Alright! I'm a writing machine!
Before you read this chapter, realize something. Fang is a seventeen year old boy. Not exactly the smartest things on the planet. He hasn't figured out that it is Max singing, how could he figure out that she is abused?
I forgot the disclaimer for the story. I don't own Maximum Ride or any of the songs, except for the one in this chapter because I wrote it!
Here you go!
FANG POV
I heard it again. I heard it.
That magnificent voice that comes from the trees.
This song wasn't directly about child abuse, but I could tell that there was a connection to it.
Max had already said that she wasn't the voice from the trees, but I really don't believe her. She said no too quickly, and her eyes were terrified. Terrified of somebody figuring her out, terrified of getting hurt, but the sad part is, her eyes told me that she knew that she HAD to be terrified. She HAD to be paranoid. If not, she'd pay the price.
I fell asleep, promising myself that I'd confront the voice tomorrow. I'd find out whether it was Max or not.
For some weird reason, I felt that I didn't have a choice.
I will protect Maximum Ride.
MAXIMUM RIDE
MAX POV
"Max, you're late," A voice said, stirring me from the beautiful wonders of sleep. Sleep protects me from the horror of real life.
"Angel, it's Saturday!" I protested, but I heard her sigh. Then I felt her shake my shoulder again. "Max, it's Friday. We have school."
I sat upright and walked as quickly as I could to the closet. I grabbed two outfits, one for me and one for Angel.
She quickly got dressed and applied concealer on her face, then she waited until I was finished dressing, then she applied some to me.
I hurried her downstairs, throwing caution to the wind.
We would be late if we didn't hurry.
I had been smart and saved two waffles from yesterday, and I was proud when I found out that Angel had done the same.
We ran to school, and made it there just as the bell rang.
I kissed her on the cheek, then she ran off to the elementary school.
My ankle was killing me, I was seriously concerned about it.
I arrived at class with twenty three seconds to spare. I counted.
"Ah, Maximum, so nice of you to join us!" My math teacher said, smiling at the thought of giving me a detention for being late.
"Actually, I have fifteen seconds left," I informed her, sitting at my desk.
She glared then continued with the lesson.
I paid attention, but couldn't help but notice the fact that Fang stared at me.
It was the same old thing, until lunch.
Gazzy wasn't sitting there anymore, he must've stayed at the elementary school.
I sat with them, then I saw that they each had half of a very small sandwich. I smiled and sat down, and somehow, the silence was as comfortable as talking.
We did talk at one point, but we talked in hushed voices, as if we were afraid of being overheard.
I stood up when the bell rang, and watched as a teacher walked into the cafeteria.
That's weird. The teachers usually don't give a crap about what happens to us.
Then I saw that the teacher was walking with Angel, and Angel had this terrified look on her face, and was walking stiffly, as if she couldn't relax.
"Angel!" I yelled, rushing towards her.
She broke away from the teacher's grasp and put her arms around me, snuggling into me.
"What is it?" I whispered, dozens of awful possibilities running through my head.
"Valencia is here to pick us up!" She said in a scared tone, and I immediately stiffened, taking a few steps back from the door.
Iggy somehow heard the words we were saying, and stepped in front of us, saying, "Abused kids stick up for each other." Just loud enough so that Angel and I could hear him.
I gave him a broken smile, then picked Angel up, carrying her to the door.
Iggy looked at me sadly, with a look of sadness and sympathy that you could only give if you've been through it.
I looked nowhere but straight when I walked alongside Valencia, not daring to look back at my innocent classmates, and not daring to look at Valencia.
Angel clutched on to me for dear life, and I was just realizing how skinny she really was. I was carrying her and it felt like I was carrying styrofoam.
I climbed into the backseat with Angel and she buried her face into my shoulder.
The last time we had been picked up from school we had been beaten so bad that Angel couldn't walk properly for a month, and I had to crawl to my neighbor's house and they drove me to the hospital. Yet, they neighbors didn't suspect that abuse was happening. They're quite stupid.
I was silent for the entire ride, and Angel quietly talked to herself, her face still buried in my shirt.
I put my mask on when we arrived at the house. I refuse to call this place home.
My heart tightened when I saw Angel construct a similar mask. She shouldn't have to do this. She shouldn't have to be so afraid.
I hugged her as we walked in. There, I saw the worst thing possible.
Jeb and Valencia were having a party.
It's not a normal party, though.
The guests have no problem with using us children as slaves for hours, then they all gang up on us, with every weapon imaginable.
Angel swallowed besides me. "Maxie, I don't want to do this," She said, and I had to use all the strength I had to stay in one spot and not run out of the house, screaming out all the anger I had kept inside.
Instead I took Angel's hand, and braced myself for the next few hours.
"You!" A man with blonde hair and dark brown eyes yelled at me. "Go get us a bottle of wine!"
I quickly took Angel's hand and took her into the basement with me, and I let her select a bottle.
I carried it back upstairs and handed it to the man.
"This will do," He snarled, raking his fingernails down my arms, leaving scratches.
I closed my eyes for a brief second then asked, "Will that be all?"
He didn't answer, he was already popping the cork.
I walked out of sight, pulling Angel along.
For two more hours Angel and I catered to our unwanted guests.
Then the real unwanted part came.
They ganged up on us.
I did my best to shield Angel, but they got to her anyways.
I still took the worst part though. These monsters still had enough heart to cut the little girl some slack.
Punch, kick, choke, scratch, slap, hit, even bites. I got hit with a bat, a belt, and got sliced with a knife.
The real scary part was that they were enjoying this. There was no person here that objected, that saw the wrong of this.
After it was over, I could barely keep my eyes open. So I dragged myself up the stairs and tended to Angel's wounds, then mine.
It wasn't as bad as last time, though. I guess they invited different people. Either that or they're finally growing hearts.
Nope, they must've invited different people.
Not wanting to break tradition, I dragged myself to the park. I didn't climb the tree that high, and I didn't talk. I just laid Angel's head in my lap and sang.
It wasn't a song that I have ever heard, though. I was making it up as I went along.
It'll All Be Okay by yours featherly! (It is not the best song I've ever written)
Start of the day, cover up your bruises
Gotta be strong, gotta get through this
Try not to come home, hoping he will not miss... you
Next thing you know, he's clawing at your throat,
Run on outside, pull on your coat
try not to cry, theres people on the same boat... as you
But. That. Doesn't make it better
That. Won't. Make it leave forever
Punch. Hit. Screamin' all day
You gotta be strong it'll all be okay
End of the day, lay on your bed
Cry out your heart, you arent gone yet
think of better times, then you are all set
to start another day, you know the ones that care won't let,, you slip away
But. That. Doesn't make it better
That. Won't. Make it leave forever
Punch. Hit. Screamin' all day
You gotta be strong, it'll all be okay
Ooooooooooooo x4
He kicks you, you don't fight back
Come on, right now. Make a pact
To get out of here, start a new day
You gotta be strong, but by morning it might be too late
But. That. Doesn't make it better
That. Won't make it leave forever
Punch. Hit. Screamin' all day
You gotta be strong, it'll all be okay
But. That. Doesn't make it better,
That. Won't. Make it leave forever
Punch. Hit. Screamin' all day
You gotta be strong, it'll all go away
I finished and Angel just stared at me, a small smile on her face. "Maxie, I love you," She said, and the look on her face was as if she were just seeing the world for the first time.
"I love you too, Angel Ride," I said, the tears slipping down my face.
Our lovely moment wasn't interrupted for once.
"I don't want to go back to that place," She said, crying along with me.
She doesn't even call that place home, she doesn't have home.
"Angel, be strong, be strong for Alyssa, Angel, she's watching, she'll help us. She's a real angel," I told her, wiping away her tears.
She nodded and slipped down the tree with me.
I walked in the house, cradling Angel, with my head held high.
The demons saw me, but I had this... light around me, that warned them not to come near me.
I walked up the stairs, ignoring the pain, and tucked Angel in, whispering, "It'll all go away."
Then, I fell asleep, dreading the time I had to wake.
MAXIMUM RIDE
FANG POV
I'm officially a coward.
I went to the park, and I heard that beautiful voice again, but I didn't confront it.
I sat there, listening to the strength and emotion of the words, and I felt that if I interrupted whoever it was, they really wouldn't like it.
What if it was Max? What if it is the girl that I find myself thinking more and more about? What if it is the girl that protects those she meets, just to protect them?
I don't know how I'd deal with that.
And what about that scene she put on at lunch?
Who I guess is her little sister ran into the lunch room, accompanied by a teacher, and it looked like Max immediately expected the worse. I don't know why, maybe Angel had a medical issue, or one of their parents was in the hospital, or something.
The new kids obviously knew what was wrong. The boy, who I think his name is Iggy, stepped in front of them, as if they needed protection. What would he know? He's been in this school for what, a week, and somehow he already cracked Max's walls?
So many people have tried to get into Max's walls, but she always pushes them out.
Boys have obsessions with her. Players call her the ultimate challenge, but she never notices.
She is... how do I put this... hot. She's beautiful.
She doesn't wear eyeliner, or mascara, but she piles on that concealer stuff.
I have Brigid though, and Lissa always wants a piece.
Why do I keep thinking about Max? Is there something wrong with me? She's one of the losers, and I belong with the popular crowd. We're more or less from different worlds. Yet I always feel like I should protect her. I feel like I'm doing something wrong when I don't tell Brigid to stop. I feel like I should confront whoever the voice is.
I have to confront whoever the voice is, then maybe I'll stop thinking about Max so much. After all, if it is Max, I'll have to realize that she is just emo or something, and cuts herself, so she sings sad songs in trees.
No matter how many times I tell myself that story, I can't help but not believe it. Max wouldn't cut. I feel like she is stronger than she appears, so strong that she wouldn't resort to something like that.
I walked home, but I as I passed another street, I couldn't help but hear the screams that came from a house.
The one thing that really scared me was the fact that the screams matched Max's voice.