Chapter Three
"Iggy- no... Come on I said no!" Nudge said and backed away from them and the super soaker gun they had somehow used with a few leftover cartons, rubber bands and tons of saran wrap. "Max!" she called and no one decided to answer. "Dylan?" she called and ran outside, not even waiting to see if he had come back yet. They were both still out? It was almost dark outside- where were they?
"Dylan. You should get by now that I like being alone when I'm upset." Max stated without turning around as she sat with her back facing the sunset and her face towards the back of the cave. "How did you get here, only the flock knows about this place… The flock and Fang… She added in her head.
"I secretly followed you. Fang wasn't the only one who could follow someone silently for miles." He chuckled and she cringed. "Sorry- sorry sour nerve. I didn't mean to-"
"What are you really doing here Dylan?" she asked and turned around, her eyes red and puffy as she rolled her shoulders, shaking her wings out a little bit. He could tell this was a major bow, even for the invincible Maximum Cecelia Ride. Right after the Angel incident she gave herself a middle name, after a bear that she said Angel had at one time. Or well, acquired through mind control according to Nudge…
"I'm here to check on you Max. Make sure you're really alright. And you know I won't listen if you tell me to stay away… Like that time you punched my nose because I followed you." He reminded her and she chuckled a little bit.
"I punched you because you followed me- and you kissed me Dylan. You don't kiss people out of the blue… I even gave you a warning!" she said, the tiniest hint of a smile playing on the corners of her lips.
"And did you even think that for a moment I'd actually listen to that warning?" he tested her and she sighed, rolling her eyes and wiping them on her sleeve.
"No, because I know you Dylan… I know that you're-"
"That I'm programmed to always know what's wrong with you and make it all better? Yeah. I know. You always bring it up." He replied with a bit of regret in his eyes. These are the days I wish the original Dylan was still alive and I was never created. That Max wouldn't have to 'suffer' with me around… He thought and grimaced a little.
"Aha… I see I struck a nerve in the blank faced wonder." She smirked and he came back to the present.
"Anything you say strikes a nerve Max…" he replied and let his wins out again. "I'm going back. You can fly back on your own since you want to be alone right now." He said and backed away from her towards the edge, and right as he turned around to lift off she caught his arm.
"Just because I choose to be nasty to you doesn't mean I don't have a soft spot somewhere." She smirked and he looked at her, his face blank as always when she got like this a thousands of scenarios running through his head. "Somewhere deep, deep, DEEP, like way WAY deep down inside, I do like you." She admitted and this time he showed emotion- a bit of shock. "But tell the flock and I will punch you. I swear on my two wings." She said and kicked off before him, heading back home and stopping to turn around and looked at him. "Well- you coming?" she asked and groaned when he didn't answer.
"Well, I guess I don't want to live in a cave for a while so yes, I'm coming." He said and kicked off as well, coming up beside her and glanced over, hoping she wouldn't notice since she was staring straight ahead of them.
"Stop looking at me." She snapped and he dropped his gaze. "I hate that." She mumbled after and his face got red.
"S-sorry Max." he said and she sighed.
"Quit pouting Dylan! Grow up- for the flock, and if not for them then for me." She said, grimacing horribly- the words like acid being poured on her tongue and down her throat. She hoped to never say them again in her lifetime, however long that will be… But she knew that sometime, or most of the time, she'd be saying that a lot.