Disclaimer: I don't own any Max Ride characters.

Chapter 3

"We're going to need a new house, Jeb," I heard Max's mom say for the hundredth time.

"We just don't have the money," her husband came with the same response. It was beginning to sound like a broken record.

"Well three growing kids can't keep living in one room."

"Then you should have thought about that before you opened our home to the world."

"The world isn't two kids, Jeb. And even if they were, I would want them to stay. They need a family!"

Two kids? I was utterly confused, but I didn't dwell on it. I left the couch and headed upstairs. For the third time this week, I went up on the roof to think. I had only been a week since the Rides had adopted me and I was already causing problems. I sighed into the warm July-night air, reclining on the roof.

What could I do to help Rides? If I ran away they would break their hearts and it would take every, last, drop of my dignity to drag my half-dead carcass back. I could beg for money on the road like I used to… Nah! I was way better than that now.

Then it hit me! I could get a job! Max's parents didn't have to know, but I would tell Max. You never know with girls but Max seemed different and easy to talk to. It's like she knew what not to do and how to keep me calm. I slid down the side of the roof, as I always did, and swing inside the window, landing on the top bunk of Max's bunk bed softly. Max and I had mastered the art of it over the week. It was our only past-time when Ari was asleep and Drs. Ride were at work.

We had practiced sliding down the roof on our backs, flipping onto our bellies at the last second. Then we caught the eves with our hands, and using direction and momentum, flew into the rooms. We could do it into all the top floor rooms in the house. The bunk bed structure was extremely rickety so no matter how softly you landed, you would always wake up the person sleeping on the bottom. I looked down as Max's eyes pinged open, alert.

"Just me," I told her. She relaxed.

"Went to think?" she asked.

I nodded, and even though it was dark and she couldn't have seen my nod, I knew she understood.

"I used to do that too," she said matter-o-factly. I looked down at her suddenly, making the bed shake.

"Really?"

"Yeah," she said, "when I just got here."

"Umm…you mean when you were born?"

"No silly," Max said laughing. "When I was adopted."

I stared blankly into the dark bunk below me. That explained the conversation I was overheard in the kitchen.

Max laughed. "I can guess your expression. Yes, I was adopted. Four years ago." She paused. "Right before my mom got pregnant with Ari."

"So they adopted a kid then made one," I said slowly.

"Yup," Max said. "And they could have sent me back, cuz they adopted me cuz they wanted a kid of their own. When Ari was born, they didn't really need me. But they kept me anyway."

"Which Orphanage did you come from?" I asked, curious.

"St. Helen's," she replied. "Just like you."

I sat up straight in the top bunk, making the bed shake.

"Relax," Max said, turning over. "You wouldn't have known me. I would have remembered seeing you."

"Oh yeah," I said. "I kinda stayed in the dark corners until I was five."

"That would explain it," Max said. She yawned.

"Anyway, I'm tired. Goodnight Fang."

"What?" I said. "I thought my name was Nicholas, Nick for short?"

"Well, I like the name Fang, and it fits you."

"How does it fit me?" I asked, truly puzzled. So much for understanding Max.

"Well, the way you snapped at that guy at St. Helen's," she said. "And how dangerous you seemed to the other boys there. Fang."

"Fang," I said softly. I thought about it for a moment.

"I like it," I decided. "Thanks Maxie."

"What?" she asked dangerously. "They named me Max, not Maxie."

"Max is short for what?" I asked. "Like Nick is short for Nicholas."

"They say it's short for Maxine. I say it's short for Maximum."

"Maximum?" I asked, snickering. "Is that even a name?"

"What?" she said again.

"Goodnight Max," I said quickly.

"Good. Goodnight Fang."

I smiled into the darkness. 'I guess I'll tell her about my job idea tomorrow,' I thought before I fell asleep.

The next morning, Max beat me to the kitchen so she did my job of pouring the cereal. I smiled; she couldn't pour properly so there was cereal inside and outside of the bowls. Max's face looked priceless as she saw me cracking up at the door-way of kitchen. I went over and cleaned it up for her; she couldn't clean to save her life.

"Well," Max's mom walked into the kitchen. "I'm off to work. No mischief toady you two."

"You always say that," Max said "Do we ever do anything mischievous?"

"Bye, Nick." Dr. Ride ignored her daughter. I waved and smiled a little more than I had yesterday. Max's dad followed her, taking the same course of action. I did the same.

"Hey Fang." Max called, I turned to look at her. "You should really work on your landings today; I thought there was an earthquake last night."

I stuck my tongue out at her; then I turned serious. I relayed the conversation I had heard last night between Max's parents. She looked disturbed.

"I've never heard either of them talk like that," she said. "Then again I've never snuck out of bed."

I looked up from my cereal, my mouth agape.

"Alright maybe once," she said. "But I don't think we should do anything just yet. It could just be a test, Dad used to give me lots of those."

I sighed and finished my breakfast, "K," I mumbled, heading to the sink, "I'm gonna go work on my flying."

"And landing!" Max added as I left the kitchen. I rolled my eyes and headed for the parent's room. I always started there, and went around the house till I reached our room.

The first one was always easy; the rents normally kept their windows open to air out the house. The bathroom window was a little more challenging, as you had to enter the window sideways. Still none was harder then Max's room's own. The skill of swinging through the window was for night stealth, but Max's rickety bunk-bed made it impossible. It was too old for either of us to land on, or climb up it silently. But we were both determined to try.

Suddenly I stopped short. Max wanted to defeat the bed too. So why wasn't she up here? Quickly, I searched the roof for booby-traps. There was nothing at all, not even a bird in the sky. Didn't that mean a storm was coming? I shrugged; it just meant I would have to finish up before the rain came. The sky rumbled off in the distance.

Taking it as my cue, I began to slide.

3rd Person Omniscient

Officer Breda figured it was just a figment of his imagination or a weird type of one of those bird-shooing devices. But he began to get worried when the kid with long, black hair and black shorts began to slide down the side of the roof.

"Look at that!" He nudged his superior officer, who was driving. The other officer drove to the curb. Just as the kid was about to reach the eaves he flipped over, catching them with his hands. Using his momentum, the kid, probably a boy as he was shirtless, angled himself to sail through the window, the window that was closed. The cops watched in horror as the boy hit against the window with a sickening smack. He seemed stunned, free-falling for a little before he gained his bearings and slammed his feet onto the side of the house. He used this to slow his fall before using a roll to lessen the impact as he hit the ground.

"I'm gonna check that house out…" Officer Breda started.

"I'll stay here," Sergeant Fury replied.

The officer made his way to the front door as the boy yelled at the house.

"OPEN THE DOOR MAX!" His whole body was covered in dirt and leaves. A peal of laughter came from behind the door. A tall thin girl, about the same age as the boy opened the door.

Her laughter cut short when she saw the officer.

Fang's P.O.V.

"Good morning officer…" Max said, looking beyond me. This chick; she had the nerve to nearly kill me then completely ignore me

"Good morning," a deep male voice answered behind me. I jumped and turned, realizing the officer for the first time. How long had he been standing there? I didn't like it when people hear me yell, it makes me sound feminine. Lolz He looked at me. "Are you okay, young man?"

I nodded mutely, and then I headed inside, muttering something about my baby brother. Max grabbed me by my hair and pulled me back.

"Yes officer?" Max asked, ignoring my glare.

"I'm Officer Breda." The sky thundered. "May I come in?" the officer asked, we nodded and let him in. Max was being a good hostess, offering him drinks and so on. I just sat in a ball in an arm-chair. I wasn't afraid, it's just cops and I never used to get along. I didn't know this one but he could've heard about me. And I was pretty sure whatever he heard hadn't been good.

The atmosphere in the room turned suffocatingly tense. "I'm gonna go bathe," I said softy. The others nodded and I left the room as the officer turned to Max.

I felt kinda bad for bailing out on her. But I was gonna come back. And this was all kind of her fault anyway, for locking the window.

I hoped nothing would happen to her.

Am i making the too mushy?
Plz tell me.

-S