraining himself. His shoulders trembled. "I never wanted this. I can't control my actions any more. If I get angry…" he reached out, as if wanting to touch Emily's face, but jerked his hand back suddenly. "If I touch you, I might kill you. I won't let that happen."
He turned, and started walking toward the door.
"Sam!" Emily screamed, stumbling after him. She grabbed his hand…
He yelled and turned around, and there was a horrible ripping noise, and Emily's scream…
I blinked myself away, staring at the huge wolf in front of me. My eyes widened. "I don't believe it," I muttered. So this was the girl he'd been jabbering about? The one he almost killed?
I looked in the wolf's eyes, and though Sam tried to cover his emotions, I could feel the sadness washing off him like caked dirt in a rainstorm.
I backed away from him, and then started running.
Don't say I was afraid, 'cause if you do, I'll smash your face upside your head, I, Maximum Ride, felt completely freaked out.
I think I've been dumb all this time, because what has been happening this last week hit me like a rock in a hard place.
I started freaking out more than I was already freaking out, and I jumped in the air, scaling over the trees and in the sky. It was weird…to fly without wings. I closed my eyes, and imagined my wings flashing out, and my back squirmed slightly. And then I was flying the right way. My wings barely moved, and I was flying fast…faster than I've ever flown before. Even with super speed, which is saying something.
I looked down below me. No one, I took a quick glance behind me, and I raised my eyebrows. The only thing that looks more familiar than a bunch of trees is…a bunch of trees. I didn't recognize anything. Sam was nowhere behind me, and then I felt a pang of guilt when I remembered how I attacked him. So me, being a nice person and all, decided to turn around and apologize for almost suffocating him, when something caught my eye.
A pale young man was walking across the forest. Edward didn't notice I was there, which was weird. I rolled my eyes. Probably moping…again.
So, being the greatest person and all, I decided to smack his head around a few times and tell him to get is act together. I could just beat him up, but I'm trying to let go of my violent self. Which doesn't help when I'm a vampire mutant freak. Who just attacked a werewolf barely three minutes ago.
I cruised down toward the trees until I hit the ground running. I looked up at the sky. How far did I run? I turned back. Probably a billion miles.
I ran back, careful to check my surroundings as I scanned the forest for Edward. There he was…why was he blowing up by a balloon so quickly…
"Whoa!" I yelled, screeching to a halt like the Road Runner. Edward looked up, surprised. I stopped and jogged a couple of meters toward him. I gave him the peace sign. "Yo," I said, all cool like. "What gives?"
I saw a ghost of a smile flicker across his face. "Nothing seems to faze you, does it, Max?"
I scoffed. "Oh, trust me it does. You just don't see it. I've had fourteen years practice hiding my emotions." And I looked at him with the side of my eyes. As I stared at him, a bunch of images flickered in my brain. I smiled. "You looked weird when you were a kid."
His face turned old again, and he sat down by a huge tree. "I wouldn't remember."
I cocked my head, staring down at him. "How long have you been…like this?" I said, gesturing to his overall figure.
Without raising his head, he muttered, "I was born in 1917. As a vampire, of course. As a human, I would one hundred and ten, give or take a year."
"So…you've been 17 for the past one hundred years?"
He didn't answer. He didn't need to.
Of course, with my intellect, I suddenly realized that this was what I'd be like for the rest of my life. I'll look like a fifteen year old forever. The thought depressed me. And then another think came that blew the previous one to Mars.
"I'll live forever? Me and Fang?"
"Yes. If you can find him, wherever he is."
"And my family—"
"Your family will live the way they were supposed to like normal people," Edward snarled. My heart turned into cold marble, sinking through my body. "Of course, I have no idea how long you were supposed to live. Who knows how much those scientists altered your genetic makeup."
He continued, his eyes staring far away. "They'll go to college, and get married, and have children. Years pass by very quickly for us. It'll seem like a blink of an eye before you find them old and withered, the once perfect brown hair wispy. The life in those chocolate eyes will dull, and it's not long after that…not long…" He buried his face into his hands.
I stumbled forward for the tree Edward sat up against, needing to support myself. I couldn't imagine Angel, my baby, barely able to walk up the stairs. I imagined Iggy, and Gaz, Nudge, and Angel, going through their lives as I became young enough to be their child, their grandchild…
I was becoming a real crybaby.
Unable to restrain myself, which was kind of odd, considering being a vampire was supposed to enhance my already enhanced super awesome strength, I sank against the bark and the tears betrayed my mask of tranquility.
"You have marvelous strength, Max, which makes me unsure as to whether the path I force myself into as we speak is relevant to you. However, until Carlisle can explain to you…and me, I think, whether or not it is safe for you to take care of your family, I would advise against coming in contact with them.
"I won't hurt them," I snuffled through tears. "You of all people have to know that!"
For a moment, it wasn't Edward who sat beside me, gazing out into the oncoming darkness. It was Fang I felt, the Fang who's always been at my side. Until now, that is.
However, until he figured out whatever it is he needs to figure out, I needed someone I could trust with me. And for the moment, I felt I could actually trust the person who'd transformed me in the first place.
So, without really thinking about it, I leaned my head against Edward's shoulder. It felt rock hard and smooth, just like Fang's. And I cried.
I felt Edward freeze beneath my head. I heard his breathing stop, his hair ruffle in the now distinct breeze. But I didn't care, wallowing in my self-pity for wallowing in my self-pity…and for everything else I've found out within the past three days.
I expected him to leap up and run. Or to push me away. But I felt his arm weave around my shoulders and pull me closer. For a moment, course adrenaline jagged through my body, making me antsy, but I pushed it out of my mind. Though he wasn't Fang by any means, Edward was a good guy. A good guy will just have to do.
"Shh…" he murmured, stroking my hair. "Shh…"
We sat the for the longest time, me leaning against his shoulder, unmovable, until the sun rose once again.
OOOOOHHH!!!
Edward's point of view is coming up, as well as Iggy. But you need to review!!!!!
Let's go for 362!!! Bringing the count down a bit. I need to get this story done.
