MAX,

"Iggy! Stop!" I yelled.

One of his cold hands edged along the bottom of my shirt and I froze. It almost felt like the coldness burned my skin. Before he got any further I pulled my arm back power-socked him in the jaw area, but it was like he didn't notice at all.

What the actual freaking hell?

I decided to use some Jui Jitsu and quickly wrapped my legs around his waist, using my other arm to wrap around his throat. I pulled tight, using my leverage to try and choke him out. I'm strong but he had was stronger, not to mention he probably had a good fifteen pounds on me. My heart hammered. I didn't want to hurt him, but if he didn't stop... I would.

Iggy's grip on me suddenly slacked and he jerked back, I quickly pushed him away. He curled up a little bit and pressed his palms into his eyes, rubbing them hard. A grimace decorated his face.

You should be more careful where you put your mouth Max, that could have ended badly.

"Shut up!" I said shakily, pulling back and standing far away from the bed, near the restrooms.

"What?" Iggy croaked, sounding like he'd been stranded in a desert for a few weeks.

"What?" I asked, unaware that I had made my snarky remark aloud.

"What did I do this time? Why was I… Did I… Max, did I hurt you?" He begged as he gazed into my eyes, longingly, pleading.

"Cut the shit." I snarled crudely, shooting him the bird.

"What happened?" He cried, frustrated.

My expression hardened. How could he act like this? Was Iggy really just one of those d-bags in disguise? I didn't know what to say. Iggy's eyes were raking my face, taking in each expression, trying to piece them together.

I want to hurt Iggy. I want to make him feel uncomfortable in his own skin.

"Max?" He choked out, stumbling up and reaching for me.

I quickly moved out of the way, avoiding his touch. He reached for my hand, not getting the hint and I took a few more steps back towards the door.

"Please." He whispered, defeated.

I just shook my head. This is too much. I opened the door and walked outside and looked around. It was nearly dark out but streetlights sufficiently illuminated the motel's parking lot. Impulsively I ran forward and pounced into the air. I quickly picked myself up with my wings, choppily, nearly clipping them on the concrete. So much for not remembering, instinct dominated once again.

Obviously, you remember more than you know.

"That doesn't even make sense." I replied to the voice.

The Voice. What a suiting name.

I increased my altitude and just hovered over the motel room. Refreshing, cold air brushed through my hair and skin. I took a deep breath and felt relief wash through me. I was pretty cold in just my ratty tee, but the exertion from keeping myself in the air was slowly warming me up. I'd be fine as long as I didn't fly too high.

I probably shouldn't have left Iggy alone with Nudge… God knows what he'd do to her. Not to mention, she'd managed to stay asleep through my screaming. Before I had time to process any more of the recent occurrences, I felt the air around me swirl and I glanced down. Iggy was a few yards below me, rising quickly. I felt my skin bristle with goosebumps.

Iggy hovered a few feet below me as he held something out to me. A semi-thick army jacket. I reluctantly took it and slipped it on backwards to keep my arms and torso warm. It had slits on the back but I didn't want to land to put it on correctly.

I couldn't maneuver around Iggy without hitting him with my wing and possibly falling fifty feet or so—my instincts aren't that good—so I waited a few moments for him to move but he didn't

"Max!" He yelled over the slight breeze. "Can we land and talk?"

I kept my face stony and impassive, crossing my arms.

"Please I can explain everything, and—I promised Ari I wouldn't let you out of my sight."

My unaccustomed shoulder, neck, and wing muscles were giving me that 'you won't be able to move tomorrow' ache and the darkened sky was starting to hint at a light drizzle. Iggy still hadn't budged from his position near my leg. He's more stubborn than I am.

This is freaking ridiculous, I swear to God.

I jerked my wings back suddenly in an attempt to escape. My body swung forwards and I whacked against Iggy, hard, throwing the both of us off balance. On impulse, I reached out for something to steady myself, which was Iggy's foot.

I'm sorry for swearing to you God, but thanks for screwing me over anyway, I appreciate it.

If someone grabbed onto your leg while you were hurtling towards your impending death you'd most likely kick first, ask questions later. Iggy did just that, sending me summersaulting through the air. By the time I got my bearings back I was minutes from death. I don't think—

Strong arms wrapped around me, awkwardly, and yanked me upwards into the safety of the sky. I exhaled, realizing I had been holding my breath. You know that feeling in your stomach when the elevator suddenly lurches upward? Yeah, that.

Iggy had caught me—and I was clinging to his shirt. I quickly let go and hopped away from him when we hit the ground. We were on the other side of the motel near a patch of sad looking spindly trees. Iggy kept his wings slack and turned to me, before I could open my mouth he was already talking.

"I've been having these—Shifts—my whole conscious life. I don't remember anything that I do when I'm Shifted, sometimes they last only a few minutes and sometimes for hours on end, but for me it feels like no time passes. Whenever I get angry or… excited, I have a chance of Shifting but it's incredibly unpredictable. I become uncontrollable when I shift, I'm a completely different person. The Shifted me doesn't hesitate, it wouldn't think twice to kill," Iggy explained quietly. "Whenever I come back from the Shift I don't know what I've done, who I've hurt, and it terrifies me."

He paused for me to respond but I didn't. What the hell am I supposed to say to that. Oh yeah, the almost-molestation is totally fine, no biggy, shit happens.

"Max please, I care about you. Tell me what I did."

What really pissed me off is that he was totally one hundred percent sincere, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.

"I Shifted at Dave's party and might have busted Ari open if Dave didn't stop me—you were there but you don't remember. Also at school, when that guy… was hurting you I lost it, and when I realized Gaz was the one who made you lose your memory, I shifted again. Nearly killed him too. It's been happening more and more recently. I'm scared Max, I hate it so much. I don't know what to do." Iggy choked out.

"Nothing happened Iggy, you didn't do anything to me." The lie slipped out before I could stop it.

"It must have been bad then," He muttered roughly. "Thanks for the attempt to spare me Max, but I need to know what I did."

I stood there, Iggy's looking to Iggy's eager eyes. The air smelled like rain and thunder rumbled. So beautiful, all of it. The thought surfaced from my foggy memory; I love that moment right before it rains, 'specially at night. Everything about it. The smell, the strong wind, the promise of renewal.

Everything came crashing down. My entire life was erased. I'm falling apart, piece by piece. The last two weeks have been more painful physically and emotionally than my entire pathetic fifteen years of life have been. I miss… I don't even know what I miss! I can't remember shit! I'm so tired. I'm so weak. So sheltered, so laughable.

I wouldn't use any of those adjectives to describe you Max. You're stronger than you realize, you just haven't been pushed to your limits, haven't seen past the tip of the iceberg yet. But soon, you will see everything.

"That makes me feel so much better!" I yelled.

Iggy jumped back, startled by my outburst, then by my trembling body as I fell to my knees. There. I just sat, staring into the trees, not bothering to cry. It didn't make me feel better. Isn't it supposed to make me feel better?

"Max?" Iggy asked softly as he crouched beside me.

"I kissed you. You kissed me. Then we fell and you were on top, you wouldn't stop," This felt so unreal. "You almost touched me. It scared me shitless."

Iggy didn't say anything. His face fell and he sat beside me on the semi-green grass. He crossed his arms on his knees and rested his chin on them, then closed his eyes. I was suddenly very thankful for the jacket. I looked at him full on instead of just from the edge of my peripheral vision.

Iggy has really long eyelashes.

I wish I could say something funny to lighten the mood but nothing came to mind. So I didn't. The sky opened up and the cold wet droplets washed over us.