Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. Wish I did though…. Sometimes it haunts me in my dreams…. JK. I'm not THAT creepy! Anyway, enjoy this chappie, especially since I haven't updated in foreverrrrr. Don't forget to REVIEW please xoxo Nico'sGirl
It's past midnight when we get to Arizona. Lucky for me, my mom is used to me coming home at ungodly hours, along with a bunch of hungry teenagers. I ring the doorbell, and within a few minutes my mom is there, ready to welcome me. The Flock is all crowded on the porch behind me. I give her a tight hug, and she smells like chocolate chip cookies. Yes I think to myself, This was totally worth the wait… and the abandonment issues I endured all my life. Still, I can't help but feel a little guilty that I now have what everyone else in the Flock has been lusting after their entire lives. I can only imagine how much Gazzy and Angel hurt, knowing that their mom gave them up, while my mom is right here taking me in.
But enough with the sappy stuff. We all file past her through the door as we enter the house, and she gives each of us a once-over. She stops when Mayzie and Tamarind pass by her.
Her voice is cool and collected even when she's presented with the shock of two new Flock members. That's one thing I love about her: she's never surprised by what I have to offer her. "Max, do you care to explain these new additions?"
"Mom, this is Mayzie, and her brother Tamarind. They're, you know, Avian-American like us." I grin impishly at our little inside joke. I then tell my mom all about saving Mayzie's butt back at the School in Ontario, then saving her brother's in the back of that stalker-type white van.
"Erasers?" My mom frowns at this and her tanned brow furrows.
"There really more like machines now." Angel says.
My mom sighs and makes some exclamation in Spanish. I purse my lips and think about how I really need to get more into my heritage. Finally, Dr. Martinez looks up. "Look, kids, its late. Let's all just go back to sleep and talk about what to do in the morning."
"Glaaaaadly." Fang yawns. I elbow him.
"Manners!" I try to sound strict, but I can't keep from giggling at that request.
"Oh, indeed." Fang says in a mock British accent. This just makes me laugh even more, and he's laughing as well. He looks nice when he laughs.
As the laughter subsides, I notice that the rest of the Flock is quiet. Nudge flashes Angel a look. Iggy rolls his eyes. BLIND IGGY roles his eyes. After a few seconds, Total says, "Would you two just hook up and get it over with?" He then abruptly trots out of the room, followed by the rest of the Flock, including Mayzie and Tam.
"I-" Fang starts.
"Let's put the kids to bed, okay?" I interrupt. No. No. No. We are not going to talk about us. Absolutely not.
"I… okay." He resigns himself to my attitude.
Every time, Max, you do this every time. Once you're confronted with the possibility of a relationship with Fang, you just deny, deny, deny it. Angel's thoughts echo into my head. When will you just face the facts and let him in.
I grit my teeth to keep from shouting my thoughts out loud. And when will you stop creeping on my thoughts, kid?
Her reply comes in a few seconds, like she's trying to formulate exactly what to say. Max, I just want you to be happy. And Fang is the one who can make you happy.
I don't even bother with her anymore. This is nonsense. "Come on." I mutter noncommittally to Fang and we head into the living room, where the couch has been pulled out into a bed, and the floor has on it one black air mattress and some foam pads my mom picked up for occasions just like this. The whole room is strewn with a ton of mismatched blankets. Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel are all set to sleep on the couch-bed apparatus thing, Fang and Iggy claim the air mattress, and Mayzie, Tam, and I each grab a foam pad for ourselves. I flop down on the squishy material and all I can think is: This is the life. Ok, so maybe it isn't what most people would consider comfortable, but to a bunch of bird kids who've slept in subway tunnels and in trees, this is pretty damn nice.
Mayzie and Tamarind curl up close to each other and continue the frantic whispering they partook in the entire flight over. They've been pretty much inseparable ever since they were reunited a few hours ago. I can tell from the shaky tone of Tam's voice that he's talking about being in the tank. I think about my own time in the tank, and I almost shudder. Almost. Max doesn't shudder. I can barely pick out what he's saying but I catch a slight whisper: "Being in there… it made me think about things I never wanted to think about. Not just about the lab people but… About myself. When you're in there, it's just nothingness. Nothing but yourself." His voice, at the end, becomes so reedy and quiet that he can barely be understood. My back is to them, since I want them to think I'm asleep, not eavesdropping like a total tool… But I could swear that this kid is crying.
"I…I just never wanted to think about it before. I tried to ignore it." He whimpers.
"Do you mean… Tam?" Mayzie says, with more than a little anticipation in her voice.
"Yeah… You know. I thought a lot about… that. The way I am." Tamarind says with a little gasp, as if he is choking on the words.
"Oh, Tam!" Mayzie says, and I feel her shift to hug him. "You know I'm proud of you, and that I'm behind you all the way, don't you? Don't you?" she whispers a little fiercely.
"Yes." He says with a little shudder. Yup, definitely crying.
"Good." She says. "Now go to sleep. You've had a long day, kid."
"You're my twin, May, don't call me kid." He moans quietly.
"I'm still older." She says quietly. And then they're silent.
I wish I had a sibling, someone to know me so well. But then, I look around and I see my Flock all around me. These are my family members. This is my Flock. And each and every one of them is mine.
I gently fall into sleep, pacified by the security all around me. But it doesn't last. It never does.