Chapter Two: For the Flock

MAX'S POV

It feels like heartbreak all over again.

I remember the first time I noticed the letter Fang left. I was out late with a group of friends from school. I arrived home around midnight. Everyone else was sleeping of course.

I was happy, hair messy from flying home. I knocked on Fang's door to tell him about my night because he always asked. Usually, he would answer right away but not this time. It was dead silence. I opened the door to make sure everything was okay only to find everything neatly picked up and put away. I also noticed his things were gone.

I panicked, racing over to the window and saw a letter tapped to it. Apart from the heartbreak I felt reading the letter, it broke worse when I had to break the news to the Flock. Seeing their devastated, confused faces made the whole situation not okay.

I could handle the heartbreak. It's not like Fang hasn't done it to me before, but seeing the Flocks' reactions drove me to anger. How could Fang do this to them? The real heartbreak wasn't Fang leaving me, it was him leaving the Flock.

Especially since in the letter he said to meet him at the cave at noon for twenty minutes because he would come back. I'm pretty sure that part was just addressed to me but everyday, for the next year, the Flock and I waited twenty minutes. Everyday, he was a no show.

Yet again, it broke my heart seeing the Flock desperate to know if he would show and devastated when he didn't. They had a harder time moving on than I did.

Now, I'm sitting on my expensive couch with Fang's new letter in hand. I don't know how to react. Should I be happy and excited that Fang finally decided to come back? Or should I be sad and angry that it took him so bloody long to figure his shit out.

Then my thoughts move on to the bigger question. What would the Flock think?

They wouldn't want to come. They're still angry at Fang. I would be too but honestly? The moment I read the letter, I figured out that I wasn't quite in love with Fang as I originally thought. Of course, I still miss him but I don't long to see him. I'm not quite sure when the feelings started to fade. Maybe they were never really there to begin with.

Should I go see Fang?

I don't need to see Fang to know my feelings for him. But the Flock needs to see him.

He has to explain himself.

I would like to know why he left.

But, what about the Flock?

Maybe I don't need to go for myself but I need to go for the Flock. If I can better understand why he left then maybe I can help the Flock forgive him. He's still part of the family in a way even if he left.

I fold up the letter, putting it back in its envelope before grabbing my coat and locking the door behind me.

I may not have feelings for Fang anymore but I still miss him. I need to understand why he left and he needs to talk to the Flock.

I walk outside of my condo and look around to make sure no one can see me. I spread my wings and start heading in the direction of the cave to meet him in three days.

I wanted to take a different approach to this idea than I had the first time. I feel like I needed to write this story in the sense that it broke the hearts of the Flock more than Max. I haven't seen a story like that and I feel like it needed to be told. It always seems that Max is absolutely devastated when it comes to literally anything Fang but I haven't seen the Flock care as much. I feel like they could be more heartbroken by the letter than Max.

I'm not sure I conveyed it the right way but when I read it I think I made my point pretty well. If I didn't, please let me know.

I'm personally not really happy with this chapter but I have no idea how I want to rewrite it so far now, I'm going to leave it and see if I can say it in a better way.

-Kath