Maximum Ride: Finding Myself, Chapter 6

He looked at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to make the first move.

I didn't.

Because Rule # 1: NEVER make the first move. It shows you are cocky and gives your opponent the chance to lash out at you.

So there, Dylan.

He cocked his head, raised an eyebrow, and then settled his feet firmly on the ground limbs splayed out fists ready to punch. Violation of Rule #2: stand with a sideways stance to decrease amount of possible hitting area.

This was not going to last long.

Dylan lashed out, just where his fist was pointed. Amateur. I stepped back and flipped out my wings. "Always, always, be ready to take the fight to another level." I told him, my voice deathly calm. Then jumping off the top of the hill I pushed down with my wings, hard, and flew up into the sky. Calmly, I flapped my wings, hovering and waited for him to come to me. Rule # 4: NEVER go to your opponent, let them come to you. (Or make them come to you.)That's always the way to get hurt.

He awkwardly pushed out his wings and heavily flew up towards me.

I make it sound like he is horrible at flying, because he is. What's sad is he's improved greatly since I first pushed him off the roof...

"U and A, now!" I screamed maniacally, before streaking off into the late morning sun. I heard Iggy give a whoop and hoot of laughter, and had to momentarily turn around to smile and see where he was.

Dylan was about 300 yards from where the Flock was, which was about a mile away from me. The only way I could see them was by using, of course, my awesome raptor vision. (Duh!)

Realizing this was almost too good to be true, I took advantage that no one, not even Angel, had there eyes on me- all were on Dylan, trying to help him, a lot- and closed my mind. Thinking of one thing that created a barrier so strong that not even Angel could sense my thoughts. I know this because we had tried it just the night before, and it worked.

I thought of Fang, his eyes, his wings, his silky overlong hair that was always in his eyes..., just him, and pulled my wings in.

I flew, pardon me, fell, through the sky, and at the last possible moment, about 3 feet from the ground, pulled my wings out and almost had them yanked off my back.

Yowch!

Landing on the ground, I pulled my wings in and ran towards the initial place where Dylan's lessons started, ducking under bushes and trees whenever the Flock's voices got to close to stay hidden, all the while thinking of that one thing.

I made it back to where we started, knowing one of the Flock, or possibly even Dylan ( because he's alpha boy with the super sight power), would suggest coming back here.

I plopped down by the strawberry patch and plucked a few ripe ones, sucking on the juicy skin and soft chewy inside. I grabbed a couple more, then laid down to look at the sky, the rolling puff white clouds - which reminded me of my first poem...- and the few birds that actually could fly and breathe up this high.

I heard the Flock before I saw them, their reassuring voices telling Dylan I was O.K., and quickly was gifted by God with a sudden spurt of a genius idea.

I grabbed a few

I grabbed a few overly ripe berries, broke the skin, and rubbed the blood red juice all over my body, making it look like I was fatally wounded. I lay down, closed my eyes, and smeared the last bits over my face, before tucking the berry skins in my jacket pocket.

The affects were astounding; I could immediately fell the tension I had created. Wait until I revealed the joke, they'd be laughing at my genius and his stupidity for weeks.

Dylan landed, running to my side, and screamed things to the Flock like:" She's hurt!" Or, "Do Something!" Even, " You idiots, she's going to die thanks to your misunderstanding." The most embarrassing of all coming from his was," And I want even get to tell her how much I love her!"

I felt the Flocks stupid, disbelieving, (and possibly comically amazed) gazes pierce my back as Dylan rolled me over.

And that's when all hecks broke loose.

I flipped over and spun my body in a 90 degree turn, knocking Dylan off his feet. Before he knew it, I decked him twice: a shiner on his eye and a serious bruise on his left jaw. He stopped stunned, and them, a second too late, realized what he had done.

He had walked right into the trap.

My trap.

He threw a punch that brushed harmlessly off my back like a blade of grass. I spun around, socked him right in the gut and when he bent over, and round house kicked him under his chin, flipping him on his back.

I stood over him one foot pressing hard on his chest, almost suffocating him, but not quite. All of this happened in about a minute, but I wasn't done just yet.

I leaned over him, doing as much of a job as one could by trying to get in his face while keeping a safe distance.

"You love me?" I said in a mocking voice.

"News for you, buddy," I went on," I DON'T!"

I jumped up over him, pushing out my wings, but not pulling them up until I had landed on his stomach with a satisfying, "OOOOMMPH!" from Dylan then left.

Streaking off into the sun, unbrushed curls tangling everywhere, headed back to the safety of my room, and the protection from real, hard, cold, cruel life by my dreams.