Chapter One: Just a Waitress

"Max."

I sighed and stared out the window. I remember when I used to able to fly. The wind in my hair, the sun on my back, and the weightless, semi-euphoric feeling I would get at 12,000 feet.

"Max!"

I jumped to see a face looming right next to mine. Francine's big blue eyes batted at me for a few seconds. I resisted the urge to strangle her.

"What?" I hissed.

It wasn't that Francine was repulsive, although she could use a breath mint; it was that she had ruined the moment. I was there. Nobody knew how much I missed it.

"Are you done cleaning the table?"

Oh, right! I had a job now.

I nodded, feeling like a dork and gathered up my tray. Time to get to work.

I bet you are wondering, "What the heck has happened to Max?!"

Well, I wonder that sometimes myself.

After everyone took down Itex in Germany, there still was work to do. The whole teenage world started revolting against anything to do with Itex. Their stores, warehouses, factories, everything.

Least to say many kids got grounded… or killed. But what the cost of a few brats- I mean cherished children- when the whole of the Earth's population is saved? A good deal.

I had to make mine.

Anyway, the Flock kind of grew apart. They still talk to each other. But after the accident, they found that it was too awkward to talk to me anymore. I was different. I wasn't like them anymore. Even though I would give my life for them, they still were uncomfortable.

When we grew of age, each member of the Flock would sit down and rifle through the want ads. We had never depended on anyone before, and it was no different now. The real cincher though, was that all of the Flock had been registered as a citizen by Itex (under different names of course). All except one. Can you guess who?

So as everyone got decent jobs, I had to get one, in which the owners didn't care if you were legal or not.

Now here I am. The supposedly "great" Maximum Ride, cleaning other people's messes and junk, on tips only. People nowadays are so stingy with their money. Maybe I should have just let you guys die.

I mean I would have survived. I and the Flock could be hiding out some cave somewhere, living on the things that weren't contaminated. We wouldn't be as fat, lazy, and self indulgent as you guys are now, trust me.

Although if everyone was dead who would read this?

This is another reason the Flock doesn't like to talk to me. When my wings disappeared, so did my curiously "optimistic" outlook. I had gotten to negative for them. My bad.

I scooped up a tip on table seventeen and stuffed it into my pocket. Only three more shifts to go! Kill me please.

"Make sure you lock up, Max." Jeff, my boss, barked at me as he slipped his tattered coat on.

I rolled my eyes behind his enormously large back.

"Fine Jeff." It was all I could do from strangling his big, fat neck.

If his obese state didn't kill him, I would. I was strong enough. I still had avian bird strength, and I worked out. Beat that! I wonder how fast I could snap a neck now.

Can someone snap their own neck?

I walked out into the cold and police sirens. The restaurant was on the wrong side of the tracks, and there was a thug, or crack house on every corner, and cops raided the restaurant every once in a while.

That almost made working here fun. How many police raids have you seen?

I turned to stick the key in the eroded lock, until something caught the corner of my eye. A man was hiding in the shadows, dressed in all black. That fact made me think of Fang. Oh wait he dresses in navy blue, tailored suits now. My bad.

I pretended not to notice him as I slowly, deliberately locked the five or so locks on the door. When I had heard the last final click I smiled satisfied. I turned to see the man by side. What the-?!

He came up from behind me and pushed a cloth into my mouth. I tried to struggle, but my actions were getting slow and sloppy. My punches and kicks couldn't hurt a fly, much less a full grown man.

Just let him rape me and get over with it.

A voice sounded by my ear and it made my blood run cold. I knew that voice. And in that moment I knew he had more sinister plans than just violating my body.

Itex still lives.