OMG! Thanks so much for the reviews! You guys rock! Sorry it took me so long to update! The evil, time consuming learning facility generally referred to as 'school' was being its normal, aggravating and time consuming self! Anyways, Fang is away for awhile but, I have Nudge!
Nudge: I'm here! I want Iggy back! And I'm sorry, but if I don't get some cute clothes soon I'm going to die! And, I think Fang and Max are an adorable couple! I mean, I always thought that, but they are so cute! I think they should have a Fax moment in this chapter!
Me: Nudge, CHILL! And I'll consider giving you an outfit upgrade, and maybe have a Fax moment.
Nudge: Don't you readers love me?! I get you all Fax moments! Ok, so, who do you guys like more? Me or Fang? Tell Goddess in a review and then we'll see who you all like more! Please pick me! He's so aggravating! Anyways, Goddess of the Books owns nothing, nada, zip!
Me: Somebody help me…
I Need To Learn When Not To Speak
Max P.O.V.
I change into some clothes Dr. Martinez said I could use and lay down. I lay awake for about ten minutes, thinking. But then sleep claims me. It's a dreamless sleep, thank goodness.
I slept until about ten before the smell of bacon pulled me from my sleep. BACON! I get up and quickly change into a plain blue v-neck t-shirt and some shorts that come to my mid-thigh. I run a brush through my hair and brush my teeth before rushing to the kitchen and hopping into a seat next to Nudge; Fang is nowhere to be seen. I feel warm breath on my neck and leap a solid foot in the air, slamming my legs into the table.
"FANG!" I turn on him, ready to yell, because that hurt, when I'm met by his mesmerizing obsidian eyes and smirk. I forget what I was going to say, and then after I stand there like an idiot, I remember. Well, it's a little late. I glare at him.
"Would you stop that?" I say, my voice irritated, Fang just smirks again.
"Stop what? Breathing?" That's fang for you, completely aggravating, but you can't imagine life without him. My eyes narrow.
"You know what I mean! It's that silent, sneaky thing you do! Don't do it!" He just picks up the corner of his mouth in a Fang smile. I love that smile. I roll my eyes and sit, waiting for Dr. Martinez to finish making breakfast. Waffles and bacon, breakfast of champions! And bacon just makes everything better!
She hands me a plate, there are two waffles and ten pieces of bacon, I explained our appetites, and she really delivered! I like this lady; maybe she's not that bad, maybe! I'm not saying she's not like, some insane freak; she might still end up being crazy or evil, you never know. But seriously, this bacon rocks! I bite into the waffle and savor the fluffy, delicious taste. It's incredible, this woman can cook!
"Where's Ella?" Nudge asks around a mouthful of strawberry. Strawberry? Where did she get that? I see a bowl of strawberries across the table and snatch a few. But, Nudge has a point, where's Ella? Dr. Martinez raises an eyebrow.
"Ella's at school." I shiver involuntarily at the word, I hate school. Nudge's eye light up at the mere mention of the abominable place. Oh no, here we go. "School? I want to go to school! I love normal school! Not the other kind, but I want to go! Max, I want to go! Can I go? I want to go to school!" After what she's been through, I don't understand why she'd even want to go! And it's a bad idea, I'm putting the hammer down.
"Nudge, no. That's a bad idea and we could get caught. I don't want to lose you too." She looks crestfallen, and I feel bad. "But Max! It's just for a little while! Only three weeks! What can happen in three weeks?" She begs, eyes pleading, and I relent. Don't ask me why! I have no idea what I'm thinking! Something's going to happen, but she just got shot and someone I think she likes got kidnapped, I can't just take away everything!
"Fine, but be careful and don't do anything stupid!" She grins and stands up, exited. I'm going to regret this, I'm sure of it! I already forgot why I said yes. Dr. Martinez offers to drive her and they leave, and suddenly, I'm alone with Fang. This might be bad.
"Max, that was incredibly stupid." Wow, blunt much? Way to just throw it out there. I mean, it's not like I wasn't thinking the same thing, but he just said it!
"I know, I don't know what I was thinking! It's just, so much has happened to her and I wanted her to be happy…" I trail off, not really wanting to continue. I know what I was thinking, I'm becoming such a softie, and that's not ok! I'm not supposed to be soft; I'm supposed Max the warrior! Well, there's another plan I botched for the school, which brings a small smile to my increasingly solemn face.
"Max, feeling bad can get us killed or worse, taken back. I don't want to even think about going back, the horror's they'd inflict on us. I don't want to go back." His eyes are hard, but I know that inside, somewhere, there's real fear, and that alone scares me. Fang is the fearless one, and even he is scared to go back.
"Fang, I know! Do you think for a second I want to go back? They did things to us that shouldn't even happen to lab rats or guinea pigs! The whitecoats are monsters, and they have Iggy! I'm not happy about any of this and I hate everything about this situation except the people I'm in it with! Don't bother saying anything because you're Fang, and I already know that you'll just stand there emotionless like you always do and just be Fang!" My voice rises steadily, and ends at a shout.
He stands there silently, unmoving, then takes a step forward and sweeps my into his arms, kissing me. Then he pulls back and stares into my eyes. Wow, I really didn't see that coming, not at all.
"Max, don't think for a single second that I don't care about what you say. I do, and what they do there is terrible and wrong and I don't want to go back. I don't want to take chances, because I don't want to go back to that wretched place. Please just listen. I know that you get where I'm coming from on this, and Nudge deserves some happiness, so I'll go along with this, because I would have done the same thing." I'm just standing here shocked, I mean, what do you say to that? Well, I know what I'd say!
"Thanks." Smooth right? Yeah, not one of my better moments, but I swear my brain isn't working right today. I need some sort of guidance or something, because this happens far too often for my liking. Right on cue, a searing pain explodes in my head and suddenly the ground rushes up to high five my face. I close my eyes, and feel strong arms catch me, Fang.
"Max! Max, are you ok? What's happening? What's wrong?" The words barely register, I'm in lala land and feel like my head is either about to implode or explode, whichever one hurts more, that one! Then I remember some of my life I've forgotten.
-Flashback-
I'm running, faster! I have to go faster! The ground itself seems to attack me. I slow down slightly, despite my desire to run on and escape the pain, I'm only eight, and I can't run any further. I fall, and feel the bite of the electric currents that have been tormenting me for weeks now. But I can't go on, as I feel my consciousness ebbing I notice the pain is gone, replaced by a dull ache. The burning, mind numbing pain is fading, am I dying? Please let me be dying, the threat of death pales in comparison to this. Strong arms envelop me and I smell the disgusting, tangy, clean smell of antiseptic. They pick me up, and I hear voices.
"It has an exceptionally high endurance, even better than subject two if I do say so myself. But I think that subject two is stronger than subject one." That's all I am to these freaks, a number, an it. I need a name. It needs to be something amazing, I'm the best. Even if I'm not the only one, I will be stronger, smarter, faster, better. I have to be, because I'm subject one; I'm the first, the only, the best. A name can wait, I need sleep. Sleep… my eyes drift shut.
They shake me, but I don't open my eyes. They carry me somewhere, and then I'm in my crate. I live in a dog crate, that can't be right! But maybe it is, I've never seen the outside world except through the looking glass. The sky is blue and beautiful, but I know I'll never fly in it. They always make me fly inside. I will never feel the wind in my hair, see the land as a bird does, and taste the air.
Grim determination sets in. I will! I won't stay here forever, because I'm the best, I WILL get out! I won't stop until I do, but I need a plan. I look into the dog crate across from me, and see obsidian eyes, I look closer. It's a boy, about my age. He has shaggy black hair and pale skin, like mine. I've never seen him before, and probably won't ever see him again. That's just how it is.
My name, I need a name. Something that tells everyone I'm the best. The very best and most amazing! Maximum Ride, that's who I am, that's my name. Maximum means the best or greatest, and that's who I am, the only one, the very first. I'm Maximum Ride. My eyes close again, and sleep claims me.
-End of Flashback-
I open my eyes, and see the obsidian eyes from my memory, Fang's eyes. I'm laying on me back on the floor, and it's cold. He picks me up and carries me to my room, laying me down on my bed. I don't protest, because I'm still thinking about what just happened. What just happened? There's a dull ache in my head, but nothing serious. Thank goodness Fang was here, I don't know what I'd do without him.
You and Fang aren't going to work. Shut up voice! Wait, voice? No no no, I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy! No Max, you aren't crazy, you're perfectly sane. Then why am I hearing a voice in my head that isn't mine? Explain that please! Silence, of course. Thanks a lot Voice. The voice didn't have a gender, or an age, it was simply there.
Max, you are a warrior. You don't have time for idle fancies. Excuse me? Fang is not an idle fancy! And who the heck are you anyways?! More silence, wonderful. Well, now I have a useless voice in my head that only tells me dumb opinions! Well, at least I still have my sanity, however long that lasts. At this rate, it won't be long.
"Max, are you all right?" Oh yeah, Fang's still here. I look over at him, and see concern in his eyes. I nod, and he visibly relaxes. He was worried about me. Fang, worried, that's a new one. Well, not really, but this is just the first time he's shown his concern like this.
I hear the front door open, and I tense. But I hear Dr. Martinez and relax, knowing it's just her. I stand up on slightly shaky legs and walk into the kitchen. Dr. Martinez is sitting down massaging her temples. I assume that the Nudge Channel is to blame.
"Nudge is very sweet, but does she ever stop talking?" I smile at that, having thought it many times myself. But I quickly learned that the answer is no, she does not, EVER, stop talking. My knowing smile tells all, and Dr. Martinez just shakes her head, her agitation evident. Then she laughs slightly, but I have no idea why that's even remotely funny. I look over at Fang and see him smiling, wait, Fang's smiling? WOW! That's like, three smiles in one day! A new record for him.
Fang's smile disappears, and replaced with nonchalance. His normal look, I've come to expect it actually. He's expressionless, and it feels as though there's a wall between him and the rest of the world. But sometimes, I can see through that wall, and see the person he is inside. Not Fang, not even Nick, it's someone who cares about us, and would take the bullet for any of us. But no one ever sees that side of him; he keeps it hidden away from the rest of the world.
"Something happened to Max while you were gone." Dr. Martinez looks alarmed. "Dr. Martinez, it was just a headache, I'm fine, I promise. She runs and grabs a flashlight, then examines my eyes. She listens to my heart and does all this other weird, doctory stuff. I think it's completely excessive, I mean really! I'm fine! But I let her do it, because I don't feel like arguing right now. Shocker, right? Wait, now I feel it.
"Dr. Martinez, I'm fine! I promise you, there's nothing wrong with" That's as far as I got. A searing pain erupts in my skull and the floor comes back for round two. But I'm unconscious before I can even register the pain.
Oh my goodness, that took forever to write! I had writers block, plus school! And I don't care who you are, that's no fun! But, thank you so much for the reviews! I got more than twice the number I normally get! So, if you like having Nudge here with me, please tell me. If you want another flock member, let me know. But Iggy is currently unavailable :( if you want him though, please tell me and I'll get him in!
Nudge: But you can vote for me staying! I like being here!
If you can name the following song, I'll give you a shout-out! It's hard though!
It's like I'm lost
It's like I'm giving up slowly
It's like you're a ghost that's haunting me
Leave me alone
And I know these voices in my head
Are mine alone
And I know I'll never change my ways
If I don't give you up now
Hit the pretty blue button!