Sorry about the confusion. But this, and chapter eight, are not the last chapters. The last chapter is coming eventually, but not yet.

I have a few things to say at the end of this chapter that I feel are relatively important. But I won't give out any spoilers yet.

I stormed out of the house, and didn't pay the slightest attention to the slapping of my feet against the pavement. I accidentally stumbled out into the street, off the sidewalk, pissing me off even more because I almost tripped over the curb.

I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't. The six of us had always dreamed of parents. Perfect parents. Like Jeb had been. Our first clue should have been when he betrayed us.

Tears welled in my eyes.

No, I warned myself, you've cried enough. Imagine if the flock saw how many times you cried while you were here. The thought made me chuckle a little. They'd be all over me, telling me what a baby I was. Which is exactly what I was being.

I guess I'd grown soft while I was there.

That didn't matter though, since I wasn't going back.

"Iggy!" the gentle voice of my neighbor called to me.

I whirled. "What?!" I shouted.

She hesitated, taken aback. "Um…where are you going?" she asked hesitantly.

"Away!" I snapped, turning my heel. A sense of sadness came over me that I would never see Shell again. The sadness was immediately covered by the bitter reminder of the high chances that she already had a boyfriend, and it didn't matter.

"Why?" she asked, and I heard her footsteps coming up close behind me. I stopped. My anger subsided for a minute, as I waited in the chilly autumn air for her to come to me.

"Where you leaving to?" she asked curiously, now standing beside me.

"I'm leaving," I said, spitting fury, the anger now returning, "because my 'parents' are jerks."

"Parents are like that," Shell answered coolly. Her calmness drove me insane. She just didn't get it! "How long you gonna be gone?"

She really didn't get it. "I'm not coming back!" I shouted, though the fire was beginning to die now.

That got her. "Ever?" she inquired incredulously.

"No," I replied, pleased that I was finally getting through to her. "They betrayed me, and I'm not staying around with people like that."

There was a silence as she put together what I said.

"I have to go now," I said, getting impatient. It suddenly occurred to me that my destination was back with the flock, at Anne's home, and excitement and anticipation welled in me at the thought of being with them again.

"No!" she exclaimed, grabbing the sleeve of my jacket.

I wrenched my arm out from between her fingers. "Nice knowing you," I said bitterly.

"At least stay for a little bit," she suggested quickly and nervously. "I mean, you never even got to see my house. You can stay for a little while longer, can't you?"

I thought about that. Honestly, spending some time with Shell did sound fun. And I wouldn't have another chance at another girl…

"Yeah, I guess so," I decided. "Are the Griffiths outside?" I asked. I didn't want them to see me go into her house. If they did, they'd come after me, and I didn't need that. I didn't need that at all.

She stopped, I guess to look, then answered, "No, they're inside."

I snorted. Figures. They couldn't even watch me leave. Forgetting about me already, are we? I thought resentfully.

I felt her dragging me and I followed her lead, down her front path. I almost tripped up the porch stairs, the considerate girl having oh-so-intelligently not forewarned me about the steps.

We entered her house and the first thing I smelled was candles. Lot of candles. Scented candles. It was the smell of fire burning and wax melting.

"Candles?" I asked in confusion.

"Mom likes them," she answered automatically, taking me down a hallway straight ahead. I smelled the candles mostly in a room we passed on the right. I couldn't even imagine what was going on in there. "She's not home," she explained. "She just has them on so the house smells like freaking burning wax for all the rest of us."

I smiled a little. Then she didn't like the smell either.

She continued dragging me down a hall. She turned us left, and then stopped.

Without any warning at all, she shoved me back, and I found myself sitting on a soft, squishy couch with some sort of scratchy cloth-like material covering it.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. A heavyweight shifted the cushion of the couch to the left of me, and there was a loud sound of springs bouncing.

"Well, we're in my house now," she said. She was sitting close to me, so close that our arms brushed.

"Yeah…" I said. I was more than little confused. But the feeling of her skin on mine temporarily shrouded my anger at those people.

She brushed closer to me, pressing her hand to my arm.

"We're all alone right now," she told me. "No one else is home."

Alone…in a quiet room, with no one else…

Wow.

I didn't say anything as my mouth went dry. My throat closed up a little.

"You said you never had a girl," she said. "Have you ever wanted one?"

I slowly comprehended what she was saying. "Yeah…" I answered hesitantly.

She wrapped her arm behind my back. Goosebumps covered me. I wasn't totally sure how to respond. Was she…hitting on me? I wasn't sure.

Whatever she was doing, I didn't want her to stop.

"Good," she whispered.

She leaned in more, turning me to face her.

"Hope you don't mind," she whispered, clasping her hands behind my neck.

My mouth hung open. I couldn't believe this was happening. It was so…surreal. She pressed herself to me.

This was the most contact I'd had with her. Or any girl, for that matter. Or anyone, outside of sleeping with the flock when we were on the run from something School-related.

The next thing I knew, she had her lips against mine. An electric shock coursed my body, and I pulled my arms behind her back, pulling her closer to me.

Her mouth opened slightly and her tongue tentatively caressed my lips. I opened my mouth and her tongue went in to explore.

Everything that had ever happened or was going to happen flew away right then. I didn't worry about what was to come, and I didn't worry about what had happened. All I worried about was caressing every inch of Shell with my hands. Her skin was soft, and her hair was loose and there for me to run my sensitive fingers through.

We made out for a while, and I loved every second of it. Her hands explored around my neck, and down my jacket. I did the same to her.

Her hands went a little lower, down to the bottom of my jacket, brushing the tips of my wings.

Wait.

Damn.

She stopped.

I froze.

The door smashed open and someone shouted, "What the hell do you think you're doing??"

I was a little iffy about writing the kissing scene. Kissing is as foreign to me as having wings is. So I had to use my imagination.

Another thing. I didn't really want to put this whole kissing stuff in there, but when I first started writing the story, I imagined this and liked the idea at the time. This scene is the reason for Shell's existence. But as I continued writing, I realized I didn't like it. But taking it out would defeat the purpose of Shell. So it's here. Cliche as it is, it's here. Hope you liked it. R&R.