I made brownies today…

…

Heehee.

Chapter 5: Cooties

Fang got us tickets for the cruise (thanks to that handy dandy credit card), and we were finally on our way. Although I refused to admit it to the others, even I was excited. And you know me. I usually don't get too excited for things like this.

We're going on a CRUISE, CRUISE, CRUISE!

How about YOU, YOU, YOU?

You can come TOO,TOO, TOO!

We're going on a CRUISE, CRUISE, CRUISE!

Gazzy, Iggy, and Nudge had modified the words to an old children's song, and were now belting them out at the top of their lungs as we flew through the crisp morning air.

"Guys! Enough!" I finally snapped. I was losing my patience, and I have the patience of a freaking saint.

We were approaching Port Canaveral, after a long 6-hour flight. Wearily, we landed behind a deserted vacation home and decided to walk the rest of the way so we wouldn't stand out. But what about our suitcases, the average cruise-goer would ask? Well, we have been on the run for so long that, let's just say, we've learned how to consolidate. Each of us carried a back pack slung across our shoulders, and Angel had Total on a leash so as not to look conspicuous. Who knew cruises were dog-friendly? The man collecting tickets raised his eyebrows at our lack of luggage and the fact that six shabby kids were about to board a luxury cruise ship, but he didn't say anything. Smart move on his part.

We had to go through a bunch of security – I won't bore you with the details. I will tell you, though: never carry even a small Swiss Army knife onto a cruise ship – the employees will confiscate it without a second glance. Gazzy and Iggy reluctantly emptied their pockets, which contained bits of burned eraser, some parchment paper, and a small circular object that looked suspiciously like the makings of a bomb. I knew that they had tons more hidden in random places, but thank goodness the security guard didn't check the inside of Gazzy's socks. A) He would have found things much worse than charred eraser, but B) He would probably pass out from the stench before he could even tell what he was looking at. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the two pyromaniacs bump knuckles as we walked away from the security area. Obviously, the security guards hadn't confiscated anything of any importance. Which meant that I would have to. Brilliant.

Angel skipped along beside me, swinging my hand, an anticipating smile on her face. I knew she was enjoying this – they all were. Fang was right. They really did deserve a break. And if I had to spend thousands of dollars to bring smiles to those faces that had endured so much, well, I would do it. Even if it wasn't my own money that I was actually spending.

"Thanks, Max," Angel said out of the blue.

"Thanks for what, hon?"

"Just for bringing us here, and letting down your guard a bit so we can relax for awhile. I know it's hard."

"Aw, you're welcome, Ange. You guys deserve it."

She gave me a sweet smile and ran to join Nudge. I had to do some thinking about Angel. What was I going to do with her? She was so smart for a six year old, but she had many faces. Not all of which were angelic. Her, well, mutations, were making me a bit nervous, too. Who knows – one day, you sprout gills and talk to fish, the next day your wings are replaced by fins, or something else ridiculous like that? The idea wasn't impossible, and that scared me.

Fang came up behind me, shifting his back pack from one shoulder to the other. "You okay?" he asked. I was again surprised by how well he knew me. He could read me like a book.

"Yeah. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Stuff," I muttered evasively.

He rolled his eyes. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Good."

At that moment, our conversation was halted when we were jumbled into a crowd of excited vacationers. My claustrophobia assaulted me, and I felt like I was being squashed under the stampede of people. We were herded onto the deck of the ship, and I grabbed Gazzy and Angel's hands tightly so I wouldn't lose them.

Guys in formal-looking uniforms split the mob into two: one direction led to a guided tour of the ship, the other led straight to our cabins. I steered the Flock the second way – we would have time to get our bearings later. Right now I just wanted to get away from all these people. We headed down a large hallway, and passed the massive pool, a mini-golf course, and the dining hall. Finally, we arrived at our room – number 207. Opening the door revealed a very large living space, which had a hallway that led to three small rooms, each containing a bed. Nudge's eyes were the size of saucers as she whipped her head around very quickly, trying to take everything in at once. Angel grabbed Nudge's hand and said, "I'm sharing a room with you. I don't want to sleep in the same room as boys and get their cooties." Nudge nodded knowingly, and the two tramped off to the room on the far right. Iggy gave the Gasman a little shove and cried, "I call the closet!" Which left Fang and I. To share a room. With one bed.

"Damn," I said loudly, and stalked off to our room.

Fang followed with an annoying grin on his face. "Here, let me carry that for you," he said, chuckling.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?